Amarasilpi Jakkanna

Amarasilpi Jakkanna is a 1964 Telugu-language biographical film, produced and directed by B. S. Ranga under the Vikram Studios banner. The film stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao in the title role of Jakanachari, a legendary sculptor credited with building various temples of Kalyani Chalukyas and Hoysalas. Music was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao.

Amarasilpi Jakkanna is the first Eastmancolor production of Telugu cinema. It is a remake of director's own Kannada film Amarashilpi Jakkanachari (1964).

Plot
The film is about the life of the iconic sculptor Jakanachari, widely known as Amarasilpi, who promulgated Indian sculpture art on four sides. Jakkanna's father, Mallanna, was a blind, brilliant sculptor, and the artisan is all they assist from their lineage. Once, he encounters a gifted dancer, Manjari, and the elusive creator arouses. He enthrallingly engraves the stone with her postures and the two crush. Gopadeva, the spiteful ruler of the terrain, entices Manjari by noticing her model. So, he plots to get her via Manjari's lavish mother, Rajamma. Anyhow, she absconds and knits Jakkanna with the aid of her cousins Sundaram & Gangu. Initially, Mallanna is averse to wedlock, but he agrees lateral, comprehending Manjari's virtue, and she conceives.

Enraged, Gopadeva provides a friendly invitation to Jakkanna to run a task. Nevertheless, Jakkanna is inept without Manjari; hence, he picks her up and makes fantastic idols. Gopadeva ruses to detach the couple. He does a fake tragedy by Rajamma and compels her to dance, showing endangerment to her husband. Spotting it, Jakkanna is left heartbroken and discards everything. Simultaneously, while escaping from Gopadeva, Manjari attempts suicide. The tribes shield her when she delivers a baby boy, Dankkanna.

Time passes, and Jakkanna, as a rover, reaches Ramanujacharya, and he associates him with Vishnuvardhana, the Empire of Hoyisala. Jakkanna devastates therein by being conscious of Manjari's purity by him. Now, Vishnuvardhana aims to build Chennakeshava Temple at Belur and delegates responsibilities to Jakkanna. Manjari walks on a quest for her husband, leaving Dankkanna under Sundaram & Gangu. However, they hand over to Mallanna, whom he adopts unbeknownst to the actuality. Midway, Manjari faints, and the queen Shantala Devi rescues her. Despite learning Jakkanna's presence, she stands behind according to Acharya's mandate until the temple's completion. Years roll by, and Mallanna molds Dankkanna into the finest sculptor and moves to retrieve his mentor's son as tuitional.

Meanwhile, the temple is nearly finalizing when Acharya unites Jakkanna & Manjari. Granting the wish of Vishnuvardhana & Shantala Devi, Jakkanna alone marvelously craves the main deity. Just before the inauguration, Dankkanna lands, proclaiming it as a defective piece. Whereat, the father & son challenge, and Dankkanna's objection become valid when the frog emerges from that stone. Ergo, Jakkanna deadly collapses and amputates his hand. Till then, Mallanna, with Sundaram & Gangu, arrives, unveiling Dankkanna's birth secret. Here, Jakkanna is smug to have a remarkable son. Currently, he pledges to re-sculpt the idol to honor the promise. At last, Jakkanna triumphs with sole start & great difficulty. Finally, the movie ends happily with the Lord bestowing his hand on the eve of the inauguration.

Cast

 * Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Jakanachari
 * B. Saroja Devi as Manjari
 * V. Nagayya as Mallanna
 * Haranath as Dankanna
 * Udaya Kumar as Gopadeva
 * Dhulipala as Ramanuja Charya
 * Relangi as Sundaram
 * A. V. Subba Rao as Empire Vishnuvardhana
 * Suryakantham as Rajamma
 * Girija as Gangu
 * Pushpavalli as Queen Shanthala Devi
 * Jayalalitha as Dancer

Music
Music was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao.

Awards

 * National Film Awards
 * National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu - 1963