Thyagabhoomi (1939 film)
Encyclopedia
Thyagabhoomi is a 1939
film directed and produced by famous film director K. Subramaniam. Starring K.J.Mahadevan and S.D.Subbalakshmi, the film was produced at the height of India's freedom movement and glorified Mahatma Gandhi
and his ideals in no mean terms. The story for the movie was based on a novel written by the great Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy
. Thyagabhoomi is the only Indian film to be banned after release by the British government.
defeated the pro-British Justice Party
for the first time in the elections to the Madras Legislative Assembly and Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari was sworn in as the Chief Minister. As an immediate consequence of this change of guard, censorship was relaxed on films glorifying the freedom movement and national leaders. Encouraged by the new government's policies, a few films glorifying the freedom movement were made during this period. Thyagabhoomi was one of them.
However, censorship was reimposed when the Congress Government resigned on the eve of India's entry into the Second World War. The Governor of Madras who took over the administration of the province subsequently banned Thyagabhoomi. The ban evoked severe protests from Indian film-viewers. However, by the time the ban was enforced, Thyagabhoomi was already a success - it was being screened at packed theaters in and around Madras. British Government policy was to either completely prohibit films with "potentially seditious" or subject them to strict censorship. Thyagabhoomi was the first film released in Madras to be banned. While it is widely believed that Thyagabhoomi was banned as soon as the Governor took over the administration in 1940, according to some eye witness accounts, the ban was enforced only in 1944.
priest
who shelters Harijans who had been rendered homeless in a cyclone and is eventually excommunicated from the orthodox Hindu society and moves to Madras. The focus then shifts to Sambu Sastri's daughter Savitri who is illtreated by her Westernized husband Sridharan and is eventually driven out of his palatial house in Calcutta. Meanwhile, Sambu Sastri had offered his ancestral home to Sridharan as dowry and hence Savitri finds herself homeless when she arrives in her native village. She gives birth to a baby girl Charu in hospital and entrusts her to the care of her father and continues on her wanderings. Sambu Sastri, meanwhile, along with Harijan Nallan, embarks on Gandhian social uplift programmes including picketing liquor shops. At the end of the film, Savitri emerges as the wealthy woman under the pseudonym Uma Rani and devotes herself to charitable activities. She eventually rejects the overtures of her husband Sridharan who wishes to return to her.
The character of Sambu Sastri was modelled upon Mahatma Gandhi. The film also included real-life footage of Mahatma Gandhi spinning the charkha.
1939 in film
The year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
film directed and produced by famous film director K. Subramaniam. Starring K.J.Mahadevan and S.D.Subbalakshmi, the film was produced at the height of India's freedom movement and glorified Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and his ideals in no mean terms. The story for the movie was based on a novel written by the great Tamil writer Kalki Krishnamurthy
Kalki Krishnamurthy
Kalki was the pen name of R. Krishnamurthy , a noted Tamil writer, film & music critic, Indian independence activist and journalist from Tamil Nadu, India.- Biography:...
. Thyagabhoomi is the only Indian film to be banned after release by the British government.
Production
In 1937, the pro-independence Indian National CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
defeated the pro-British Justice Party
Justice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
for the first time in the elections to the Madras Legislative Assembly and Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari was sworn in as the Chief Minister. As an immediate consequence of this change of guard, censorship was relaxed on films glorifying the freedom movement and national leaders. Encouraged by the new government's policies, a few films glorifying the freedom movement were made during this period. Thyagabhoomi was one of them.
However, censorship was reimposed when the Congress Government resigned on the eve of India's entry into the Second World War. The Governor of Madras who took over the administration of the province subsequently banned Thyagabhoomi. The ban evoked severe protests from Indian film-viewers. However, by the time the ban was enforced, Thyagabhoomi was already a success - it was being screened at packed theaters in and around Madras. British Government policy was to either completely prohibit films with "potentially seditious" or subject them to strict censorship. Thyagabhoomi was the first film released in Madras to be banned. While it is widely believed that Thyagabhoomi was banned as soon as the Governor took over the administration in 1940, according to some eye witness accounts, the ban was enforced only in 1944.
Cast
- S.D. Subbalakshmi as Savithri
- Papanasam SivanPapanasam SivanPapanasam Sivan was a prominent composer of Carnatic music and a singer.A famous composer, Sivan was also known as Tamil Thyagayya. Using Classical South Indian as a base, Sivan created numerous hits popularised by M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and M. S...
as Sambhu Sastry - Baby Saroja as Charu
- K.J. Mahadevan as Sridharan
- A.K. Kamalam
Plot synopsis
Sambu Sastri is a BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
who shelters Harijans who had been rendered homeless in a cyclone and is eventually excommunicated from the orthodox Hindu society and moves to Madras. The focus then shifts to Sambu Sastri's daughter Savitri who is illtreated by her Westernized husband Sridharan and is eventually driven out of his palatial house in Calcutta. Meanwhile, Sambu Sastri had offered his ancestral home to Sridharan as dowry and hence Savitri finds herself homeless when she arrives in her native village. She gives birth to a baby girl Charu in hospital and entrusts her to the care of her father and continues on her wanderings. Sambu Sastri, meanwhile, along with Harijan Nallan, embarks on Gandhian social uplift programmes including picketing liquor shops. At the end of the film, Savitri emerges as the wealthy woman under the pseudonym Uma Rani and devotes herself to charitable activities. She eventually rejects the overtures of her husband Sridharan who wishes to return to her.
The character of Sambu Sastri was modelled upon Mahatma Gandhi. The film also included real-life footage of Mahatma Gandhi spinning the charkha.