Oru Viral
| Oru Viral | |
|---|---|
| File:Oru Viral 1965.jpg Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | C. M. V. Raman |
| Written by | Thangam C. M. V. Raman |
| Produced by | Salvador Fernandes |
| Starring | Krishna Rao Thengai Srinivasan |
| Cinematography | T. G. Sekar |
| Music by | Vedha |
Production company | Associate Artists |
Release date | 17 December 1965 |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Oru Viral (lit. 'A Finger') is a 1965 Indian Tamil-language mystery film written and directed by C. M. V. Raman. The film stars Krishna Rao and Thengai Srinivasan in their acting debut, along with K. Kannan, Prem Anand, Pandarinath, Malaysia Radhika, V. R. Thilakam and Meenakumari.[1]
Plot
A rich man, who has two sons, is murdered, and a hunt for the murderer ensues. Stories of a haunting skeleton circulate in the estate owned by the murdered man. An employee of the estate (Kannan), who is actually an absconding convict, is being chased by a CID officer (Srinivasan) who obtains work in the estate to monitor him.
Cast
- Krishna Rao
- Thengai Srinivasan as a CID officer[2]
- K. Kannan
- Prem Anand
- Pandarinath
- Malaysia Radhika
- V. R. Thilakam
- Meenakumari
Production
Oru Viral was written and directed by C. M. V. Raman. The dialogues were written by Thangam.[3] At a period when murder mysteries and detective stories were not exploited as genres in Tamil cinema, it was a "surprise package", being made on a shoestring budget with artistes who were then newcomers or less popular. Krishna Rao and Thengai Srinivasan made their acting debut with this film, and the film's title became prefixed to Krishna Rao's name. Other supporting actors included K. Kannan, Prem Anand, Pandarinath, Malaysia Radhika, V. R. Thilakam and Meenakumari.[1] Salvador Fernandez, also a newcomer, produced the film under the production company Associate Pictures.[1][3] T. G. Sekar handled the cinematography.[4]
Music
The music was composed by Vedha and the lyrics were written by Alangudi Somu. Two songs from the film — "Malligai Mottu" by P. Susheela, and "Ungal Thevai" by her and T. M. Soundararajan — attained popularity.[1]
Release and reception
Oru Viral was released on 17 December 1965.[3] Despite its low budget and lack of stars, the film was successful, being praised for the storyline and the way it was narrated onscreen. In September 2012, film historian Randor Guy stated that the film would be remembered for the "interesting storyline", the performances of the cast and the background score.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Guy, Randor (15 September 2012). "Oru Viral 1965". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- ^ Majordasan. "Potpourri of titbits about Tamil cinema — Thengai Srinivasan". Kalyanamalai Magazine. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ a b c Film News Anandan (2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [Tamil film history and its achievements] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivagami Publishers. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017.
- ^ "Oru Viral". The Indian Express. 17 December 1965. p. 3.