Bhakta Kumbara is a 1974 Indian Kannada-language biographical film directed by Hunsur Krishnamurthy. The film stars Rajkumar and Leelavathi. Actress Sridevi essayed the role of Muktha Bai (as a child artist), thereby the latter making her Kannada film debut. The film was produced by N. R. Anuradha Devi under Lakshmi Film Combines. Bhakta Kumbara marked the eighth collaboration between Dr. Rajkumar and director Hunsur Krishnamurthy.
The movie is based on the life of Gora Kumbhar, a potter turned into a saint who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries in Teredoki village. He supposedly lost his child while curing the clay by his legs for making pots, because he did not notice his child fumbling under his feet as he immersed himself in chanting the name of God. He was called Saint Gora Kumbara by the people of Maharashtra.
The film won three awards at the 1974-75 Karnataka State Film Awards – Third Best Film, Best Actor (Rajkumar) for his portrayal of the potter-turned-saint Gora Kumbhar and Best Music Director (G. K. Venkatesh). The movie saw a theatrical run of 175 days and was declared a Blockbuster at the box office. Bhakta Kumbara is the second Kannada film based on the life of Gora Kumbhar with the first being Gora Kumbara(1960). The movie was dubbed in Hindi as Bhakti Main Bhagwan. The movie was remade in Telugu in 1977 by V. Madhusudhana Rao as Chakradhari starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao. G. K. Venkatesh was the music director of the Telugu version as well and he retained four songs from the Kannada version.
The music of the film was composed by G. K. Venkatesh with lyrics penned by Hunsur Krishnamurthy and Chi. Udaya Shankar.
Gora Kumbhar (1267-1317) was a Hindu saint of Maharashtra. He was a potter and a great devotee of Lord Vithal (Manifestation of Lord Krishna).
Gora Kumbhar had written and sung several songs in praise of Lord Vithal.
Gora Kumbhar was lived in a village in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra State. He is believed to have been a close friend of Saint Namdev.
He lived with his wife and his child in his village by doing his pottery work, and also by devoting on Lord Vithal. Once due to his great devotion on Lord Vithal, he began singing and dancing with joyful tears showering from his eyes. He forgot everything and was fully devoted to Lord Krishna. At that time, his child crawls near him, and without his attention on his child, he pressed his child with his legs, and his child got crushed from his legs and died.
After knowing the incident, he felt very bad, and prayed to Lord Vithal at Pandharpur along with his wife. To his surprise, his child was brought back alive due to the divine grace of Lord Vithal and he and his wife were very happy about the miraculous incident, and thanked to the god for saving their child.
“OM SREE GORA KUMBHARE NAMAHA”
“JAI VITHALA, VITHALA, PANDURANGA VITHALA”
COMPILED BY
R. HARISHANKAR