President Panchaksharam
{{short description|1959 film by A. Bhimsingh}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| image = President Panchaksharam poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = A. Bhimsingh
| producer = V. Arunachalam
Chinna Annamalai
| screenplay = B. S. Ramiah
| based_on = {{based on|The Government Inspector|Nikolai Gogol}}
| starring = S. S. Rajendran
S. V. Sahasranamam
B. Saroja Devi
| music = G. Ramanathan
| cinematography = M. Karnan
| editing = A. Bhimsingh
| studio = Savithri Pictures
| distributor =
| released = {{film date|1959|07|10|df=y}}
| runtime = 162 minutes{{sfn|Rajadhyaksha|Willemen|1998|p=360}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
President Panchaksharam is a 1959 Indian Tamil-language comedy film directed by A. Bhimsingh and written by B. S. Ramiah. It is based on the play of the same name written by Ramiah, itself adapted from the 1836 play The Government Inspector by Russian Nikolai Gogol. The film stars S. S. Rajendran, S. V. Sahasranamam and B. Saroja Devi. It was released on 10 July 1959 and became a commercial success.
Plot
{{more plot|date=May 2022}}
A District Board president has a daughter studying in Madras. While he and his wife have different men as prospective grooms for her in their minds, the girl falls in love with her friend Sigamani. The two aspiring grooms come to the president's town to finalise the marriage. Suddenly, the president receives a letter stating that the government is sending an official to secretly investigate his fraudulent affairs. When Sigamani visits the president and says he loves his daughter, the president mistakenly identifies Sigamani as the official.
Cast
{{col-begin|width=60%}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;Male cast
- S. S. Rajendran as Sikhamani{{sfn|Rajadhyaksha|Willemen|1998|p=360}}
- S. V. Sahasranamam as President Panchaksharam{{sfn|Rajadhyaksha|Willemen|1998|p=360}}
- T. R. Ramachandran
- V. R. Rajagopal
- D. Balasubramaniam
- D. V. Narayanasami
- Pakkirisami
- Kottapuli Jayaraman
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;Female cast
- B. Saroja Devi as Panchaksharam's daughter{{sfn|Rajadhyaksha|Willemen|1998|p=360}}
- S. N. Lakshmi
- T. V. Kumudhini
- N. Chandhini
;Dance
{{col-end}}
Production
Playwright B. S. Ramiah adapted Russian dramatist Nikolai Gogol's 1836 play The Government Inspector into a Tamil play titled President Panchaksharam with S. V. Sahasranamam starring. {{sfn|Goble|1999|pages=183}} The play, which was produced by Sahasranamam's own company Seva Stage,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_RBuAAAAMAAJ&q=%22President+Panchatcharam%22+play |title=Proceedings of the Annual Conference |publisher=National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions (U.S.). Conference, South Indian History Congress |year=2000 |volume=19 |pages=358}} and had Devika in a key role,{{Cite news |last=தீனதயாளன் |first=பா. |date=27 August 2016 |title=தேவிகா: 2.பாலிருக்கும் பழமிருக்கும்...! |language=ta |work=Dinamani |url=http://www.dinamani.com/junction/kanavukkannigal/2016/aug/27/%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE2%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%B4%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-2558558--1.html |url-status=live |access-date=9 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709185941/http://www.dinamani.com/junction/kanavukkannigal/2016/aug/27/%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE2%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%B4%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-2558558--1.html |archive-date=9 July 2018}} was critically acclaimed,{{Cite web |last=Bhatt |first=Karthik |date=25 April 2015 |title=Policekaran Magal: From stage to celluloid |url=https://tcrcindia.com/2015/04/25/policekaran-magal-from-stage-to-celluloid/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127203153/https://tcrcindia.com/2015/04/25/policekaran-magal-from-stage-to-celluloid/ |archive-date=27 January 2018 |access-date=11 April 2018 |website=The Cinema Resource Centre}} and it was adapted into a film with the same title. Sahasranamam, who appeared in the play, returned for the film as well. The film adaptation was directed and edited by A. Bhimsingh, and produced by V. Arunachalam and Chinna Annamalai under Savithri Pictures. Ramiah wrote the screenplay and dialogues. Cinematography was handled by M. Karnan,{{sfn|Higgins|Keresztesi|Oscherwitz|2015|pages=165}}{{Cite news |last=Venkatraman |first=Karthikeyan |date=28 July 2016 |title=கேமராவுக்கு சவால்: ஒளிப்பதிவாளர் கர்ணன் |language=ta |work=Dinamani |url=http://www.dinamani.com/specials/cinemaexpress/2016/jul/29/கேமராவுக்கு-சவால்-ஒளிப்பதி-2549179.html |url-status=live |access-date=11 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411094048/http://www.dinamani.com/specials/cinemaexpress/2016/jul/29/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%92%E0%AE%B3%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF-2549179.html |archive-date=11 April 2018}} and the art direction by Chowdhury. The film featured a musical play based on V. O. Chidambaram Pillai. The final length of the film was {{convert|14614|feet|metres}}.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by G. Ramanathan.{{Cite book |last=Neelamegam |first=G. |title=Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 1 |date=December 2014 |publisher=Manivasagar Publishers |edition=First |location=Chennai |pages=178 |language=Tamil}}
| class="wikitable"
! Songs !! Singers !! Lyrics !! Length | |||
| "Intru Netru Vandha" | P. B. Srinivas and K. Jamuna Rani | rowspan=3|Kannadasan | 05:52 |
| "Mannaadhi Mannan Inge" | P. Susheela | ||
| "Yaaro Nee Yaaro" | T. M. Soundararajan and P. Susheela | 03:21 | |
| "Myna Chittu Manasu" | T. M. Soundararajan | rowspan=2|K. S. Gopalakrishnan | 02:57 |
| "Naan Suhavaasi, Dhinam Kaiveesi" | Seergazhi Govindarajan | ||
| "Oli Padaitha Kanninaayi VaaVaa" | M. L. Vasanthakumari and (Radha) Jayalakshmi | Subramania Bharati | |
| "Chinna Ponnu Sirikudhu" | A. P. Komala and A. G. Rathnamala | rowspan=3|Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam | |
| "Azhagu Raani Ponne" | S. C. Krishnan, V. T. Rajagopalan and K. Jamuna Rani | ||
| "Desa Sudhanthiram Thedi Vazhangiya" | P. Leela, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi and group |
Release and reception
President Panchaksharam was released on 10 July 1959. Kanthan of Kalki positively reviewed the film for being different from formulaic Tamil films released before.{{Cite magazine |last=காந்தன் |date=16 August 1959 |title=பிரசிடெண்ட் பஞ்சாட்சரம் |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1959-08-16/page/n35/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240522031816/https://archive.org/details/kalki1959-08-16/page/n35/mode/2up |archive-date=22 May 2024 |access-date=21 May 2024 |magazine=Kalki |pages=26–27 |language=ta |via=Internet Archive}} The film was commercially successful, and film historian Randor Guy said it would be remembered for "the interesting screenplay and good performances by Sahasranamam, Rajendran and Saroja Devi."
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=1 October 2011 |title=President {{sic|nolink=y|Panchatcharam}} 1959 |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/president-panchatcharam-1959/article2503542.ece |url-status=live |access-date=11 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412053742/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/president-panchatcharam-1959/article2503542.ece |archive-date=12 April 2018}}
{{Cite web |title=1959 – பிரசிடெண்ட் பஞ்சாட்சரம் –சாவித்திரி பிக்சர்ஸ் |trans-title=1959 – President Panchaksharam –Savitri Pictures |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1959-cinedetails37.asp |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411093152/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1959-cinedetails37.asp |archive-date=11 April 2018 |access-date=11 April 2018 |website=Lakshman Sruthi |language=Tamil}}
}}
Bibliography
- {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yyqc0Qa6b60C&q=President+Panchatcharam&pg=PA183 |title=The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |year=1999 |isbn=1-85739-229-9 |editor-last=Goble |editor-first=Alan |location=Berlin}}
- {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GGKhCAAAQBAJ&q=%22president+panchatcharam%22&pg=PA165 |title=The Western in the Global South |publisher=Routledge |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-138-84312-7 |editor-last=Higgins |editor-first=MaryEllen |editor-last2=Keresztesi |editor-first2=Rita |editor-last3=Oscherwitz |editor-first3=Dayna}}
- {{Cite book |last=Rajadhyaksha |first=Ashish |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}}
{{A. Bhimsingh}}
{{The Government Inspector}}
Category:1950s Tamil-language films
Category:Films based on adaptations
Category:Films based on The Government Inspector
Category:Films directed by A. Bhimsingh
Category:Films scored by G. Ramanathan
Category:Indian black-and-white films
Category:Indian films based on plays