Malaikkallan
Encyclopedia
Malaikkallan is a Tamil language
film starring M. G. Ramachandran
in the lead role. The film was released on 22 July 1954, and was "an astounding success". It was the first Tamil film to win a President's Silver Medal.
and The Mark of Zorro
, written by Namakkal Kavignar Va. Ramalingam Pillai (Namakkal Kavignar). A well-known writer, poet, artist and freedom fighter, he was nominated as the Poet Laureate of the Madras Government in 1949. Malaikkallan had been prescribed as the non-detailed text for the high school curriculum in the early 50s, and the story had become very popular.
S.M.Sriramulu Naidu of Pakshiraja Studio in Coimbatore secured the rights to the story and decided to make a movie of it, in 6 languages- Tamil (Malaikkallan/ MGR), Telugu (Aggi Ramudu
/ N. T. Rama Rao
), Kannada (Bettada Kalla/ Kalyan Kumar), Malayalam (Thaskaraveeran/ Sathyan
), Hindi (Azaad/ Dilip Kumar
) and Sinhalese (Surasena). Sriramulu Naidu booked Bhanumati to play the role of heroine, Poonkothai (Tamil) and Saradha (Telugu).
Except Azaad that had music by C. Ramchandra
, S. M. Subbaiah Naidu composed music for the movie in all the other languages.
The other dacoit is apparently the mysterious Malaikkallan. Legends are galore on his fabulous wealth, awe-inspiring exploits, contempt for the unprincipled rich, concern for the poor and needy indeed he seems to be running a veritable empire in some hidden hillock no one actually seen him.
There is also the wealthy middle-aged bachelor Abdul Kareem, who seems to disappear at regular intervals from Vijayapuram, claiming business calls at far-off places. In this hotbed of intrigue and suspicion blooms an innocent rose Poonkothai, daughter of the upright Sokkesa Mudaliar. Veerarajan is the cousin of Poonkothai and desires to marry her, but his evil reputation ensures the impossibility of such an alliance. Having lost her mother at an early age, Poonkothai is brought up by her widowed aunt Kamakshi Ammaal. Kamakshi Ammal's only son Kumaraveeran went missing many years back.
Faced by stringent public criticism for their failure to tackle the audacious crimes, Sub-Inspector Arumugam arrives in Vijayapuram. But his assistant Constable Karuppiah is a bungling coward and is more a hindrance than a help in his investigations. It is at this juncture that one night when mudaliar is away, Poonkothai is kidnapped. The happenings of that eerie night keep the village tongues wagging for many days thereafter. Two sidekicks of Kathavarayan are found tied and hanging upside down, and a piece of Poonkothai’s jewellery is recovered from them. Kamakshi AmmaaL is found tied-up and unconscious, and a mysterious errand-boy hands over to the attending doctor a herb that revives her at once. Poonkothai is said to be in the custody of Malaikkallan, who has cleverly waylaid Kathavarayan’s men and taken away Poonkothai. Kathavarayan faces the ire and ridicule of Veerarajan at the behest of whom he had engineered Poonkothai’s kidnapping. Goaded by this humiliation, he now sends his men far and wide in search of Poonkothai. Meanwhile Poonkothai is safe in the magnificent hideout of Malaikkallan perceiving his genuine concern for the downtrodden and the reverence with which he is held by his people, her contempt and mistrust turn gradually into admiration and leads to love.
Several confounding twists and turns later the truant pieces of the puzzle fall in place. Kathavarayan and Veerarajan get their well-deserved comeuppance. Malaikkallan and Abdul Kareem both turn out to be the same person who is the long missing Kumaraveeran. All is well that ends with the happy marriage of PoonkOthai and Kumaraveeran.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
film starring M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
in the lead role. The film was released on 22 July 1954, and was "an astounding success". It was the first Tamil film to win a President's Silver Medal.
Production
A blend of Robin HoodRobin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
and The Mark of Zorro
The Mark of Zorro
The Mark of Zorro may refer to:*The Mark of Zorro , silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks*The Mark of Zorro , starring Tyrone Power*The Mark of Zorro , television movie starring Frank Langella...
, written by Namakkal Kavignar Va. Ramalingam Pillai (Namakkal Kavignar). A well-known writer, poet, artist and freedom fighter, he was nominated as the Poet Laureate of the Madras Government in 1949. Malaikkallan had been prescribed as the non-detailed text for the high school curriculum in the early 50s, and the story had become very popular.
S.M.Sriramulu Naidu of Pakshiraja Studio in Coimbatore secured the rights to the story and decided to make a movie of it, in 6 languages- Tamil (Malaikkallan/ MGR), Telugu (Aggi Ramudu
Malaikkallan
Malaikkallan is a Tamil language film starring M. G. Ramachandran in the lead role. The film was released on 22 July 1954, and was "an astounding success". It was the first Tamil film to win a President's Silver Medal.-Production:...
/ N. T. Rama Rao
N. T. Rama Rao
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao , also known as NTR and fondly referred to as Anna Garu, was an Indian film actor, director, producer, and a politician...
), Kannada (Bettada Kalla/ Kalyan Kumar), Malayalam (Thaskaraveeran/ Sathyan
Sathyaneshan Nadar
Manuel Sathyaneshan Nadar commonly known by his stage name Sathyan, was an Indian film actor known for his work in Malayalam cinema. He has won the Kerala State Film Award twice and is renowned for his acting skills...
), Hindi (Azaad/ Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
) and Sinhalese (Surasena). Sriramulu Naidu booked Bhanumati to play the role of heroine, Poonkothai (Tamil) and Saradha (Telugu).
Except Azaad that had music by C. Ramchandra
C. Ramchandra
Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar was a renowned music composer in the movie industry of India. In the composer's role, he mostly used the name C. Ramachandra, though he also used the names Annasaheb , Ram Chitalkar Ramchandra Narhar Chitalkar(Marathi: रामचंद्र नरहर चितळकर /सी.रामचंद्र ) (1918–1982) was...
, S. M. Subbaiah Naidu composed music for the movie in all the other languages.
Plot
Vijayapuram is a beautiful hillside hamlet appears serene and restful to a casual passerby. But the happenings there are far from tranquil. Dacoities, burglaries and even kidnappings seem to be commonplace occurrences. One established perpetuator of at least some of the crimes is Kaathavarayan, his secret accomplices being some well-known public figures like the rich young wastrel Veerarajan and the Kuttipatti Zamindar.The other dacoit is apparently the mysterious Malaikkallan. Legends are galore on his fabulous wealth, awe-inspiring exploits, contempt for the unprincipled rich, concern for the poor and needy indeed he seems to be running a veritable empire in some hidden hillock no one actually seen him.
There is also the wealthy middle-aged bachelor Abdul Kareem, who seems to disappear at regular intervals from Vijayapuram, claiming business calls at far-off places. In this hotbed of intrigue and suspicion blooms an innocent rose Poonkothai, daughter of the upright Sokkesa Mudaliar. Veerarajan is the cousin of Poonkothai and desires to marry her, but his evil reputation ensures the impossibility of such an alliance. Having lost her mother at an early age, Poonkothai is brought up by her widowed aunt Kamakshi Ammaal. Kamakshi Ammal's only son Kumaraveeran went missing many years back.
Faced by stringent public criticism for their failure to tackle the audacious crimes, Sub-Inspector Arumugam arrives in Vijayapuram. But his assistant Constable Karuppiah is a bungling coward and is more a hindrance than a help in his investigations. It is at this juncture that one night when mudaliar is away, Poonkothai is kidnapped. The happenings of that eerie night keep the village tongues wagging for many days thereafter. Two sidekicks of Kathavarayan are found tied and hanging upside down, and a piece of Poonkothai’s jewellery is recovered from them. Kamakshi AmmaaL is found tied-up and unconscious, and a mysterious errand-boy hands over to the attending doctor a herb that revives her at once. Poonkothai is said to be in the custody of Malaikkallan, who has cleverly waylaid Kathavarayan’s men and taken away Poonkothai. Kathavarayan faces the ire and ridicule of Veerarajan at the behest of whom he had engineered Poonkothai’s kidnapping. Goaded by this humiliation, he now sends his men far and wide in search of Poonkothai. Meanwhile Poonkothai is safe in the magnificent hideout of Malaikkallan perceiving his genuine concern for the downtrodden and the reverence with which he is held by his people, her contempt and mistrust turn gradually into admiration and leads to love.
Several confounding twists and turns later the truant pieces of the puzzle fall in place. Kathavarayan and Veerarajan get their well-deserved comeuppance. Malaikkallan and Abdul Kareem both turn out to be the same person who is the long missing Kumaraveeran. All is well that ends with the happy marriage of PoonkOthai and Kumaraveeran.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| M. G. Ramachandran M. G. Ramachandran Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician.... |
Kumaraveeran / Abdul Kareem |
| P. Bhanumathi | Poonkothai |
| Sriram | Veerarajan |
| M. G. Chakrapani | Sub-Inspector |
| P. S. Gnanam | Kamakshi |
| D. Balasubramaniyam | Sokkesa Mudaliar |
| T. S. Durairaj T. S. Durairaj T. S. Durairaj, was a noted Tamil film comedian, drama artist, producer and director in the early stages of the Tamil film industry. He received a Kalaimamani award from the Tamil Nadu Government in 2006.-References:... |
Karuppiah |
| Surabhi Balasaraswathi | Janaki |
| V. M. Ezhumalai | Sadaiyan |
| Sandhya Sandhya Sandhya may refer to:Film* Sandhya, Indian actress of the 1950s, wife of V. Shantaram*Sandhya Mridul, an Indian actress in Bollywood films, active 1993-present... |
Parvathi alias Chinni |
| E. R. Sahadevan | Kathavarayan |
Crew
- Producer: S. M. Sriramulu NaiduS. M. Sriramulu NaiduSubbarayalu Naidu Munuswami Naidu Sriramulu Naidu , also pronounced as Sreeramulu Naidu, was an Indian businessman and movie producer from Coimbatore who founded the Pakshiraja Studios in 1945. He was responsible for the early development of the Tamil film industry in Coimbatore and was called the...
- Production Company: Pakshiraja StudiosPakshiraja StudiosPakshiraja Studios was a motion picture movie studio in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, established by S. M. Sriramulu Naidu in 1945.The studio has released movies in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam and Sinhala under the banner Pakshiraja Films...
- Director: S. M. Sriramulu NaiduS. M. Sriramulu NaiduSubbarayalu Naidu Munuswami Naidu Sriramulu Naidu , also pronounced as Sreeramulu Naidu, was an Indian businessman and movie producer from Coimbatore who founded the Pakshiraja Studios in 1945. He was responsible for the early development of the Tamil film industry in Coimbatore and was called the...
- Music: S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
- Lyrics: Namakkal Kavignar Va. Ramalingam Pillai, Namakkal R. Balasubramaniam, Tanjai N. Ramiah Doss, Makkalanban & Kovai A. Ayyamuthu
- Story: Namakkal Kavignar Va. Ramalingam Pillai
- Dialogue: M. KarunanidhiM. KarunanidhiMuthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
- Art Director: Chelliah
- Editing: Velusami
- Choreography: Muthusami Pillai & T. C. Thangaraj
- Cinematography: Sailen Bose
- Stunt: R. N. Nambiar
- Dance: Sai Subbulakshmi
Soundtrack
List of songs:- eththanai kaalam thaan yEmaatRuvaar by T. M. Soundararajan
- neeli magan nee allav’ by P. A. Periyanayaki
- O ammE O ayyE by P. A. Periyanayaki
- unnai azhaithadhu yaarO by P. Bhanumathi
- peNgaLaalE ulagilE perumai by P. Bhanumathi
- nalla saguNam nOkki selladi by P. Bhanumathi
- naanE inba rOja by P. Bhanumathi
- naaLai vadhuvai maNamendRu naaLittu by P. Bhanumathi
- thamizhan endRoru inam uNdu by T. M. Soundararajan
Box office
- The film grossed $380,000 at the box office and was graded as the first All-Time Blockbuster in M. G. Ramachandran's career.
- This film released in 6 languages.
- This film established M. G. Ramachandran as a superstar.
Trivia
- The song Eththanai Kaalam Thaan Yemaatruvaar became so popular that MGR then decided to insert at least one such philosophical song in his future movies.
- When Sriramulu Naidu was still undecided on the actor to play the lead role in Tamil, it was Subbiah Naidu who urged him to pick MGR.
Additional sources
- iffi.gov.in, "About Homage"
- behindwoods.com, "Malaikallan for Diwali"
- entertainment.oneindia.in, "Rajkiran revives Malaikallan"
- hinduonnet.com
- hindu.com