“NTR’s Iconic Portrayal of Lord Krishna in 1957 Film ‘Vinayaka Chavithi'”

“In 1957, after the release of ‘Mayabazar,’ NTR took on the iconic role of Lord Krishna. Following this, he became closely associated with portraying roles from Hindu mythology in films. The renowned filmmaker Samudrala Raghavacharya played a pivotal role in NTR’s transformation into portraying these divine characters. Under the Ashwaraaj Productions banner, they produced the film ‘Vinayaka Chavithi.’ This film was named after the festival of Vinayaka Chavithi, and it prominently featured Lord Sri Krishna.

In the Vinayaka Vratam traditions, the stories of Lord Krishna, Satrajit, and Jambavanta are recited, and this movie depicted these narratives beautifully.

Ghantasala Master composed a total of 24 songs for this film. Among them, the recitation of the traditional shloka ‘Shuklambaradharam Vishnum Shashivarnam Chaturbhujam’ by Ghantasala became immensely popular. Additionally, the rendition of ‘Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje…,’ composed by Muthuswami Dikshitar, and the song ‘Dinakara Shubhakara Deva, Dinadhara Timira Samhara’ written by Samudrala gained widespread acclaim. Ghantasala Master’s recitations and performances in this film became a tradition in every gathering during the festival of Vinayaka Chavithi.