Thirumalai Thenkumari
Poster
Directed byA. P. Nagarajan
Written byA. P. Nagarajan[1]
Produced byC. Paramasivan
StarringSivakumar
Kumari Padmini
Sirkazhi Govindarajan
Manorama
Suruli Rajan
Gandhimathi
Rama Prabha
Shylashri
CinematographyW. R. Subba Rao
Edited byT. Vijayarangam
Music byKunnakudi Vaidyanathan
Production
company
Sree Vijayalakshmi Pictures
Release date
  • 15 August 1970 (1970-08-15)
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Thirumalai Thenkumari (transl. Tirupati And Kanyakumari) is a 1970 Indian Tamil-language road film written and directed by A. P. Nagarajan. Inspired by the 1969 film If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, it features an ensemble cast consisting of Sivakumar, Kumari Padmini, Rama Prabha, Shylashri, Manorama, Sirkazhi Govindarajan and Suruli Rajan. The film focuses on a group of passengers who embark on a pilgrimage across South India. It was released on 15 August 1970, emerged a commercial success, and won three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

Plot

Ten to twelve families from different walks of life, different age groups and different languages unite for a pilgrimage, beginning with Tirupati and going as far as Kanyakumari. At each places, they stop at a pilgrimage site to fulfill their prayers. At each spot, a family is faced with a challenge that falls upon them due to their forgetfulness or irresponsibility and a reminder of such is provided.

Cast

Actors
Actresses

Production

Thirumalai Thenkumari was among the earliest road films in Tamil cinema,[3] and took inspiration from the 1969 film If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium. Unlike the original, it was given a "religious twist", with its premise focusing on a group of passengers who embark on a pilgrimage across South India, visiting places like Tirupati and Madurai. The film was actually shot in the places depicted onscreen, as opposed to using sets.[4] Since it was previously believed in the Tamil film industry that writer-director A. P. Nagarajan's films were successful only because of their star casts and "mammoth" scales, rather than his directorial skills, he made this film, which featured mostly newcomers, to silence his critics.[5] Cinematography was handled by W. R. Subba Rao,[4] the art direction by Ganga, and the editing by T. Vijayarangam.[1] The film, which was produced by C. Paramasivan under the banner Sree Vijayalakshmi Pictures, was completed within a month.[6][7]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of the film was composed by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan.[8] He based the song "Thirupathi Malaivaazhum" on the Suprabhatam.[9] The song "Madhurai Arasaalum" is a ragamalika, i.e. set in multiple Carnatic ragas.[10] "Thirupathi Malaivaazhum" and "Madhurai Arasaalum" were written by Ulundurpettai Shanmugam.[11]

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Azhage Thamizhe Nee"Sirkazhi Govindarajan, Sarala, M. R. Vijaya, L. R. Eshwari, Manorama, Dharapuram Sundararajan, L. R. Anjali, A. L. Raghavan6:15
2."Guruvayoorappa"Sirkazhi Govindarajan3:34
3."Kaliyaatha Kalviyum"Sirkazhi Govindarajan2:55
4."Madhurai Arasaalum"Sirkazhi Govindarajan, L. R. Eswari, M. R. Vijaya5:49
5."Sinthanaiyil Medaikatti"Sirkazhi Govindarajan, Sarala3:16
6."Thiralmani Kathirgal and Neelakkada"Sirkazhi Govindarajan, L. R. Eswari4:09
7."Thirupathi Malaivaazhum"Sirkazhi Govindarajan3:20
Total length:29:18

Release and reception

Thirumalai Thenkumari was released on 15 August 1970.[12] The film was a commercial success,[4] and won in three categories at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards: Best Music Director (Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan), Best Male Playback Singer (Sirkazhi Govindarajan), and a Special Prize.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 Thirumalai Thenkumari (motion picture) (in Tamil). Sree Vijayalakshmi Pictures. 1970. Opening credits, from 0:00 to 3:20.
  2. ↑ ""Kalaimamani" Sirkali's Memorable Movies". Sirkali.org. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Guy, Randor (29 September 2012). "Madras To Pondicherry 1966". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Guy, Randor (1 October 2016). "Thirumalai Thenkumari (1970) TAMIL". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  5. ↑ Raghavan, Nikhil (5 September 2012). "Classic gets a new life". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "பிளாஷ்பேக் : சொல்லி அடித்த ஏ.பி.நாகராஜன்". Dinamalar (in Tamil). 17 January 2017. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "சிவகுமார் 101 | 11–20". Kalki (in Tamil). 8 July 1979. pp. 62–64. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Thirumalai Thenkumari". JioSaavn. 1970. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  9. ↑ Sundaresan, P. N., ed. (1996). "Innovator". Sruti. p. 25. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  10. ↑ Padmanabhan, S. (29 January 2018). "It is rewind time at Margazhi Mahotsavam". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "திரையிசை வளர்த்த தமிழ்க் கவிகள் - பாகம்-2". Dinamani (in Tamil). 26 March 2018. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Thirumalai Thenkumari (1970)". Screen 4 Screen. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  13. ↑ Anandan, ‘Film News’ (2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [Tamil Film History and Its Achievements]. Sivagami Publications. p. 738.
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