Gulebagavali

A king has two wives. He banishes his first wife as an astrologer told him that he would lose his vision because of her son. The mother and son live in the woods and when he meets his father without knowing his identity, the king loses his sight. When the son gets to know about the sad tale from his mother, he sets out to bring a rare flower from Bakavali, which would restore the king's sight. To achieve it, he undergoes many adventures — enters into a debate with a queen and wins the battle of wits, challenges a woman held captive by a crook in a fake dice contest, and rescues a slave dancer of a tribal chief. The hero wins them all and succeeds in getting the flower along with the three women who turn out to be princesses and siblings! Meanwhile, his stepbrothers try to steal the flower, but are exposed.

Directed by T. R. Ramanna, Gulebagavali leans on a strong ensemble — M. G. Ramachandran, T. R. Rajakumari, J. P. Chandrababu — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1955.