Mosagallaku Mosagadu (1971 film)

In the 18th century, the aftermath of the Battle of Bobbili (1757) is a period marked by political chaos and the intervention of British and French forces in South India. Hidden treasure of the Amaraveedu dynasty is concealed in a cave with five doors. To keep the treasure from falling into the hands of the British, two friends, Daanaala Dharmayya and Pagadaala Subbayya, hide it far away and secure it with five keys. Daanaala Dharmayya escapes to Kurnool, while Pagadaala Subbayya flees to Gadwal. The friends separate to keep the keys and the treasure safe. Krishna Prasad, a social reformer who fights for the rights of the poor against the new government, encounters Nakkajittula Naaganna, a highway robber, who is captured and offered a reward of 1,000 gold coins for his capture. Krishna Prasad seizes the opportunity to earn money and help the poor by capturing Naaganna. He secures Naaganna with ropes and turns him in, but secretly frees him to share the loot. Krishna uses the money to aid the poor, which earns him a reputation and support from the local community. One day, a blind man, a former servant of the Amaraveedu court who knows the location of the treasure keys, accidentally reveals this information at a highway tavern. Sathyam, a rival seeking the treasure, tortures the blind man for details about the keys. Sathyam learns about Daanaala Dharmayya in Kurnool, but kills him in his haste. Radha, Dharmayya's daughter, discovers her father dying and, misled into believing Pagadaala Subbayya is responsible for the murder, seeks revenge. Pagadaala Subbayya, on his deathbed due to old age, reveals the treasure's location to his son and mentions that he had given the keys to Komarayya, a retired constable in Kurnool. Meanwhile, Krishna Prasad continues to earn money through his schemes involving Naaganna. He falls in love with Radha, whom he trains as a sharpshooter to help her seek revenge. Radha swears to avenge her father's death. Radha's pursuit of revenge leads to conflicts with Bijili, a rival cowgirl who also falls for Krishna. When Naaganna attempts to steal Krishna's loot, Krishna punishes him by leaving him stranded in the desert. Naaganna, holding a grudge, joins forces with Bijili. During a confrontation in the desert, Naaganna and Bijili capture and torture Krishna. They discover a cart of corpses, among which is Pagadaala Subbayya's son. The son reveals the treasure's secret to Krishna. Driven by greed, Naaganna adopts the identity of Pagadaala Subbayya and helps Krishna recover from his injuries. Krishna and Radha eventually escape together. Naaganna, now disguised as Subbayya, is later captured by Sathyam's gang. Krishna rescues him, and Naaganna becomes his ally once more. Radha reveals that her father used to work for Constable Komarayya, who had received one of the keys from Daanaala Dharmayya. Krishna Prasad, Radha, and Naaganna journey to the treasure cave. A fierce battle ensues between Krishna's group and rival robbers seeking the treasure. After defeating the robbers, Krishna discovers the five sacks of treasure. He and Radha share the treasure, fulfilling their quest and restoring justice. == Cast ==

Development Following the underwhelming performance of their first production, Agni Pariksha (1970), Krishna and his production house, Padmalaya Films, sought to introduce the Western (cowboy) genre to Telugu cinema. This decision was influenced by the popularity of cowboy films being shown in Madras at the time. Krishna later stated that the purpose of the film was to give himself a new image and status. To adapt this genre for an Indian audience, writer Aarudra was enlisted to develop the story and dialogues. Aarudra set the narrative in the 18th century, during the aftermath of the Battle of Bobbili (1757), a time of political upheaval with British and French forces' involvement in Indian politics. The story was centered around a fictional search for the hidden Amaraveedu treasure. Casting Krishna was so impressed with the story that he insisted Aarudra direct the film. However, when Aarudra declined, Krishna and his brothers chose K. S. R. Das to helm the project. The song "Korinadi Neraverinadi" was filmed in Kufri and Narkanda, where Vijaya Nirmala performed barefoot in the snow. The cinematography by V. S. R. Swamy was praised for its innovative use of backlighting, offering Telugu audiences a fresh visual experience. Make up In one memorable scene, Krishna's character is left stranded in the desert, where his face appears sunburned and blistered. Cinematographer V. S. R. Swamy asked makeup artist Madhava Rao to create the blistered effect. Lacking specialized materials in the desert, Madhava Rao improvised by using pea seeds. He peeled and cut the seeds in half, then glued them to Krishna's face. This simple method created a realistic look for the scene. == Soundtrack ==

Music is composed by P. Adinarayana Rao with lyrics written by Arudra-Appalacharya. == Release ==

After the film was completed, a preview in Madras received lukewarm reactions, with many predicting it would fail. Many producers in Madras were skeptical about the extravagance and budget of the film, predicting a bleak future for Padmalaya Studios. However, Mosagallaku Mosagadu was a major success, running for 100 days in multiple theatres, including a record-setting run in Bangalore. The film was completed on a budget of 8 lakh, shot in 28 days, and grossed 32 lakh upon its initial release. It was also dubbed and released in several languages, including English as Treasure Hunt, Hindi as Gunfighter Johnny, and Tamil as Mosakkaaranukku Mosakkaaran. The Tamil and Hindi versions had a good run at the box office. The film was re-released in 4K on 31 May 2023, coinciding with Krishna's birthday. In the re-release, 19 minutes of the original film were cut, including a couple of songs and a fight sequence. ==Legacy==

Mosagallaku Mosagadu is considered the first true Western film made in India, though a few dacoit-themed films in Hindi and other languages may have been released before 1971. The film became a trendsetter in Telugu cinema, establishing Krishna as the first Telugu "cowboy." Its innovative use of locations and action sequences played a key role in its success, leading to the rise of the cowboy genre in Telugu cinema. Following the film's popularity, several other "Telugu cowboy" movies were produced, and Krishna signed six similar films soon after. The genre was later picked up in Hindi cinema by actors like Feroz Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Shatrughan Sinha, and Danny Denzongpa. Krishna's son Mahesh Babu also starred in a cowboy film, Takkari Donga, in 2002. == References ==