Raja Nagam
| Raja Nagam | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | N. S. Manian |
| Screenplay by | N. S. Manian |
| Based on | Naagarahaavu |
| Produced by | N. S. Manian |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Chandrasekharan |
| Edited by | R. Devarajan |
| Music by | V. Kumar |
Production company | Jagajothi Pictures |
| Distributed by | Jayam Combines |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Raja Nagam (transl. King cobra) is a 1974 Indian Tamil-language romance film written, produced and directed by N. S. Manian. It is a remake of the Kannada film Naagarahaavu (1972) which was based on three Kannada novels written by T. R. Subba Rao: Nagarahavu, Ondu Gandu Eradu Hennu and Sarpa Mathsara. The film stars Srikanth, Manjula, Shubha and Major Sundarrajan. It was released on 25 July 1974 and became a commercial success.
Plot
Krishnamurthi, a robust man, views his teacher as god and refuses to listen to advice given by anyone else. Krishnamurthi falls in love with a Hindu girl, but since both their families object to their romance, he is unable to marry her. She is then married off by her parents to another man, who induces her into prostitution. Krishnamurthi later falls in love with a Christian girl, Margaret, but even this romance faces objections from the lovers' families. Krishnamurthi and Margaret flee to the hills; the teacher catches up with them and asks Krishnamurthi to reconsider his decision, but Krishnamurthi refuses to listen and instead pushes him down the hill to his death. Traumatised due to killing his teacher, Krishnamurthi asks Margaret if she will join him where he goes; she says she will, and both jump to their deaths.
Cast
- Srikanth as Krishnamurthi[1]
- Manjula as the Hindu girl[1]
- Shubha as Margaret[1]
- Major Sundarrajan as Krishnamurthi's teacher[1]
- M. N. Rajam as an orthodox mother[1]
Production
Raja Nagam is a remake of the Kannada film Naagarahaavu (1972),[2] itself based on three different novels: Nagarahavu, Ondu Gandu Eradu Hennu and Sarpa Mathsara, all written by T. R. Subba Rao.[3][4] The remake was directed by N. S. Manian,[5] who also produced the film under Jagajothi Pictures, and wrote the screenplay.[6] Sreekanth's role as the male lead Krishnamurthi was a departure from the villainous roles he was generally known for.[1] The film's title Raja Nagam, which means a king cobra,[6] was intended to reflect Krishnamurthi's nature. Cinematography was handled by Chandrasekharan,[1] and editing by R. Devarajan.[6] The final length of the film was 3,789.27 metres (12,432.0 ft).[7]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by V. Kumar,[8] while the lyrics were written by Vaali.[9] "Devan Yesuvin Vedam" (also known as "Devan Vedhamum Kannan Geethaiyum") became the film's most popular song.[6][10]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dhevan Vedhamum" | P. Susheela, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | |
| 2. | "Mannavan Thottanadi" | P. Susheela | |
| 3. | "Samudhaya Veedhiyile" | P. Susheela | |
| 4. | "Manavan Ninaithal" | T. M. Soundararajan |
Release and reception
Raja Nagam was released on 25 July 1974,[11] and was distributed by Jayam Combines.[6] The film was a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Guy, Randor (5 November 2016). "Raja Nagam (1974)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ Kishore, Vikrant; Sarwal, Amit; Patra, Parichay, eds. (2016). Salaam Bollywood: Representations and interpretations. Routledge. p. 225. ISBN 978-1-138-64962-0.
- ^ Deepak, S N (15 July 2018). "Vishnuvardhan classic back in restored avatar". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "Vishnuvardhan's all-time classic 'Nagarahavu' to re-release". The News Minute. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul, eds. (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press. p. 635. ISBN 0-19-563579-5.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ a b c d e Dharap, B. V. (1974). Indian Films. National Film Archive of India. p. 229.
- ^ "Raja Naagam (Tamil)". The Gazette of India. 20 December 1975. pp. 2495.
- ^ "வி.குமாரின் இசையில் வந்த படங்கள்!". Kamadenu. The Hindu Tamil. 28 July 2018. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ "Raja Nagam (ராஜா நாகம்) 1974". Desibantu. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ "ஒரு பேனாவின் பயணம் – 67 – சுதாங்கன்". Dinamalar (in Tamil). Nellai. 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "ராஜநாகம்". Vellitthirai (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.