Chakra Dhari

Chakra Dhari
Chakra Dhari
	Poster
Tamil	சக்ரதாரி
Directed by	K. S. Gopalakrishnan
Story by	Gemini Story Dept.
Based on	a story from the book titled Sri Maha Bhaktha Vijayam
Produced by	S. S. Vasan
Starring	Nagayya; Pushpavalli
Cinematography	Thambu
Edited by	N. K. Gopal
Music by	M. D. Parthasarathy
Production; company	Gemini Studios
Release date	3 December 1948 (India);
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Chakra Dhari (transl. He who holds the wheel) is a 1948 Indian Tamil-language film produced by Gemini Studios. V. Nagayya and Pushpavalli star, while Gemini Ganesan who was a budding actor then, appeared in a minor role.^[2]^[1]

Plot

Gora is a potter who lives in a village near Pandharpur in Maharashtra. He is a strong devotee of Lord Panduranga. He is not interested in earning money which worries his wife Thulasi. Venkat is Gora's elder brother and an affluent man. His wife Sona does not like Gora and his family. One day while Gora was mixing clay, his child Hari comes there, playing. Gora was in a devotional ecstasy and did not notice his child. The child is killed trampled under the mud. Thulasi threatens to destroy the idol of Panduranga but Gora tries to kill her with an axe. She tells Gora that he should not touch her in future and he also vows that he will not touch her. However, Thulasi gets her sister Shantha to marry her husband Gora so that they can beget a child, however, Gora refuses to touch Shantha too. The sisters seduce Gora one night. Gora is shocked and cuts off his hands for breaking the vows. Lord Panduranga and his consort Rukmini come in disguise and help Gora. Due to their divine powers, happiness is restored in the family. Gora gets back his hands and Hari is brought back to life. The whole family becomes devotees of Lord Panduranga.^[2]

Cast

Adapted from the film credits. (See External links)

Nagayya as Gorakumbar
Pushpavalli as Thulasi Bai
Suryaprabha as Shantha Bai
Nagarcoil Mahadevan as Namadhevar
L. Narayana Rao as Venkaji
K. N. Kamalam as Sona
Ganesh as Pandurangan
Varalakshmi as Rukmani
S. Krishnamoorthy as Penda
Subbaiah Pillai as Sevaji
T. V. Kalyani as Parvathi Bai
Nandi Velayutham as Guard
G. V. Sharma as Goldsmith
Baba Narayanan as Mali

N. Thyagarajan as Astrologer
M. Ramamoorthi, V. P. S. Mani,
N. Narasimhan, Raja Rao,
K. T. K. S. Mani as Thieves
Balaraman, K. Sampathkumar as Officers
Panduranga Das, T. S. B. Rao,
Vijaya Rao as Bhandari Devotees
Chopra and A. Chandra as Dancers
S. R. Lakshmi as Betel Seller
Kumari V. Thulasi as Flower Seller
B. Ramakrishna Rao as Bangle Seller
Pudukottai Seenu as Areca Nut Seller
Balan as Beggar

Production

This tale has been filmed many times in many languages such as Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and twice in Tamil.^[2]

Soundtrack

Music was composed by M. D. Parthasarathy with P. S. Anantharaman as assistant. Parthasarathy also sang one or two songs. Lyrics were penned by Papanasam Sivan, Kothamangalam Subbu and Sangu Subramaniam. Singers are V. Nagayya and Nagarcoil Mahadevan. Playback singers are S. S. Mani (S. Subramanian), T. V. Rathnam, Balasaraswathi and M. Kalpagam.^[3]^[4] The song Kadhali Radhaiyai kalangavittan is set in the raga Kharaharapriya.

No.	Song	Singer/s	Lyricist	Duration (m:ss)
1	"Vaa Vaa Ambuliye"	T. V. Rathnam	Kothamangalam Subbu	02:22
2	"Salangai Kulunga Vaa"	M. Kalpagam		02:42 /
3	"Ayane Mayane"	S. S. Mani		03:30
4	"Aiyamaare Vanga Ammaamare Vanga"			07:16
5	"Kannale Vettadhe Ennaiye"			08:43
6	"Unakkum Enakkum"	Nagayya		03:07
7	"Enna Ruchiyo, Aha, Enna Ruchiyo"
8	"Vittalanai Panivom"
9	"Ammaa Ammaa Ena"	Balasaraswathi
10	"Kanne Thaalelo"	T. V. Rathnam
11	"Kakkai Sirakinile"	Nagayya	Papanasam Sivan	03:21
12	"Prabhu Pandu Ranga"			02:47
13	"Pandu Rangan Karunayale"			02:07
14	"Bhakthiyudan Puganzhndhu Paaduvome"	Nagarcoil Mahadevan		02:03
15	"Poojai Seithome"	T. V. Rathnam and group		02:29
16	Musical Dance			02:31
17	"Oradiyal Ulagalanda"	Nagayya	Sangu Subramaniam	01:40
18	"Kadhali Radhaiyai Kalangavittan"	M. Kalpagam		02:43

Reception

The film was a success at the box-office. Film historian Randor Guy wrote in 2008 that the film is "Remembered for its soul-filling music, fine photography and Nagayya’s performance."^[2]

Notes

^ Not K. S. Gopalakrishnan

References

^ ^a ^b 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 21 November 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Guy, Randor (5 December 2008). "Chakra-Dhari 1948 - CHEN". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 January 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ "Gemini's Chakra-Dhari". Pesum Padam (in Tamil): 52–55. December 1948.
^ Lakshmi Ramachandran. Kothamangalam Subbu Thiraiyisai Paadalgal [Kothamangalam Subbu Film Songs] (in Tamil). Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). First edition September 2016. pp. 76, 77, 88, 160, 162, 163 & 165.

[2] Not K. S. Gopalakrishnan

[anandan-1] 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 21 November 2016.

[hindu-3] Guy, Randor (5 December 2008). "Chakra-Dhari 1948 - CHEN". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 January 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.

[4] "Gemini's Chakra-Dhari". Pesum Padam (in Tamil): 52–55. December 1948.

[5] Lakshmi Ramachandran. Kothamangalam Subbu Thiraiyisai Paadalgal [Kothamangalam Subbu Film Songs] (in Tamil). Manivasagar Publishers, Chennai 108 (Ph:044 25361039). First edition September 2016. pp. 76, 77, 88, 160, 162, 163 & 165.

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