Thirumanam

Brothers Chidambaram and Nataraj live in a village. They hail from a family of musicians. The brothers do not sing for money, since they believe there is a curse upon the family that if they sing for money, they would die. In the face of poverty Nataraj goes to Madras in search of a job. He stays in the bungalow of Damodharam, a friend of Chidambaram. Damodharam's daughter Vani falls in love with Nataraj. Damodharam, who learns about the financial difficulty faced by his friend through Nataraj, sends money to Chidambaram but Chidambaram returns the money as his policy is not to receive money from others without doing any work. Enraged, Vani tells Nataraj that people with so much self-respect should not have come to their house. Nataraj leaves the house. He saves a clerk from robbers. The clerk gives accommodation to Nataraj. Vani feels sorry for Nataraj and somehow finds his new place of stay.

Damodharam decides to have their marriage ceremony. Vani discovers that Nataraj can sing. She arranges for him to sing in a radio broadcast. Nataraj says about the curse but Vani brushes away that saying it is superstitious. Nataraj agrees with her and sings on the radio. He receives payment for his performance and sends money to his elder brother. In the meantime, Nataraj gives accommodation to another girl named Mullai in the house. Vani becomes suspicious and stops the marriage arrangements. When he learns that Nataraj sang for money, Chidambaram dies of shock. Upon learning of Chidambaram's death, Nataraj returns to the village. He becomes mentally unbalanced. Doctors say that he cannot be cured by medicine. Mullai decides that he can be cured only by bringing Vani. The rest of the story deals with what happens afterwards.

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;Male cast

• Gemini Ganesan as Nataraj
• K. A. Thangavelu as Adambaram
• V. Nagayya as Chidambaram
• S. V. Ranga Rao as Damodharam
• N. Viswanathan as Sundar
• V. R. Rajagopal as Rajagopal
• Ashokan as Ashokan

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;Female cast

• Savitri as Vani
• M. N. Rajam as Mullai
• P. Hemalatha as Mangalam
• Sandhya as Sandhya
• M. S. S. Bhagyam as Bhagyam
• Baby Uma as Megalai
• Suryakantham as Kanthammal

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;Supporting cast

• K. M. Nambirajan
• Rama Rao
• Sharma
• Karikol Raju

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;Dance

• Gopi Krishna
• Kamala Lakshman
• B. Saroja Devi

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Thirumanam was the inaugural production of the studio Valampuri Pictures. It was directed by A. Bhimsingh and written by Valampuri Somanathan, who also produced the film.{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=11 May 2017 |title=Thirumanam (1958) |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/thirumanam-1958/article18422253.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=27 July 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170727155327/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/thirumanam-1958/article18422253.ece |archive-date=27 July 2017}} Cinematography was handled by G. Vittal Rao and C. F. Marconi, and the art direction by P. P. Chowdhri. Photography was handled by Thirumalai, and the choreography by Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai, Gopi Krishna, Thangaraju, and Thangappan. The film was processed at Bharani Studio. Although primarily black-and-white, the film featured some dance sequence which were shot in Gevacolor. The final length of the film was {{Convert|16771|feet|metres}}.

The soundtrack was composed by S. M. Subbaiah Naidu and T. G. Lingappa while the lyrics were written by Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass, Kannadasan, Subbu Arumugam, Suratha, Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram and M. K. Athmanathan. There were two songs, one each written by poets Subramania Bharati and Ramalinga Swamigal.{{Cite book |last=Neelamegam |first=G. |title=Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 1 |publisher=Manivasagar Publishers |edition=1st |location=Chennai |publication-date=December 2014 |pages=145 |language=Tamil}} The song "Mangiyathor Nilavinile", based on Bharati's poem of the same name,{{Cite web |last=Rangan |first=Baradwaj |author-link=Baradwaj Rangan |date=11 September 2018 |title=Southern Lights: Subramaniya Bharati's Poetry In Tamil Cinema |url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/music/southern-lights-subramaniya-bharatis-poetry-in-tamil-cinema/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920193934/https://www.filmcompanion.in/music/southern-lights-subramaniya-bharatis-poetry-in-tamil-cinema/ |archive-date=20 September 2021 |access-date=23 September 2018 |website=Film Companion}} is set in the Carnatic raga known as Desh,{{sfn|Sundararaman|2007|p=142}} "Ennamellam Or Idathaye" is set in Sahana,{{sfn|Sundararaman|2007|p=130}} and "Thanga Nilavil" is set in Abheri.{{sfn|Sundararaman|2007|p=160}}

Thirumanam was released on 18 July 1958, by Palaniyappa Film Corporation.{{Cite news |date=14 July 1958 |title=Thirumanam |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19580714&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=26 August 2021 |work=The Indian Express |pages=3 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}} It was previously scheduled for Diwali 1957.{{Cite magazine |date=16 June 1957 |title=திருமணம் |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1957-06-16/page/6/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230824053342/https://archive.org/details/kalki1957-06-16/page/6/mode/2up |archive-date=24 August 2023 |access-date=24 August 2023 |magazine=Kalki |page=9 |language=ta |via=Internet Archive}} On 25 July 1958, The Indian Express stated, "Thirumanam is a film that really holds the audience. [Bhimsingh's] direction has made the tale of a village family that falls on evil times owing to its faithfulness to tradition memorable." However, the film was not commercially successful. No print of the film is known to survive, making it a lost film.{{Cite news |last=Rangarajan |first=Malathi |date=31 August 2017 |title=Another Anandan in the making |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/another-anandan-in-the-making/article19593507.ece |url-status=live |access-date=5 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918071255/http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/another-anandan-in-the-making/article19593507.ece |archive-date=18 September 2017}}

{{reflist|refs=

{{Cite book |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7JevgDCLbuNb0lWdTQ5MmlvdHc/view |title=திருமணம் |publisher=Valampuri Pictures |year=1958 |language=Tamil |type=song book |access-date=20 January 2017}}{{cbignore}}

{{Cite news |date=25 July 1958 |title=Thirumanam |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19580725&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=3 June 2017 |work=The Indian Express |pages=6 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}

{{Cite web |title=1958 – திருமணம் – வலம்புரி பிக்சர்ஸ் – (த) |trans-title=1958 – Thirumanam – Valampuri Pictures – (ta) |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1958-cinedetails16.asp |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170120093721/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1958-cinedetails16.asp |archive-date=20 January 2017 |access-date=20 January 2017 |website=Lakshman Sruthi |language=Tamil}}

{{Cite news |date=18 July 1958 |title=Thirumanam |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19580718&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=7 April 2018 |work=The Indian Express |pages=10 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}

{{Cite news |last=லெனின் |first=பி. |author-link=B. Lenin |date=22 August 2017 |title=கண்டதும் கேட்டதும் 10 |url=http://www.dinamani.com/weekly-supplements/ilaignarmani/2017/aug/22/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-10---%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D-2759869--1.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407161330/http://www.dinamani.com/weekly-supplements/ilaignarmani/2017/aug/22/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-10---%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D-2759869--1.html |archive-date=7 April 2018 |access-date=7 April 2018 |work=Dinamani |language=ta}}

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• {{Cite book |last=Sundararaman |title=Raga Chintamani: A Guide to Carnatic Ragas Through Tamil Film Music |publisher=Pichhamal Chintamani |year=2007 |edition=2nd |oclc=295034757 |orig-date=2005}}

• {{IMDb title}}

{{A. Bhimsingh}}

Category:1950s Indian films

Category:1950s lost films

Category:1950s romance films

Category:1950s Tamil-language films

Category:1958 films

Category:Films about superstition

Category:Films directed by A. Bhimsingh

Category:Films scored by S. M. Subbaiah Naidu

Category:Films scored by T. G. Lingappa

Category:Indian romance films

Category:Lost Indian films

Category:Lost romance films

Category:Tamil-language Indian films

Category:Tamil-language romance films