Mayabazar

Mayabazar (released in Tamil and Telugu versions) dramatizes the story of Ghatotkacha helping Arjuna's son Abhimanyu marry Sasirekha, daughter of Balarama, against the wishes of the scheming Duryodhana camp, weaving in the divine intervention of Krishna. Directed by K. V. Reddy for Vijaya Vauhini Studios, the film was a landmark for its trick photography and special effects, remarkable for 1957, including scenes of flying chariots, shape-shifting and illusion sequences achieved through in-camera techniques. The film is celebrated for its literate, often comic dialogue, and for performances that remain touchstones in South Indian cinema, especially N. T. Rama Rao as Krishna and S. V. Ranga Rao as Ghatotkacha. It regularly tops critics' and audience polls as the greatest Telugu/Tamil film ever made and continues to be re-released and watched across generations.