|
Film Appreciation with K S Sivakumaran :
Yesteryear's Tamil films
Last week we could mention the names of some earlier films. But they
were not all. Here are some more details for the benefit of younger
readers.
As we found, early Tamil films were mostly musicals with more than a
score of songs sung by actors themselves. The playback singing system
did not come into play then. They were not so much dramatic
presentations. Later melodramas and stories based on religious and
ancient Tamil literature came to be produced.
 |
|
Sevadasadanam |
Some of the outstanding singers and actors those days included G N
Balaubramaniam (not to be confused with the present day versatile
singer, S P Balasubramaniam), M M Thandapaani Desigar, V V Sadagopan, G
Ramanathan, M K Thiyagarajah Bhagavathar, P U Chinappa Bhagavathar,
Honappa Baghavathar, M S Subbulakshmi and K Sundarambaal.
Among these were the great Carnatic musician M S Subbulaxmi who sang
in the portals of the United Nations and who was lauded lavishly by the
great Indian leader and fine writer in English the late Pandit
Jawarhalal Nehru. MSS had a pleasant countenance too and she acted in
memorable classic films like Sakunthalai and Meera. But the man who
introduced her to films was a great visionary and an innovative film
director K Subramainam, father of the world reputed Bharatha Natyam
dancer, Padma Subramaniam. His son S Krishnaswamy was also a reputed
film director and one of the pioneer film critics in English in India.
More than 70 years ago (1938), K Subramaniam is credited with a film
called Sevadasadanam. I must confess that I have not seen the film made
during the Second World War, but have read about it. I understand it had
a few war scenes in the film. KS was a Brahman, but he had socialist
attitudes.
According to a South Indian critic, Sevasadanam highlighted many
obnoxious customs, practices and beliefs of the Brahmin community like
childhood marriages. "The film provoked waves of protest among the
traditional and orthodox folks of Tamil Nadu who took the step of even
excommunicating the daring film-maker."
KS was a progressive critic of the prevalent society in Tamil Nadu
via his films. One of the most popular and interesting journalists in
that state was R Krishnamoorthy, himself a Brahmin and the pioneer
editor of the Tamil weekly Kalki. Apart from social issues R K wrote
immensely popular historical romances like Ponniyin Chelvan based on two
great Chola emperors: Raja Raja and Rajendra Cholan.
Two of Krishnamoorthy's social novels were Thiyaga Bhoomi and Alai
Oasai. K Subramaniam made a film adapted from Thiyaga Bhoomi. The
heroine of the film was M S Subbulalaxmi. This may be considered as the
first 'feminist' film in Tamil.
The bold interpretation of the society was shocking for most orthodox
and conservative people living then in India. What were the themes in
the film? Issues like entry of untouchables into Hindu temples, equality
of sexes in marriage and most of all rejection by the wife of a husband
who ill-treated her.
[email protected]
|
