Keelu Gurram (English title: The Magic
Horse) is a 1949 Telugu swashbuckling adventure fantasy film, produced and
directed by Raja Saheb of Mirzapur under the Sobhanachala Pictures banner. It
stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Anjali Devi in the lead roles, with music
composed by Ghantasala. The film is the debut of legendary music director and
singer Ghantasala as composer. This is also the first Telugu film dubbed into
another language, Tamil as Mayakkudirai The film was recorded as an Industry
Hit at the box office.
Directed by:: Raja
Saheb of Mirzapur
Produced by:: Raja
Saheb of Mirzapur
Written by :: Tapi
Dharma Rao
(story / dialogues)
Screenplay by:: Ch Narayana Murthy
Starring:: Akkineni
Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi
Music by:: Ghantasala
Cinematography:: D. L. Narayana
Edited by:: R.
M. Venu Gopal
Productioncompany :: Sobhanachala Pictures
Release date :: 19 February 1949
Plot
The King of Vidarbha is attracted to a
Yakshini called Guna Sundari (Anjali Devi) when he goes out hunting with his
aide (Relangi). He brings her to his kingdom as his second wife. She is a demon
who eats elephants and horses in the fort at night, leaving bones. According to
her plan, she manages to shift the blame onto the Queen. The king punishes the
pregnant queen and asks his commander to kill her by taking her into a forest.
But the commander feels sorry for her. He does not kill her, but blinds her by
removing her eyeballs and takes them as a proof that he killed her. He hands
them over to Guna Sundari. She secretly keeps them with her sister.
She gives birth to a son Vikrama (Akkineni
Nageswara Rao) and was rescued by forest dwellers. He grows up there without
knowing his past and learns all the fighting skills. One day, because of a
petty fight with the son of Chieftain of their tribe, he comes to know about
his past through his mother. He leaves the forest without telling his mother.
In the kingdom, there is an announcement
that the princess of the Anga kingdom was kidnapped by an unknown witch, if
anybody finds and bring her back, they will be awarded half of the kingdom and
the princess herself as a bride. Three intelligent people in the city, a fortune
teller, a blacksmith, and a priest wish to win the reward. Through their
magical powers, they find that the princess is hidden very far away across
three oceans on a mountain surrounded by dangerous creatures. To reach there,
they design a Mechanical horse (Keelu Gurram) which can fly. After they finish
making it, they are afraid of riding on it. So they take it to the king and ask
him if there is any brave young man in the kingdom who can ride on it.
Vikrama just reaches the kingdom and rides
on Keelu Gurram (Magic horse), he wins the king's attention. He is also able to
stop the Yakshini from eating the horses and elephants with the help of that
horse. He was given the Sainyadhikari (Chief of Army) position due to his
bravery. The Yakshini now finding it difficult to fulfill her wishes, wants to
get rid of Vikrama somehow. She pretends that she has a severe headache and
asks the king to send Vikrama to bring a medicinal herb for her headache. So he
set on to the journey on his magical horse. On the way, he saves a queen
(Lakshmirajyam), who is about to be killed by a cruel conjurer in order to
possess great powers. He rests in her place for some time. She finds a small
note in which it is written that "Dear elder Sister, whoever brings this
letter to you, is causing me a lot of trouble. As soon as he hands over this
letter to you, gobble him up". She suspects something and changes the
letter so that he will be treated well by her.
Vikrama tricks her and gets hold of the
princess, his mother's eyeballs and also two insects, which hold the life of
Yakshinis. On the way back he is deceived by the three makers of the magical
horse, but manages to survive. He reaches the kingdom, while his mother is
sentenced to death by hanging. He kills Mohini and saves his mother and
restores her dignity.
Cast ::
Akkineni Nageshwara Rao as Vikrama
Anjali Devi as Guna Sundari, a Yakshini
A. V. Subba Rao as Prachanda Maharaju
Relangi as Govindudu
D. Satyanarayana as Mahamantri Sumantha
V. Koteswara Rao as Pratapa Shilpa
Pucha Viswanatham as Vasudeva
K. V. Manikya Rao Naidu as Sishya
M. Kondaiah as Rudra
Ramanatha Sastry as Maharaju
Suryashree as Vidyavathi
Balamani as Prabhavathi
Lakshmirajyam Jr. as Sugunavathi
T. Kanakam as Keekini
Surabhi Kamalabai
Crew ::
Film release poster published in
Chandamama.
Art: T. V. S. Sarma
Choreography: Vedantam Raghavaiah, Vempati
Story - Dialogues - Lyrics: Tapi Dharma Rao
Screenplay: Ch. Narayana Murthy
Playback: Ghantasala, Krishna Veni, V.
Sarala Rao, P. Sridevi
Music: Ghantasala
Editing: R. M. Venu Gopal
Cinematography: D. L. Narayana
Screenplay - Director: Raja Saheb of
Mirzapuram
Banner: Sobhanachela Pictures
Release Date: 19 February 1949
Songs ::
Music composed by Ghantasala. Lyrics were
written by Tapi Dharma Rao. Music released on HMV Audio Company.
Singers :: V. Sarala Rao
02- Bhaagyamu
Naadenoyi
Singers :: Krishna Veni
03- Choochi
Teeravakada
Singers :: Krishna Veni
Singers :: Ghantasala, V.
Sarala Rao
05-Evaru
Chesina Karma
Singers :: Ghantasala
06- Yenta
Krupamative
Singers :: Ghantasala, V.
Sarala Rao
07- Mohanamaha
Singers :: Krishna Veni
08- Sobhana
Giri Nilaya
Singers :: Krishna Veni
09- Teliyavasama
Palukatarama
Singers :: Ghantasala, Krishna
Veni
10- Nera
Nera Bandi
Singers :: Ghantasala
