Madanakamarajan (1941)

Madanakamarajan (Tamil: மதனகாமராஜன்) is a 1941 Tamil film directed by B. N . Rao and produced by S. S. Vasan. It was the first film for Vasan as producer.^[1][2][3]

Production

In 1940, S. S. Vasan purchased director K. Subramaniam's Motion Pictures Producers' Combine (MPPC) studios in a court auction. The company was renamed as Gemini Studios and entered film production in association with a group of businessmen from Dindigal. Dindugal Amirtham studios and Gemini came together to produce a new film titled Madanakamarajan. Later differences arose between them and Vasan bought out his partners and produced the film alone. B. N. Rao (Balakrishnan Narayanan Nair) was hired to direct the film. The film was based on a screenplay written by playwright B. S. Ramaiya. Carnatic musician V. V. Satakopan and popular actress K. L. V. Vasantha were cast in the lead roles. Table Tennis player N. Krishnamurthy and Kothamangalam Subbu were cast in a supporting roles. Comic relief was provided by the comedian T. S. Durairaj. The film was advertised as a "Produced for Dindugal Amirtham Talkies At Gemini Studios" and not officially produced by the Gemini Studios. M. D. Parthasaraty and S. Rajeshwara Rao composed the music while Papanasam Sivan wrote the lyrics. The camerawork has handled by Adi M. Irani. The completed film was 17,907 feet in length.^[1][4][5]

 Plot

Madanakamarajan is tale of the adventures of a prince (Satakopan) and his friend (N. Krishnamurthy).

Cast and crew

• K. L. V. Vasantha
• V. V. Satagopan
• Kothamangalam Subbu
• T. S. Durairaj
• M. R. Santhanam
• M. V. Rajamma
• K. R. Chellam
• M. S. Sundaribai
• B. N. Rao - Director
• B. S. Ramaiah - Story, Screenplay
• M. D. Parthasarathy - Music
• S. Rajeshwara Rao - Music
• Papanasam Sivan - Lyrics
• Adi M. Irani - Cinematographer
• K. R. Sharma - Art director
• J. S. Sircar - Editor
• Nagarajarao - Still photographer^[5]

Reception

The film was released on 28 November 1941 and was a commercial success. Gemini Studios went on to become a major player in the Tamil film industry^[1]

 Soundtrack

Partial list of songs in Madanakamarajan:

• Prema Premanee illamal - V. V. Satakopan
• Ennai therri thoodhu sella - K. L. V. Vasantha

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Guy, Randor (8 October 2009). "Blast from the Past - Madanakamarajan 1941". The Hindu: Friday Review. http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/movies/article30818.ece. Retrieved 2009-12-16. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1994). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. pp. 94. ISBN 0851704557, ISBN 9780851704555. http://books.google.com/books?id=nOZkAAAAMAAJ.
3. ^ Baskaran, S. Theodore (1996). The eye of the serpent: an introduction to Tamil cinema. Chennai: East West Books. pp. 78. http://books.google.com/books?id=PhFlAAAAMAAJ.
4. ^ Arandhai Narayanan (2008) (in Tamil). Arambakala Tamil Cinema (1931-41). Chennai: Vijaya Publications. pp. 99–100.
5. ^ ^{a b} Film News Anandan (2004) (in Tamil). Sadhanaigal padaitha Tamil Thiraipada Varalaaru. Chennai: Sivagami Publications. pp. 28:28.

External links

• Madanakamarajan at the Internet Movie Database