Bhakta Tukaram

Bhakta Tukaram is a 1973 Telugu devotional biopic of the 17th-century saint-poet Tukaram, directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao and produced by P. Adinarayana Rao, who also composed the music, under the Anjali Pictures banner. Akkineni Nageswara Rao plays Tukaram, with Anjali Devi and Sivaji Ganesan. It was released on 5 July 1973 and runs 166 minutes.

What the story is about

In the village of Dehu, in present-day Maharashtra, Tukaram is a devotee of Lord Panduranga so generous that he gives his property away to anyone in need. He has two wives and two small children but cares little for worldly affairs, living lost in worship. When he drives out Mumbaji Goswamy, a self-styled holy man who exploits people’s faith for his own gain, the resentful Mumbaji brands him an atheist and has him shunned, and Tukaram’s family is pushed towards starvation. The film follows Tukaram’s devotion and his songs, the abhangs, as Mumbaji’s schemes grow more desperate and Tukaram’s fame reaches even the emperor Shivaji.

Cast and crew

• Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Tukaram
• Anjali Devi as Avali Bai
• Sivaji Ganesan as Chhatrapati Shivaji
• Nagabhushanam as Mumbaji Goswamy
• Dhulipala as Rameswara Bhatta
• Kanchana as Bahina Bai
• Baby Sridevi as Kaasi, Tukaram’s daughter
• Sakshi Ranga Rao as Nandi, with Nagaraju as Lord Panduranga

Director: V. Madhusudhana Rao. Producer and music: P. Adinarayana Rao.

Behind the film

According to Wikipedia, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Sivaji Ganesan both acted in the film without taking any fee. The film counts a young Sridevi among its cast, as Tukaram’s daughter. We have no box-office figures or contemporary reviews for it from a named outlet.

Where to watch Bhakta Tukaram

We do not have a confirmed streaming listing for Bhakta Tukaram on file. If we verify one with a platform, it will appear on this page.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Bhakta Tukaram; our own cast and crew records.