The movie
Sankarabharanam has a special place in the hearts of Telugu people. The film not only broke records but also won the hearts of people, irrespective of class or mass. The film's artistes got a name which shall remain as long as Telugu cinema will remain. I tried to get in touch with Mrs Manjubarggavee for long time, but was unable to get her as she was not much in touch with films and was generally away from film functions. This year, she came to the USA for Kuchipudi dance festival and performed in dance programmes in New Jersey also. Kalyan Pala, a friend of mine took her number for his forthcoming film and passed the number to me. She was surprised when I called for the interview. Here are the excerpts from the brief chitchat with her, exclusive for TeluguCinema.Com visitors:
Sri: The names Manjula or Bhargavi are commonly hard, but Manjubarggavee is unique! What's the story behind it?
Manjubarggavee: (Laughs) True! I was originally named just Manjula, based on my birth star. When I was six months old, my mother had a dream, and in the dream she saw Bhargava maharshi who told her to name me afer him. Even my name in academic records had been Manjula! By the time I started dance performances on the stage, my mother told me about the dream she had. That's when I changed my name to Manjubarggavee.
Sri: Why is your name spelt Manjubarggavee and not Manju Bhargavi?
Manjubarggavee: (Laughs) Numerology, like you could have guessed!
Sri: Tell me about your parents.
Manjubarggavee: My mother is from Nellore and my father is from Vijayawada, but they settled in Madras before I was born. I was thus born and brought up in Madras. I completed my studies in Stella Mary College, Madras.
Sri: How did you come into films ?
Manjubarggavee: I was not really interested in movies ever, as dance took my total concentration. It was my mother who wanted me to take up acting career. Seeing my performance in one of the programmes, D. Prakash Rao
gaaru offered me a dance sequence in the Krishna-Vijayanirmala film
Gaalipataalu (March 01, 1974). Other films followed but I was doing roles without much interest at that time. There are some roles I can really remember. One was with Krishnam Raju
gaaru for the hit film
Krishnaveni (1974). Then, before we teamed up for
Sankarabharanam, I worked with K. Viswanath
gaaru for the film
President Peramma. I danced for a
jaavaLii in the film.
It was during this shoot that he spoke to me about the film
Sankarabharanam and asked me to send my photographs without any makeup. I said okay but I didn't send him any. He called me again after a month and enquired about it again, and then I went to the photo studio to get some pictures sans makeup and sent them to him right away. He saw them and asked to come and attend the makeup test. Somayajulu
gaaru and I went and attended the makeup test...
Sri: I think everyone was shocked to note that you were doing the female lead in K. Viswanath's film!
Manjubarggavee: (Laughs) Actually, no one recognized my photographs without makeup and asked him who the lady was, assuming mine was a new face! Such questions satisfied Vishwanath
gaaru and he felt that I was the right choice for the role of Tulasi in the film. Before signing the film, he took a promise from me that I would not sign any other film until
Sankarabharanam was released.
Sri: I heard that the set was flooded with water after the shooting!
Manjubarggavee: (Laughs) Not flooded, but it was washed out! The water level was high even when we were shooting the song
brOchE vaarevaruraa.... We completed the song that day and went to our guesthouses that night and came back the next day. There was not even a sign of the house at all, as it was washed out overnight!
Sri: How much you were paid for the film?
Manjubarggavee: I do not remember the amount now, but that's because I got a lot more satisfaction, name, and fame for a lifetime with this film! ...Actually, at the end of the schedule, I adjusted some amount to the producer when some amount was short, and he repaid later, of course!
