Annavin Aasai
| Annavin Aasai | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dada Mirasi |
| Produced by | K. Balaji |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Kamal Ghosh |
| Music by | K. V. Mahadevan |
Production company | Sujatha Cine Arts |
| Distributed by | Gemini Studios |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Annavin Aasai (lit. 'Elder brother's wish') is a 1966 Tamil-language film directed by Dada Mirasi and produced by K. Balaji. It is a remake of the Hindi film Chand Aur Suraj (1965). The film stars Gemini Ganesan, Savitri, Balaji and K. R. Vijaya in the lead roles.
Plot
Ramanathan and Seetha are a married couple. They face difficulties after the former loses his job. Ramanathan wants to help his younger brother Ravi to pursue MBBS, and in order to fund his education, he takes an insurance policy for ₹1 lakh (equivalent to ₹60 lakh or US$72,000 in 2023). Ramanathan then fakes his death by using a mutilated man's corpse near a railway line. Ramanathan leaves his diary there and also places his ring on the deceased man's finger. Ramanathan is declared dead by the police. Seetha, who is traumatised by her husband's "death", requests Ravi to pursue his education using the insurance money she receives.
Ravi eventually becomes disinterested in his education. Using the insurance money given by Seetha, he takes to gambling on race horses and becomes rich. He falls in love with Vijaya, the daughter of a wealthy businessman. A family friend (R. S. Manohar) discovers that Ramanathan is still alive and shares this information with Seetha, but she chooses to keep it a secret. Ravi misunderstands Manohar's night-time visits; assuming that Seetha is having an affair with Manohar, he begins to taunt her. Seetha later arranges Ravi's marriage with Vijaya, whose father commits suicide after having been cheated by an insurance fraud. Ravi, still unaware that Ramanathan is alive, realises later that he has been responsible for his brother's "death", surrenders to the police and is taken to court before a judge.
During Ravi's trial, Manohar, who is a lawyer by profession, asserts that Ramanathan is not dead and Ravi decided to plead guilty to murdering someone who is still alive and well. Soon after, Ramanathan appears in court and tells them the truth. Ravi is exonerated, while Ramanathan is arrested for cheating the insurance company by faking his own death.[1]
Cast
- Gemini Ganesan as Ramanathan
- Savitri as Seetha
- K. Balaji as Ravi
- K. R. Vijaya as Vijaya
- Ashok Kumar as the judge
Production
Annavin Aasai was a remake of the Dulal Guha-directed Hindi film Chand Aur Suraj (1965),[1] and was the first production of K. Balaji's company Sujatha Cine Arts.[2][3] Dada Mirasi directed the film while the dialogues were written by S. I. Peruman.[4] Besides producing the film, Balaji also acted as Ravi, the younger brother of Gemini Ganesan's character Ramanathan. Savitri acted as Ramanathan's wife Seetha,[1] and Baby Shakila acted as the couple's daughter.[5] Hindi film actor Ashok Kumar made a cameo appearance as the judge presiding over Ravi's trial.[1] Cinematography was handled by Kamal Ghosh,[1] and the final length of the film was 4,761 metres (15,620 ft).[4]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of the film was composed by K. V. Mahadevan, with lyrics by Kannadasan and Vaali.[1]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kovililae Veedu Katti" | Kannadasan | T. M. Soundararajan, A. L. Raghavan, P. Susheela | |
| 2. | "Pooppol Malara Mottu Vaiththan" | Vaali | P. Susheela | |
| 3. | "Paateluthattum Paruvam" | Vaali | P. B. Sreenivas, P. Susheela | |
| 4. | "Inbamenbathu" | Kannadasan | T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela | |
| 5. | "Thunbam Enpathu Enna" | Kannadasan | P. Susheela |
Release and reception
Annavin Aasai was released on 4 March 1966,[4] and was released by Gemini Studios.[7] The following week, on 12 March, The Indian Express said, "Dynamic performance by all the artistes – [Savitri] particularly – and a couple of good tunes by K. V. Mahadevan attempt to revive our sagging hopes. But they are only partly fulfilled."[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Annavin Aasai (1966)". The Hindu. 3 October 2015. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "சுரேஷ் பாலாஜி நேர்முகம்!" [Suresh Balaje interview!]. Dinamalar (in Tamil). 20 April 2012. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Guy, Randor (15 May 2009). "A void on the film firmament". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ 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 2018.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Hopes partly fulfilled". The Indian Express. 12 March 1966. p. 3.
- ^ Annavin Aasai (songbook) (in Tamil). Sujatha Cine Arts. 1966.
- ^ "Annavin Asai". The Indian Express. 4 March 1966. p. 3.
