Nallathambi is a 1949 Tamil film

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...

 starring and produced by 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....

. The film's script was written by C. N. Annadurai

C. N. Annadurai

Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai , popularly called Anna , or Arignar Anna was a former Chief Minister of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu...

 (later chief minister of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

). This film marked Annadurai's debut in Tamil films.

Production

Tamil film actor and Annadurai's friend S. V. Sahasranamam saw the 1936 Frank Capra

Frank Capra

Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...

 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Frank Capra, and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur in her first featured role...

which was having a successful theatrical run in the late 1940s in Madras. He thought it would be a good story to remake for his friend 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....

 (NSK). He convinced Annadurai to watch the movie and adapt the film to a Tamil rural setting. The film was titled as Nallathambi (lit. The good younger brother). However during filming, NSK heavily modified the script, reducing the role of the character played by Bhanumathi Ramakrishna and introducing another character to be played by his wife and comedienne T. A. Mathuram. The script was further changed to include a number of musical skits to bring out the social satire of NSK. "Vinganatha Valarkka porendi" (lit. I am going to the develop science) and Kindanar kathakalatchepam (a parody of the story of Nandanar

Nandanar

Nandanar was a Nayanar saint born in South India who became a great devotee of Lord Shiva.Nandanar was born in a village called Adhanurin a poor family. He was born at the cruel time where untouchability was being practised, as he belonged to Paraiyar community, which was considered as an...

 and a telling of B. R. Ambedkar

B. R. Ambedkar

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar , popularly also known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, political leader, philosopher, thinker, anthropologist, historian, orator, prolific writer, economist, scholar, editor, a revolutionary and one of the founding fathers of independent India. He was also the Chairman...

's life story) were two of the musical skits thus included. With the modifications, the plot was sidelined and importance was given to the socio-political messages and themes. The director duo of R. Krishnan and S. Panju were hired to direct the film. C. R. Subburaman composed the music, while Udumalai Narayana Kavi

Udumalai Narayana Kavi

Udumalai Narayana Kavi was an Indian poet.He was born to a poor family in Poolavadi, a small village in Udumalpet taluk, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India...

 wrote the lyrics for the songs. M. N. Rajam, Sahasranamam and V. K. Ramaswamy were cast in supporting roles.

Plot

Nallathambi (NSK) a simple rural man inherits an estate from his deceased Zamindar relative. The Zamindar's daughter Pushpa (Bhanumathi) falls in love with Nallathambi. However he loves another girl (T. A. Madhuram). Bhoopathy (Sahasranamam) the estate manager has his eye on the wealth and tries to cheat Nallathambi out of it. He goads Pushpa into filing a suit that Nallathambi is mentally insane. In the end Nallathambi defeats Bhoopathy's machinations.

Cast

• 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 :...
  
  
• Bhanumathi Ramakrishna
• M. N. Rajam
• S. V. Sahasranamam
• V. K. Ramasamy
• D. V. Narayana kavi
• C. S. Pandian
• Kaka Radhakrishnan

Reception

The film was a commercial failure and a critical success. Its songs became hits and were popular. The musical skit "Kindanar Kalatchepam" became popular. To offset the financial loss of his backers, NSK announced a new film project titled Thambithurai to be written by Annadurai. However furious with the changes made to his Nallathambi script, Annadurai refused to work with NSK again.

Soundtrack

Partial list of songs from Nallathambi:

• "Kudi Keduththa Kudi" by 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....
  
  
• "Enadhu Uyir Egypttu" by Bhanumathi Ramakrishna
• "Malarthanil Oru Azhagu Mayil" by Bhanumathi Ramakrishna & Ghantasala
  Ghantasala
  Ghantasala can refer to:People* Ghantasala , or Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao, Telugu singer and composer* Ghantasala Balaramayya, Telugu film producer and directorPlaces* Ghantasala , a town in Andhra Pradesh in India...
  
  
• "Gaanalolan Madhanagopalan" by M. L. Vasanthakumari
  M. L. Vasanthakumari
  Madras Lalitangi Vasanthakumari , was a Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. MLV and her contemporaries D. K. Pattammal and M. S. Subbulakshmi were popularly referred to as the "female trinity of Carnatic Music. A prime disciple of the G. N...
  
  
• "Naattukku Sevai Seiyya Naagareega Komaali Vandhanayya" by N. S. Krishnan
• "Kindanar Kalatchebam" by N. S. Krishnan
• "Varuvaare Dear Varuvaare" by Bhanumathi Ramakrishna
• "Naan Vanangum Deivam" by Bhanumathi Ramakrishna