Panduranga Mahatyam (film)

Panduranga Mahatyam
Directed by	Kamalakara Kameswara Rao
Produced by	Nandamuri Trivikrama Rao
Written by	Samudrala Ramanujacharya
Starring	N.T. Rama Rao Chittor V. Nagaiah Anjali Devi Rushyendramani B. Padmanabham B. Saroja Devi Peketi Sivaram Vijaya Nirmala
Music by	T. V. Raju
Cinematography	M. S. Rehman
Edited by	G. D. Joshi
Production company	National Art Theatre Pvt. Ltd.
Release date	28 November 1957
Country	India
Language	Telugu

Panduranga Mahatyam is a 1957 Telugu film directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao and starring N. T. Rama Rao playing the role of Pundarika. The lyrics written by Samudrala Ramanujacharya are excellent. The songs of Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao particularly "Jaya Krishna Mukunda Murari" and "Amma Ani Pilichina" are remembered as the best film songs expressing devotion and sorrow.

Pundarika (N.T. Rama Rao) is from a pious Brahmin family who is not interested in the worship of God and irreligious, a complete rebel who is asked to mend his ways by his parents (Nagaiah and Rushyendramani). He steals their gold for a prostitute Kalavathy (B. Saroja Devi). His mother takes the blame, and they part ways. Kalavathy takes all his wealth and throws him out.

He goes to a hermitage where he falls in love with three disciples of the Sage, who break his legs for this blasphemy. He then realizes the importance of his parents, goes back to them, begs for forgiveness, and prays to Lord Panduranga to grant him the boon of merging into him along with his parents — giving the message that one has to serve one's parents and it is the quickest way to Salvation.