Madurai Veeran (1956 film)

Madurai Veeran (transl. The Warrior of Madurai) is a 1956 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Dasari Yoganand, written by Kannadasan, and produced by Lena Chettiar. Based on the folklore legend turned deity of the same name, it stars M. G. Ramachandran as the eponymous character, with Bhanumathi Ramakrishna and Padmini playing his love interests. T. S. Balaiah, N. S. Krishnan and T. A. Madhuram play supporting roles.

For other uses, see Madurai Veeran (disambiguation).

Madurai Veeran
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDasari Yoganand
Produced byLena Chettiar
Screenplay byKannadasan
StarringM. G. Ramachandran
Bhanumathi Ramakrishna
Padmini
Music byG. Ramanathan
CinematographyM. A. Rehman
Edited byV. B. Natarajan
Production
company
Krishna Pictures
Release date
  • 13 April 1956 (1956-04-13)
Running time
165 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Madurai Veeran was the second film based on the legend after a 1939 film. It was released on 13 April 1956, during Puthandu (Tamil New Year). The film became a major commercial success, and had a theatrical run of over 200 days, thereby becoming a silver jubilee film. It was also a milestone in the careers of Ramachandran and Padmini, and led to many more similar films being made.

Plot

A baby is born to the chieftain of Varanavasi, but with an unlucky mark destined to bring doom to the state. Acting as per the dictates of the astrologer, the baby is abandoned in the forest. A cobbler and his wife discover the baby in the forest, and bring him up as their son. They name him Veeran, meaning warrior, because he did not cry even though he was around forest animals.

Veeran grows up to be a brave and noble youth. He chances to save Bommi, the princess of Thottiyam from being drowned in the Cauvery. Bommi falls in love with him. Though Veeran doesn't reciprocate initially, he perceives the depth of her love gradually after Bommi comes riding on an elephant dressed as a man and saves Veeran from being trampled to death. Bommi's uncle, the cowardly Narasappan finds his schemes of marrying Bommi falling apart. Citing Veeran's low birth, Narasappan causes the lovers undue hardships. Due to opposition from Bommi's father, Veeran arrives and carries the princess away. Finally the King of Tiruchi, from whom Narasappan had sought assistance, declares that Veeran and Bommi are not guilty of any crime and sanctifies their union in wedlock. And being impressed with Veeran's valour, the King appoints him as the commander of the army.

Thirumalai Nayakar of Madurai appeals to Tiruchi to help curb the menace of a gang of robbers that was terrorising the people of Madurai. Veeran is sent to Madurai and he is appointed Nayakar's commander. There he sees Vellaiyamma, the beautiful court dancer and is impressed with her virtues and skills. Suitable disguised, Veeran and Vellaiyamma gain entry into the Azhagar Malai den of the thieves. With the help of hidden soldiers, they manage to capture most of the robbers and recover the plundered loot.

Nayakar, who wants to make Vellaiyamma his concubine, is furious when he hears that Vellaiyamma is in love with Veeran. And his mind further poisoned by the evil Narasappan and his former commander Kutilan, the King accuses Veeran of treason and orders a hand and leg of Veeran to be severed. Before the sentence is carried out Veeran recognises in the crowd the leader of the thieves Sangilikaruppan, and puts him to death in a quick encounter. Satisfied that he has now accomplished his mission, Veeran subjects himself to the mutilation. And as his soul leaves his body soon after, Bommi and Vellaiyamma unite with him in the heavenly abode.

Cast

Production

The folklore legend turned deity Madurai Veeran's first appearance on screen was in a 1939 film with the same name.[1][2] Another attempt to make a film based on the legend was made in the late 1940s by Naveena Pictures, with P. U. Chinnappa set to star; this did not materialise.[3] Lena Chettiar of Krishna Pictures later successfully managed to produce one, also titled Madurai Veeran, with Dasari Yoganand as director.[4] However, Chettiar was not credited as producer.[5] The screenplay for this version was written by Kannadasan, who also served as lyricist. Art direction was handled by Ganga, editing by V. B. Natarajan,[6] and the cinematography by M. A. Rehman.[2]

M. G. Ramachandran, who starred as the title character,[7] initially refused to act in the film because it had mythological references, but joined after being urged by R. M. Veerappan.[8] He felt that the character of Velliaiyamma was "poorly depicted" in the original legend, and suggested changes to her screen depiction, to which the producer assented.[9] The character was portrayed by Padmini,[10] in her first film opposite Ramachandran.[11] T. S. Balaiah was cast as Narasappan,[7] and Bhanumathi Ramakrishna as his niece Bommi,[4] while the husband and wife comedy duo N. S. Krishnan and T. A. Madhuram played Veeran's foster parents.[12] Kusalakumari appeared as a Bharatanatyam dancer.[7] Chettiar removed the song "Paar Kadal Alaimele", picturised on Padmini, as Ramachandran objected to it, but re-inserted it into the film after its theatrical release.[13] The final cut of the film was 165 minutes.[4]

Themes and influences

Sri Lankan historian Sachi Sri Kantha noted that various Ramachandran films reflect the 1950s trend of films being "costume dramas" that focus on princes and folk heroes, citing Madurai Veeran as an example.[14] Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, in Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, compare it to Ramachandran's earlier films like Malaikkallan (1954) and Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum (1956) as they are also Robin Hood-inspired, and because Bhanumathi plays a damsel in distress in them.[15]

Soundtrack

The music was composed by G. Ramanathan, while the lyrics were by Udumalai Narayana Kavi, Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass and Kannadasan.[6] The playback singers were T. M. Soundararajan, M. L. Vasanthakumari, P. Leela and Jikki.[16] The song "Summa Kidantha Sothukku Kashtam" is based on "Yeruvaaka Saagaaro Ranno Chinnanna", composed by Master Venu for the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi (1955).[17]

A. V. Meiyappan, distributor of Rojulu Marayi's Tamil remake Kaalam Maari Pochu (1956), which re-used "Yeruvaaka Saagaaro Ranno Chinnanna" as "Kallam Kabadam Theriyadhavane" (also known as "Yerupooti Povaye Anne Sinnanne"), sued Lena Chettiar, accusing him of stealing the tune of his film song. V. L. Ethiraj, a renowned lawyer, appeared for Chettiar. The judge observed that the tune of both songs were based on folklore music, and no-one could claim a right of ownership to such music. The case was dismissed.[18] The song "Aadal Kaaneero" is set in the Carnatic raga known as Charukesi,[19] and attained popularity.[20] A remix of "Vaanga Machan Vaanga" was recorded by Hiphop Tamizha for the 2019 film Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven.[21]

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Senthamizha"KannadasanM. L. Vasanthakumari2:56
2."Nadagamellam"KannadasanT. M. Soundararajan, Jikki3:44
3."Avarkkum Enakkum"KannadasanP. Bhanumathi2:49
4."Kadamaiyile"KannadasanT. M. Soundararajan5:16
5."Aadal Kaaneero"Udumalai Narayana KaviM. L. Vasanthakumari5:53
6."Summa Kidantha"Udumalai Narayana KaviP. Leela, Jikki4:10
7."Kundruthor Adi Varum"Udumalai Narayana KaviP. Leela4:18
8."Vaanga Machan Vaanga" (Duet)Thanjai N. Ramaiah DassT. M. Soundararajan, P. Leela3:00
9."Vaanga Machan Vaanga" (Solo)Thanjai N. Ramaiah DassP. Leela3:01
10."Echu Pizhaikkum"Thanjai N. Ramaiah DassT. M. Soundararajan, Jikki3:44

Release and reception

Madurai Veeran was released on 13 April 1956,[6] during Puthandu (Tamil New Year). On the same day, The Indian Express called it a "should-not-be-missed" film. The reviewer praised the performances of Ramachandran, Balaiah, Bhanumati and Padmini, the comedy sequences featuring Krishnan and Madhuram, Yoganand's direction, the dialogue and music, concluding, "[Madurai Veeran] makes one interested right from the beginning to the finish."[7] Swadesamitran too printed a positive review.[22] The film was a major commercial success, running for over 100-days in all the 36 theatres it was screened at.[23] It ran for over 200 days at the Madurai-based Chinthamani Theatre (the longest run for a film starring Ramachandran to that point), thereby becoming a silver jubilee film.[24][lower-alpha 1] According to R. Kannan, author of MGR: A Life, the film grossed over ₹1 crore (equivalent to ₹92 crore or US$13 million in 2019).[26] Ramachandran said Madurai Veeran surpassed Chandralekha (1948) to become the "biggest box office film ever on the South Indian screen."[27] It was later dubbed in Telugu as Sahasaveerudu.[28]

Historical accuracy

Although Madurai Veeran is based on a legend, it has been criticised for taking liberties, primarily with the depiction of the title character. Film historian S. Theodore Baskaran noted that the film did not depict Veeran as a direct descendant of backward parents, rather as "a baby born in the royal family who is left in the forest and brought up by a Dalit couple", mainly to appease fans.[29] Athiyaman, founder of Athi Thamizhar Peravai, which published the book Madurai Veeran Unmai Varalaaru, also criticised the film for distorting Veeran's Dalit identity.[30]

Legacy

Madurai Veeran emerged a milestone both in the careers of Ramachandran and Padmini.[26][31] The film's enormous earnings led to it becoming a precursor for many more similar films, but none equalled the success of Madurai Veeran.[32] It was also one of the few films where the lead character played by Ramachandran dies.[33] He avoided doing such roles since the late 1960s after his Paasam (1962) failed commercially since fans could not accept his character's death in that film.[34] Dalit historian Stalin Rajangam believed that Arunthathiyars (a subsect of Dalits) began supporting Ramachandran after he acted as Veeran.[35]

Notes
  1. A silver jubilee film is one that completes a theatrical run of 25 weeks.[25]
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References
  1. Velayutham 2008, p. 150.
  2. Baskaran 1996, p. 121.
  3. "Madurai Veeran". The Indian Express. Naveena Pictures. 12 April 1947. p. 8.
  4. Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 346.
  5. Guy, Randor (2016). Gopal, T. S. (ed.). Memories of Madras: Its Movies, Musicians & Men of Letters. Chennai: Creative Workshop. p. 208. ISBN 978-81-928961-7-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  6. Film News Anandan (2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [Tamil film history and its achievements] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivagami Publishers. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018.
  7. "Mathurai Veeran". The Indian Express. 13 April 1956. p. 3.
  8. "NSK a comedian with social awareness". The Hindu. 14 April 2009. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  9. Kannan 2017, p. 77.
  10. "The very best of Padmini". Rediff.com. 26 September 2006. slide 5. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  11. "நாட்டியப் பேரொளி பத்மினி". Dinamani (in Tamil). 12 June 2017. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  12. Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, pp. 346-347.
  13. "மதுரை வீரன் மூலம் வசூல் சக்ரவர்த்தி ஆனார், எம்.ஜி.ஆர்.- பல ஊர்களில் வெள்ளி விழா" [Through Madurai Veeran, MGR became Collection King – A silver jubilee film in many areas]. Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 12 November 2009. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  14. Kantha, Sachi Sri (30 September 2014). "MGR Remembered – Part 21". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  15. Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 60.
  16. "Madurai Veeran". Saavn. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  17. Narasimham, M. L. (31 July 2014). "Rojulu Maaraayi (1955)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  18. "திண்ணை!". Dinamalar (in Tamil). 12 May 2013. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  19. Sundararaman 2007, p. 121.
  20. Shankar, Bala (28 June 2018). "MLV, a thinking vocalist". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  21. "'Vanga Machan Vanga' song from STR's upcoming film released". The Times of India. 23 January 2019. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  22. "விமர்சனம் | மதுரை வீரன்" [Reviews | Madurai Veeran]. Swadesamitran (in Tamil). 1956. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  23. Jeshi, K. (2 September 2011). "Following a star". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  24. Annamalai, S. (30 June 2017). "Many firsts for MGR happened in Madurai". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  25. Karthikeyan, D. (3 May 2011). "MGR continues to live in the minds of Madurai people". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  26. Kannan 2017, p. 105.
  27. Ramachandran, M. G. (1–15 February 1988) [1964]. "My Memorable Roles". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018.
  28. Narasimham, M. L. (2 June 2013). "A legend in his life time". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  29. Joshi, Namrata (23 January 2016). "New voices but not enough noise". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  30. Muralidharan, Kavitha (2 September 2015). "The ban police is back as the Tamil Nadu government clamps down on two more books". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  31. Guy, Randor (29 September 2006). "Beauty, charm, charisma". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  32. Baskaran 1996, p. 122.
  33. Kantha, Sachi Sri (22 December 2013). "MGR Remembered – Part 13". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  34. Rajanayagam 2015, p. 41.
  35. Muralidharan, Kavitha (13 August 2017). "Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan in politics: What a new book on MGR says about TN politics". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.

Bibliography
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