DEVA SABHA THALAM - HIS HIGHNESS ABDULLAH

HINDOLAM, TODI, PANTHUVARALI, ABHOGI, MOHANAM, SHANMUKA PRIYA, KALYANI, CHAKRAVAHAM,  REVATHI.

ENNAI POL PENNALLAVO - VANANGAMUDI

Performance-driven Vanangamudi.

RELATED

TOPICS

cinemaClassics and Masters
arts, culture and entertainment

Vanangamudi 1957
RANDOR GUY

Sivaji Ganesan, K. Savithri, Pasupuleti Kannamba, M. K. Radha, Rajasulochana, M. N. Nambiar, Chittoor V. Nagaiah, K. A. Thangavelu, M. Saroja, M. R. Santhanam, Nott Annaji Rao, ‘Gemini' Balu and Helen (dance)

Savithri was a talented star in South Indian Cinema. She excelled in playing a variety of roles, each with its unique characteristics and sentiment. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, she began her career in a modest manner as an extra — one in a group of girls in a car sequence in the successful Telugu film Samsaram directed by the iconic L. V. Prasad. Later, she did a short dance sequence in Pathala Bhairavi. From such modest beginnings, she reached the zenith of success, playing lead roles in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi movies, many of which were big hits. She also did a few Malayalam movies. She married the top Tamil film star ‘Gemini' Ganesan, with whom she acted in ‘Manampol Mangalyam' (1953), the first movie where ‘Gemini' played the hero. Savithri was compared to the top star of Indian Cinema, Hindi film actor Meenakumari. One of her successful movies in Tamil was Vanangamudi.

Written by the Tamil scholar-turned-filmmaker, producer and studio-owner, A. K.Velan, it was directed by veteran multilingual filmmaker P. Pullaiah. Hailing from Nellore, he entered filmdom after graduation and worked in Kolhapur, enjoying the rare privilege of being associated with the founding father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke. Pullaiah, a tough no-nonsense guy, directed films in Telugu and Tamil with many hits such as Manam Pol Mangalyam, and Vanangamudi was one such box office success of his.

The film revolves around a king (Radha) and a talented sculptor (Sivaji Ganesan). Chitrashilpi, the sculptor, could make stones sing and dance with his artistic touch. Son of the king's bodyguard (Nagaiah), whose kind-hearted wife is played by Kannamba, he meets the princess (Savithri) in a forest and falls in love with her. However, each is not aware of the other's identity.

Enters the villain (Nambiar) who has an eye on the throne and the princess. He has a mistress — a court dancer with a heart of gold (Rajasulochana). He employees all the tricks in his bag to get his desire fulfilled. He throws the sculptor in prison and introduces a princess-look-alike, a tribal girl (Savithri, again) and pulls the wool over the eyes of the king and marries the fake princess!

After many events, somewhat predictable, the hero exposes the villain and happiness is restored inthe royal family.

The film had melodious music composed by G. Ramanthan, with lyrics by Thanjai Ramaiah Das. One of the songs in the Carnatic raga ‘Thodi', ‘Ennai Pol Penn', rendered by P. Susheela with much feeling attracted attention. Even Carnatic musicians considered it the best film song composition in Thodi. The popular comedy pair, Thangavelu-Saroja, provided the laughs and there was a sizzling dance number by Helen (choreographer K. N. Dhandayuthapani Pillai).

The film was produced by Saravanabhava–Unity Pictures, which had some links to the famous Jupiter Pictures. One of the producers, A.K. Balasubramaniam, was a son-in-law of the famed ‘Jupiter Somu', while the other was C. Sundaram who rose from the lowest rungs to achieve success, before sliding down the grease pole.

Well-known singers M. L. Vasanthakumari. P. Susheela, Jikki, T. M. Soundararajan, Sirgazhi Govindarajan, A. M. Raja, T. V. Ratnam and S. C. Krishnan lent their voices to the songs. The film had pleasing photography by P. Ramasami who had done good work in Coimbatore Central Studios. This film was shot at Neptune Studios which was taken on lease by Jupiter Pictures after they shifted to Madras. This studio no longer exists and the historic site now owned by the MGR family houses the MGR College for Women.

Remembered for the excellent performances by Sivaji Ganesan, Savithri and Nambiar and the melodious music.

Keywords: Vanangamudi

SHIVA SHIVA YENNADHA - HEMAVATHI

'THE MOST DIFFICULT SONG OF MY CAREER' - S.JANAKI. THE SONG CHANGES TO ABHOGI AND TODI EVERY ALTERNATE LINE. A MINDBOGGLING COMPOSITION BY L.VAIDYANATHAN AND AN EQUALLY TERRIFIC PERFORMANCE BY S.JANAKI.

VANDINAM MURALUM SOLAI - THONDARADI PODI AZHWAR - M.S

VEENAI KODIYUDAYA - SAMPOORNA RAMAYANAM

MOHANAM, ATAANA, BHOOPALAM, SARANGA, VASANTHA, NEELAMBHARI, DHANYASI, GAMBHIRA NAATAI, SHANKARABHARANAM, TODI, KALYANI, KAMBODHI.

http://ragasinfilmmusic.blogspot.com/2010/01/inru-poi-nalai-vaaraai-sampurna.html

Blast from the past: Sampoorna Ramayanam 1956

RANDOR GUY

SHARE  ·   COMMENT   ·   PRINT   ·   T+  

Sampoorna Ramayanam

N. T. Rama Rao, Sivaji Ganesan, Padmini, Chittoor V. Nagaiah, S. D. Subbulakshmi, G. Varalakshmi, T. K. Bhagavathi, N. R. Sandhya, P. V. Narasimha Bharathi, V. K. Ramasami, C. T. Rajakantham, Pushpavalli, ‘Jayakodi’ Natarajan and M. G. Chakrapani

The Ramayana, the story of the Rama avatar of Vishnu, is one of the immortal classics of India. A rich granary of story material, the epic not surprisingly excited and attracted the attention of filmmakers in the country from the Silent Film era. The first silent version came out in 1922 along with another version the same year, which was released as a serial in cinemas. The first talkie version came out in Hindi in 1933, in Telugu in 1936 and in Tamil (this version) in 1956. There were other language versions too.

Sampoorna Ramayanam, running over 22,000 feet, was produced by M. A. Venu. It had Sivaji Ganesan in the role of Bharatha, while N. T. Rama Rao and Padmini played Rama and Sita. The underrated stage and screen actor K. V. Srinivasan lent his voice to NTR. T. K. Bhagavathi with his excellent screen presence was the right choice to play Ravana. Varalakshmi as Kaikeyi was equally impressive, and so was Nagaiah as Dasaratha. Noted comedienne Rajakantham played the mischief-maker Mandhara. Also in the cast were Nagaiah, M. N. Rajam, P. V. Narasimha Bharathi, Lakshmiprabha, S. D. Subbulakshmi and T. P. Muthulakshmi.

The film had excellent music (K. V. Mahadevan) with lyrics by Marudhakasi. One song rendered by C. S. Jayaraman, filmed on Bhagavathi playing Ravana, ‘Indru poi naalai vaa,’ became an immortal melody. This song was composed in raga Thilang, which was an import from Sufi music and successfully adapted by Guru Nanak and his disciples who composed several hymns in this raga. It has been extremely popular with musical geniuses such as Ravishankar, Bhimsen Joshi, violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman and musicologist G. S. Mani. The great Carnatic musician D. K. Pattammal recorded a song, ‘Shanthi nilava vendum,’ in this raga on the occasion of the shocking death of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.

Written by the successful Tamil film personality A. P. Nagarajan, Sampoorna Ramayanam was directed by K. Somu who was associated with Nagarajan on many films. Not many are aware that Somu worked with the celebrated American Tamil filmmaker Ellis R. Dungan, learning the art and craft from the great master. The film was made at Ratna Studio in Salem.

Sampoorna Ramayanam had the distinction of winning the appreciation of the eminent son of India, Rajaji, who did not think much of films. In the 1930s, he watched Ellis R. Dungan’s Sathi Leelavathi and in honour of his visit a day’s collection was handed over to him towards the Indian National Congress Party fund. After watching the movie, he sarcastically remarked that the main artiste in a charka-spinning sequence did not know how to handle it!

Remembered for the impressive performances of N. T. Rama Rao, Padmini and Varalakshmi, the melodious music of Mahadevan and the song ‘Indru Poi.’

Keywords: Sampoorna Ramayanam, Sivaji Ganesan, Padmini, N T Rama Rao, K. V. Mahadevan, Indru Poi song

ORU NAAL PODHUMA - THIRUVILAIYAADAL

THAMARAI POOVIL AMARNDHAVALE - P.SUSHEELA

VENDRIDUVEN - AGATHIYAR

GANGAI KARAI MANNANADI - VARUSHAM 16