Manavoori pandavulu is a 1978 telugu movie directed by BAPU and written by Mullapudi Venkata Ramana dealing with the struggle against the feudal system in their unique way.This movie is remake of a kannada movie PADUVARAHALLI PANDAVARU Directed by the legendary director PUTTANNA KANAGAL.Though being a revolutionary theme the movie was wonderfully made without the usual noise, flags and bloodshed that accompanies the leftist movies. Story is built on the lines of epic MAHABHARATA.
[qodef_dropcaps type=”square” color=”” background_color=””]T[/qodef_dropcaps]he film revolves around Krishna(played by Krishnam Raju) who brings five youngsters of the village together. They identify themself as pandavas of their village.The first and foremost person who revolts against feudal dora is PARTHU ( Chiranjeevi).He expresses his unwillingness towards the feudalistic behaviour of dora openly on his face.
Krishna brother of dora played by Krishnam Raju, the REBEL STAR of those days played a soft character resembling Lord Krishna. Interestingly his other movie KATAKATALA RUDRAYYA released just after five days after this movie. A typical drunkard appearance with all the intellectuality and presence of knowledge is Krishna. He warns and excuses his brother up to hundred mistakes as lord Krishna excuses sisupala. As dora hits the tipping point villagers punish him with the help of MANAVOORI PANDAVULU and Krishna as Lord Krishna punishes Sisupala.
The zeal in Chiranjeevi’s eyes made Krishnam Raju appreciate and bless him as future star. Even in the group of five, his performance was unique and impressive. The character of devastated woman who tries to commit suicide played by national award winner SHOBHA wife of legendary cinematographer BALU MAHENDRA, who happens to be cinematographer of this movie too.
Parthu(Chiranjeevi) saves a woman tries to commit suicide, cheated by dora. He drags dora to a temple panchayati with the help of a priest but tactful dora skips from the scene. Parthu proves that a thousand mile walk starts with first step by raising his voice against dora. Though that was the second screen presence of Chiranjeevi, he performs like a mature actor with his eye catching expressions and body language. At an instance irritated by manipulative skills of dora he rungs the temple bell with a very intense action makes viewers feel for the sufferings of that village.
Dora a hundred percent Bapu,s villain doing all sorts of sins and behaves like an only gentleman on the face of the earth. He is a blend of Duryodhana and Sisupala in this movie.There are few scenes of Dora in the movie which shows a real class difference in a society which are beautifully picturised by bapu. In a scene where he offers his thigh to his servants lover and strips her naked, his crookedness over personifies himself. He insults Parthu’s mother by throwing cigarette ash, when she came to seek his help. She curses him that he will be treated same in future, which eventually becomes true in climax.
