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S. M. Nayagam

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Sundaram Mathura-Nayagam was a pioneer of Sinhala cinema, producing the first ever Sinhala talkie, Kadawunu Poronduwa.[1]

Career

Hailing from Madurai, South India, Nayagam was originally an industrialist, making soaps and perfumes at factories both in Madurai and Ceylon. With the flourishing of Indian cinema in the 1940s, he established his own cinema company, Sri Murugan Navakala Limited, named after the Hindu deity Murugan. The company was based in Madurai, owning a studio (Chitrakala Movietone) at Thiruparankundram.[2][3]

Nayagam's first venture into film was the 1946 Tamil language film Kumaraguru,[4] directed by Bengali director Jothish Sinha. His second film, a patriotic film entitled Thaai Nadu, was also in Tamil, being released on the day of India's independence.[5]

Kadawunu Poronduwa

According to Nayagam, his Sinhala friends enjoyed Hindi and Tamil films but were disappointed that they did not have films in their own language.[2] Nayagam was thus inspired to produce a film in the Sinhala language. After considering several storylines, he settled on a popular Sinhala stage play, going on to produce Kadawunu Poronduwa.[6] The film was shot at his own studio, with all technicians from India but the cast brought from the island country for this purpose.[7] The film's debut in Ceylon was attended by the head of the ministerial cabinet, D. S. Senanayake;[2] nevertheless, the film received mixed reactions in the country. While the average filmgoer was happy to watch a film that in their own language, critics said the film was overtly “Indian” in content and form.[2]

Filmography

Title Year Language Director Main cast
Kumaraguru 1946 Tamil Jothish Sinha Krishna Iyer, Vithvan Mani, Tanjore Mani, Jeyabala, Radha
Thaai Nadu 1947 Tamil T.S. Mani Battling Mani, S.T. Williams, V.P.S. Mani, T.K. Krishnaiah, M.R. Sundari, N.C. Meera
Kadawunu Poronduwa[8] 1947 Sinhala Jothish Sinha Rukmani Devi, B. A. W. Jayamanne, Peter Peiris, Miriam Jayamanne, Hugo Fernando, Stanley Mallawarachchi, Eddie Jayamanne, Gemini Kantha, Timothius Perera, J B Perera, Rupa Devi
Prema Tharangaya[9] 1953 Sinhala A. Bhaskar Raj Aruna Shanthi, Ayesha Weerakoon, Laddie Ranasinghe, Mark Samaranayake, Hugo Fernando
Puduma Leli[10] 1953 Sinhala A.S. Nagarajan Prem Jayanth, Clarice de Silva, Hugo Fernando, Dharmasri Ranatunga, Mark Samaranayake, Girley Gunawardana
Ahankara Sthree[11] 1954 Sinhala A. Bhaskar Raj Clarice De Silva, Ravindra Rupasena, Ratna Kumari, Hugo Fernando, Rohini Jayakody, Mark Samaranayake, Eddie Yapa, Leena de Silva
Mathalan[12][13] 1955 Sinhala A.S. Nagarajan Clarice De Silva, Shesha Palihakkara, Hugo Fernando, Mark Samaranayake, Peter Perera, Eddie Yapa, Bernard Perera, Pitipana Silva
Ramyalatha[14] 1956 Sinhala A. Bhaskar Raj Aruna Shanthi, Clarice De Silva, Rita Ratnayake, Pujitha Mendis, Mark Samaranayake, Pitipana Silva, Boniface Fernando, Eddie Yapa, W. Benedict Fernando
Sohoyuro[15] 1958 Sinhala L.S. Ramachandran Clarice De Silva, Aruna Shanthi, Ravindra Rupasena, Leena de Silva, Ananda Jayaratne, Pitipana Silva, Eddie Yapa, Joseph Seneviratne, Pujitha Mendis, Millie Kahandawala, Vijitha Mallika, Richard Albert, Boniface Fernando
Nalangana[16] 1960 Sinhala L.S. Ramachandran Rukmani Devi, Ravindra Rupasena, Leena de Silva, Alfred Edirimanne, Eddie Jayamanne, Joe Abeywickrema, Ruby de Mel, Udula Dabare, Pitipana Silva, Sirimathi Rasadari, Richard Albert, H D Kulatunga, Vijitha Mallika, Dudley Wanaguru

References

  1. ^ National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka - Official Website
  2. ^ a b c d "First Sinhala Talkie "Broken Promise" was Released 70 Years Ago on Jan 21 1947". dbsjeyaraj.com. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  3. ^ Lucien Rajakarunanayake. "Links between South Indian films and Sri Lanka". The Island. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  4. ^ Film News Anandan (23 October 2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [History of Landmark Tamil Films] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivakami Publishers. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018.
  5. ^ Film News Anandan (23 October 2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [History of Landmark Tamil Films] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivakami Publishers. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018.
  6. ^ Sri Lanka Cinema Database
  7. ^ "Indian influence in early Sri Lankan cinema". The Sunday Times. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Kadawunu Poronduwa". films.lk. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  9. ^ "Prema Tharangaya". films.lk. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  10. ^ "Puduma Leli". films.lk. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Ahankara Stree". films.lk. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Mathalan". films.lk. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  13. ^ Mathalan
  14. ^ "Ramyalatha". films.lk. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Sohoyuro". rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  16. ^ "Nalangana". rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
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