Viduthalai (1954 film)
Viduthalai (lit. 'Freedom') is a 1954 Tamil-language crime drama film directed and produced by K. Ramnoth. It was adapted from the play The First and the Last by John Galsworthy. The film stars V. Nagaiah and R. S. Manohar in the lead roles. It was released on 12 February 1954 and failed at the box office.
| Viduthalai | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | K. Ramnoth |
| Produced by | K. Ramnoth |
| Written by | A. K. Velan |
| Screenplay by | K. Ramnoth |
| Story by | K. Ramnoth |
| Based on | The First and the Last by John Galsworthy |
| Starring | V. Nagaiah R. S. Manohar Krishna Kumari Javar Seetharaman T. V. Kumudhini |
| Music by | Lakshman Raghunath |
| Cinematography | Babulnath Walke |
| Edited by | Paul G. Yadav |
Production company | New Era Productions |
| Distributed by | Subbu & Co. |
Release date | 12 February 1954 |
Running time | 170 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot
Periaswamy, a crooked lawyer, tries to get his brother Chellaiah off a murder charge by framing Murugan, a horse carriage driver. Overcome with guilt, Chellaiah donates the money he wins in a lottery to Murugan and confesses to his crime in a letter before committing suicide. Periaswamy burns the letter, believing it will affect his chances of being promoted to judge, but the police arrest him, thinking he committed double murder.[1][2]
Cast
- Chittoor V. Nagaiah as Periaswamy[1]
- R. S. Manohar as Chellaiah[1]
- Krishna Kumari
- Javar Seetharaman
- T. V. Kumudhini as Chellaiah's wife[2]
- Peer Mohammed as Murugan[1]
- Nott Annaji Rao as the judge[2]
Production
Viduthalai was adapted from the play The First and the Last by John Galsworthy,[2] and was the inaugural production of New Era Productions.[3] Cinematography was handled by Babulnath Walke, and the editing by Paul G. Yadav. K. Ramnoth directed the film, which was produced by G. Ramakrishnan.[1][4]
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Lakshman Raghunath, and the lyrics were written by Subbu Arumugam, Velavan and Kothamangalam Subbu.[4]
| No | Song | Singer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anbodu Inbamagaa | P. B. Srinivas | 02:58 |
| 2 | Inidhaagave Thendral | Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | 03:58 |
Release and reception
Viduthalai was released on 12 February 1954,[4] and was distributed by Subbu & Co.[3] The film failed commercially,[5] jeopardising Ramnoth in the process.[6]
References
- Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press. p. 339. ISBN 019-563579-5.
- Guy, Randor (9 October 2010). "Viduthalai 1954". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- "Viduthalai". The Indian Express. 12 February 1954. p. 3.
- 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 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- Guy, Randor (31 May 2014). "Kathanayaki (1955)". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- Baskaran, S. Theodore (1996). The Eye of the Serpent: An introduction to Tamil cinema. East West Books. p. 197. OCLC 243920437.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
External links
- Viduthalai on IMDb