Thursday, October 13, 2011

Venugaanam 1941

Venugaanam 1941

N. C. Vasanthakokilam, V. V. Satagopan, K. Sarangapani, A. Sakunthala, S. M. Subbaiah, Chandra, M. V. Mani and K. N. Kulathumani



Unfamiliar tale.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna had eight wives known as Ashtakanya, but people are familiar with only two of them, Rukmini and Satyabhama. One of his wives was Mitravinda who bore Krishna three sons. This puranic tale of Krishna acquiring Mitravinda as his wife after many adventures is unfamiliar and was brought to the screen in 1941 by the brilliant trio of Tamil Cinema, Murugadasa-Ramnoth-Sekhar.
It was directed by Murugadasa (Muthuswami Iyer) and scripted by K. Ramnoth. Well-known Gemini Studios screenwriter Ki. Ra. (K. Ramachandran, later he became a sanyasi) wrote the dialogue and the lyrics were by the Sri Lankan Tamil poet who was active in Tamil cinema, Kambadasan. Noted composer G. Govindarajulu Naidu scored the music.
Venugaanam had Vasanthakokilam in the lead as Mitravinda. Besides NCV, the film had noted artistes such as K. Sarangapani, V. V. Satagopan, Kulathumani, A. Sakunthala (later Mrs. P. U. Chinnappa), S. M. Subbaiah and M. V. Mani. It was made at the Central Studios, Coimbatore, which played a significant role in the history of Indian Cinema.
Vasanthakokilam sang songs in ragas Manirangu, Hindustani Naattai, Senjurutti, Behag, Kapi and Jonpuri. Murugadasa, the seniormost of the trio, began his life as a journalist in the then popular Madras-based evening daily The Mail for which he reviewed English movies. During that period, there were no film institutes or books on movie technology and one had to depend on film magazines imported from the West and learn by watching movies from abroad. Later he promoted the monthly movie magazine Sound and Shadow and the art director was Appakonam Kula Sekhar who blossomed as one of the finest production designers of South Indian Cinema. The third was a graduate from Trivandrum with interest in photography who joined them to complete the trio. Ramnoth, the most brilliant of the three, made history as a one-man institution of South Indian Cinema. This film was produced by Jewel Pictures which was active for some time. The producers hailed from the family of the well-known Coimbatore-based jewellers P. A. Raju Chettiar and hence the name of the company, Jewel Pictures.
Carnatic musician V. V. Satagopan who enjoyed a brief innings in Tamil Cinema, played Sage Utthavar who helps make Mitra's desires come true. Expectedly, Satagopan too sang. (Many are not aware that Satagopan played Lord Vishnu in the Gemini Studios Telugu film Jeevanmukhthi without speaking a single word!)
Krishna was played by S. M. Subbaiah, a well-known singer-cum-actor of his day.
Remembered for: the music of Vasanthakokilam, and the impressive onscreen presentation with brilliant visuals created by Ramnoth.

RANDOR GUY

Source
http://www.hindu.com/cp/2010/02/12/stories/2010021250471600.htm

A.K.Sekar, A Monograph- A Brief Overview

A.K.Sekar  (Appakonam Kula Sekhar) 
Born : August 6, 1906 – Died August 22, 1980 is an Indian Film Art Director and Production Designer.
Early Life
Appakonam Kula Sekar popularly known as A.K.Sekhar is a well-known Art Director of Telugu and Tamil Movie of Yesteryears.  He hailed from the then Madras Presidency and lived in Kadapa District of Andhrapradesh for  a while with his father Mr. Kanniah Chetty.    He had two brothers of whom Madhava Chetty  was an established Chartered Accountant in Madras Presidency and he also had a sister named Tulsi.   He was married to Smt. Lalitha and he had 8  children which includes A.K.Gopal, Kamala, Padmavathi, Ramudu, Ananda Babu, Ramathilakam, Srinivasulu and Saraswathi.
Introduction to Art and Cinema
He was a student of School of Arts and Crafts, in Poonamalee in Chennai and did his pre university in the olden days.   He was interested in Arts and Painting and started his career in Films as a Sound recording engineers and very soon moved to Art Direction in which he succeeded in creating great  films in the black and white era of Indian Cinema.    He worked with connoisseurs of Art Direction including Thota Venkateswarulu, Valli, Gokuley and Raju.   He used to source material for his movies from Cine Crafts in Chennai and used to have excellent associated in carpenters, painters and artist who transformed his imagination into art work that brought glory to the Black and white movies with non-digital equipment.  He was an expert in creating oil paintings for his set designing.  He worked with pioneers like S.S.Vasan, K.Ramnoth, Murugdasa and B.N.Reddi.  He also worked with  all-time great artists that include N.T.Rama Rao,M.G. Ramachandran,  Sivaji Ganesan,  S.V.Ranga Rao, Naggaiah, Akkineni Nageshwara Rao, Gemini Ganesan, RajniKanth,  Savithri, Rajasulochana,  Vanishri, Jamuna and Padmini to name a few.   He worked in all movies of Anjali Productions in the initial days.  He was pioneer in building Karthikeya Studios and later joined Vahuni Studies and Gemini Studios.   In 1962, he joined in AVM studios and productions on several movies.  He completed close to 70 films as a Set Designer and Art Director and also been Director of 2 movies and Produced one movie in which he casted NTR as a hero. He was an distinguished Art Director, sound recording, director and production designer  in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi movie industries in the early era of Indian Cinema.

Sundaramurthy Nayanar (1937)

Name:Sundara Murthy Nayanar
 Release Date:01-Jan-1937
 Parent Category:History
 Format:35MM
 Language:Tamil


Rating:U


MurugadassMurugadassDirector


SanthraSanthraSupporting Actress


V.N. SundaramV.N. SundaramSupporting Actor

The playback system came into existence in Calcutta during mid- 1930's and was used in Bengali and Hindi films. In Madras the famed trio of film pioneers, Muthuswami Iyer ( Murugadasa)- K. Ramnoth-A. K. Sekhar built a studio in Adayar, Madras named Kartikeya circa 1937 and the studio released ads in magazines of that day inviting producers to use the studio. And its facilities which, according to the ad, included a) miniature photography and b) playback system. The first film produced by the talented trio at this studio was " Sundaramurthy Nayanar" (1937). But there is no positive evidence to prove that songs in this film were pre-recorded or sung while shooting was in progress.
In "Sundaramurthy Nayanar''(1938), also shot at their studio, Ramnoth created film history with a scene that stunned and thrilled moviegoers. In what was truly a miracle, a torrent of paddy fell over the parched, famine-stricken land! The audiences cheered wildly in the movie houses and many burnt camphor as an offering to the gods! Some marvelled at how the scene was done! Ramnoth shot the scene with miniatures. It was the first time miniature photography was used in Tamil cinema.


 

Mahakavi Kshetrayya (1976)

Mahakavi Kshetrayya (Telugu: మహాకవి క్షేత్రయ్య) is a 1976 Telugu film based on the life of Kshetrayya. It is produced by Anjali Pictures and starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Anjali Devi. The film has excellent songs voiced by V. Ramakrishna and music score proved by P. Adinarayana Rao.

Mahakavi Kshetrayya
Directed byC. S. Rao
Adurthi Subba Rao
Produced byP. Adinarayana Rao
Written byArudra
StarringAkkineni Nageswara Rao
Anjali Devi
Manjula
Kanchana
Prabha
Rao Gopal Rao
Raja Babu
Jayasudha
M. Prabhakar Reddy
Music byP. Adinarayana Rao
CinematographyV. S. R. Swamy
Editing byKotagiri Gopala Rao
StudioChamundeswari Studio
Release date(s)1976
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu


Cast

Crew

Songs

  • Aa Repalle Loni Gopaludanta (Cast: Akkineni)
  • Ammaa Raavamma
  • Challaga Nelakonavayya O Pilla Govindaraja (Cast: Akkineni)
  • Jabilli Chusenu Ninnu Nannu (Cast: Akkineni and Prabha)
  • Meluko Kaviraaja
  • Muddu Pettalevuraa
  • Sreepathi
  • Vadharaakapo
  • Yetuvanti Mohamo

Awards

External links

Kappalottiya Thamizhan (1961)

KOLLYWOOD’S CALL FOR FREEDOM

Kappalottiya Thamizhan
Kappalottiya Thamizhan
The pioneer of Indian inland navigation, again a fighter for social equality and a freedom fighter of prominence, V.O Chidambaram was a man who gave up everything for the causes that he believed in, independence and equality. The Swadeshi Steam Company still has its place firmly in the history of Tamil Nadu, so do the sufferings of Chidambaram in prison which earned him the title ‘Chekkiluththa Chemmai’. The legend was fittingly played by Sivaji Ganesan on screen to great effect.
Sivaji on the movie:
Eighteen of his films have been named Best Film at the national level. On three occasions, he was named Filmfare Best Actor. Yet he never won a national award for acting. The closest he got to that elusive honour was in 1992, when he was given the Special Jury Award for his performance in Thevar Magan(kshatriya putrudu), co-starring Kamal Hassan. That was his 280th movie. When asked about his favorite film in his films, his answer was ``Kappalottiya Thamizhan''. ``Enacting a doctor, an engineer and others are not very difficult. But to portray a person, a revered freedom fighter, whom people had met, seen and moved with, is a different proposition. So when the late Panthulu asked me to enact the role, I first hesitated. Then I decided to meet the challenge. I got all the material on V. O. Chidambaram Pillai and studied it.
``On seeing the film, I cried, not because my performance was moving but because it hit me with new impact - the sacrifice VOC and others had made for the country. When VOC's son Subramaniam said that he saw his father come alive on the screen, I considered it the highest award.'' Punctuality was his hallmark. He would be there on the spot, at least 15 minutes earlier, with full make-up. He would not leave the set until the director said `Break'. That brings us to his ability to memorise dialogue. He memorised the script of the play, ``Vietnam Veedu'', during the break of a film shooting. A.V.M. Saravanan, talking to this correspondent, marvelled at the way the veteran memorised the dialogue as someone read it out to him. On stage, the next day, Panchapakesa Iyer was delivering the lines complete with a perfect Brahmin accent

Name:Kappalottiya Thamizhan
Release Date:01-Jan-1961
Parent Category:Drama
Format:35MM
Language:Tamil
Original Language:Tamil
Rating:U
Description:Kappalotiya Thamizhan movie is about who founded the Swadeshi Stream Navigation Company to break the monopoly of the British over maritime trade out of India.



Sivaji GanesanSivaji GanesanAs Va. Vu. Chidambaram Pillai - Hero
Producer

starstarstarstarstar(6)


S.D. SundaramS.D. SundaramDialogue Writer

Gemini GanesanGemini GanesanAs Vanchinathan - Supporting Actor

G.RamanathanG.RamanathanMusic Director

B.R. PanthuluB.R. PanthuluDirector
starstarstarstarstar(1)


SavitriSavitriSupporting Actress

T.K. ShanmugamT.K. ShanmugamAs Subramaniya Siva - Supporting Actor

Chitra Krishna Sami Chitra Krishna Sami Screen Play Writer

RukminiRukminiAs Chidambaram Pillai's Wife - Heroine

Manalaney Mangayin Bhakkiyam (1957)




Manalaney Mangayin Bhakkiyam
Name:Manalaney Mangayin Bhakkiyam
Release Date:24-May-1957
Parent Category:Drama
Format:35MM
Language:Tamil
Rating:U


E.V. SarojaE.V. SarojaSupporting Actress



Anjali DeviAnjali DeviHeroine


RajasulochanaRajasulochanaSupporting Actress

A.KarunanidhiA.KarunanidhiSupporting Actor

KirijaKirijaSupporting Actress

Ramaiya DasRamaiya DasLyricist

S.V. Subbaiah BagavatharS.V. Subbaiah BagavatharSupporting Actor

SuryakalaSuryakalaSupporting Actress

T.S.Durai RajT.S.Durai RajSupporting Actor

Udhaya KumarUdhaya KumarDialogue Writer
A.Karunanidhi, Anjali Devi, Athi Narayanan Rao, E.V. Saroja, Gemini Ganesan, Kirija, Rajasulochana, Ramaiya Das, S.V. Subbaiah Bagavathar, Suryakala, T.S.Durai Raj, Udhaya Kumar, Vali, Vedantam Raghavaiah







Tracks
பாடல்
Singers
பாடியவர்கள்
Lyricst
எழுதியவர்
Lyrics
வரிகள்
Video
படம்
Amma Amma
Azhaikkathe
P Susheela T N Ramiah Das
Jhorana Bhommai
Mogamada Thallatha
Neeye En Vazhvil
O Mananathi Mannarum
Thesulaavuthe
Gantasala, P Susheela T N Ramiah Das
Yevanda Ivan