Kurukshetram (1977 film)

The film depicts a series of key events from the Mahabharata, beginning with the division of the kingdom. It progresses through significant moments, including the marriage of Subhadra and Arjuna, the slaying of Jarasandha, the Rajasuya Yagna, the infamous dice game, the subsequent exile of the Pandavas, and culminates in the Kurukshetra War.

• Jyothi Lakshmi as dancer in Mayasabha

Kurukshetram and Daana Veera Soora Karna were produced around the same time. Krishna began the production of Kurukshetram in parallel with N. T. Rama Rao's Daana Veera Soora Karna.^[3] He co-produced the film with A. S. R. Anjaneyulu, who had previously produced Pandava Vanavasam (1965). The film was directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao, with K. S. R. Das overseeing the war sequences. Samudrala Jr. wrote the screenplay, while Tripuraneni Maharadhi wrote the dialogues.^[2] Despite being a long-time associate of N. T. Rama Rao, Kameswara Rao’s decision to direct Kurukshetram caused a strain in their relationship.^[1]

In Kurukshetram, Krishna portrayed Arjuna, while Sobhan Babu played Krishna, and Krishnam Raju took on the role of Karna. Satyanarayana appeared as Duryodhana, with Chandra Mohan as Abhimanyu, and Randhava, son of renowned wrestler Dara Singh, as Bhima.^[2] Gummadi portrayed Bhishma. Only a few actors like Satyanarayana, Gummadi, Dhulipala, and Mukkamala, appeared in both Kurukshetram and Daana Veera Soora Karna.^[1][4]

Unlike Daana Veera Soora Karna, which was filmed entirely at Ramakrishna Cine Studios, Kurukshetram featured elaborate sets and was shot in various locations, including Mysore and Rajasthan, and Kurukshetra in Haryana. For the war scenes, Krishna took the crew along with elephants, horses, camels, and chariots to Kurukshetra. At a time when computer-generated graphics were not available, Krishna's innovative production techniques were considered groundbreaking in the Telugu film industry.^[5]

The music for Kurukshetram was composed by Saluri Rajeswara Rao, featuring lyrics by renowned writers such as Sri Sri, C. Narayana Reddy, Dasaradhi, Veturi, and Aarudra. Verses from Tirupati Venkata Kavulu, Karunasri, Samudrala Jr., and Joshua were also included. The film notably featured recitations from the Bhagavad Gita by Ghantasala, which were secured by Padmalaya Studios after his death.^[3] Notable songs from the soundtrack include "Mrogindi Kalyana Veena" and "Dharmakshetram Idhi Kurukshetram."^[2]