Maya Bazar (1936) a.k.a. Sashirekhaa Parinayam (1936)
Originally written as a script for Surabhi Theatre for a play almost a hundred years ago. The first cinematic Maya Bazar was made in 1936 in Telugu based on this play. Later 16 films were made with the same title in different languages.
Cast: P. Santha Kumari (Sasirekha), S. Rajeswara Rao
Director: P.V. Das
Cast: P. Santha Kumari (Sasirekha), S. Rajeswara Rao
Director: P.V. Das
| Name | : | Maya Bazaar - 1936 | |
| Release Date | : | 01-Jan-1936 | |
| Parent Category | : | Drama | |
| Format | : | 35MM | |
| Language | : | Telugu | |
| Original Language | : | Telugu | |
| Rating | : | U |
Movie Making :
‘Mayabazaar' is the only film that was made eleven times in various Indian languages and the two Telugu versions turned out to be super hits. Strangely, neither in the Puranic Encyclopedia nor in ‘Poorvagaadhalahari' one could find the character Sasirekha or Surekha or Vatsala as she is named in different languages. Somewhere down the ages, some very imaginative writer authored the fiction episode that was popularised through stage plays and later through cinema.
The first film on the tale of Sasirekha's marriage with Abhimanyu and the precedent and subsequent events was made as a silent film – Surekha Abhimanyu – Vatsalaharan which was released on October 6, 1921. The 6,780 ft. movie in six reels was produced by Maharashtra Film Company, Kolhapur and was directed by Baburao Painter who trained many later day stalwarts including V. Shantaram. Lord Krishna was played by Santharam with Ganpat Bakre in a lead role. The first talkie – Mayabazaar – Surekhaharan (1932) was made by Nanubhai Vakil in Hindi. The third version- Vatsala Kalyanam (1935) in Tamil was directed by R. Padmanabhan.
The next year P.V. Das produced and directed Mayabazaar – Sasirekhaparinayam in Telugu under Vel Pictures banner with the creative support of writer-director Murugadasa, cinematographer K. Ramnoth whose trick photography contributed much to the film's success and art director-cum-sound recordist A.K. Sekhar. M.T. Rajen, Das' partner and a successful Madras city electrical contractor primarily dealing with the electrification of cinema theatres was the presenter.
Das chose stage stalwarts Yadavalli Nageswara Rao to play Lord Krishna. Master Saluri Rajeswara Rao whom he had introduced with Srikrishna Leelalu (1935) played child Abhimanyu while S.P. Lakshmanaswamy acted as Abhimanyu. The other actors were – Thurlapati Anjaneyulu (Balarama), Rayaprolu Subrahmanyam (Duryodhana), Nellore Pahilwan Rajamreddy Rami Reddy (Ghatothkacha), Pothuri Sathyanarayana (Sakuni), Sr. Sriranjani (Subhadra).
Das was scouting for a young girl to play Sasirekha. He finally found her in Subbamma at a music concert. A teenager, she was then teaching music at Vidyodaya School, Madras after learning classical music from Prof. Sambamurthy. Das was bowled over by her mellifluous voice and innocence, essential qualities to portray Sasirekha's character. Subbamma's acting experience was restricted just to two characters – Prahlada and Krishna that she portrayed in school plays while studying in Kadapa. Her parents were against her joining films. They wanted to see her as classical singer. Subbamma was adamant and resorted to hunger strike. On the fourth day they relented. Das changed her name as Santhakumari. She married filmmaker P. Pullaiah in 1937. The rest is history.
S.P. Lakshmanaswamy was a popular stage actor and singer from Juthika village near Tanuku. Trained by Dantu Suryarao at Young Men's Happy Club, Kakinada, he played a wide variety of characters and also staged plays in Burma. He cut 30 records for Hutchin recording company. For a romantic scene, Das wanted Santhakumari to show a loving expression on her face while talking to Lakshmanaswamy. Obstinate by nature, young Santhakumari questioned the director why should she love him, she wouldn't. Das had to coax her that she was playing Sasirekha and as per the story, she has to love Abhimanyu. The unit was treated to such funny moments during the shoot that lasted about six months.
Enormous fount of knowledge, K. Ramnoth founded the Cine Technicians' Association of South India in 1943 and gave lectures at Odeon (now Melody) Theatre, Madras on Sunday mornings with a black board in tow on how they worked on trick photography for the early talkies. His trick shots for Mayabazaar especially in the scene in which Ghatothkacha appears and the marriage feast where he gobbles food was greatly appreciated.
The popular song Vivahabhojanambu in Vijaya's Mayabazaar was said to be there in the 1932 Hindi Mayabazaar, of course with a different lyric. It found its place in Das' Mayabazaar too. The tune was inspired by Charles Penrose's famous song, The Laughing Policeman. Penrose first recorded the song under a pseudonym Charles Jolly in 1922. Nanubhai Vakil used it in his film. Das' music director Galipenchala Narasimha Rao improvised it by mixing it with Mexican Croon. The lyric is not known.
But the all time hit, Vivahabhojanambu, song in Vijaya's Mayabazaar was taken almost with the lyric from Surabhi Nataka Samajam's plays of the 50's which again was sourced from the 1940's Janaki Sapadham harikatha records of B. Nagarajakumari. That clearly states that Nagarajakumari was inspired by the tune from Das Mayabazaar, as she had no chance of exposure to England's Charles Penrose's song or the Mexican croon.
P.V. Das' Mayabazaar was a huge hit. Sadly he could not see its success as he succumbed to illness even before the first copy came out from the lab.
Remembered for: Ramnoth's trick photography and Santhakumari's natural acting and melodic rendition.
m. l. narasimham
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