Chandralekha (1948 film)
 | This section possibly contains original research. (March 2009) |
| Chandralekha | |
|---|---|
| File:Chandralekha .film.jpg | |
| Directed by | S. S. Vasan |
| Written by | Pandit Indra Agha Jani Kashmiri |
| Produced by | S. S. Vasan |
| Starring | M.K.Radha Ranjan T. R. Rajakumari N. S. Krishnan Maduram |
| Music by | S. Rajeswara Rao |
| Distributed by | Gemini Studios |
Release date | 1948 |
Running time | 207 mins |
| Language | Tamil |
Chandralekha is a 1948 Indian epic film directed and produced by S. S. Vasan. It features an ensemble cast comprising of M.K.Radha, Ranjan, T. R. Rajakumari, N. S. Krishnan and Maduram. Made on a lavish budget of $600,000 ($25 million in 2010 prices) it remains as the most expensive film ever made in the history of Tamil Cinema to date, and became one of the highest grossing films in Indian cinema, with Vasan storming the gates of Bombay-based Bollywood.
The filming was completed over five years, mainly in the famous erstwhile Gemini Studios while at the same time, Uday Shankar's famous movie - Kalpana was also shot here. The film tells the story of rivalry between two princes for power and the love of a dancer named Chandralekha. The villainous prince tries to force the village dancer to marry him, and she agrees on one condition — that there be a gigantic drum dance (which turn out to be a Trojan horse).
Its producer and distributor, Gemini Studios became the first Tamil studio to attempt an all-India distribution. The film was released in Hindi. Establishing the new pan-Indian popular tradition of film-making, and a national existence outside of Bombay's output, it is still remembered as a cultural extravaganza for its array of costumes and use of many extras, its famous drum–dance sequence and long sword–fight sequence. The circus used extensively in the film's plot became famous as the Gemini Circus as a result and is in existence till today. The film was noted for its production values then and gave rise to what is known as the "formula" movie.
Plot
Chandralekha was based on the story of a young prince Veer Singh (M. K. Radha) who falls in love with a dancer called Chandralekha (T. R. Rajakumari). At the same time, Veer Singh's brother Shashank (Ranjan) too desires to marry her. Shashank kidnaps Chandralekha and forces her to wed him. But Chandralekha insists on a drum dance prior to their marriage. The drum dance is held; but at the end of the drum dance, Veer Singh's soldiers rush forth from the drums and attack the palace. In the melee, Shashank's men are defeated and in the sword fighting sequence, regarded as the longest in any Indian film, Shashank is defeated by Veer Singh and killed.
The comedy track for the film is by N. S. Krishnan and his wife Madhuram. The film even features circus scenes in which M. K. Radha and T. R. Rajakumari perform as a part of a circus troupe and dances by hill tribes.
Cast
- T. R. Rajakumari as Chandralekha
- M. K. Radha as Veer Singh
- Ranjan as Shashank
- Sundarabai as Sundaribai
Production
Produced and directed by S. S. Vasan, Chandralekha released in 1948 after being in production for over five years.[1] The film was Vasan's first directorial venture and was made at a massive financial budget of $600,000 ($25 million in 2010 prices) making it easily the costliest film ever made in Tamil.[2] He even termed the film "a pageant for our peasants."[3] It featured a drum-dance sequence[4] and also had the longest sword fight sequence in film history.[2][4][5] Chandralekha is also recognized as the first Indian film to get nationwide distribution.[5] Vasan is believed to have been inspired by Uday Shankar's Kalpana (1948) which is the first Indian film to have a drum-dance sequence.
Gemini became the first Indian studio to attempt a nationwide distribution. The film was released in 609 screens worldwide with subtitles. The dialogues of this movie were written by Aghajani Kashmiri.
Notes
- ^ "A legend in her time: T. R. Rajakumari". Retrieved 2008-05-15.
- ^ a b "Tamil Cinema History - The Early Days". indolink.com. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
- ^ "The Indian Film Industry - The 1930s and 1940s". thinkquest.org. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- ^ a b "Tamil Films". Retrieved 2008-05-15.
- ^ a b Kisselgoff, Anna. "Chandralekha". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
References
- Banerjee, Shampa (1988). One Hundred Indian Feature Films: An Annotated Filmography. Taylor & Francis. p. 58. ISBN 0824094832.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Bhaskaran, Theodore, Sundararaj (1996). Eye of The Serpent: An Introduction to Tamil Cinema. East West Books.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Gokulsing, K. (2004). Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change. Trentham Books. p. 132. ISBN 1858563291.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Shohini Chaudhuri (2005). Contemporary World Cinema: Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia. Edinburgh University Press. p. 149. ISBN 074861799X.
- Kisselgoff, Anna. "New York Times Review". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
External links
- Chandralekha at IMDb