Om Namo Venkatesaya

Story:

“Om Namo Venkatesaya” is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language Hindu devotional biographical film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and produced by A. Mahesh Reddy on the AMR Sai Krupa Entertainments banner, features Nagarjuna as Hathiram Bhavaji, accompanied by Anushka Shetty, Jagapathi Babu, Saurabh Raj Jain, Pragya Jaiswal, Sai Kumar, Rao Ramesh, Sampath Raj, Ashmita Karnani, Brahmanandam, and Ajay in supporting roles.

The film, with music composed by M. M. Keeravani, was also dubbed in Tamil as “Akhilandakoti Brahmandanayagan.” However, despite its efforts, the film did not fare well at the box office. The narrative commences with Rama, born in Dalpatpur Uparhar village in Ayodhya, India, who, in his childhood, leaves home in pursuit of God. He encounters the saint Anubhavananda Swamy, who assures him that he will find God and engages in playful interactions with him.

Swamy imparts the dice game to Rama and advises him to meditate. After 15 years, Lord Venkateswara appears as a child, disrupting Rama’s meditation, and reveals himself when Rama requests him to leave. Returning to his hometown, Rama’s parents arrange his marriage with his cousin Bhavani. Just before the wedding, Rama receives a dream-call from his mentor, signaling that the time has come to engage with God.

He rushes to cancel the wedding, and Anubhavananda Swamy confirms that the boy he encountered is Lord Venkateswara. Subsequently, Rama heads to Tirumala, where he encounters Krishnamma, a devoted believer who considers herself the Lord’s wife and dedicates her life to his service. Simultaneously, Govindarajulu, the temple administrator, engages in illegal activities, misusing temple funds and exploiting workers.

Rama, reaching Tirumala, passionately calls upon the Lord, but he is denied entry into the temple. Undeterred, Rama sits outside for days without food or sleep, enduring assaults ordered by Govindarajulu until the temple elephant rescues him. Krishnamma nurses him back to health and educates him on the Temple’s history (Sthala Puranam). Rama resolves to bring awareness about the Lord’s true nature to pilgrims.

Establishing a new ashram atop the hill, Rama cultivates flowers, fruits, and a cowshed (Goshala) for temple offerings. Govindarajulu schemes against Rama but fails when Raaja Giridhara Rayalu recognizes Rama’s integrity and appoints him as the temple authority, demoting Govindarajulu to a sweeper. Rama introduces changes, including new forms of prayers (Poojas), services (Seva), and rituals, ensuring the temple thrives according to Holy Scriptures.

Impressed, Lord Venkateswara descends to play dice with Rama daily. In a bet, the Lord loses a ring given by Goddess Lakshmi, leading to a series of events where Lakshmi departs from Venkateswara and resides in Rama’s abode. A tantrik attack on Rama prompts Lakshmi to assume the form of Chamunda and eliminate the threat. Reconciled with Venkateswara, Lakshmi returns to him. Later, Rama desires another glimpse of the Lord, and Venkateswara appears to play dice again, losing all his jewelry.

The next day, the temple doors reveal the Lord’s main idol devoid of jewelry, identified at Rama’s ashram. Giridhara Raaya conducts an inquiry, and Rama claims the jewelry was given to him by the Lord. Doubting this, the King subjects Rama to a test, locking him in a prison full of sugarcane and instructing him to consume it all by dawn or face death. Miraculously, Lord Venkateswara, in the form of an elephant, consumes the sugarcane, revealing the divine intervention.

Rama gains recognition as Hathiram Bhavaji, drawing pilgrims to him before visiting the temple. Frustrated, Rama contemplates leaving Tirumala, prompting Venkateswara to take an oath that Rama must not depart. Rama insists on being buried alive (Sajeeva Samadhi) at the hilltop, fulfilling the Lord’s vow. In the end, Venkateswara’s wives, Lakshmi and Bhudevi, rebuke him for this act, declaring Hathiram Bhavaji’s immortality in his daily service at the temple.