Mayabazar

Kadri Venkata Reddy's 1957 film is among the best-loved classics of Telugu cinema. It rests on a story at the margin of the Mahabharata: Balarama promises his daughter to Subhadra's son, then breaks that promise when the Pandavas lose their kingdom. Ghatotkacha steps in and resolves the matter through magic and trickery. Though adapted from epic material the film is largely comic. S. V. Ranga Rao's Ghatotkacha, and the banquet scene in particular, remain among the most quoted moments in Telugu cinema. Savitri's performance carries its emotional centre. The visual tricks achieved with the technical means of the time are part of its reputation. It was shot simultaneously in Tamil, and a colourised version was released in 2010. Who it's for: those interested in classical Indian cinema and mythological narrative. Who it's not for: viewers entirely unfamiliar with the Mahabharata; the film assumes you know the relationships between its characters.