Murari (2001 film)
A generational curse threatens a zamindar family's heir.
Murari is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language supernatural romantic family drama film written and directed by Krishna Vamsi. It stars Mahesh Babu and Sonali Bendre in lead roles, with a supporting cast including Lakshmi, Sukumari, Satyanarayana, and Gollapudi Maruthi Rao. The film marks the Telugu debut of Sonali Bendre and action choreographer Peter Hein. Released on 17 February 2001, it received positive reviews and was a commercial success, grossing over ₹21 crore at the box office.
- Release date
- 17 February 2001
- Language
- Telugu
- Director
- Krishna Vamsi
- Lead actors
- Mahesh Babu, Sonali Bendre
- Music composer
- Mani Sharma
- Box office gross
- Over ₹21 crore
- Awards
- Three Nandi Awards including Second Best Feature Film
Quick Facts
- Director
- Krishna Vamsi
- Writer
- Story & Screenplay: / Krishna Vamsi / Dialogues: / Sobhan
- Producer
- N Devi Prasad / Ramalingeswara Rao / Gopi Nandigam
- Starring
- Mahesh Babu / Sonali Bendre / Lakshmi / Sukumari / Kaikala Satyanarayana / Gollapudi Maruthi Rao
- Cinematography
- C. Ramprasad
- Studio
- Ram Prasad Arts
- Country
- India
- Language
- Telugu
- Music
- Mani Sharma
- Runtime
- 170 minutes
- Released
- 2001 · 02 · 17 · df=y
- Budget
- 5 crore
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows Murari, a carefree young man from a zamindar family plagued by a generational curse from Goddess Durga since the mid-19th century. Every 48 years, the male heir succumbs to the curse in their early 30s despite numerous rituals. Murari, the current heir, must confront and overcome the curse through his spiritual resolve. The plot involves a greedy zamindar who attempted to steal a panchaloha idol of Durga, leading to the curse. In 2001, Murari, the youngest child, faces the curse while navigating family dynamics and a romance with Vasundhara, an agricultural student.
Reader's Guide
Murari was a comeback for Mahesh Babu after the failures of his previous movies, Yuvaraju and Vamsi. It won three Nandi Awards, including Second Best Feature Film. The film was later remade in Kannada as Gopi (2006) and inspired the Tamil film Pudhiya Geethai (2003). It was dubbed into Hindi as Rowdy Cheetah. The film was re-released on Mahesh Babu's 49th birthday on August 9, 2024, earning an additional ₹9 crore. Its production was influenced by director Krishna Vamsi's research into local legends, temple architecture, and books like Autobiography of a Yogi. The temple used for key scenes gained prominence after the film's release, and a belief emerged that films shot there would do well at the box office.
Did You Know?
- The film marks the Telugu debut of actress Sonali Bendre and action choreographer Peter Hein.
- The temple used for key curse-related scenes gained prominence after the film's release.
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