Bhakta Tukaram
Bhakta Tukaram is a 1973 Indian Telugu-language biographical film based on the life of the saint-poet Tukaram, produced by P. Adinarayana Rao under the Anjali Pictures banner and directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi and Sivaji Ganesan, with music also composed by Adinarayana Rao. Plot
The film is based on the story of Tukaram, an advent devotee of Panduranga in the 17th century in Dehu village of present-day Maharashtra. Tukaram is kindhearted and ameliorates everyone for which he absorbs his property. He leads a family life with two wives Avalai Jija Bai & Rukma Bai, and 2 infants. However, he is not interested in worldly matters and is always immersed in the adoration of the Lord. Mumbaji Go Swamy, who forges as holy and misuses public faith for self-consumption. Tukaram always bars him, so, begrudged Mumbaji pains him a lot, propagates him as an atheist, and ostracizes him. Hence his family suffers from starvation even though no one comes forward to support him when Rukma Bai passes away. Devastated Tukaram quits questioning the existence of God when Panduranga appears and endorses to scripture his divinity as Abhang s. Now Tukaram awakes the devotion via singing and becomes eminent which impresses emperor Shivaji too who facilitates him with material gifts, but he refuses courteously. At this point, Mumbaji's envy is boundless, so, he uses a brothel Bahina Bai to lure Tukaram when he shows the reality of life, how her beauty shrinks in old age and makes her a devotee. Later, Mumbaji claims that Tukaram stole his verses when Pandit Rameswara Bhattar, a religious authority, arrives and orders Tukaram to immerse his works in the river and never discuss religion in public which he does so. Anyhow the river Ganga retrieves it affirming it as sacred when Rameswara Bhattar turns into his follower. Meanwhile, Mumbaji hides the Lord's statue, indicates Tukaram, and complains to Shivaji. So, he lands at Dehu to test Tukaram when with his devotional power restores the statue. Now, Mumbaji intrigues by informing Shivaji's presence to the Mughals but lord protects him at the behest of Tukaram. Knowing it, the enraged Mughal Empire amputates Mumbaji which Tukaram retrieves and he bows his head down. At last, Lord invites Tukaram to Vaikuntha with the mortal body by sending his vehicle Garuda. Finally, the movie ends with Tukaram going to heaven, giving his ultimate preaching to follow piety, truth, peace, kindness & mercy. 