Bhakta Prahlad

The gatekeepers of heaven, Jaya and Vijaya, are cursed by a sage and born on earth as the demons Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. When Vishnu, in his boar form, kills the elder brother Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu vows to oppose Vishnu to his last breath. On the advice of the sage Narada he leaves his pregnant queen Kayadhu and the kingdom in the care of the chief minister and goes to Kailash to perform penance for the boon of immortality. Indra abducts Kayadhu and tries in many ways to disturb the penance, without success.

Kayadhu escapes and takes shelter in Narada's hermitage, where he teaches her the philosophy of devotion, and her unborn child absorbs the name of Hari. Hiranyakashipu wins a conditional boon of immortality from Brahma, conquers heaven, earth and the underworld, and returns eager to see his son Prahlad. He is shocked to hear the child chanting the name of his sworn enemy Vishnu. Teachers named Shanda and Amarka are appointed to teach Prahlad the ways of demons, but the boy cannot be turned from his devotion, whatever punishments are tried. Finally Vishnu appears as Narasimha and kills Hiranyakashipu.

Amalendu Bagchi wrote the story by drawing together the writings of Srimanta Sankardeva, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Bholagiri Maharaj. Nip Barua both directed and produced the film. Brajen Baruah directed the music, and the lyrics were written by Keshab Mahanta.

In Nip Barua's filmography, Bhakta Prahlad came after Smritir Parash (1956) and Maak Aru Moram (1957) and was followed by Amar Ghar (1959) and Narakasur (1962).