Film Appreciation:

Tamil cinema: cavalcade of meaningful themes

K S Sivakumaran

The Indian Tamil cinema has more than four decades of growth and an influential communication medium shaping the thinking, behaviour patterns, values, fashions, customs and the like not only nearly 70 million Tamil-speaking people all around the world but also in other parts of the world where different communities live.

In France and Japan, for instance, the native people in these countries (not the Tamils alone) like the songs and dances of the sentimental, melodramatic and fantasy oriented Tamil films. Even in this country, except for die hard nationalists, most people from different communities either accidentally or selectively watch the Indian Tamil cinema.

They also like immensely the Hindi films for the lilting Hindi melodies, the beautiful and handsome actors, the locations and the fusion of western and typically Indian customs. Everywhere in the world the masses want entertainment to escape reality and live for a moment or so in fantasizing.

That’s why these movies are called ‘Movies’ as opposed to ‘Cinema’.

Just as much as we write about the ‘Cinema’, we must also know something about the ‘Movies’ too because movies are a powerful social factor.

In the previous weeks columns we have been introducing some of the highlights of Tamil films since its inception. We continue with these highlights for the benefit of film buffs who may not be familiar with the popular as well as the artistic Tamil Cinema.

While Kodaambaakam in the mega city Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu is the hub of activity in the film industry, places like Saelam in that state too had active film production. An enterprising entrepreneur, T R Sundaram emerged in the 1930s. Following the Hollywood Studio System and his own methods of film production (he was educated in England was an engineer) he was successful in producing films in all Dravidian languages and also in Hindi and Sinhala.

Aayiram Thalai Vaangi Apoorva Chinthamani

Some of his films were really good entertainers. There was a film with a long title – Aayiram Thalai Vaangi Apoorva Chinthamani (Unusual woman who beheaded 1000 people). Thikambara Saamiyaar (adapted from a detective novel by Vaduvoor Thuraisaamy Iyengar), Ponmudi (which had lovely Carnatic oriented music provided by G Ramanathan) and Manthri Kumari (with M Karunanithi writing the script) were some of T R Sundaram’s films.

It is to be noted that a man from America by name Ellis R Duncan and T R Sundaram co-directed Manthri Kumari (The Minister’s Daughter). The playback singing by Thiruchi Loganathan and (Jikki) P G Krishnaveni to the tunes of G Ramanathan are still haunting to hear on the radio.

In South Indian politics, particularly in Tamilnadu and Andhra, it is those in the field of the film industry that functioned as demi-gods. C N Annathurai, M Karunanithi, MG Ramachandan, J Jeyalalitha, Vyjayanthimala, N T Rama Rao and others were good examples.

Entertaining Tamil Cinema focused slowly on social and familial issues. CNA’s Velaikkarai (The Domestic Worker) was such a film. This film was produced by Jupiter Pictures based in the hilly city Koiamputhoor bordering the Kerala state in the northwest. Apart from historical romances and puranic stories, a few memorable films like Thanga Pathumai and Manohara were produced by this company.

Also based in Koiamputhoor was another company called Pakshiraja headed by S M Sriramulu Naidu. They too produced entertainers like Jegathala Prathapan, Kannika, Ealai Padum Paadu (based on Victor Hugo’s Les Miserable) and Malaik Kallan. The popularity of M G R rose when he played the role of a bandit benefactor. We learn that this film was the first Tamil film to win the President’s Silver Medal.

Back to Kodambaakam. B Naga Reddi and his brother established the famous Vahini Studios and brought sheer entertainers in the like of Kalyaanam Pannipaar, Paathaala Bairavi, Maya Bazaar, and Engal Veettu Pillai. The Andhra influence was seen in this type of films. Telugu actors in the calibre of Nageswara Rao, N T Rama Rao, Ranga Rao, P Bhanumathi, Savitri, Anjali Devi, Mathuri Devi and a few other early actors who figured in Tamil films.

We have lot to know more about the nascent stages of the growth of Tamil Cinema to understand the present state of the late last century and the early 21st century. The audience then was a different one from today’s audiences is a reality that is obvious to all.

Let’s have a peep into the slow development of the Tamil Cinema for few more weeks in this column.

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