NicolasBull1 at 18:23, 3 March 2026

2026-03-03T18:23:25Z

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{{Short description|1999 Indian Telugu-language film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Maa Balaji
| image =
| caption =
| director = [[Kodi Ramakrishna]]
| screenplay = Kodi Ramakrishna
| story = Bhargav Art Productions Unit
{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes
| label1= Dialogue by
| data1 = {{ubl|[[Ganesh Patro]]}}
}}
| based_on = ''[[Punjabi House]]''
| producer = [[S. Gopal Reddy]]
| starring = [[Vadde Naveen]]<br />[[Maheswari]]<br />[[Laya (actress)|Laya]]
| narrator =
| cinematography = Sri Venkat
| editing =
| music = [[Vandemataram Srinivas]]
| studio = Bhargav Art Productions
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|1999|09|23|df=yes}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Telugu
| budget =
| gross =
}}'''''Maa Balaji''''' ({{Translation|Our Balaji}}) is a 1999 Indian Telugu-language [[comedy drama|comedy-drama]] film directed by [[Kodi Ramakrishna]]. The film stars [[Vadde Naveen]], [[Maheswari]], and [[Laya (actress)|Laya]]. The music was composed by [[Vandemataram Srinivas]]. The film was released on 23 September 1999 and was commercially successful.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Veereswara Rao |date=28 November 2020 |title=హీరో వడ్డే నవీన్ మొదటి భార్య ఎన్టీఆర్ మనవరాలు.. కొన్నాళ్లకే విడాకులు |url=https://telugu.samayam.com/telugu-movies/cinema-news/hero-vadde-naveen-biography-and-personal-life-details/articleshow/79459671.cms |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=[[Samayam]] |language=te}}</ref> It is a remake of the [[Malayalam cinema|Malayalam]] film ''[[Punjabi House]]'' (1998).

== Plot ==
Balaji is a young and ambitious man. But he is unsuccessful in his trials to make money and ends up in debt of {{Indian Rupee}}10 [[lakh]]. Unable to repay the amount, he jumped off into the sea to commit suicide after insuring an amount of {{Indian Rupee}}10 lakh for his debtors with the [[Life Insurance Corporation|LIC]]. However, he is saved and lands up in the house of a rich Punjabi man Balwinder Singh whose [[Muteness|mute]] daughter Pooja falls in love with him.

== Cast ==
{{cast listing|
* [[Vadde Naveen]] as Balaji
* [[Maheswari]] as Pooja
* [[Laya (actress)|Laya]] as Sujatha
* Sishwa
* [[Gollapudi Maruthi Rao]]
* [[Mallikarjuna Rao (actor)|Mallikarjuna Rao]]
* [[Sudhakar (actor)|Sudhakar]] as Ramana
* [[Vinod Kumar Alva]] as Sikandar Singh
* [[Kaikala Satyanarayana]] as Balwinder Singh
* [[Brahmanandam]] as Penchalayya
* [[Dubbing Janaki]]
}}

== Music ==
Music was composed by [[Vandemataram Srinivas]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maa Balaji |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/7Ic9QFwDssRM0ZrEHBBWG8 |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=[[Spotify]]}}</ref> The lyrics were written by [[Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry|Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry]] and [[Bhuvana Chandra]].

{{tracklist
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Andaga Jathakalisindi
| length1 = 4:15
| extra1 = [[Mano (singer)|Mano]], [[Swarnalatha]]
| title2 = Gappchiproy
| length2 = 4:01
| extra2 = [[Unnikrishnan]]
| title3 = Nedaina Repaina
| length3 = 4:27
| extra3 = Swarnalatha, Rajesh
| title4 = Niligaganam lo
| length4 = 4:39
| extra4 = Mano, Swanalatha
| title5 = Aayee Aayee
| length5 = 4:48
| extra5 = Sarada Malladi
| total_length = 22:10 
}}

== Reception ==
Jeevi of ''[[Idlebrain.com]]'' rated the film 4 out of 5 and noted, “First half is in a lighter vein and second half is very gripping. Climax is the heart and soul of the film”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maa Balaji - A review |url=http://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/mr-balaji.html |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=[[Idlebrain.com|Idlebrain]]}}</ref> Griddaluru Gopala Rao of ''[[Zamin Ryot]]'' gave the film a negative review criticising the story, characterisations, dialogues, and direction as clichéd, and artificial.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griddaluru Gopalrao |date=8 October 1999 |title=గజి, బిజి చిత్రం "మా బాలాజి" |url=http://www.zaminryot.com/pdf/1999/Oct/8-oct-1999.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913145921/http://www.zaminryot.com/pdf/1999/Oct/8-oct-1999.pdf |archive-date=13 September 2016 |access-date=11 November 2022 |website=[[Zamin Ryot]] |pages=13, 15 |language=te}}</ref> A critic from ''[[Sify]]'' wrote that "A remake of the Malayalam movie, 'Punjabi House', it is meant to be a rib-tickler but the Telugu version, 'Maa Balaji comes out a cropper as the theme has nothing much to boast by way of being a comedy".<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Review: Maa Balaji |url=http://sify.com/movies/telugu/review.php?id=6007215&ctid=5&cid=2430 |access-date= |website=[[Sify]] |archive-date=30 January 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050130060904/http://sify.com/movies/telugu/review.php?id=6007215&ctid=5&cid=2430 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> ''Andhra Today'' wrote "The powerful storyline, coupled with the competence of the director made the movie quite interesting and the climax scene is the highlight of the movie. Another point that needs mention is that the movie is not crammed with unnecessary roles in the name of comedy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://andhratoday.com/movie/BALAJI.htm|title=Maa Balaji|website=Andhra Today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010716110435/http://andhratoday.com/movie/BALAJI.htm|archive-date=16 July 2001|access-date=25 December 2024}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|1575622}}
* [https://www.jiocinema.com/movies/maa-balaji?type=0&id=f79018a0a3fd11e98c560fc46432af32 ''Maa Balaji''] at [[JioCinema]]
* [https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Maa-Balaji/0TZZT6AZ1ORBX82GRJ7DONJVON ''Maa Balaj''i] at [[Amazon Prime Video]]
{{Kodi Ramakrishna}}

[[Category:1999 Telugu-language films]]
[[Category:1999 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1999 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Kodi Ramakrishna]]
[[Category:Films scored by Vandemataram Srinivas]]
[[Category:Indian comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Telugu remakes of Malayalam films]]

Maa Balaji - Revision history

NicolasBull1 at 18:23, 3 March 2026