Rudrangi Story

During the pre-independence era, a territory in Telangana housed an old serf, Maisaiah, who lived with the progeny of his son and daughter, Mallesh and Rudrangi. As he aged, he bound the infant cousins to be indivisible. One day, ailing Maisaiah defied the evil overlord Bhujanga Rao and was tortured to death. Enraged, Mallesh struck Bhujanga Rao and fled, leaving Rudrangi in his vile clutches. He entered a region, “Rudrangi,” ruled by a monarch, Bheem Rao Deshmukh, an adversary of Bhujanga Rao. At one point, Mallesh shielded him from an assassination plot, which won Bheem Rao’s trust. Bheem Rao’s benevolent wife, Meera Bai, treated Mallesh like a sibling. Years later, Bheem Rao married the fiery Jwala Bai Deshmukh. On their wedding night, Bhujanga Rao reattempted homicide, but Jwala Bai thwarted it. Consequently, Bheem Rao unleashed his ultimate weapon, Mallesh, who defeated the foe single-handedly while resisting Jwala Bai’s attempts to seduce him. Meanwhile, Bheem Rao, driven by lust, commanded Mallesh to capture a tribal belle. To his shock, she turned out to be Mallesh’s childhood bride, Rudrangi.

Despite this, Bheem Rao still desired Rudrangi, leading Mallesh to revolt. Betrayed, Mallesh was captured but later freed with Jwala Bai’s help, escaping with Rudrangi into the forest. In retaliation, Bheem Rao oppressed the entire “Rudrangi” region to find them. Aware of his cruelty, Rudrangi inspired Mallesh to rise against Bheem Rao’s tyranny, igniting a public rebellion. Furious, Bheem Rao seized the water supply, causing a severe drought, and demanded Rudrangi’s surrender. The villagers refused, despite the catastrophe. Heartbroken, Rudrangi chose self-denial and ultimately committed suicide to preserve her honor, earning reverence as a deity. Her sacrifice transformed Jwala Bai through soul-searching. Meanwhile, Meera Bai gave birth to a baby girl, entrusting her to Mallesh before dying, with a wish to raise her as a commoner beloved by the region. Mallesh handed the child to his acolyte Rajanna, instructing him to raise her as his own daughter. In the final confrontation, Mallesh was gravely wounded while fighting Bheem Rao. As the poisoned lake led to devastation, the people revolted, causing even Jwala Bai to turn against Bheem Rao. Ultimately, in his arrogance, Bheem Rao decapitated himself. Mortally wounded, Mallesh also died, symbolizing that true love is eternal. The story concluded with the heir, Rudrangi, returning to fulfill Mallesh’s dreams.