Ashok Kumar (film)
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Ashok Kumar
| image = Ashok Kumar film poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Raja Chandrasekhar
| writer = Ilangovan
| producer =
| starring = M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
Chittoor V. Nagayya
P. Kannamba
| cinematography = Jiten Banerjee
| editing = T. R. Raghunath
| music = Alathur V. Subramanyam
| studio = Murugan Talkies
| released = {{film date|1941|9|17|df=y}}
| runtime = 211 minutes{{sfn|Rajadhyaksha|Willemen|1998|p=288}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Ashok Kumar is a 1941 Indian Tamil-language historical drama film directed by Raja Chandrasekhar. Based on a legend involving the Mauryan emperor Ashoka The Great, his son Kunala and Ashoka's second wife Thishyarakshai, it stars M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, Chittoor V. Nagayya and P. Kannamba. The film was released on 17 September 1941.
Plot
The Mauryan emperor Ashokar's son Kunalan is courted by Ashokar's second wife Tishyarakshai. When he rejects her advances, he is falsely accused by the queen of trying to seduce her, and is thrown into prison and blinded. The story, however, comes to a happy end with his eyesight being restored by Gautama Buddha and the king acquits him of all the charges.
Cast
{{Cast listing|* M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar as Kunalan
- Chittoor V. Nagayya as Samrat Ashokar
- Rangasami Iyengar as Radhaguptar
- N. S. Krishnan as Doctor Theraiyan
- K. Mahadeva Iyer as Upaguptar
- M. G. Ramchandran as Mahendran
- K. V. Venkatrama Iyer as Kanjuki
- Murali as Kokkaiyan
- R. Ranjan as Gautama Buddha (uncredited)}}
{{Cast listing|* P. Kannamba as Tishyarakshai
- T. V. Kumuthini as Kanchanamala
- T. A. Mathuram as Pramila}}
Production
Ashok Kumar is based on a legend involving the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, his son Kunalan and Ashoka's younger queen Thishyarakshai. It was the first Tamil film based on the legend, which was previously filmed in Hindi as Veer Kunal (1925). Telugu actress P. Kannamba played the role of Thishyarakshai. This was her second Tamil film and since she did not know the language, she was provided with a script in which Tamil words had been transliterated into Telugu. Ashok Kumar marked the debut of Ranjan (credited as R. Ramani), who portrayed Gautama Buddha. The song and dance sequence, "Unnai Kandu Mayangaatha" was shot in a single night at Newtone Studio.{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=25 January 2008 |title=Ashok Kumar 1941 |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/ashok-kumar-1941/article3022478.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=4 February 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150318140612/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/ashok-kumar-1941/article3022478.ece |archive-date=18 March 2015}}
Soundtrack
The songs were composed by Alathur V. Subramanyam and the lyrics were written by Papanasam Sivan. Playback singers are Rama Rao and Mani of the Renuka Orchestra.{{Cite web |title=Ashok Kumar |url=https://gaana.com/album/ashok-kumar |access-date=20 March 2020 |website=Gaana |archive-date=20 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320092630/https://gaana.com/album/ashok-kumar |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Ashok Kumar |url=https://www.hungama.com/album/ashok-kumar/1930586/ |access-date=20 March 2020 |website=Hungama}}
{{Track listing
| title1 = Unnai Kandu
| length9 =
| lyrics4 = Papanasam Sivan
| lyrics3 = Papanasam Sivan
| lyrics2 = Papanasam Sivan
| lyrics1 = Papanasam Sivan
| extra5 = M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
| extra4 = M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
| extra3 = M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
| extra2 = M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
| extra1 = M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| total_length = 15:16
| length1 = 2:51
| length5 = 2:46
| title5 = Bhoomiyil Maanida Jenmam
| length4 = 3:14
| title4 = Sathvaguna Bothan
| length3 = 3:19
| title3 = Manamae Nee
| length2 = 3:06
| title2 = Dhyaname Enadu
| lyrics5 = Papanasam Sivan
}}
= Music Credits =
Release and reception
Ashok Kumar was released on 17 September 1941.{{Cite news |date=17 September 1941 |title=Asok-Kumar |pages=5 |work=The Indian Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19410917&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=4 February 2020}}{{cbignore}} Kay Yess Enn of The Indian Express praised the film for Kannamba's performance.{{Cite news |last=Kay Yess Enn |date=20 September 1941 |title=Asok-Kumar |pages=3 |work=The Indian Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SgFFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3982%2C8216061 |access-date=3 September 2021}}{{cbignore}}
In other media
Portions of "Bhoomiyil Maanida" were used in "Theepidikka", a song in Arinthum Ariyamalum (2005).{{Cite news |date=12 September 2017 |title=சாதனை புரிந்த தமிழ் படங்கள் – 312– எஸ்.கணேஷ் |language=ta |work=Dinamalar |location=Nellai |url=http://www.dinamalarnellai.com/web/news/34669 |url-status=usurped |access-date=29 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329113248/http://www.dinamalarnellai.com/web/news/34669 |archive-date=29 March 2018}}
References
Bibliography
- {{Cite book |last1=Rajadhyaksha |first1=Ashish |url=https://indiancine.ma/texts/indiancine.ma%3AEncyclopedia_of_Indian_Cinema/text.pdf |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema |last2=Willemen |first2=Paul |publisher=British Film Institute and Oxford University Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-563579-5 |author-link=Ashish Rajadhyaksha |author-link2=Paul Willemen |orig-date=1994}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0157332}}
Category:1940s Tamil-language films
Category:Films set in ancient India
Category:Indian black-and-white films
Category:Indian historical drama films
Category:Films scored by Alathur V. Subramanyam
Category:Cultural depictions of Ashoka