Manalane Mangayin Bhagyam (1957)

Anjali Devi repeated her role from Balaramaiah’s Swapna Sundari (1950) in this megabudget trilingual fantasy produced by her studio. A celestial fairy descends to earth and is captivated by the charms of a young man. The god Indra puts a curse on the fairy and converts her earthling lover into a stone statue. This is one of the major 50s productions in the uniquely Telugu fantasy-legend genre (cf. K.V. Reddy’s work or Bhanumathi’s hit Raksharekha, 1949). However, when Anjali Pic repeated the formula again with Raghavaiah’s Swarnamanjari/Mangayir Ullam Mangada Selvam (1962), starring NTR, it flopped.