Maharshi (1988 film)


Maharshi is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by Vamsy. The film stars Maharshi Raghava, Shantipriya and Krishna Bhagavan, with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam as the playback singer.

Plot

Maharshi, is a carefree college youngster from a rich family. He is well noted in the college for his arrogant behaviour, maintaining a gang of friends, teasing lecturers and beating up classmates. However, things change when he meets Suchitra in college. She loathes him owing to his rude behaviour and does not even talk to him when he approaches her. Maharshi takes a liking for her and tries to win her by approaching her parents and showing off his wealth. Suchitra turns down the offer even after her parents show interest. Maharshi then scares and turns away the prospective grooms who come to Suchitra's home.
Suchitra meets her childhood friend Tilak, who is working as a police sub-inspector in the same town. Soon after, she expresses her wish to marry him, more with the objective of getting rid of Maharshi. When Maharshi comes to know of this, he tries to stop the wedding, but is locked up in a police station at the insistence of his own father. However, he assumes that Tilak has used his power as sub-inspector and locked him up. He tries to attack Tilak at their own home, but stops when he sees Suchitra open the door. Gradually, Maharshi slips into depression and is hospitalized.
Maharshi's pure love for Suchitra is shown when his friend Ramana drugs Suchitra and brings her to Maharshi's home, assuming that Maharshi wants a physical union with her. Maharshi slaps his friend and explains that he wants her affection and love and not her body; they carefully take her back.
Tilak tries to help Maharshi by being friends with him and helping him mingle with Suchitra. As he recovers, they suggest that he get married, but Maharshi turns crazy at the suggestion and runs away shouting. He is hospitalized again, but manages to escape from there. He snatches Suchitra's new born kid and escapes into the city with the police searching for him. In the end, as he falls from a building along with the kid, he dies, saving the kid, thus earning the good will of Suchitra.

Songs

The film received a lukewarm response from the audience. The film is known for its background score and the songs in this film can be said to be some of the all-time best by Vamsy and Ilaiyaraaja.