Manithan (1953 film)
{{short description|1953 film by K. Ramnoth}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Manithan 1953.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = K. Ramnoth
| screenplay = Pa. Adhimoolam
Na. Somasundaram
| story = Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai
| starring = T. K. Shanmugam
T. K. Bhagavathi
Krishnakumari
Madhuri Devi
| music = S. V. Venkatraman
| studio = Jupiter Pictures
Lavanya Movies
| released = {{film date|df=yes|1953|4|17|ref1=}}
| runtime = 174 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Manithan ({{translation|The Man}}) is a 1953 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. Ramnoth. The film stars T. K. Shanmugam, T. K. Bhagavathi and Krishnakumari. It is based on the play of the same name by the TKS Brothers, itself a Tamil adaptation of the Malayalam play Manushyan by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai. The film was released on 17 April 1953.{{Cite news |date=17 April 1953 |title=Manithan |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19530417&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=28 December 2024 |work=The Indian Express |pages=1 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}
Plot
{{more plot|date=June 2022}}
A young wife lives with her husband's joint family. Her husband is a doctor serving in the army and he is away from home. The family gives accommodation to an artist in their house. The artist seduces the young wife and she becomes pregnant. He is chased out of the home and he goes to Bombay. He becomes involved in a car accident. The young wife's husband, the army doctor, is the driver of the car and he takes the artist to a hospital. The artist tells his story to the doctor without knowing that the same doctor is the husband of the woman he molested. The doctor discovers the truth. What happens afterwards forms the rest of the story.{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=9 March 2013 |title=Manithan 1953 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/manithan-1953/article4491463.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130910173843/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/manithan-1953/article4491463.ece |archive-date=10 September 2013 |access-date=23 June 2017 |work=The Hindu}}
Cast
List adapted from the database of Film News Anandan{{Cite web |title=1953 – மனிதன் – ஜூபிடர் லாவண்யா (நாடகம்) |trans-title=1953 – Manithan – Jupiter Lavanya (play) |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1953-cinedetails26.asp |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170623083555/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1953-cinedetails26.asp |archive-date=23 June 2017 |access-date=23 June 2017 |website=Lakshman Sruthi |language=Tamil}} and from the Hindu review article.
{{Col-begin|width=70%}}
{{col-break|width=33%}}
;Male cast
- T. K. Shanmugam
- T. K. Bhagavathi
- S. A. Natarajan
- C. V. V. Panthulu
- M. S. Karuppaiah
- K. Ramasami
{{col-break|width=33%}}
;Female cast
;Dance
{{Col-end}}
Production
Manithan is based on the Malayalam play Manushyan by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai.{{sfn|Rajadhyaksha|Willemen|1998|p=178}} When it was staged in Tamil by the TKS Brothers, the title was changed to Manithan.{{Sfn|Shanmugam|1986|p=566}} The film adaptation was produced as a joint venture by Jupiter Pictures and Lavanya Movies owned by S. K. Sundararama Iyer and was directed by K. Ramnoth. Art direction was by A. K. Sekar. The film was shot at Neptune Studios that was leased by Jupiter Pictures.
Soundtrack
Music was composed by S. V. Venkatraman while the lyrics were penned by Kanagasurabhi.{{Cite book |last=Neelamegam |first=G. |title=Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 1 |publisher=Manivasagar Publishers |year=2014 |location=Chennai |pages=58 |language=Tamil}}
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! Song !! Singer/s !! Length | ||
"Kaasirundhaal Kai Maele" | P. Leela | 03:19 |
"Meesai Naraichavan Pendaatti...Naanaa Kizhavan" | T. V. Rathnam | 03:04 |
"Kuyile Unakanandha Kodi Namaskaaram" | M. L. Vasanthakumari | 02:53 |
"Pongi Varum Muzhu Madhiyai...Karpanai Ellaam.." | Thiruchi Loganathan | 02:48 |
"Kaalamellaam Thanimaiyile" | Jikki | 03:10 |
"Penne Ulagin Kanne" | M. S. Rajeswari | 02:40 |
"Ulagamellaam Nee Odi" | S. V. Venkatraman | 03:09 |
Reception
The Hindu wrote, "The film keeps close to the stage version ... The changes makes are in consonance with the demands of the screen and are a demonstration of how film adaptation[s] should be made". The Indian Express wrote, "The gripping story is unfolded with interest keyed and kept up right through... A noteworthy feature is the subtiel handling of humour which is most unobtrusive and thoroughly enjoyable".{{Cite news |date=2 May 1953 |title=Press acclaims! |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19530502&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=2 November 2018 |work=The Indian Express |pages=1 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}} According to historian Randor Guy, the film did not fare well at the box office, but gained praise for the performances of Shanmugam, Bhagavathi and Krishnakumari, and the direction of Ramnoth.
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{Cite book |last1=Rajadhyaksha |first1=Ashish |author-link=Ashish Rajadhyaksha |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema |last2=Willemen |first2=Paul |author-link2=Paul Willemen |publisher=British Film Institute and Oxford University Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-563579-5 |orig-date=1994}}
- {{Cite book |last=Shanmugam |first=Avvai |author-link=T. K. Shanmugam |title=எனது நாடக வாழ்க்கை |publisher=Vanathi Pathippagam |year=1986 |language=ta |trans-title=My stage life |oclc=422902391}}