''Pandurangadu'' is 2008

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

-language

biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from Docudrama, docudrama films ...

, based on the life of

Pundarika Pundalik () or Pundarika (), () was an Indian saint and a devotee of the Hindu deity Vithoba. Vithoba is a Vaishnava deity, considered a reincarnation of Vishnu and Krishna. Pundalik is believed to have brought Vithoba to Pandharpur, where the ...

, produced by K. Krishna Mohana Rao on R. K. Film Associates banner, directed by

K. Raghavendra Rao Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao (born 23 May 1942) is an Indian filmmaker known primarily for his work in Telugu cinema, besides a few Hindi film and Kannada films. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has directed over a hundred films ...

. Starring

Nandamuri Balakrishna Nandamuri Balakrishna (born 10 June 1960), also known as Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, film producer, politician and philanthropist known for his works in Telugu cinema. Balakrishna is an elected member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative A ...

, Tabu and

Sneha Sneha () is a popular Hindu Indian feminine given name, which means "Affection". Notable people named Sneha *Sneha (actress) (born 1981), Indian actress in South Indian films - Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages *Sneha Khanwalkar (b ...

and music composed by M. M. Keeravani. The film is remake of

N. T. Rama Rao Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, philanthropist, and politician who served as the Chief Minister o ...

-starrer ''

Panduranga Mahatyam ''Panduranga Mahatyam'' () is a 1957 Indian Telugu-language biographical film, based on the life of Pundarika, produced by N. Trivikrama Rao under the National Art Theatres banner and directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. It stars N. T. Rama R ...

'' (1957). The film received positive reviews, but it became a

box office bomb A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...

Plot

Pundarika Ranganathudu is a follower of

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

but for the wrong reasons and does not listen to his father and his mother. He does all the mischievous things that Krishna did in his reign. Once when his family members ask him to marry he leaves his village and runs away. After his family members perform a yagnam he comes back to his village. In the neighboring village, Lakshmi is an ardent devotee of Krishna. One night Krishna appears in her dreams and asks her to marry Pundarika. So Lakshmi's father approaches Pundarika but he refuses. Later, after some persuasion from Lakshmi, Pundarika accepts the marriage. Meanwhile, a dancer Amrutha comes to their village. Pundarika is mesmerized by her beauty and gets into a relationship with her. He offers all the gold in his house to her. But, after the marriage, he stops visiting Amrutha. Knowing this Amrutha's mother calls Pundarika for a meal and serves ''Kala Kuta Rasayana'', which makes him violent at a small sound and grabs all his wealth. Then he lands in an unknown place where he kicks a saint and is cursed. The rest of the film is about how Pundarika returns to his family and becomes a devotee of Krishna.

Cast

Soundtrack

Music composed by M. M. Keeravani.

Reception

A critic from ''

Rediff.com Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...

'' wrote that "''Pandurangadu'' offers a refreshing alternative to the current crop of movies". Jeevi of ''

Idlebrain.com Idlebrain.com is an Indian entertainment website dedicated to Telugu cinema. Established in 1999 by G. V. Ramana, popularly known as Jeevi, a graduate of BITS Pilani, the site is among the oldest websites on the Internet focused on Telugu films ...

'' rated the film three out of five and wrote that "The plus points are Bala Krishna and the music. On the flipside, the emotions would have been strongly established". A critic from ''Full Hyderabad'' wrote that "Pandurangadu is singularly devoid of any intelligence, subtlety or depth, and unless you want to see God on the silver screen, you should stay away".

References

External links

* {{K. Raghavendra Rao 2000s Telugu-language films 2008 films Films directed by K. Raghavendra Rao Films scored by M. M. Keeravani Remakes of Indian films