''Bhakta Tukaram'' is a 1973 Indian

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

-language

biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

based on the life of the saint-poet

Tukaram Sant Tukaram Maharaj (Marathi pronunciation: ̪ukaːɾam was a 17th-century Marathi poet, Hindu ''sant'' (saint), popularly known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, Tukoba in Maharashtra. He was a Sant of Varkari sampradaya (Marathi-Vaishnav tradition) - ...

, produced by

P. Adinarayana Rao Penupatruni Adinarayana Rao (21 August 1915 – 19 August 1991) was an Indian music director, film producer, lyricist and play writer. He co-founded "Aswini Pictures" with Akkineni Nageswara Rao and produced some movies in Telugu and Tamil langu ...

under the

Anjali Pictures Anjali Pictures ( te, అంజలీ పిక్చర్స్) is an Indian film production house owned by famous music director P. Adinarayana Rao and versatile film actress Anjali Devi Anjali Devi (; 24 August 1927 – 13 January ...

banner and directed by

V. Madhusudhana Rao Veeramachineni Madhusudhana Rao (27 July 1917 – 11 January 2012) was an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is popularly known as ‘Victory’ Madhusudhana Rao. He directed ...

. It stars

Akkineni Nageswara Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1923 – 22 January 2014), widely known as ANR, was an Indian actor and producer, known for his works majorly in Telugu cinema. He starred in many landmark films in his seventy five-year career, and became on ...

Anjali Devi Anjali Devi (; 24 August 1927 – 13 January 2014) was an Indian actress, model and producer in Telugu and Tamil films. She was well known for her role as the Devi Sita in '' Lava Kusa'' as well as for the titular roles in movies like Chench ...

and

Sivaji Ganesan Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji G ...

, with music also composed by Adinarayana Rao.

Plot

The film is based on the story of

Bhakta Tukaram ''Bhakta Tukaram'' is a 1973 Indian Telugu-language biographical film based on the life of the saint-poet Tukaram, produced by P. Adinarayana Rao under the Anjali Pictures banner and directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara ...

, an advent devotee of

Lord Panduranga Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

in the 17th century in

Dehu Dehu is a neighbourhood in the city of Pune, India. It is known for being the abode of Sant Tukaram. The Tukaram Palakhi heading towards the town of Pandharpur originates from Dehu in the month of ''Ashadh.'' Demographics India census, Dehu h ...

village of present-day

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

. Tukaram a small trader, is kindhearted and ameliorates everyone for which he absorbs his property. He leads a family life with two wives Avalai Jija Bai & Rukma Bai, and their two children. However, he is not interested in worldly matters and is always immersed in the adoration of the Lord. Mumbaji Go Swamy is the head of the village and behaves as a great preacher & disciple but actually, he is a decadent person, who misuses public faith for self-consumption. Tukaram always opposes his misdeeds, keeping the grudge in mind, Mumbaji troubles Tukaram a lot also propagates him as an atheist, and ostracizes him. Hence his family suffers from starvation even though no one comes forward to support him when his wife Rukma Bai passes away. Devastated Tukaram leaves the house to question the existence of God when Lord Panduranga appears and endorses to scripture his divinity as

Abhang Abhanga () is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The word "abhang" comes from ''a'' for "non-" and ''bhang'' for "ending" or "interrupting", in other words, a flawless, continuous process, in ...

s. Now Tukaram awakes the devotion in people through his singing and becomes eminent which also impresses emperor

Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adil ...

who facilitates him with material gifts but he refuses courteously. At this point, Mumbaji's envy is boundless, so, he uses a brothel Bahina Bai to lure Tukaram when he shows the reality of life and how her beauty shrinks in old age and makes her his devotee. Thereafter, Mumbaji claims that Tukaram stole his verses when Pandit Rameswara Bhattar a religious authority arrives to examine who orders Tukaram to immerse his works into the river and never discuss religion in public which he does so. But the river

Ganga The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

returns it affirming it as sacred when Rameswara Bhattar also becomes his devotee. Meanwhile, Mumbaji hides the Lord's statue from the temple, indicts Tukaram, and complains to Shivaji. So, Shivaji lands at Dehu to test Tukaram and gives him a day time to him to prove his innocence. Here Tukaram with his devotional power restores the statue. Right now, Mumbaji intrigues by informing Shivaji's presence in the village of the Mughals but God protects Shivaji at the behest of Tukaram. Knowing it, the enraged Mughal Empire amputates Mumbaji which Tukaram retrieves and Mumbaji too bows his head down. At last, Lord invites Tukaram to

Vaikuntha Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, ...

with the mortal body by sending his vehicle Garuda Vahana. Finally, the movie ends, with Tukaram going to heaven, giving his ultimate preachings to follow piety, truth, peace, kindness & mercy.

Cast

as Avali Bai *

* Nagabhushanam as Mumbaji Go Swamy *

Dhulipala Dhulipala Sitarama Sastry (24 September 1921 – 13 April 2007), known mononymously by the surname Dhulipala, was an Indian actor and thespian, known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He was noted for playing mythological roles, p ...

as Rameswara Bhattar * Sakshi Ranga Rao as Nandi *Bhanu Prakash as Neeloji *Nagaraju as

* P. J. Sarma as Gangadhar Pandit *Potti Prasad as Varaham * Kanchana as Bahina Bai *

Sriranjani Jr. Sriranjani (22 February 1927 – 27 April 1974) was an Indian actress active in Telugu and Tamil films. She was the younger sister of Sriranjani (actress), Sriranjani. She is known mainly for her tragedy roles particularly as the long-suffering ...

as Rukma Bai * Baby Sridevi as Kaasi (Tukaram's daughter)

Production

played

, and

played

without taking any remuneration for the film.

Soundtrack

Music composed by P. Adinarayana Rao.

References

External links

* {{V. Madhusudhana Rao 1973 films 1970s Telugu-language films Indian biographical films Films about Hinduism History of India on film Films directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao Hindu devotional films 1970s biographical films Cultural depictions of Shivaji