The story is based on the Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana, focusing on Lava and Kusa, the twin sons of Rama and Sita.

The story also covers the Aswamedha Yagna performed by Rama and the resulting conflict between him and his sons, which culminates in the Pattabhishekam of Lava and Kusa.

This inspiration came after watching them perform as Rama and Sita in the song "Murisenu Lokamu" from his earlier film Charana Dasi (1956).

[1] Screenwriter Vempati Sadasivabrahmam, who had previously worked with Pullayya on Charana Dasi, was hired to script the film.

[2] Sadasivabrahmam remained faithful to the original screenplay by Vallabhajosyula Ramanamurthy and the dialogues written by Balijepalli Lakshmikantham.

[2] After five years, Sunderlal Nahata agreed to fund the project in exchange for distribution rights, while B. Nagi Reddi provided studio facilities.

[2] Though initially hesitant, C. S. Rao agreed to complete the film after his father convinced him that the emotional scenes set in Rama's palace were crucial to the story.

[2] In the Telugu version, Anaparthi Nagaraju and Viyyuri Subrahmanyam were cast as Lava and Kusa, respectively.

[2] Other prominent cast members included Kaikala Satyanarayana as Bharata, Chittor V. Nagayya as Valmiki, and Sando Krishna as Anjaneya.

Nagaraju and Subrahmanyam underwent daily training sessions for an hour to memorize dialogues and practice archery for their roles.

[1] Filming usually started at 7:00 AM and continued until 9:00 PM, but the child actors were released an hour earlier to ensure they got enough rest.

[3] Pullayya's associate, G. V. R. Seshagiri Rao, suggested reshooting a scene where a pregnant Sita runs toward Valmiki, as it appeared awkward.

[7][8] Lava Kusa achieved significant commercial success, running uninterrupted for 75 weeks, a record in Telugu cinema.

In January 2007, M. L. Narasimham of The Hindu included the film in a list of significant works, alongside Mala Pilla (1938), Raithu Bidda (1939), Vara Vikrayam (1939), Bhakta Potana (1942), Shavukaru (1950), Malliswari (1951), Peddamanushulu (1954), and Mayabazar (1955), citing their influence on society and Telugu cinema.

He compared it to other landmark films such as Raja Harishchandra (1913), Bhakta Prahlada (1932), Mala Pilla (1938), Pathala Bhairavi (1951), and Devadasu (1953).