In their constant search for engaging stories, films have often travelled back to the remote past for inspiration. Homi Wadia’s Wadia Movietone and Basant Pictures were at the forefront of making mythologicals in the North. Meanwhile, in the South, N T Rama Rao acquired divine status by playing Krishna in several films in the 1950s and Venkateswara in Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam (1960). Yet he was radical enough to take the risk of becoming Ravana in Bhookailas (1958), a role he reprised in his directorial debut, Seeta Rama Kalyanam (1961). The versatile Sivaji Ganesan worked in several genres, including the mythological, his most popular outing being Shiva in Thiruvilayadal (1965).

Source: Indian Express January 21, 2024 07:08 UTC