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Ambikapathy (1937 film)
Encyclopedia
Ambikapathy a 1937 Tamil film
directed by American film director Ellis R. Dungan. It starred M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
, M. R. Santhanalakshmi
, Serugulathur Sama, T. S. Balaiya
, N. S. Krishnan
, T. A. Madhuram
and P. G. Venkatesan. Ambikapathy is regarded as one of the greatest hits of pre-independence Tamil cinema. Ambikapathy, along with Chintamani
were the greatest hits of 1937 and made critics regard him as the "first superstar of Tamil cinema". This was the first Tamil film to name a music director in its credits.
had earlier been chosen to form the lead pair with M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar in the movie. But she refused when she discovered that M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar was not a Brahmin and she had to be teamed up with another Brahmin actor in a minor role. M. R. Santhanalakshmi
, a popular stage actress was cast as Amaravathi.
as an inspiration and incorporated some of its scenes in the script. The writer for the film was the Tamil scholar Thanigachalam working under the pen name Elangovan. He translated the scenes Dungan had marked out from Shakespeare into Tamil. One of them was the balcony scene. The lines describing Romeo taking leave of Juliet - "Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast", were translated by Elangovan as Thookkam Un Kangalai Thazhuvattum! Amaithi Un Nenjil Nilavattum. Dungan also introduced some daring (for that time period) intimate scenes like Ambikapathi carrying Amaravathi to the bed and Ambikapathi winking at her. The poet Kambar was played by Serugalathur Sama whose appearance was based on that of Rabindranath Tagore
. T. S. Balaiya was cast as the villain Rudrasenan. The comic relief was provided by the husband and wife comedy team of N. S. Krishnan
- T. A. Madhuram
. The film was shot in East India Studio in Calcutta. Background score was composed by K. C. Dey, while Papanasam Sivan
composed music and wrote lyrics for the Songs. The completed film was 19,000 fet in length (runtime : 210 minutes).
(Serugulathur Sama) who is in love with the Chola princess and daughter of Kulothunga Chola
, Amaravati (played by M. R. Santhanalakshmi
). The king objects to their love and insists on testing Ambikapathy's literary mettle before judging his worth. The test given to Ambikapathi is that he should write and sing a hundred poems in the field of Puram (dealing with war and politics). The poems should not have any reference to the field of Aram (dealing of love and romance). Ambikapathi begins the test in the King's court with a Kadavul Vaazhthu(invocation to God). Amaravathi who is keeping the count, mistakes the invocation as a poem and counts it as poem number one. When he has sung only ninety nine Puram poems, she thinks he has completed the task and signals him that hundred poems have been sung. Declaring victory, Ambikapathy sings of his love for her and thus fails the test. He is executed by the king.
The film was released on 11 December 1937 and was a big box office success. It ran for 52 weeks. Dungan's love scenes, Bhagavathar's singing and Elangovan's dialogue made the film a talked after success. After Chintamani, this was the second hit film for Bhagavathar in 1937 and made him the first ""first superstar of Tamil cinema".
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
directed by American film director Ellis R. Dungan. It starred M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
Mayavaram Krishnamurthy Thyagaraja Bhagavathar , also called M.K.T., was a Tamil film actor, producer and Carnatic music singer. He is considered to be one of the most successful Tamil film actors ever....
, M. R. Santhanalakshmi
M. R. Santhanalakshmi
M. R. Santhanalakshmi was a Tamil film actress who played lead roles in movies of the 1930s and 1940s.- Filmography :...
, Serugulathur Sama, T. S. Balaiya
T. S. Balaiya
Tirunelveli S. Balaiah is a Tamil film actor who is best known for the supporting roles in the Tamil film industry. He was one of the very few actors who excelled both in character roles and comic roles....
, N. S. Krishnan
N. S. Krishnan
Nagerkoyil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan , popularly known as Kalaivanar and also as 'NSK' was a leading Tamil film comedian, drama artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry - in the 1940s and 1950s....
, T. A. Madhuram
T. A. Madhuram
T. A. Madhuram was a Tamil stage and film actress and Tamil film producer. She was the wife of Tamil actor and comedian N. S. Krishnan.- Biography :...
and P. G. Venkatesan. Ambikapathy is regarded as one of the greatest hits of pre-independence Tamil cinema. Ambikapathy, along with Chintamani
Chintamani (1937 film)
Chintamani is a 1937 Tamil-language film directed by Y. V. Rao starring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, Serugulathur Sama and Aswathamma. It was the first Tamil film to run for a year in a single theatre.-Production:...
were the greatest hits of 1937 and made critics regard him as the "first superstar of Tamil cinema". This was the first Tamil film to name a music director in its credits.
Pre-Production
Initially, the producer M. S. Thottana Chettiar, wanted Y. V. Rao to direct the film, but buoyed by the success of Chintamani, Rao demanded a huge amount of money as payment which the producers could not afford. Instead they hired the up and coming American film director Eungan. Ellis R. Dungan, on hearing the story, immediately agreed to direct the film. A devadasiDevadasi
In Hinduism, the devadasi tradition is a religious tradition in which girls are "married" and dedicated to a deity or to a temple and includes performance aspects such as those that take place in the temple as well as in the courtly and mujuvani [telegu] or home context. Dance and music were...
had earlier been chosen to form the lead pair with M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar in the movie. But she refused when she discovered that M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar was not a Brahmin and she had to be teamed up with another Brahmin actor in a minor role. M. R. Santhanalakshmi
M. R. Santhanalakshmi
M. R. Santhanalakshmi was a Tamil film actress who played lead roles in movies of the 1930s and 1940s.- Filmography :...
, a popular stage actress was cast as Amaravathi.
Production
The film highlighted the Romeo-Juliet type romance between Bhagavathar and Santhanalakshmi. Dungan who did not know Tamil, used Shakespeare’s Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
as an inspiration and incorporated some of its scenes in the script. The writer for the film was the Tamil scholar Thanigachalam working under the pen name Elangovan. He translated the scenes Dungan had marked out from Shakespeare into Tamil. One of them was the balcony scene. The lines describing Romeo taking leave of Juliet - "Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast", were translated by Elangovan as Thookkam Un Kangalai Thazhuvattum! Amaithi Un Nenjil Nilavattum. Dungan also introduced some daring (for that time period) intimate scenes like Ambikapathi carrying Amaravathi to the bed and Ambikapathi winking at her. The poet Kambar was played by Serugalathur Sama whose appearance was based on that of Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
. T. S. Balaiya was cast as the villain Rudrasenan. The comic relief was provided by the husband and wife comedy team of N. S. Krishnan
N. S. Krishnan
Nagerkoyil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan , popularly known as Kalaivanar and also as 'NSK' was a leading Tamil film comedian, drama artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry - in the 1940s and 1950s....
- T. A. Madhuram
T. A. Madhuram
T. A. Madhuram was a Tamil stage and film actress and Tamil film producer. She was the wife of Tamil actor and comedian N. S. Krishnan.- Biography :...
. The film was shot in East India Studio in Calcutta. Background score was composed by K. C. Dey, while Papanasam Sivan
Papanasam Sivan
Papanasam 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...
composed music and wrote lyrics for the Songs. The completed film was 19,000 fet in length (runtime : 210 minutes).
Plot
The film is based on a story set in the Chola Empire in year 1083 AD. The titular character in the story is Ambikapathy (M K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar), the son of the Tamil poet KambarKambar
Kambar was a medieval Tamil poet and the author of the Tamil Ramayanam known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of Ramayana. Kambar also authored other literary works in Tamil such as Erezhupathu,Silaiezhupathu, Kangai Puranam and Sarasvati Anthati.-Life:Kambar belonged to the Ochchan or Occhan...
(Serugulathur Sama) who is in love with the Chola princess and daughter of Kulothunga Chola
Kulothunga Chola I
Kō Rājakēsarivarman Abaya Kulōthunga Chōla was one of the greatest kings of the Chola Empire. He was one of the sovereigns who bore the title Kulottunga, literally meaning the exalter of his race.-Early life:...
, Amaravati (played by M. R. Santhanalakshmi
M. R. Santhanalakshmi
M. R. Santhanalakshmi was a Tamil film actress who played lead roles in movies of the 1930s and 1940s.- Filmography :...
). The king objects to their love and insists on testing Ambikapathy's literary mettle before judging his worth. The test given to Ambikapathi is that he should write and sing a hundred poems in the field of Puram (dealing with war and politics). The poems should not have any reference to the field of Aram (dealing of love and romance). Ambikapathi begins the test in the King's court with a Kadavul Vaazhthu(invocation to God). Amaravathi who is keeping the count, mistakes the invocation as a poem and counts it as poem number one. When he has sung only ninety nine Puram poems, she thinks he has completed the task and signals him that hundred poems have been sung. Declaring victory, Ambikapathy sings of his love for her and thus fails the test. He is executed by the king.
Cast and crew
- M. K. Thyagaraja BhagavatharM. K. Thyagaraja BhagavatharMayavaram Krishnamurthy Thyagaraja Bhagavathar , also called M.K.T., was a Tamil film actor, producer and Carnatic music singer. He is considered to be one of the most successful Tamil film actors ever....
... Ambikapathy - M. R. SanthanalakshmiM. R. SanthanalakshmiM. R. Santhanalakshmi was a Tamil film actress who played lead roles in movies of the 1930s and 1940s.- Filmography :...
... Amaravati - Serugulathur Sama ... KambarKambarKambar was a medieval Tamil poet and the author of the Tamil Ramayanam known as Kambaramayanam, the Tamil version of Ramayana. Kambar also authored other literary works in Tamil such as Erezhupathu,Silaiezhupathu, Kangai Puranam and Sarasvati Anthati.-Life:Kambar belonged to the Ochchan or Occhan...
- P. B. Ranagachari ... Kulothunga CholanKulothunga Chola IKō Rājakēsarivarman Abaya Kulōthunga Chōla was one of the greatest kings of the Chola Empire. He was one of the sovereigns who bore the title Kulottunga, literally meaning the exalter of his race.-Early life:...
- T. S. BalaiyaT. S. BalaiyaTirunelveli S. Balaiah is a Tamil film actor who is best known for the supporting roles in the Tamil film industry. He was one of the very few actors who excelled both in character roles and comic roles....
... Rudrasenan - N. S. KrishnanN. S. KrishnanNagerkoyil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan , popularly known as Kalaivanar and also as 'NSK' was a leading Tamil film comedian, drama artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry - in the 1940s and 1950s....
- T. A. MadhuramT. A. MadhuramT. A. Madhuram was a Tamil stage and film actress and Tamil film producer. She was the wife of Tamil actor and comedian N. S. Krishnan.- Biography :...
- P. G. Venkatesan
- P. R. Mangalam
- S. S. Raja Mani
- Ellis R. Dungan - Director and Editor
- T. R. S. Mani - Screenplay
- Elangovan - Dialogue
- K. C. Dey - Background Music
- 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...
- Songs (music and lyrics) - Krishna Gopal - Cinematographer
Reception
Soundtrack
Partial list of Songs from Ambikapathi:- Maane naan unnai adaya
- Chandira sooriyar pom gathi marinum
- Maasila nilavae nam kadhalai magizhvadhodu
- Ulaginil inbam veru undo
See also
- M. K. Thyagaraja BhagavatharM. K. Thyagaraja BhagavatharMayavaram Krishnamurthy Thyagaraja Bhagavathar , also called M.K.T., was a Tamil film actor, producer and Carnatic music singer. He is considered to be one of the most successful Tamil film actors ever....
- Ellis R. Dungan
- KollywoodKollywoodKollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...
- N. S. KrishnanN. S. KrishnanNagerkoyil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan , popularly known as Kalaivanar and also as 'NSK' was a leading Tamil film comedian, drama artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry - in the 1940s and 1950s....
- Tamil cinemaTamil cinemaTamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
- List of historical drama films of Asia