Pavalakkodi
Encyclopedia
Pavalakkodi is a 1934 Tamil Film starring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
and directed by K. Subramanyam
. It was the first film for both of them. The film's music was composed by Papanasam Sivan
.
, Malaya and Singapore
staging the play. S. M. Lakshmana Chettiar (Lena), a prominent businessman, R. M. Alagappa Chettiar and K. Subramanyam watched it at Karaikudi
. Highly impressed by the play they decided to produce a film based on it. The lead actors, M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and S. D. Subbulakshmi were hired for Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 2,500 respectively. This was the first film for both of them. This film was the first for Subramanyam as director. A vacant land (present day campus of Dr. MGR Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women) in Adyar was chosen for filming. Subramanyam established his studio at the spot and called it Meenakshi Cinetones. Filming was done outdoors using sunlight. Scenes were shot continuously when the sun was shining brightly and breaks were called when it became cloudy. Whenever the cloud cover broke, cast and crew rushed to resume filming abandoning their food packets. The abandoned food attracted a lot of crows from the wooded Adyar surroundings. The cawing of crows was a nuisance to recording (songs and dialogues were recorded directly on the spot). Subramanyam hired an Anglo Indian named Joe to fire his rifle in the air and shoo away the crows. Joe was credited in the film credits as "Crow Shooter". The studio did not have its own lab and scenes were shot without knowing how they would turn out. All the post production work was done at Bombay.
(Thyagaraja Bhagavathar) and Pavalakkodi (S. D. Subbulakshmi), the princess of Coral Island.
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....
and directed by K. Subramanyam
K. Subramaniam
Krishnaswami Subramaniam was a renowned Tamil film director of the 30s and 40s. He is the father of popular Indian danseuse Padma Subramanyam.-Biography:...
. It was the first film for both of them. The film's music was composed by 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...
.
Production
Pavalakkodi (lit. The Coral Queen) was originally a successful stage play acted out by a troupe of artists composed of Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, Mani Bhagavathar and S. D. Subbulakshmi. The troupe toured all over Tamil Nadu, CeylonSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Malaya and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
staging the play. S. M. Lakshmana Chettiar (Lena), a prominent businessman, R. M. Alagappa Chettiar and K. Subramanyam watched it at Karaikudi
Karaikudi
Karaikudi is a town in Sivaganga District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.Chettinad literally 'Chetti land' in Tamil, is a collection of 76 villages/towns. Chettinad stretched from Ramnad District and Pudukottai State of 'British' India. The Chettiars, or more properly the Nattukottai...
. Highly impressed by the play they decided to produce a film based on it. The lead actors, M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and S. D. Subbulakshmi were hired for Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 2,500 respectively. This was the first film for both of them. This film was the first for Subramanyam as director. A vacant land (present day campus of Dr. MGR Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women) in Adyar was chosen for filming. Subramanyam established his studio at the spot and called it Meenakshi Cinetones. Filming was done outdoors using sunlight. Scenes were shot continuously when the sun was shining brightly and breaks were called when it became cloudy. Whenever the cloud cover broke, cast and crew rushed to resume filming abandoning their food packets. The abandoned food attracted a lot of crows from the wooded Adyar surroundings. The cawing of crows was a nuisance to recording (songs and dialogues were recorded directly on the spot). Subramanyam hired an Anglo Indian named Joe to fire his rifle in the air and shoo away the crows. Joe was credited in the film credits as "Crow Shooter". The studio did not have its own lab and scenes were shot without knowing how they would turn out. All the post production work was done at Bombay.
Plot
Pavalakkodi tells the mythical love story of ArjunaArjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
(Thyagaraja Bhagavathar) and Pavalakkodi (S. D. Subbulakshmi), the princess of Coral Island.
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....
- ArjunaArjunaArjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,... - R. S. Sundarambal - SubhadraSubhadraImage:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
- S. S. Mani Bhagavathar - Lord Krishna
- S. D. Subbalakshmi - Princess Pavalakkodi
- K. K. Parvati Bai
- K. SubramanyamK. SubramaniamKrishnaswami Subramaniam was a renowned Tamil film director of the 30s and 40s. He is the father of popular Indian danseuse Padma Subramanyam.-Biography:...
- Direction - 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...
- Music, Lyrics - Joe - Crow Shooter
Soundtrack
The film had 55 songs, of which 22 were sung by M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. Some of the popular songs from the movie are:- Somasekara
- Kanna Kariyamugil Vanna
- Vanithaikul Uyirvaana
- Munnam oru Sanyasi Vadivaaki