Neerkumizhi
{{short description|1965 film by K. Balachander}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Neerkumizhi
| image = Neerkumizhi poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = K. Balachander
| writer = K. Balachander
| based_on = {{based on|Neerkumizhi|K. Balachander}}
| producer = A. K. Velan
| starring = Nagesh
Sowcar Janaki
V. Gopalakrishnan
Major Sundarrajan
Jayanthi
| cinematography = Nimay Ghosh
| editing = V. B. Natarajan
| music = V. Kumar
| studio = Thirumalai Films
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1965|10|23}}
| runtime = 129 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Neerkumizhi ({{IPA|ta|n̪iːɾkumiɻi|pron}} {{Translation|Water bubble}}) is a 1965 Indian Tamil-language film directed by K. Balachander in his directorial debut. It portrayed the stories of patients and staff in a hospital setting. The film is based on Balachander's play of the same name. It was released on 23 October 1965. The film was remade in Telugu as Chiranjeevi (1969),{{Cite news |last=Jeyaraj |first=D. B. S. |date=4 August 2018 |title=The sweet and sour real life romance of reel actors Savitri and Gemini |work=Daily FT |url=http://www.ft.lk/columns/The-sweet-and-sour-real-life-romance-of-reel-actors-Savitri-and-Gemini/4-660242 |url-status=live |access-date=8 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124651/http://www.ft.lk/columns/The-sweet-and-sour-real-life-romance-of-reel-actors-Savitri-and-Gemini/4-660242 |archive-date=9 February 2019}} and in Malayalam as Aaradimanninte Janmi (1972).{{Cite news |date=16 July 2015 |title=தமிழ் டூ மலையாளம் உண்டல்லோ? |language=ta |pages=12 |work=Puthiya Thalaimurai}}
Plot
{{more plot|date=October 2020}}
Sethu, an orphan is a patient who is constantly playing pranks on the other hospital patients, the nurse in-charge and the doctors. A romantic bond develops between a young doctor, Indra and another patient, a football player, Arun much to the chagrin of her father, the senior-most doctor in the hospital. The football player has a greedy brother who tries to arrange for his sibling to be killed. How Sethu, on learning that he is terminally ill cherishes the short time he has to live and takes it upon himself to unite the lovers forms the rest of the story.
Cast
- Nagesh as Sethu
- Sowcar Janaki as Dr. Indra
- V. Gopalakrishnan as Arun
- Major Sundarrajan as Dr. Balakrishnan
- Jayanthi as the nurse in-charge
- I. S. R. as patient
- S. N. Lakshmi
- Shoba as nurse
Production
Neerkumizhi marked the directorial debut of K. Balachander who earlier worked as a screenwriter and it was based on his stage play of the same name. The film was produced by A. K. Velan under Thirumalai Films. Cinematography was handled by Nimay Ghosh, and the art direction by Ranganna. A. K. Velan who saw the play decided to adapt it as a film and insisted Balachander to direct the film adaptation to which he agreed despite initial reservations due to his lack of knowledge about film direction.{{Cite magazine |last=பாலச்சந்தர் |first=கே. |author-link=K. Balachander |date=8 January 1995 |title=நினைவலைகள் – 23 |trans-title=Memories – 23 |url=https://archive.org/download/kalki1995-01-08/kalki1995-01-08.pdf |access-date=13 July 2024 |magazine=Kalki |pages=12–14 |language=Ta |via=Internet Archive}} Sowcar Janaki, Nagesh, Major Sundarrajan and V. Gopalakrishnan, who were part of the play, returned to the film adaptation.{{Cite news |last=Kolappan |first=B. |date=23 December 2014 |title=He took Tamil cinema beyond hero-centric creations |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/he-took-tamil-cinema-beyond-herocentric-creations/article6719996.ece |url-status=live |access-date=12 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605172119/http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/he-took-tamil-cinema-beyond-herocentric-creations/article6719996.ece |archive-date=5 June 2017}} Balachander said that he was advised by friends and relatives to change the title but he was adamant and kept the title.{{Cite news |last=Balasubramanian |first=V. |date=18 February 2011 |title=Director felicitated |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/Director-felicitated/article15448350.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712061529/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/Director-felicitated/article15448350.ece |archive-date=12 July 2021 |access-date=12 September 2015 |work=The Hindu}}
Soundtrack
The music was composed by V. Kumar,{{Cite web |date=1 December 1965 |title=Neerkumizhi (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/neerkumizhi-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-single/1330388143 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206060730/https://music.apple.com/gb/album/neerkumizhi-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-single/1330388143 |archive-date=6 February 2023 |access-date=6 February 2023 |website=Apple Music}} in his debut. Balachander wanted Sirkazhi Govindarajan to sing the song "Aadi Adangum" as he felt that "his emphasis on certain words and letters always produced the effect required."{{Cite news |last=Krishnamachari |first=Suganthy |date=19 December 2013 |title=Temple bell timbre |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/temple-bell-timbre/article5478471.ece |url-status=live |access-date=12 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225043232/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/temple-bell-timbre/article5478471.ece |archive-date=25 December 2013}} The title song is based on "The Green Leaves of Summer".{{Cite magazine |last=Krishnaswamy |first=S. |date=2 October 1966 |title=Madras Film Letter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SuIhmCTlqAgC&q=neerkumizhi |magazine=The Illustrated Weekly of India |volume=87 |page=43 |access-date=8 March 2018}}{{cbignore}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Aadi Adangum Vazhkkaiyada
| lyrics1 = Suratha
| extra1 = Sirkazhi Govindarajan
| length1 = 3:16
| title2 = Kanni Nadhiyoram
| lyrics2 = Alangudi Somu
| extra2 = T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
| length2 = 3:13
| title3 = Neeril Neendhidum
| lyrics3 = Alangudi Somu
| extra3 = P. Susheela
| length3 = 3:26
| total_length = 9:55
}}
Release and reception
Neerkumizhi was released on 23 October 1965,{{Cite web |title=1965 – நீர்க்குமிழி – திருமலை பிக். |trans-title=1965 – Neerkumizhi – Thirumalai Pic. |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1965-cinedetails28.asp |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180308071424/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1965-cinedetails28.asp |archive-date=8 March 2018 |access-date=1 June 2017 |website=Lakshman Sruthi |language=Tamil}} during Diwali day. Ananda Vikatan, in a review dated 14 November 1965, said that despite its few flaws, the film could be watched once for Nagesh.{{Cite web |last1=சேகர் |last2=சந்தர் |date=14 November 1965 |title=சினிமா விமர்சனம்: நீர்க்குமிழி |url=https://www.vikatan.com/arts/nostalgia/39542--2 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201023132216/https://www.vikatan.com/arts/nostalgia/39542--2 |archive-date=23 October 2020 |access-date=23 October 2020 |website=Ananda Vikatan |language=ta}} Writing in Sport and Pastime, T. M. Ramachandran named it his favourite Diwali release of the year because "it blazes a new trail in screen entertainment", while calling it better than the original play. Kalki praised the film for its story and Nagesh's performance.{{Cite magazine |date=7 November 1965 |title=நீர்க்குமிழி |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1965/nov/07-11-1965/p24.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220723062557/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1965/nov/07-11-1965/p24.jpg |archive-date=23 July 2022 |access-date=20 December 2021 |magazine=Kalki |page=24 |language=ta}}
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{Cite news |last=ராஜகுமாரன் |first=எஸ். |date=14 August 2015 |title=ஆடி அடங்கும் வாழ்க்கையடா! – 50 ஆண்டுகள் நிறைவு செய்த நீர்க்குமிழி |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/supplements/hindu-talkies/52796-50.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928114926/https://www.hindutamil.in/news/supplements/hindu-talkies/52796-50.html |archive-date=28 September 2021 |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=Hindu Tamil Thisai |language=ta}}
{{Cite news |date=23 October 1965 |title=Neerkumizhi |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19651023&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=8 February 2019 |work=The Indian Express |pages=3 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}
{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=3 May 2011 |title=The KB school |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/the-kb-school/article1986770.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404085651/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/the-kb-school/article1986770.ece |archive-date=4 April 2018 |access-date=12 September 2015 |work=The Hindu}}
{{Cite magazine |last=Ramachandran |first=T. M. |date=4 December 1965 |title=A Basket of Mixed Fruits |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12064/page/n559/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230206062210/https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12064/page/n559/mode/2up |archive-date=6 February 2023 |access-date=6 February 2023 |magazine=Sport and Pastime |pages=51 |via=Internet Archive |volume=19}}
}}
External links
- {{IMDb title}}
{{K. Balachander}}
Category:1960s Tamil-language films
Category:1965 directorial debut films
Category:Films directed by K. Balachander
Category:Films scored by V. Kumar
Category:Films set in hospitals
Category:Films with screenplays by K. Balachander
Category:Indian films based on plays