Mayura (film)

Mayura is a 1975 Indian Kannada historical drama film directed by Vijay. It is one of the most popular films of acclaimed Kannada actor Rajkumar, who plays the role of Prince Mayurasharma of the Kadamba dynasty, the earliest native kingdom to rule over what is today the modern state of Karnataka. The film depicts the life of Mayura, a Brahmin youth, as he discovers his royal heritage and realizes his destiny of ascending to the throne of the thenPallava kingdom.

The film opens in Kanchi with Mayura, a Brahmin youth challenging an arrogant wrestler and defeating him. Mayura had never been formally trained and had only learned techniques of wrestling by observing other wrestlers. As a Brahmin, he was required to study Vedas, yet he was deeply interested in martial arts and after this wrestling encounter, Ranga Jetti M. P. Shankar, the premier wrestler in Kanchi, takes him under his wing and trains him. After becoming proficient in all the martial arts, one day, while observing the training of Pallava princes, Mayura accidentally gets into a fight with and gives a thrashing to Vishnugopa Vajramuni, the Pallava prince, thereby earning his enmity.After this, Mayura has to flee Kanchi as per the advice of Ranga Jetti, to escape from pursuing Pallavas. He also then learns that he is in fact the son of Raja Chandravarma, the Kadamba king who was killed by deceit by the Pallava king, Sivaskandhavarma. Upon learning from his fathers minister about his Kshatriya antecedents and his illustrious lineage, Mayura dedicates himself to throw the Pallava foreign yoke and liberate his motherland. Returning to Banavasi in the guise of a merchant called Nilakanthagupta, Mayura builds a following and an army. Through clever strategies, he conquers both Banavasi and the Telugu speaking regions around Srishaila, thus building a vast kingdom. ........

Source: Wikipedia