AhmedSturgis at 05:10, 1 April 2026

2026-04-01T05:10:03Z

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{{short description|1960 film by C. V. Sridhar}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Vidivelli poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[C. V. Sridhar]]
| writer = C. V. Sridhar
| producer = [[Sivaji Ganesan]]
| starring = Sivaji Ganesan<br />[[B. Saroja Devi]]
| cinematography = [[A. Vincent]]
| editing = N. M. Shankar
| music = [[A. M. Rajah]]
| studio = Prabhuram Pictures
| distributor = [[Sivaji Productions|Sivaji Films]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 December 1960 |title=Vidi Velli |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19601225&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=17 August 2021 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |pages=3 |language=en |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
| released = {{film date|1960|12|31|df=y}}
| runtime = 126 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Vidivelli''''' ({{Translation|The Morning Star}})<ref>{{Cite book |last=Baskaran |first=S. Theodore |author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran |title=Sivaji Ganesan: Profile of An Icon |publisher=Wisdom Tree |year=2008 |isbn=978-81-8328-396-0 |pages=89 |language=en}}</ref> is a 1960 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film written and directed by [[C. V. Sridhar]]. The film stars [[Sivaji Ganesan]], [[B. Saroja Devi]] and [[M. N. Rajam]]; Ganesan also produced it under Prabhuram Pictures, a subsidiary of his own company [[Sivaji Productions|Sivaji Films]]. The film focuses on a brother who steals a diamond necklace for his sister's happy life, but the necklace itself becomes a problem. The rest of the story deals with what is the secret of the necklace and how the brother solves this puzzle.

''Vidivelli'' was released on 31 December 1960. The film was a critical and commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres.

== Plot ==
{{More plot|date=October 2022}}
Chandru has a sister Meena who is married to Ravi. But her in-laws insist on a diamond necklace, sans which she cannot join her husband. Hence, Chandru steals a diamond necklace with a locket and then Meena joins her husband. He and his mother move to [[Chennai|Madras]], where the former obtains employment. Chandru falls in love with his boss's daughter Chitra. One day, the necklace falls down and the locket opens, revealing the photograph of a man. Ravi and his family want to know who he is. Meena says she has never seen him before. But suspecting the worst, she is sent back to her old home.

After Chandru saves his boss from a large loss, the boss gives him a large sum of money in gratitude. Chandru purchases another necklace using that money and Meena goes back to her husband. However, Chandru's boss dismisses him to keep him away from Chitra. Chandru surrenders to the police station for the theft. He later realises that the earlier necklace belongs to Chitra, and the man in the locket is her brother who died at war. However, Chitra's father denies ever having had a son. The rest of the film deals with how the puzzle is solved.

== Cast ==
{{Col-begin|width=60%}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;Male cast
* [[Sivaji Ganesan]] as Chandru<ref name="Randor Guy" />
* [[S. V. Ranga Rao]] as the boss<ref name="Randor Guy" />
* [[K. Balaji|Balaji]] as Ravi<ref name="Randor Guy" />
* [[T. R. Ramachandran]] as Babu<ref name="Randor Guy" />
* [[M. R. Santhanam]] as Devit
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;Female cast
* [[B. Saroja Devi]] as Chithra<ref name="Randor Guy" />
* [[M. N. Rajam]] as Meena<ref name="Randor Guy" />
* [[Santha Kumari]] as Chandru's mother<ref name="Randor Guy" />
* [[Padmini Priyadarshini]] as Rosie<ref name="Randor Guy" />
{{col-end}}

== Production ==
In 1953, [[M. G. Ramachandran]] intended to produce a film titled ''Vidivelli'' with [[M. Karunanidhi]] writing; however, the project was dropped after Karunanidhi's arrest for participating in the [[Kallakudi demonstration]] that year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sri Kantha |first=Sachi |author-link=Sachi Sri Kantha |date=6 March 2015 |title=MGR Remembered – Part 25 {{!}} Nadodi Mannan aka The Vagabond King |url=https://sangam.org/mgr-remembered-part-25/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403102842/https://sangam.org/mgr-remembered-part-25/ |archive-date=3 April 2019 |access-date=3 April 2019 |website=[[Ilankai Tamil Sangam]] |language=en}}</ref> The title was later used for an unrelated film written and directed by [[C. V. Sridhar]] and produced by [[Sivaji Ganesan]] under Prabhuram Pictures, a subsidiary of his company [[Sivaji Productions|Sivaji Films]]. Cinematography was handled by [[A. Vincent]], editing by N. M. Shankar, and art direction by Ganga.<ref name="poster">{{Cite news |date=31 December 1960 |title=Vidivelli |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19601231&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=5 March 2019 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |pages=10 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Randor Guy">{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=24 August 2013 |title=Vidivelli (1960) |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/vidivelli-1960/article5055579.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250416225648/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/vidivelli-1960/article5055579.ece |archive-date=16 April 2025 |access-date=5 March 2019 |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
The soundtrack was composed by [[A. M. Rajah]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vidivelli (1960) |url=http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/moviedetail.asp?mid=t0001895 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317195157/http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/moviedetail.asp?mid=T0001895 |archive-date=17 March 2014 |access-date=11 July 2016 |website=[[Raaga.com]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/download/sok.VidiVelli_Sridhar_1960/88.%20VidiVelli_Sridhar_1960.pdf |title=விடிவெள்ளி |publisher=Prabhuram Pictures |year=1960 |language=ta |type=[[song book]] |access-date=22 July 2022 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Idai Kai Irandil Aadum
| extra1 = [[A. M. Rajah]], [[P. Susheela]]
| lyrics1 = [[Kannadasan]]
| length1 = 03:20
| title2 = Koduthu Paar
| extra2 = A. M. Rajah, P. Susheela, [[Thiruchi Loganathan]], [[Jikki]]
| lyrics2 = [[A. Maruthakasi]]
| length2 = 03:29
| title3 = Naan Vaazhndhadhum
| extra3 = Jikki
| lyrics3 = Kannadasan
| length3 = 03:11
| title4 = Ninaithaal Inikkum
| extra4 = Jikki
| lyrics4 = A. Maruthakasi
| length4 = 02:40
| title5 = Pannodu Pirandhadhu
| extra5 = [[P. B. Sreenivas]], Jikki
| lyrics5 = Kannadasan
| length5 = 03:48
| title6 = Aadamal Aadugiren
| extra6 = P. Susheela
| lyrics6 = A. Maruthakasi
| length6 = 04:05
| title7 = Ennaalum
| note7 = Pathos
| extra7 = P. Susheela
| lyrics7 = A. Maruthakasi
| length7 = 03:21
| title8 = Ennaalum Vaazhviley
| note8 = Happy
| extra8 = P. Susheela
| lyrics8 = A. Maruthakasi
| length8 = 04:00
| title9 = Kaaru Savarijhoru
| extra9 = Jikki, Thiruchi Loganathan
| lyrics9 = Ku. Ma. Balasubramanian
| length9 = 03:33
| total_length = 31:27
}}

== Release and reception ==
''Vidivelli'' was released on 31 December 1960.<ref name="poster" /> In a review published on 8 January 1961, the critic from ''[[The Indian Express]]'' praised the performances of the cast, particularly Ganesan, Saroja Devi, Balaji and Santhakumari, and Vincent's cinematography.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 January 1961 |title=Vidi Velli |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19610108&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=5 March 2019 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |pages=3 |language=en |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]]'' also appreciated the film for various aspects, including the story, direction and cast performances.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=22 January 1961 |title=விடிவெள்ளி |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1961-01-22/page/n51/mode/2up |access-date=13 February 2024 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |page=51 |language=ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> The film was a critical and commercial success,<ref>{{Cite news |last=நரசிம்மன் |first=டி.ஏ. |date=27 April 2018 |title=சி(ரி)த்ராலயா 15: காஷ்மீரில் கட்டிப்போட்ட சலுகை! |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/supplements/hindu-talkies/127496-15.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428044030/http://tamil.thehindu.com/cinema/cinema-others/article23684150.ece |archive-date=28 April 2018 |access-date=9 May 2018 |work=[[Hindu Tamil Thisai]] |language=ta}}</ref> running for over 100 days in theatres.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ganesan |first1=Sivaji |author-link=Sivaji Ganesan |title=Autobiography of an Actor: Sivaji Ganesan, October 1928 – July 2001 |title-link=Autobiography of an Actor |last2=Narayana Swamy |first2=T.S. |publisher=Sivaji Prabhu Charities Trust |year=2007 |location=Chennai |pages=241 |language=en |oclc=297212002 |orig-date=2002}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}
{{C. V. Sridhar}}

[[Category:1960 films]]
[[Category:1960 Indian films]]
[[Category:1960 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by C. V. Sridhar]]
[[Category:Films scored by A. M. Rajah]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by C. V. Sridhar]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]

{{Improve categories|date=March 2024}}

Vidivelli - Revision history

AhmedSturgis at 05:10, 1 April 2026