தேன் துளிகள்

Any visitor to my Blog on Ponnappa may get the impression that I am a Malayalee and the blog is meant for promoting old Malayalam films and songs and all the anecdotes associated with the blog pertain to our days in Kerala. Well, this impression would be light-years away from the truth and my love for Tamil is no less than my love for Malayalam and this Chapter “Thaen Thulikal” is dedicated to Tamil, my favorite language replete with sweetness and a rich heritage.

தேன் துளிகள் என்ற இந்தப் பகுதியில் நான் எனது பள்ளி மற்றும் கல்லூரி நாட்களில் மிகவும் ரசித்த சில அருமையான பழைய தமிழ் சினிமாப் பாடல்களின் வீடியோ காட்சிகளை பகிர்ந்து கொள்ளுவதில் பெரு மகிழ்ச்சி அடைகின்றேன். கண்டு ரசியுங்கள்.

அபூர்வ சகோதரர்கள் (1949)
This Tamil folk song ‘Laddu, laddu Mittaai Venuma?” rendered by Bhanumati in Apoorva Sahodararkal (1949) is more like a childhood Psalm to us as we used to repeatedly listen and savour this melody during our vacations in Alwaye. One specialty of this song is that it starts in Tamil and flows through many other South Indian dialects viz.. Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and ultimately ends in Hindi.

Apoorva Sahodararkal had tuneful music by Rajeswara Rao, M.D. Parthasarathy & Reema and, as is the case with any Gemini Studios venture, production values were of the highest order - sets, costumes, dances and the lot. Bhanumathi soared to new heights with her facile acting, good singing and innate charm. This song, ‘Laddu…Ladduuu…Mittaai Venumaa?’ an adaptation of the original folk song, rewritten by Kothamangalam Subbu and V. Sitaraman had lines in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. This song became a highlight of the movie due to Bhanumati’s brilliant rendition and histrionics.

1949ம் வருடம் ரிலீசான அபூர்வ சகோதரர்கள் என்ற படத்தில் பானுமதி பாடி இருக்கும் "லட்டு லட்டு மிட்டாய் வேணுமா? ரவாலாடு பூந்தியும் வேணுமா?" என்ற இந்த அருமையான நாட்டுப்புறப் பாடலின் வீடியோ காட்சியை கண்டு ரசியுங்கள்.

அபூர்வ சகோதரர்களில் பானுமதி

PUDHU PENNIN MANATHAI THOTTU PORAVARE

The film Parasakthi was released in 1952 on Deepavali Day, after months of shooting and preparations. AVM Productions, after a series of hits like Naam Iruvar and Vazhkai planned to make this film in 1952, with Sivaji Ganesan a newcomer who was catapulted to fame overnight and went on to become a legend in Tamil Cinema.

Made at an impressive budget, Parasakthi critcally examined the social issues prevalent those days and by the time the film was off the theatres, it had created a revolution. The film was accused of trying to portray Brahmins in poor light and abuse Hindu customs and religious practices. Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) the then Chief Minister of Madras State was unhappy with the extremely provocative nature of the film but allowed it to be screened.

Music composed by R. Sudarsanam to Udumalai Narayana Kavi’s lyric, this duet portrays Sivaji Ganesan and Pandari Bai on screen.

1952ம் வருடம் தீபாவளி ரிலீசான பராசக்தி என்ற படத்திலிருந்து "புதுப் பெண்ணின் மனதைத் தொட்டுப் போறவரே" என்ற பாடலின் வீடியோ காட்சியைக் கண்டு ரசியுங்கள்.

SIVAJI GANESAN AND PANDARI BAI IN PARASAKTHI

கூண்டுக்கிளி (1954)

எழுத்தாளர் விந்தன் கதை, வசனம் மற்றும் பாடல்கள் எழுதி, சிவாஜி கணேசனும் எம்ஜிஆரும் சேர்ந்து நடித்து பெருமை பெற்ற ஒரே படம்தான் கூண்டுக்கிளி.

கொஞ்சும் கிளியான பெண்ணை
கூண்டுக்கிளியாக்கி விட்டு
கெட்டி மேளம் கொட்டுவது சரியா தப்பா?
விண்ணுலக ஆசையின்றி
விரும்பும் பெண்ணை நேசத்தோடு
கண்ணியமாய் காதலித்தல் சரியா தப்பா?
மற்றொருவன் வாழ்வுக்காக
மனமறிந்த பெண்ணை விட்டு
மனமுடைந்து சுற்றுவது சரியா தப்பா?

சரியா தப்பா? சரியா தப்பா?

Koondukkili (1954) is the only film where Sivaji and MGR, the two heavyweights of Tamil Cinema featured together. I am one of the lucky few who had the privilege of seeing this movie in one of its re-runs in the 70s at a place called Tindivanam, a small town in the interior of Tamil Nadu.
Although this is a Sivaji-MGR starrer, within 15 minutes into the movie, MGR goes to jail, voluntarily taking the blame for a crime committed by Sivaji Ganesan and then it's Sivaji Ganesan all the way till MGR returns in the end. This is one of the very few movies wherein Sivaji dons the role of a villain, "Antha Naal" and "Uthama Puthiran" being the other two, although in "Uthama Puthiran" Sivaji has done a dual role - both the Hero and the Villain.
Besides being a Sivaji-MGR starrer, Koondukkili has one more distinction. This is the debut film for playback singer TMS (T.M. Soundararajan) who shot to overnite fame with Koondukkili and dominated the Tamil Film Industry for more than three decades as a playback singer with an unique ability to modulate his voice to suit both Sivaji Ganesan and MGR.
Here I have pleasure in sharing with you the song கொஞ்சும் கிளியான பெண்ணை கூண்டுக்கிளியாக்கி விட்டு which is the debut song of T.M. Soundararajan.

நாடோடி மன்னன்

After Madurai Veeran, Nadodi Mannan was the second movie to cross the Rs 1 Crore collection mark. It was also selected as the best film for the year 1958 amidst competition from other superhits like "Uthama Puthiran" and "Sampoorna Ramayanam".

This was the first film to surpass 100 days for the second time re-release in the same theatre. First and only movie released subsequently in 6 movie halls in Srilanka to cross 100 days.

The 100th day celebration function in Madurai, MGR was awarded a 110 sovereign Gold Sword (தங்க வீர வாள்) by the DMK supremo C.N. Annadurai. Later in 1985 MGR gifted the sword to Kollur Moogambigai Temple in Karnataka. MGR is the first Director to get the Best Director award on his debut as Director.


Nadodi Mannan was the first Tamil movie screened continuously for 8 weeks in London.

Nadodi Mannan has a run time of nearly 4 hours. It is the lengthiest MGR movie so far. This movie holds the record for the most number of Special Edition issued by 10 national Newspapers and the Indian Movie News of Singapore has also issued a Special Edition on the success of Nadodi Mannan.

And this was the first movie in the World to show a Political flag as a Banner. All the Actors and Actress who participated in the film gave a memento, a 6 feet Silver Cup which is now kept as an exhibit in MGR Memorial house.

"தூங்காதே தம்பி தூங்காதே நீயும் சோம்பேரி என்ற பெயர் வாங்காதே" நாடோடி மன்னனில், பட்டுக்கோட்டை கல்யாணசுந்தரம் எழுதிய இந்த அற்புதமான பாடலின் வீடியோ காட்சியை கண்டு ரசியுங்கள்.

MGR & Bhanumati in Nadodi Mannan

வியட்னாம் வீடு

உன் கண்ணில் நீர் வழிந்தால்

என் நெஞ்சில் உதிரம் கொட்டுதடி

என் கண்ணில் பாவையன்றோ

கண்ணம்மா என்னுயிர் நின்னதன்றோ

Vietnam Veedu may be considered as a major milestone in Tamil Cinema inasmuch as it deviated from the run off the mill formula love stories of Tamil Films of the late 60s and portrayed an aged couple as the central characters. Sivaji Ganesan, in a scintillating performance as Prestige Padmanabhan, brought to life a retired middleclass Brahmin and his failure in disciplining his wayward children to instill the right values in them.

While it may be difficult to believe, it is also true that Vietnam Veedu is the debut venture for writer/director Vietnaam Veedu Sundaram, who penned the immortal central character, Prestige Padmanabha Iyer.

This adaptation of one of Maha Kavi Bharathiyar's songs from his Kannamma series, rewritten by Kannadasan, has been picturised so well and depicts beautifully the strong bond of love between an aged couple and how the husband in despair finds some solace and comfort in his wife’s proximity. In this scene, Padmini has matched and perhaps surpassed Sivaji Ganesan’s histrionic talents in every conceivable way as the middle-aged wife comforting her desolate husband.

SIVAJI GANESAN AND PADMINI IN A SCENE FROM VIETNAM VEEDU


சம்பூர்ண ராமாயணம்

1958ம் வருஷம் ரிலீசான சம்பூர்ண ராமாயணம் என்ற படத்தில் வரும் சில மிக அருமையான பாடல்களின் வீடியோ காட்சிகளை உங்களுடன் பகிர்ந்துகொள்வதில் பெரு மகிழ்ச்சி அடைகிறேன்.

வீணை கொடியுடைய வேந்தனே

This scene is the famous court scene from the Tamil film 'Sampoorna Ramayanam' . The court of Ravana honours a musician and Ravana himself joins him in entertaining the court with his Veena Skills. In this scene, at the request of his deputies in his court, Ravana explores the nuances of various Ragas that are sung on various occasions.



T.K. BHAGAVATY, SANDHYA AND SUPPORTING CAST
பாதுகையே துணையாகும்

This is the most touching scene when Bharatan (Sivaji Ganesan) leaves the forest after visiting Sri Raman and taking with him Raman's Sri Paduka (footwear) and to symbolically keep it in the throne when he rules Ayodhya as Rama's understudy.

SIVAJI GANESAN, N.T. RAMARAO AND PADMINI ON SCREEN