GlenDoolittle2 at 04:15, 29 December 2025

2025-12-29T04:15:24Z

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{{About|the Kannada movie|the hymn|
Mahishasura Mardini Stotra}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Mahishasura Mardini
| image = Mahishasuramardini 1959.jpg
| caption = Kannada poster
| director = [[B. S. Ranga]]
| producer = B. S. Ranga
| story =
| writer =
| screenplay = B. S. Ranga
| starring = [[Dr. Rajkumar|Rajkumar]] [[Sowcar Janaki]] V. Nagayya [[Udaykumar]] [[Narasimharaju (Kannada actor)|Narasimharaju]]
| music = [[G. K. Venkatesh]]
| cinematography = B. S. Ranga
| editing = P. G. Mohan M. Devendranath
| studio = Vikram Productions
| distributor = Vikram Productions
| released = {{Film date|1959|df=y}}
| runtime = 133 minutes
| country = India
| language = Kannada
}}

'''''Mahishasura Mardini''''' ({{audio|Kn-ಮಹಿಷಾಸುರ ಮರ್ದಿನಿ.ogg|pronunciation}} {{lit|Slayer of [[Mahishasura]]}}; a name for [[Durga]]) is a 1959 Indian [[Kannada]]-language film, directed and produced by [[B. S. Ranga]]. The film stars [[Dr. Rajkumar|Rajkumar]], V. Nagayya, [[Udaykumar]] and [[Narasimharaju (Kannada actor)|Narasimharaju]]. It was dubbed in seven other languages and is retrospectively identified as amongst the first major [[Pan-India films]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Did you know? The very first pan-Indian Kannada film is this 1959 classic starring Dr. Rajkumar - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/did-you-know/did-you-know-the-very-first-pan-indian-kannada-film-is-this-1959-classic-starring-dr-rajkumar/articleshow/80664470.cms|access-date=21 June 2021|website=The Times of India|date=3 February 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |author=NFAI |author-link=NFAI |user=NFAIOfficial |number=1448850314870673410 |date=15 October 2021 |title=Wish you all a very #HappyDussehra! Revisit this stunning still from #MahishasuraMardini (1959). A #Kannada film by #BSRanga was dubbed in multiple regional languages & considered as amongst the first major pan-India films. #VijayaDashami2021 #VijayaDashami https://t.co/xycwwtrsPd |access-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524081537/https://twitter.com/NFAIOfficial/status/1448850314870673410 |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |author=NFAI |author-link=NFAI |user=NFAIOfficial |number=1577503319702269952 |date=5 October 2022 |title=Wish you all a very #HappyDussehra! Revisit this stunning still from #MahishasuraMardini (1959). A #Kannada film by #BSRanga was dubbed in multiple regional languages & considered among the first major Pan-India films. #Vijayadashami #Dussehra #विजया_दशमी #दसरा #Dasara https://t.co/86hvsmU2Iv |access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref>

The film has musical score by [[G. K. Venkatesh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chiloka.com/movie/mahishasura-mardini-1959|title=Mahishasura Mardini|access-date=26 January 2015|publisher=chiloka.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nthwall.com/ka/movie/Mahishasura-Mardini-1959/9219801671|title=Mahishasura Mardini|access-date=26 January 2015|publisher=nthwall.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150126164355/http://www.nthwall.com/ka/movie/Mahishasura-Mardini-1959/9219801671|archive-date=26 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was dubbed in seven languages<ref>{{cite web | url=https://thesouthfirst.com/karnataka/dr-rajkumar-the-singing-star-of-indian-cinema/ | title=Dr Rajkumar, the singing star of Indian cinema | date=24 April 2023 }}</ref> including in Telugu under the same name<ref>{{cite AV media |date=23 August 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ji0Ax6zcE |title=Mahishasura Mardhini Telugu movie Songs {{!}}{{!}} Rajkumar Sowcar janaki {{!}}{{!}} Reehari |publisher=Madhu Dugganahalli |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=19 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911063929/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ji0Ax6zcE |archive-date=11 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> and in Hindi as ''Durga Maata'' ({{lit|Mother Durga}}, 1960).<ref>{{cite AV media |date=4 August 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwHXCI0A6OA |title=Durga Mata 1960 Hindi Movie Songs {{!}}{{!}} Tum Mere Mann Mein {{!}}{{!}} Dr.Rajkumar {{!}}{{!}} Mannadey Geetha dutt |publisher=Madhu Dugganahalli |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013150112/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwHXCI0A6OA |archive-date=13 October 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=4 August 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mOAN1Dj2ug |title=Durga Mata 1960 Hindi Movie {{!}}{{!}} S.Janaki Rare songs {{!}}{{!}} Nainan Se Laagi Jhadi {{!}}{{!}} Dr.Rajkumar |publisher=Madhu Dugganahalli |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=19 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910101746/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mOAN1Dj2ug |archive-date=10 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> This was the first movie shot in Vikram Studios, Madras.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/did-you-know/did-you-know-the-very-first-pan-indian-kannada-film-is-this-1959-classic-starring-dr-rajkumar/articleshow/80664470.cms | title=Did you know? The very first pan-Indian Kannada film is this 1959 classic starring Dr. Rajkumar | website=[[The Times of India]]|date=February 3, 2021 }}</ref> Rajkumar sang a duet as a playback singer for the first time through the song ''Thumbithu Manava'' in this movie.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=12 June 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O96m2Xd_yVs |title=Smt.S.Janaki Talks about Dr.Rajkumar |publisher=Madhu Dugganahalli |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=19 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911083039/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O96m2Xd_yVs |archive-date=11 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://thesouthfirst.com/karnataka/dr-rajkumar-the-singing-star-of-indian-cinema/ | title=Dr Rajkumar, the singing star of Indian cinema | date=24 April 2023 }}</ref>

== Cast ==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[Dr. Rajkumar|Rajkumar]] as [[Mahishasura]]
*[[Sowcar Janaki]] as Gunavathi
*V. Nagayya as [[Shukracharya]]
*[[Udaykumar]] as Rambhesha
*[[Narasimharaju (Kannada actor)|Narasimharaju]] as Vyaaghrasimha
*[[K. S. Ashwath]] as Narada
*Rajanala
*Ganapathi Bhat
*Sandhya as Chamundeshwari
*[[T. D. Kusalakumari]]
*Suryakala
*Indrani as Goddess [[Durga]]
*M. Lakshmidevi
*Vasudeva Girimaji
*Hanumantha Rao
*Suryakumar
*Udayashankar as Vishnu
*Sadashivaiah
*Rajendra Krishna
*Y. N. S. Swamy
*Rangaswamy
*Papamma
*Shanthamma
{{div col end}}

[[File:Mahishasura Mardhini poster.jpg|thumb|Theatrical poster of the Telugu version]]

== Soundtrack ==
The music was composed by G. K. Venkatesh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://play.raaga.com/kannada/album/Mahishasura-Mardhini-songs-K0001026|title=Mahishasura Mardhini Songs|access-date=26 January 2015|website=[[Raaga.com]]}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! No. !! Song !! Singers !! Lyrics !! Length (m:ss)
|-
| 1 || "Gaganadali Mugilaneri" || [[S. Janaki]] || Chi. Sadaashiviah || 03:02
|-
| 2 || "Jaya Jagadeeswari" || || Chi. Sadaashiviah || 02:35
|-
| 3 || "Sree Hari Muraari Chakradhaari" || P. B. Srinivas || Chi. Sadaashiviah || 02:49
|-
| 4 || "Sri Hari Narayana Vanamaali" || P. B. Srinivas || Chi. Sadaashiviah || 02:54
|-
| 5 || "Thumbithu Manava" || [[Dr. Rajkumar|Rajkumar]], S. Janaki || Chi. Sadaashiviah || 03:26
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{IMDb title|0261037}}
* {{YouTube|id=eIPbqu7uBfc|title=Mahishasura Mardini}}

[[Category:1950s Kannada-language films]]
[[Category:1959 Indian films]]
[[Category:Films scored by G. K. Venkatesh]]
[[Category:Hindu mythological films]]

{{1950s-Kannada-film-stub}}
{{Hindu-film-stub}}

Mahishasura Mardini - Revision history

GlenDoolittle2 at 04:15, 29 December 2025