When you refuse a king, you get bunged in prison, which is where the saintly poet found himself - till the ubiquitous Balaji intervened, in miraculous fashion, to procure his release. More from the realm of legend, which holds that Annamayya, on being appointed court poet, was asked to come up with a ditty celebrating his earthly patron - and promptly refused. More factually, Annamayya was the court poet of Narasimha Raya of the Penukonda satrapy. Mostly on the subject of the deity he adored, but a few also casting a rebellious, iconoclastic look at prevailing social evils (we refer, here, to the period 1408-1503).Дiscrimination against women was a favourite theme - though in the event, Annamayya did marry two women, his own nieces - and legend, again, holds that the chief guest, if incognito, at the wedding was none other than Lord Balaji himself. Annamayya's curriculum vitae includes an estimated 32,000 kirtanas and krithis. Whatever, now the film is a big time hit in neighbouring Karnataka as well.ДЄnnamacharya - or Annamayya - was, legend has it, a poet whose muse was Balaji, the lord of the seven hills (Tirupati, to give it the more familiar name). Nagarjuna with Kasturi and Ramya Krishnan in Annamayya. Or perhaps because Nagarjuna's portrayal was stunning enough, in an unfamiliar persona, to merit a second visit. Click for bigger pic!Д«ut a Nagarjuna with close cropped hair and caste mark on forehead, clad in saffron, holy beads round his neck and playing a saint to the hilt? All of Andhra Pradesh took a double take when Annamayya hit the marquee - and went again and again to the theatres, perhaps not believing the evidence of their eyes the first time round. He's also a cool young man - very grunge, suave, with it, at ease surfing in Mauritius, Tabu in tow, for Jab Dil Pe Koi Aati Hai. If Telugu cinema has an angry young man, then it should be Nagarjuna - the tall, hunky hero whose trip in life appears to be to bash up the baddies, if you judge by films like Shiva.

Rediff On The Net, Movies: Nagarjuna plays a religious poet in Annamayya

Annamayya movie