Muta Mestri (ముఠా మేస్త్రి)
Muta Mestri (Telugu: ముఠా మేస్త్రి, also romanized Mutha Mestri or Mutamestri, translated as Labour Leader or Community Leader) is a 1993 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy, starring Chiranjeevi, Meena, Roja, and Sharat Saxena, with music composed by Raj–Koti.13 The film follows Bose, a vegetable market worker who fights for the rights of market workers against an underworld leader and is drawn into politics.1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | ముఠా మేస్త్రి; alternate romanizations include Mutha Mestri, Mutamestri, and Muta Mesthri2 |
| Release | 17 January 1993, India; Telugu language, U certification3 |
| Runtime | 2 hours 43 minutes per Moviebuff; Sun NXT lists 150 minutes and Letterboxd 163 minutes3 • 1 • 2 |
| Lead cast | Chiranjeevi as Subhash Chandra Bose, Meena as Buchamma, Roja as Kalpana, Sharat Saxena as Atma Ram14 |
| Recognition | Chiranjeevi won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu4 |
| Tamil version | Dubbed and released as Manbhumigu Maistri4 |
Spoilers
Story
Chiranjeevi plays Subhash Chandra Bose, the labor contractor (mestri) at a local vegetable market who protects its workers when the villain Atma Ram (Sharat Saxena), supported by the city Mayor and other politicians, tries to convert the marketplace into real estate.5 The Chief Minister (Gummadi), impressed by Bose's honesty and his defense of the working poor, offers him a State Assembly seat on behalf of the ruling party.5
Bose resigns his ministerial post, takes revenge on Atma Ram, and finally returns to his old life at the market, spurning an offer to lead the ruling party.5
Production
Choreography is credited to Prabhu Deva.3
Music
The soundtrack, composed by Raj–Koti with lyrics chiefly by Veturi Sundara Ramamurthy, includes six songs: "Ee Petaku Nene Mestri", "Anjanee Puthruda", "Chikchik Cham", "Entha Ghatu Premayo", "Jorugunnadi", and "Vana Gadiyaramlo", sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra, and Mano.6 The title song "Ee Petaku Nene Mestri" establishes Bose as the protector of the poor, declaring him "the treasure of the destitute" in the neighborhood.6 The music remained popular enough that later coverage of the film's re-release still described Raj–Koti's songs as chartbusters.7
Reception and box office
The film was a hit at the box office.4 A contemporary account of the 1993 Telugu release slate states that Muta Mesthri, co-starring Meena and Roja, did a pre-release business of Rs. 50 million (Rs. 5 crore), which it called a record, and lists the film among the year's hits.8 An archive summary describes it as only moderately successful by Chiranjeevi's standards, so both characterizations circulate: a commercial success overall, but not a blockbuster within the star's own run that year.5 Chiranjeevi won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu for the film.4 On IMDb the film holds a 7.1/10 rating from 468 users.9
Political reading and aftermath
An academic analysis of Telugu mass cinema singles the film out for underscoring the political nature of a working-class hero's struggle, where most other mass films underplay that aspect, even as the narrative presents the issues as apolitical.10 The same account notes that Bose's populist, pro-poor welfare activities as a minister are combined with vigilante action, and that the film's resolution is characteristic of the mass-film genre.10
According to the archive summary, the film fueled intense speculation about Chiranjeevi's potential entry into Andhra politics, and aspects of his performance as the minister evoke the Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav.5 According to one review, the film explores the caliber of politicians and the transition among people from wanting to change the world to seeking only to profit from it.11
A 4K remaster of the film was scheduled for worldwide theatrical re-release on 21 August 2026, timed to Chiranjeevi's birthday, but the re-release was postponed after technical problems arose with the final restored output, with a new date to be announced.7 • 12 The film streams on Sun NXT in India.1
References
- Watch Mutha Mestri (Telugu) Full Movie Online, Sun NXT
- Muta Mestri (1993), Letterboxd film details
- Mutha Mestri (1993), Moviebuff
- Muta Mestri: Cast, Crew, Release Date, Filmy Focus
- Muta Mesthri (A. Kodandarami Reddy) 1993, Indiancine.ma
- Mutha Mestri (1993) song list and lyrics, Telugu Lyrics World
- Mega star birthday treat: Mutha Mestri re-releasing, 123Telugu
- Films released (1992/93) box office success, SBDB Forums
- Mutamestri (1993), IMDb
- S.V. Srinivas, dissertation chapter on Mutha Mestri, University of Hyderabad
- Muta Mestri review, Cinema Chaat (2012)
- Muta Mestri 4K re-release postponed, TeluguBulletin via Dailyhunt
- Muta Mestri (1993) directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy, Letterboxd
- Muta Mestri | Streaming on Prime, telugu.yousay.tv
Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Telugu films before 2000
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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