Underplayed Gems

Lava Kusa (1934)

Lava Kusa poster
Original title
లవ కుశ
Directed by
C. Pullaiah
Genre
history, family, drama, music
Country
British Raj
Runtime
2h 45m
Rating
8.0 of 10 from 1 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like this

How it feels

This film tells the Ramayana story of Sita who lives in the forest after leaving Rama. She gives birth to twin sons Lava and Kusa who later confront Rama not knowing he is their father.

mythologicaldevotionaltraditionalsong-filleddramaticfamily-orientedepic

What happens

Lava Kusa is a 1934 Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by C. Pullayya and produced by Motilal Chamaria under the East India Film Company. The film is based on the play Lava Kusa, written by K. Subrahmanya Sastry, and marks an important milestone in early Telugu cinema. It was one of the first Telugu films to feature recorded songs, following the trend set by Sati Savitri (1933). All the songs in Lava Kusa were well received, contributing to its success. The film narrates the Ramayana story of Sita, who, after retiring to the forest, gives birth to twin sons, Lava and Kusa. Unaware that Rama is their father, the twins later confront him. The film was a major hit and ran in some theatres for over a year. It marked the acting debut of singer Sriranjani. It was also one of the first Telugu films to have a wide release in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh. C. Pullayya, in collaboration with his son C. S. Rao, remade Lava Kusa in 1963, featuring N. T. Rama Rao and Anjali Devi in the lead roles. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.