>Kailash29792: /* Production */Raktham

2021-03-22T08:01:41Z

Production: Raktham

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{{Short description|1951 film by S. Balachander}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Kaithi
| image = Kaithi 1951 poster.jpg
| border = no
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[S. Balachander]]
| producer = M. Somasundaram
| screenplay = S. Balachander
| story = S. Balachander
| based_on = {{based on|''[[Dark Passage (film)|Dark Passage]]''}}
| starring = S. Balachander<br />[[S. A. Natarajan]]<br />S. Revathi <br />V. Meenakshi
| music = S. Balachander
| cinematography = B. Ramasamy
| editing = [[M. A. Thirumugam]]
| studio = [[Jupiter Pictures]]
| distributor =
| released = {{film date|1951|12|23|df=y}}
| runtime = 172 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Kaithi''''' ({{trans|Prisoner}}) is a 1951 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[crime thriller film]] written and directed by [[S. Balachander]] for [[Jupiter Pictures]]. Balachandar also composed the music, and stars alongside [[S. A. Natarajan]], S. Revathi and V. Meenakshi. Adapted from the American film ''[[Dark Passage (film)|Dark Passage]]'' (1947), it revolves around a man being wrongfully convicted, and escaping to clear his name. ''Kaithi'' was released on 23 December 1951, and emerged a commercial success. No print of the film, however, is known to survive, making it a [[lost film]].

== Plot ==
{{more plot|date=March 2021}}
Karunakaran, a generous man, meets Vijayan, a poor unemployed graduate, at the [[Guindy Race Course]] and offers a tip-off to help him make money. The bet proves a success, but Vijayan finds Karunakaran killed when attempting to give him the winnings and is framed for the murder. The plot follows his escape from prison and search for the killer, Vijaya Sarathi.<ref name="thehindu" /><ref name="Express91" /><ref name="song book" />

== Cast ==

{{Col-begin|width=60%}}
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
;Male cast<ref name="song book" />
* [[S. Balachander]] as Vijayan
* [[S. A. Natarajan]] as Vijaya Sarathi
* G. M. Basheer as Prosecutor Raman
* M. K. Mustafa as Inspector Kesavan
* G. Muthukrishnan as Sekar
* M. R. Santhanam as Karunakaran
* A. Ganesan as Pandu
* T. M. Gopal as Arumugam
* K. N. Venkatramanan as a public prosecutor
* S. Peer Mohamed as a public prosecutor
* S. V. Rajagopal as the bandyman
* Pinni Raju as the judge
;Male supporting cast<ref name="song book" />
* Master Shivaraman, Krishnan, Prabhakaran
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
;Female cast<ref name="song book" />
* S. Revathi as Kamala
* V. Meenakshi as Revathi
* R. Malathi as Jayam
* S. Saroja as Seethamma
{{col-end}}

== Production ==
The producer M. Somasundaram of [[Jupiter Pictures]] approached [[S. Balachander]] to make a film for his banner.<ref name="Express91" /> Balachander developed a story based on the American film ''[[Dark Passage (film)|Dark Passage]]'' (1947) involving a wrongfully convicted man escaping from prison to clear his name.<ref name="thehindu" /> While he also wrote the screenplay, the dialogues were written by T. S. Venkatasamy, Kalaimani and N. Seetharaman. Cinematography was handled by B. Ramasamy,<ref name="Anandan" /> and editing by M. A. Thirumugam, then the staff editor of Jupiter.<ref name="thehindu" /> Initially, the film was announced in the with the title ''Raktham'' (Blood), and various Tamil publicity posters had the caption ''Velivelivarugirathu! Jupiterin Raktham!'' (Coming! Jupiter's Blood!) in bold and all-capitals. This shocked Balachander, Somasundaram and Jupiter co-founder S. K. Mohideen, so the title was changed to ''Kaithi'', suggested by Balachander.<ref name="thehindu" /><ref name="Express91" />

== Soundtrack ==
Music was composed by S. Balachandar and lyrics written by [[K. D. Santhanam]].<ref name="song book" /> The song "Aiya Horee Ram" was adapted from the "Canoe Song" sung by [[Paul Robeson]] in ''[[Sanders of the River]]'' (1935). A song beginning with the English lines, "Be happy... Be jolly... Be cheerful...", was also popular.<ref name="thehindu" />
{| class="wikitable"
! No !! Songs !! Singer !! Lyrics
|-
| 1 || "Kodumai Piranthu Valarumittam" || Chorus || rowspan=9|K. D. Santhanam
|-
| 2 || "Pozhuthu Vidiya" || S. V. Rajagopal
|-
| 3 || "Be Happy Be Jolly Be Cheerful" || [[Radha Jayalakshmi|Jayalakshmi]]
|-
| 4 || "Arivu Peruka Aaanum Pennum" || Chorus
|-
| 5 || "Minnalai Pole En Kadhal" || [[Jikki]]
|-
| 6 || "Pethai Penn Mathiyame" || [[Jikki]]
|-
| 7 || "Inba Kanavam Vaiyagame" ||
|-
| 8 || "Aiya Horee Ram" ||
|-
| 9 || "Manathinil Kadhal" ||
|}

== Release ==
''Kaithi'' was released on 23 December 1951.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 December 1951 |title=Kaithi |page=1 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19511223&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref><ref name="Anandan" /> The film emerged a commercial success at a time when crime thrillers were not common in Tamil cinema. However, no print of it is known to survive, making it a [[lost film]].<ref name="thehindu" />

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="thehindu">{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=8 August 2008 |title=Kaithi 1951 |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/kaithi-1951/article3023217.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=19 January 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170807114317/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/kaithi-1951/article3023217.ece |archive-date=7 August 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="song book">{{Cite book |url=https://ia800901.us.archive.org/3/items/sok.Kaidhi_S.Balachander_1951/108.%20Kaidhi_S.Balachander_1951.pdf |title=கைதி |publisher=[[Jupiter Pictures]] |year=1951 |language=ta |type=[[song book]]}}</ref>
<ref name="Express91">{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=25 May 1991 |title=''Andha Naal'': A fine and bold experiment |page=17 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eYJlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gJ4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=604%2C1040509}}</ref>
<ref name="Anandan">{{Cite book |last=Film News Anandan |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1951-cinedetails5.asp |title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru |publisher=Sivagami Publishers |year=2004 |language=Tamil |trans-title=Tamil film history and its achievements |author-link=Film News Anandan |access-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210321063324/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1951-cinedetails5.asp |archive-date=21 March 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0154704}}
* {{CITWF title|179377}}
{{S. Balachander}}

[[Category:1950s crime thriller films]]
[[Category:1950s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1951 films]]
[[Category:Films about miscarriage of justice]]
[[Category:Films directed by S. Balachander]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Indian crime thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Jupiter Pictures films]]
[[Category:Lost Indian films]]

Kaithi (1951 film) - Revision history

>Kailash29792: /* Production */Raktham