Aayirathil Oruvan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byB. R. Panthulu
Screenplay byK. J. Mahadevan
Story byK. J. Mahadevan
Dialogue byR. K. Shanmugam
Produced byB. R. Panthulu
StarringM. G. Ramachandran
Jayalalithaa
CinematographyV. Ramamoorthy
Edited byR. Devarajan
Music byViswanathan–Ramamoorthy
Production
company
Padmini Pictures
Release date
  • 9 July 1965 (1965-07-09)
Running time
167–174 minutes[lower-alpha 1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Aayirathil Oruvan (transl. One in a Thousand) is a 1965 Indian Tamil-language swashbuckler film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars M. G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, with M. N. Nambiar, Manohar, Nagesh, S. V. Ramadas, Vijayalakshmi and Madhavi in supporting roles. It revolves around a doctor who is sold into slavery for rebelling against the dictator of his nation, and later forced into a life of piracy.

Aayirathil Oruvan was inspired by many pirate films, particularly Captain Blood (1935), and was Ramachandran's first with Panthulu. It was also the first of many collaborations between Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. The story and screenplay were written by K. J. Mahadevan, and the dialogues by R. K. Shanmugham. The cinematography was handled by V. Ramamoorthy, and editing by R. Devarajan. The film was shot primarily in Karwar.

Aayirathil Oruvan was released on 9 July 1965. The film emerged a critical and commercial success, running for more than 150 days in theatres. It was a milestone for both Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, cementing the former's image as a "do-gooder" among the general public, and helping the latter enter politics. A digitised version of the film was released in 2014 and also became a success, running for over 175 days.

Plot

Manimaran is a doctor living in the country of Neidhal Naadu with his sidekick Azhaga. He helps cure the illness of one of the rebels against the dictator of Neidhal Naadu. The ruler's guards arrest the rebels, along with Manimaran for helping them. Manimaran and the rebels are sold as slaves by the ruler to a nearby island called Kanni Theevu (Virgin Islands), ruled by Sengappan. Manimaran leads the slaves and fights for their rights.

Poongodi, the princess of Kanni Theevu and niece of Sengappan, the guardian of the orphaned princess, falls in love with Manimaran at first sight. Simultaneously, her servant Thenmozhi falls for Azhaga, after initial arguments. Despite the differences between Poongodi and Manimaran, Poongodi tries to woo him on many occasions. She even offers freedom from slavery only to him, who rejects the offer demanding freedom for all of the slaves. Meanwhile, the island is attacked by pirates headed by a captain. As Sengappan's troops are out of the island on another assignment, Sengappan pleads with Manimaran and the other slaves to help him. Manimaran demands freedom slavery in return for fighting the pirates, only to be betrayed later.

The slaves make an escape plan of their own and successfully take over the pirate ship, with whom they fought earlier. Manimaran tells the pirate captain about their plight and asks him to help them reach Neidhal Naadu. The captain seemingly agrees, while actually taking them to his pirate island and holds them captive. He coerces them to work for him as pirates, or Manimaran will see all of his other men die. With no other option, Manimaran assents for the safety of his men.

During one of his pirate hunts, Manimaran finds Sengappan and Poongodi. He brings Poongodi to the pirate island and tries to hide her from the pirate captain, but the pirate captain soon finds out. As per the island's policy, any treasure pirated must be auctioned, and so Poongodi is also auctioned. Manimaran bids the highest, buys her, and keeps her with him. Manimaran marries Poongodi, and as per the pirate island's laws, the pirate captain cannot attempt to separate a married couple. He attempts to take Poongodi by force, gets defeated by Manimaran in a sword fight, and reforms. He accompanies the slaves led by Manimaran, to achieve their goal of freeing Neidhal Naadu. In the ensuing war, the dictator is defeated but tricks into arresting them instead. However, in his court, the dictator begs Manimaran to take over the throne. Manimaran politely refuses, citing his intention to continue his work as a doctor, serving the people.

Cast

Male cast
Female cast

Production

After producing and directing films like Veerapandiya Kattabomman (1959), Kappalottiya Thamizhan (1961) and Karnan (1964), B. R. Panthulu was in debt since they did not perform well commercially or recover their costs.[7][8] He later approached M. G. Ramachandran and sought his help to recover from those losses.[9] Panthulu was adamant that Ramachandran act in his film or he would shelve it as he considered the storyline tailormade for him.[6] Ramachandran agreed, and this laid the foundation for Aayirathil Oruvan. The story and screenplay were written by K. J. Mahadevan, and the dialogues by R. K. Shanmugham.[9] The film was inspired by many pirate films such as Captain Blood (1935),[5] The Crimson Pirate (1952) and The Black Pirate (1926).[10] It was Ramachandran's first film with Panthulu, and the-then newcomer Jayalalithaa.[11] Panthulu signed on Jayalalithaa after being impressed with the "rushes" of her performance in his own film Chinnada Gombe (1964).[12] Ramachandran was paid ₹23,500 for acting in the film.[13] Shooting for some fight scenes and ship transportation scenes took place in Karwar.[14]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy, a duo consisting of M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy.[15] It was the last film where they worked together until Engirundho Vandhan (1995).[16] The song "Atho Andha Paravai" remains one of the most popular songs from the film. It was remixed and featured in the 2010 film Aayirathil Oruvan, unrelated to its 1965 namesake.[17][18] The song was remixed by D. Imman with different vocals, tune and instrumentations in Madrasi (2006).[19] The song "Naanamo" was remixed by Bharadwaj as "Rosemary" in Pallikoodam (2007).[20]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Adamal Adugiren"VaaliP. Susheela3:54
2."Adho Andha Paravai Pola"KannadasanT. M. Soundararajan5:03
3."Naanamo Innum Naanamo"KannadasanT. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela4:45
4."Odum Maegangalae"KannadasanT. M. Soundararajan4:31
5."Paruvam Enathu Paadal"VaaliP. Susheela4:26
6."Unnai Naan Santhithaen"VaaliP. Susheela3:27
7."Yaen Endra Kaelvi"VaaliT. M. Soundararajan3:46
Total length:29:52

Release

Aayirathil Oruvan was released on 9 July 1965.[21][22] Though the film was released only in three theatres in Madras – Midlands, Mekala and Sri Krishna,[23] it emerged a critical and commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres.[24][25] However, no event was held to celebrate the film's 100th day theatrical run, unlike other Tamil films of the period. On 16 October 1965, Padmini Pictures released a press statement saying this was a conscious decision due to "these days of national emergency".[26]

Reception

On 17 July 1965, The Indian Express criticised the story as formulaic and performances, but praised the action sequences, cinematography, and music.[27] On 31 July, T. M. Ramachandran wrote for Sport and Pastime, "Although some of the scenes in the film have a familiar ring, the picture, on the whole, sustains the interest of the audience on account of some clever treatment by the director".[28] On 1 August, Munusamy and Manikkam jointly reviewed the film for Ananda Vikatan. Munusamy liked the fact that there was no onscreen death; Manikkam concurred, saying that despite so many villains and fight scenes, there was not even a single death seen, and felt the title Aayirathil Oruvan rightly reflected Ramachandran's status as one good man in the midst of a thousand villains.[29] Kalki appreciated the filmmakers for taking an old story and making it more vibrant.[30]

Legacy

A comparison between the original (above) and digitised versions.

Aayirathil Oruvan was a milestone for both Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa,[31] who went on to co-star in more than 20 films; the latter considered the film "paved the way for [her] entry into politics".[25] Historian G. Dhananjayan said it became a landmark in Tamil cinema for "its grand making and unique approach of even villains reforming".[9] On Ramachandran's centenary in January 2017, Nivedita Mishra of Hindustan Times included his performance in Aayirathil Oruvan in her list compiling "some of his most memorable performances".[32] The film was instrumental in cementing Ramachandran's image as a "do-gooder" among the general public.[33]

Re-release

Forty-nine years after the original theatrical release, the film was digitally enhanced for a planned re-release in January 2014. Apart from scope conversion from 35 mm to digital scope, the film also had a completely re-recorded background music played out by an assistant of M. S. Viswananthan. The digital conversion was done by Prasad EFX, Chennai, who had previously restored Karnan and Pasamalar (1961). Since the negatives were entirely damaged, the entire running length was converted. The film was distributed by Divya Films which had earlier released Karnan in digital format.[34] The digitised version of Aayirathil Oruvan was released on 14 March 2014,[35] and had a theatrical run of 175 days, becoming a silver jubilee hit.[36][37]

Notes

  1. ↑ While G. Dhananjayan in his book The Best of Tamil Cinema gives the runtime as 167 minutes,[1] Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen in Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema give it as 174 minutes.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Dhananjayan 2011, p. 230.
  2. 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 383.
  3. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 384.
  4. 1 2 3 Suganth, M. "Ayirathil Oruvan Movie Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Rangan, Baradwaj (15 March 2014). "Aayirathil Oruvan: Old rush". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  6. 1 2 ராம்ஜி, வி. (9 July 2019). "ஆயிரத்தில் ஒருவன்'... எம்ஜிஆர், ஜெயலலிதா இணைந்த முதல் படம்! – 54 வருடங்கள்... 'ஆயிரத்தில் ஒருவன்' வெளியான நாள் இன்று!". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "மறக்க முடியுமா? – ஆயிரத்தில் ஒருவன்" [Forgettable? – Aayirathil Oruvan]. Dinamalar (in Tamil). 29 February 2020. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  8. ↑ Sri Kantha, Sachi (29 October 2015). "MGR Remembered – Part 31 | Directors and a Superstition". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 Dhananjayan 2011, p. 231.
  10. ↑ Guy, Randor (17 March 2011). "A trailblazer". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  11. ↑ Rangarajan, Malathi (2 February 2012). "A 100 goes unsung". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Kannan, R (4 July 2017). "How MGR came to Jayalalithaa's rescue as her family fought over housekeys". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Kannan 2017, p. 134.
  14. ↑ Sri Kantha, Sachi (18 July 2016). "MGR Remembered – Part 36 | MGR's Testimony". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Aayirathil Oruvan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. December 1965. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  16. ↑ Rangarajan, Malathi (8 November 2012). "Ninety, and bowing away!". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Selva on Aayirathil Oruvan". Sify. 15 December 2007. Archived from the original on 16 December 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  18. ↑ "இனி ரீ-மிக்ஸ் வேண்டாம்! ஜி.வி.பிரகாஷ் சபதம்!!" [No more remixes! GV Prakash's vow!!]. Dinamalar (in Tamil). 17 September 2012. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  19. ↑ "Madrasi from Mumbai". Behindwoods. 23 June 2005. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  20. ↑ Karthik (29 April 2007). "Pallikoodam (Tamil – Bharadwaj)". Milliblog. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Āyirathil Oruvan". The Indian Express. 9 July 1965. p. 10. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  22. ↑ "Table: Chronological List of MGR's Movies released between 1960 and 1967" (PDF). Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  23. ↑ Kannan, Ramya; Narasimhan, T. A.; Subramanian, Karthik (14 March 2014). "Movie makers think out of the first-aid box". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  24. ↑ "RIP Amma: Five best films of MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa". India Today. slide 2. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  25. 1 2 Kolappan, B. (2 September 2014). "Aayirathil Oruvan paved the way for entry into politics: Jayalalithaa". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  26. ↑ "Āyirathil Oruvan". The Indian Express. 16 October 1965. p. 3. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  27. ↑ "An exciting adventure yarn". The Indian Express. 17 July 1965. p. 3. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  28. ↑ Ramachandran, T. M. (31 July 1965). "A Good Entertainer". Sport and Pastime. Vol. 19. p. 52. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  29. ↑ முனுசாமி; மாணிக்கம் (1 August 1965). "சினிமா விமர்சனம்: ஆயிரத்தில் ஒருவன்". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  30. ↑ "ஆயிரத்தில் ஒருவன்". Kalki (in Tamil). 8 August 1965. p. 37. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  31. ↑ "Tamil Nadu CM congratulates Chokkalingam for his digitizing efforts of Aayirathil Oruvan". Behindwoods. 13 March 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  32. ↑ Mishra, Nivedita (17 January 2017). "MGR's centenary: The man who dominated Tamil films for 3 decades". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 17 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  33. ↑ Babu Jayakumar, G (15 March 2014). "Ardent Fans Continue to Follow 'Ayirathil Oruvan'". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  34. ↑ Subramanian, Karthik (7 December 2013). "Aayirathil Oruvan gets digitally enhanced". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 August 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  35. ↑ Seshagiri, Sangeetha (17 March 2014). "Box Office: 'Nimirnthu Nil', 'Thegidi', 'Vallinam', 'IKK' Collections". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 21 March 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  36. ↑ Subramanian, Karthik (29 August 2014). "Aayirathil Oruvan celebrates silver jubilee". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  37. ↑ Thimmayya, Daniel (1 September 2014). "Re-mastered MGR Film Hits 175th Day". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2021.

Bibliography

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