There are many epic tales in Bharat, some of which have been brought to the silver screen. However, the story of ‘Samrat Maandhata’, a powerful king of Tretayuga, has mostly been confined to stage plays until now. For the first time, a film has been made depicting the clash between Lord Shani and Goddess Lakshmi.
In recent times, the production of devotional and mythological films has been decreasing, with few daring to venture into such endeavors. Hemanth Kumar, through Hemanth Productions, is bringing the story of Samrat Maandhata of the Suryavamsa to the screen. He not only produced the film but also directed it.
Quietly completing the shooting, they have now brought the film to the brink of release. Recently, the trailer of ‘Samrat Maandhata’ was released by veteran director Om Sai Prakash.
Maandhata, the son of Yuvanashva Maharaja of the Ikshvaku dynasty (Solar dynasty), was renowned for his adherence to truth and righteousness. Married to Bindumati, the daughter of Shashabindu Chaitrarathi, Maandhata is said to have had three sons, Purukutsa or Susandhi, Ambarisha, and Muchukunda, along with fifty daughters. Hemanth has narrated his story through the movie “Samrat Maandhata”. It is anticipated that ‘Samrat Maandhata’ will hit screens in April.
Speaking on this occasion, Om Sai Prakash mentioned the struggles of crafting a story in earlier times, emphasizing that any movie with good content is bound to be successful. Similarly, he extended his wishes for the success of this film.
Director cum producer Hemant Kumar described this film as legendary, featuring actors primarily from a theatrical background. After extensive training lasting five or six months, they performed in front of the camera. Filming commenced during the pandemic, extending the duration to three years due to the inclusion of VFX. The film is set to undergo censor certification next week, with plans for an April release. At the dawn of Treta Yuga, when Adharma plagued the world, Dharmadev Shani approached Mahatma. Samrat Maandhata declared that the story would determine who between Shani and Lakshmi is superior.
Basavaraju, portraying Maandhata in the film, has previously played the same role in dramas. Sundarbabu, Bharathi, Nanjundappa, Narasimhamurthy, Manjunath, and art director Ravi, among others, provided insights into the making of the film. R. Veerendrakumar composed the dialogue and lyrics for ‘Samrat Maandhata’, while Shivaram edited the film.
