Paithiyakkaran
Payithiyakaran (English title: Madman?) is a 1947 Tamil-language film produced by and starring N. S. Krishnan. It was based on the play of the same name staged by Krishnan's drama troupe. It was the first film for Krishnan after his acquittal in the Lakshmikanthan murder case. M. G. Ramachandran played a supporting role in the film.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Paithiyakaran | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Krishnan–Panju |
| Screenplay by | S. V. Sahasranamam |
| Story by | Narayan Hari Apte |
| Produced by | D. Ramaswamy |
| Starring | S. V. Sahasranamam T. A. Mathuram N. S. Krishnan M. G. Ramachandran D. Balasubramaniam S. J. Kantha |
| Cinematography | P. S. Selvaraj |
| Edited by | S. Panjabi |
| Music by | C. R. Subburaman M. S. Gnanamani |
Production company | N. S. K. Pictures |
Release date | 26 September 1947 |
Running time | 180 min |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot
Paithiyakaran was based on V. Shantaram's Duniya Na Mane, which in turn was based on the Marathi novel, Na Patnari Goshta by written by Narayan Hari Apte. It was a socially themed movie which advocated for widow remarriage and against older men marrying women much younger than them.[1]
Cast
Cast according to the opening credits of the film
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Production
When N. S. Krishnan was in prison for the Lakshmikanthan murder case, his wife and comedian T. A. Mathuram started a drama troupe called N. S. K Nataka Sabha. The troupe mainly staged plays written by and starring S. V. Sahasranamam. Paithiyakaran (lit. The mad man) was one of those plays. When Krishnan was first sentenced to jail, Mathuram took a break from her acting career. Later she came out her self-imposed exile to generate revenues for financing her husband's appeal to the privy council. Paithiyakaran was based on V. Shantaram's 1937 film Duniya Na Mane. Mathuram converted the troupe into a film production company and made a film based on the play. The film advocated reformist social policies like widow remarriage. It was directed by the director duo of P. Krishnan and S. Panju. While the film was in production, Krishnan was acquitted in the murder case and was released from prison. A new role was written for him in the film. Mathuram played dual roles as the heroine and as Krishnan's comedic foil. Krishnan made fun of his stint in prison through the song jailukku poi vantha in which he described in prison life, his fellow inmates and the types of prisoners he met. Music for the film was composed by C. R. Subburaman and M. S. Gnanamani. Pattukoru pulavan bharathi - a work of the poet Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai was used in the film as lyrics for a song featuring T. A. Jayalakshmi. M. G. Ramachandran (later Chief minister of Tamil Nadu) played a supporting role in the film. The completed film was 16,201 feet in length.[1][2][3] According to The Hindu and The New Indian Express, S. S. Rajendran played a minor role.[6][7]
Soundtrack
Music was composed by C. R. Subburaman & M. S. Gnanamani. Lyrics by Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai, Udumalai Narayana Kavi, K. P. Kamatchi & T. R. Sambanthamoorthi.
Singers are N. S. Krishnan & T. A. Mathuram. Playback singers are Ghantasala, P. A. Periyanayaki & T. S. Bhagavathi.
| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Paattukoru Pulavan" | P. A. Periyanayaki | Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai | 05:36 |
| 2 | "Jeyikku Poi Vandhu" | N. S. Krishnan | Udumalai Narayana Kavi | 02:44 |
| 3 | "Jeeva Oliyaaga Jegameethe" | Ghantasala & P. A. Periyanayaki | Udumalai Narayana Kavi | 02:27 |
| 4 | "Asaiyaaga Pesi Pesi" | N. S. Krishnan & T. A. Mathuram | Udumalai Narayana Kavi | 03:10 |
| 5 | "Ninaivellam Veenanathe" | 03:00 | ||
| 6 | "Manamuvantha Maaran" | P. A. Periyanayaki | Udumalai Narayana Kavi | 02:16 |
| 7 | "Kasu Panam Kondavarkku" | N. S. Krishnan | ||
| 8 | "Jegajothi Tharum Naale" | T. S. Bhagavathi | 02:26 |
Reception
The film was released on 26 September 1947 and was a box office hit. The film's success enabled Mathuram's production house to produce four more films and N. S. Krishnan began a successful stint as director.[1][2]
References
- Guy, Randor (13 June 2008). "Blast from the Past — Paithiakaaran 1947". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- Sri Kantha, Sachi (13 July 2008). "Kalivanar N.S. Krishnan, Tamil Comedian and Political Activist". www.sangam.org. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
- Film News Anandan (2004). Sadhanaigal padaitha Tamil Thiraipada Varalaaru (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivagami Publications. pp. 28:41.
- Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1994). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-85170-455-5.
- Pandian, M. S. S (1992). The image trap: M.G. Ramachandran in film and politics. Sage. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-8039-9403-4.
- "SS Rajendran, First Actor Turned Legislator of Indian Politics is No More". The New Indian Express. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- Kolappan, B. (24 October 2014). "S.S. Rajendran: Dialogue delivery was his forte". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 April 2021.