Nam Naadu (1969 film)

Nam Naadu
File:Nam Naadu (1969 film).jpg Nam Naadu
Directed by	C. P. Jambulingam
Written by	Swornam (dialogues)
Story by	Mullapudi Venkata Ramana
Produced by	B. Nagi Reddy M. G. Chakrapani
Starring	M.G.R Jayalalitha Nagesh S.A.Ashokan Sridevi
Cinematography	Konda Reddy Sundar Babu
Edited by	C. P. Jambulingam G. Kalyanasundaram D. G. Jayaraman
Music by	M. S. Viswanathan
Production company	Vijaya International
Distributed by	Vijaya International
Release date	7 November 1969 (1969-11-07)
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Nam Naadu (English: Our Country) is a 1969 Indian Tamil-language film starring M. G. Ramachandran (known also as MGR) and Jayalalitha. It is a remake of the 1969 Telugu film Kathanayakudu, which starred N. T. Rama Rao and Jayalalitha.

Plot

Dharmalingham (S. V. Ranga Rao), Aalavandar (S. A. Ashokan) and Punniyakodi (K. A. Thangavelu) are three VIPs in a township who have established themselves as noble citizens of the country but in reality are traitors who dare to do any type of crimes for money.

Durai (M.G.R) is an honest government office clerk who wants to be sincere for the nation and to help the poor and needy. In order to save the rights of the poor he fights with higher society people which is disliked by brother Muthaiya (T.K.Bhagavathi) who works for Dharmalingham and is an equally honest person as Durai. Though Muthaiya scolds Durai for his acts he is very affectionate to him and Durai is equally respectful and affectionate towards him and his family. Durai once picks a fight with Aalavandar in a shop — he insists on his standing in a queue like everyone else as there should be no special right for him over poor people. This creates tension between Aalavandar and Durai. Muthaiya worries that he will get into trouble because Aalavandar and Dharmalingham are good friends.

Durai meets a tender-coconut selling girl Ammu (alias Alamelu) (Jayalalitha) and gets attracted towards her nobility and honesty. Aalavandar takes revenge on Durai by making fake bribery complaint on him and because of which Durai loses his job. The enmity between Dharmalingham and Durai increases gradually because of which his brother shouts at him and ask him to get out of the house as Muthaiya believes Dharmalingham is honest and treat him like God. Ammu supports Durai and takes him to slum. Durai works for them and earn the love of slum people and people support him to contest and win in the municipal election. Durai takes action against the trio with his rights and enmity further increases. The trio plan and succeed to throw Durai away from the municipal office. Meanwhile, Muthaiya finds that Dharmalingham has looted a sum of Ten lakh Rupees which actually belong to the welfare of poor people. So he runs away with the money to save from them and he buries it in a place. But the trio catch him and shut him at a secret place when he refuse to open his mouth on the whereabouts of the money.

Now Durai plans to take revenge on them and to reveal themself and their crimes by their own mouth. Did Durai succeed in his mission and found the money and his brother forms the rest of the story.

Cast

• M. G. Ramachandran as Durai, (Mister Metro-Gold Robert)
• J. Jayalalitha as Ammu (alias Alamelu)
• S. V. Ranga Rao as Dharmalingham, the chairman
• S. A. Ashokan as Aalavandar, a contractor and Dharmalingham's friend
• K. A. Thangavelu as Punniyakodi, a shopkeeper and Dharmalingham's friend
• S. V. Ramdass as The doctor
• T. K. Bagavathy as Muthaiya, Durai's elder brother
• R. S. Manohar as Vijay, Ammu's elder brother
• Ennatha Kannaiya as Kannaiya the lame
• Thengai Srinivasan as Kuppuswamy, the superior of Durai (in office)
• Nagesh as Govindha, Durai's friend
• K. R. Ramswamy (Guest-star) as The school master Vélaydhamm
• Chittor V. Nagaiah (Guest-star) as The school master Kandhaya
• Mukkamala
• Pandari Bai as Bakiyum, Muthaiya's wife
• Kutty Padmini as Selvi, Muthaiya's daughter
• Baby Sridevi as Raja, Muthaiya's son

Production

After the success of Enga Veettu Pillai produced by B. Nagi Reddy, Ramachandran was considering entry into politics, so he told Reddy that he wanted to make a film to gauge audience response to seeing him as a politician. Reddy suggested remaking Kathanayakudu. Ramachandran agreed and they made the film.

Nagi Reddy recalled watching the film with Ramachandran: "When it was released, we both went to Mekala Theatre to watch the reaction of the viewers. Except for the manager, no one was aware of our presence. It was a pleasant evening and the doors had been kept wide open. MGR stood leaning on one side of the door and I was leaning on the other. There was a scene in which Jayalalitha, the heroine of the movie, appeared singing the song Vaangaiya Vaathiyaraiah while welcoming MGR after his victory in the elections."

Reddy went on to say "The audience rose as one man, cheering, clapping, whistling. There were cries: ‘We want to see the scene again! Repeat the scene!’ We advised the manager to oblige the audience. The reel was rewound and the sequence was shown again. I turned to MGR. His eyes were filled with tears of joy. He hugged me. ‘O Reddiar! I have received the people’s acceptance.’ Unlike the Telugu original, Nam Naadu was made with many politically-charged dialogues because, according to film historian Prakash Raman, "that was the time when MGR was about to launch his party".

Awards

The Best Movie (Sirede Padham)

By The Cinema Fan Association Award (Cinema Rasigar Sangue Parisu)

Soundtrack

Music is composed by MS Vishwanathan.

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Aadai Muzhudhum"	Vaali	P. Susheela	[04:34]
2.	"Nalla Perai"	Vaali	T. M. Soundararajan, Shobha, L.R.Anjali	[04:09]
3.	"Naan 7 Vayasilae"	Vaali	L. R. Eswari	[03:49]
4.	"Ninathathai Nadathiyae"	Vaali	T. M. Soundararajan, L. R. Eswari	[04:56]
5.	"Vangaya Vathyaraiya"	Vaali	T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela	[04:59]
6.	"Kudigaran Pechu"	Vaali	L. R. Eswari	[04:06]

External links

• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187333/
• http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/a-small-tribute-to-a-big-legend/article5994347.ece