CHANDRODHAYAM IDHILE - KANNAGI 1942

Kannagi 1942

P. U. Chinnappa, P. Kannamba, M. Saroja, S. V. Sahasranamam, T. R. Ramachandran and U. R. Jeevaratnam

The most successful film of 1942 was Kannagi, a Jupiter Pictures production, directed by R. S. Mani, an editor-turned-filmmaker. In the credits, the name M. Somasundaram, one of the Jupiter bosses, figured as one of the directors. His forte was organisation, talent-scouting, production management and allied fields, but not film direction. The dance sequences were directed by T. R. Raghunath, brother of Raja Chandrasekhar.

Kannagi was based on the immortal Tamil epic written by a prince-turned-ascetic poet, Ilangoadigal. Kannagi, the heroine of the epic and wife of Kovalan, was an epitome of all that was noble and chaste. She became a cult figure in Tamil Nadu. She burst into a rage when Kovalan was wrongly accused of theft and hanged in Madurai, and her anger reduced the city to ashes. The saga of this wronged woman and her pleasure-loving husband is familiar among Tamils.

This story, titled ‘Kovalan’, was a popular stage play before movies talked. And, as a talkie it has been filmed more than once in Tamil, in 1933, 1934, 1942 and 1964. Also in Telugu in 1942. The most popular and successful version of them all was this film Kannagi. Indeed, its success set M. Somasundaram and his Jupiter Pictures on the path to glory as a top film production company in South India. Elangovan, the writer who penned the dialogue for Ellis R. Dungan’s Ambikapathi, scaled greater peaks with this film — the audience went into ecstasy listening to his lilting Tamil. P. Kannamba and P. U. Chinnappa played Kannagi and Kovalan. Kannamba achieved star status with this film, her third in Tamil. Considering her knowledge of the language was rudimentary, her delivery of lengthy passages in high flown, literary Tamil, her inflections, her performance were indeed remarkable, and are unparalleled to this day. Kannamba and Kannagi became synonymous and producers went after her with readymade scripts containing Kannagi type roles! P. U. Chinnappa was equally good and as the seductress, M. Saroja was adequate. Raghunath, who directed her dance numbers, fell in love with her and married her. Soon she retired from films to lead a happy life as a housewife.

Kannagi, a box office smasher, put Jupiter in the big league. It enabled the producers M. Somasundaram and S. K. Mohideen to take Central Studios, Coimbatore on lease and launch several productions simultaneously. The film also gained popularity for its dialogue. Elangovan achieved stardom, thus laying the foundation for dialogue writers to become a name to reckon with. Indeed in a few years, the Tamil cinema writer’s name would precede the title, something unique in world cinema. A development that would have far reaching consequences, not only in Tamil cinema but also in the political history of Tamil Nadu. Something unprecedented in the world.

Remembered for: Kannamba’s brilliant performance, a classic example of how dialogue should be delivered in cinema. Also for Chinnappa’s equally impressive performance, Saroja’s dance sequences and tuneful music.

RANDOR GUY.

Courtesy: Randor guy, Blast from the past, the hindu.