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{{Use dmy dates|date= | {{Short description|Criminal case in India}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} | |||
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}} | {{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}} | ||
{{Infobox person | |||
| name = C. N. Lakshmikanthan | |||
| image = | |||
| caption = | |||
| birth_date = | |||
| birth_name = | |||
| birth_place = [[Madras]], [[British India]] (present-day Chennai, India) | |||
| death_date = 7 November 1944 | |||
| death_place = Madras, British India | |||
| death_cause = Stabbing | |||
| body_discovered = | |||
| education = | |||
| occupation = Film journalist | |||
| spouse = | |||
| parents = | |||
| partner = | |||
| known_for = Victim of an unsolved murder | |||
}} | |||
The arrest completely broke Bhagavathar's morale. He lost all his money and died in 1959 in [[penury]]. Krishnan went on to do a few films, only some of which were successful. | The '''Lakshmikanthan murder case''' was a high-profile criminal trial that was conducted in the then [[Madras Presidency]] of [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|British India]] between November 1944 and April 1947. The cause of the trial was the murder of C. N. Lakshmikanthan, a Tamil film journalist. Lakshmikanthan was stabbed in [[Vepery]], [[Madras]], on 7 November 1944. He died the next morning in General Hospital, Madras. | ||
A criminal case was filed and a series of suspects were arrested. The suspects included Tamil film actors [[M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar]] and [[N. S. Krishnan]] and director [[S. M. Sriramulu Naidu]]. While Naidu was acquitted, Bhagavathar and Krishnan were found guilty and convicted. Bhagavathar and Krishnan appealed to the [[Madras High Court]], but their appeals were turned down. The duo remained in jail until 1947, when an appeal to the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] was successful, and the Privy Council directed the sessions court to make a fresh retrial. They were found to be innocent and acquitted. The case remains unsolved as the real killers were never identified.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Frederick|first=Prince|date=23 August 2013|title=Gripped by sleaze, sex and murders|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/gripped-by-sleaze-sex-and-murders/article5049706.ece|access-date=19 May 2021|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=19 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519112007/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/gripped-by-sleaze-sex-and-murders/article5049706.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
The arrest completely broke Bhagavathar's morale. He lost all his money and died in 1959 in [[penury]]. Krishnan went on to do a few films, only some of which were successful.{{cn|date=December 2022}} | |||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
=== The feud between the accused and Lakshmikanthan === | === The feud between the accused and Lakshmikanthan === | ||
C. N. Lakshmikanthan was an infamous film journalist in [[Madras Presidency]]. His foray into journalism began in 1943 when he launched a film weekly called ''Cinema Thoothu'' which was extremely successful, due to extensive columns devoted to the personal lives of some of the top actors and actresses of the day. Many actors and actresses responded by paying large amounts of money to "buy" his silence. As a result, Lakshmikanthan set up a prosperous vocation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/defender-of-lost-causes/article28528418.ece|title=Defender of lost causes|date=2004 | C. N. Lakshmikanthan was an infamous film journalist in [[Madras Presidency]]. His foray into journalism began in 1943 when he launched a film weekly called ''Cinema Thoothu'' which was extremely successful, due to extensive columns devoted to the personal lives of some of the top actors and actresses of the day. Many actors and actresses responded by paying large amounts of money to "buy" his silence. As a result, Lakshmikanthan set up a prosperous vocation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/defender-of-lost-causes/article28528418.ece|title=Defender of lost causes|date=7 November 2004|work=The Hindu|access-date=31 August 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=20 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020161958/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/defender-of-lost-causes/article28528418.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
Eventually, matters reached a standstill when | Eventually, matters reached a standstill when Bhagavathar, Krishnan, and Naidu submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Madras, [[Arthur Hope, 2nd Baron Rankeillour|Arthur Oswald James Hope]], requesting him to revoke the license for the magazine. Hope obliged and the license for the magazine was cancelled. Lakshmikanthan tried to run the magazine with forged documents but, after a few months, he was forced to close shop.{{cn|date=December 2022}} | ||
Unfazed, Lakshmikanthan set up a new magazine called ''Hindu Nesan'' in which he continued his scandalous stories on Bhagavathar, Krishnan and a few other top actors, actresses and film people of the day. The tactics paid huge dividends and Lakshmikanthan purchased his own printing press.<ref name="pritt">{{cite news|title=Defender of lost causes |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2004/11/07/stories/2004110700510400.htm |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=7 November 2004 |first=Randor |last=Guy |authorlink=Randor Guy |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826142551/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2004/11/07/stories/2004110700510400.htm |archivedate=26 August 2009 }}</ref> | Unfazed, Lakshmikanthan set up a new magazine called ''Hindu Nesan'' in which he continued his scandalous stories on Bhagavathar, Krishnan and a few other top actors, actresses and film people of the day. The tactics paid huge dividends and Lakshmikanthan purchased his own printing press.<ref name="pritt">{{cite news|title=Defender of lost causes |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2004/11/07/stories/2004110700510400.htm |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=7 November 2004 |first=Randor |last=Guy |authorlink=Randor Guy |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826142551/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2004/11/07/stories/2004110700510400.htm |archivedate=26 August 2009 }}</ref> | ||
=== Lakshmikanthan's background === | === Lakshmikanthan's background === | ||
Lakshmikanthan was eventually released when the islands came under Japanese occupation during the [[Second World War]]. He returned to India and established himself as a journalist.<ref name="varada">{{cite news |title=The Varadachariar viewpoint |url=http://www.thehindujobs.com/thehindu/mp/2003/08/04/stories/2003080400140300.htm |date=24 August 2003 |work=[[The Hindu]] |first=S. |last=Muthiah |authorlink=S. Muthiah |url-status= | Film historian and author [[Randor Guy]] writes that Lakshmikanthan had a dark past with a criminal record. As a young man, Lakshmikanthan desired to become a lawyer but could not afford the expense involved as his family was not well-off. However, with his sufficient knowledge of law, he managed to establish himself as a "[[tout]]". He was successful for some time but was eventually caught and convicted for forgery. He tried to escape but was captured and imprisoned on a seven-year term at [[Rajahmundry]] jail. He tried to escape once again but was caught and deported to the [[Andaman Islands]]. | ||
Lakshmikanthan was eventually released when the islands came under Japanese occupation during the [[Second World War]]. He returned to India and established himself as a journalist.<ref name="varada">{{cite news |title=The Varadachariar viewpoint |url=http://www.thehindujobs.com/thehindu/mp/2003/08/04/stories/2003080400140300.htm |date=24 August 2003 |work=[[The Hindu]] |first=S. |last=Muthiah |authorlink=S. Muthiah |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404102501/http://www.thehindujobs.com/thehindu/mp/2003/08/04/stories/2003080400140300.htm |archivedate=2009-04-04 |access-date=2009-02-02 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/madras375/a-hint-of-scandal-in-madras/article6321907.ece | title=A hint of scandal in Madras | date=16 August 2014 | first1=T. A. | last1=Narasimhan | first2=B. | last2=Kolappan | newspaper=The Hindu | accessdate=22 January 2019 | archive-date=4 November 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104200142/http://www.thehindu.com/madras375/a-hint-of-scandal-in-madras/article6321907.ece | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.thehindu.com/madras375/a-hint-of-scandal-in-madras/article6321907.ece| title=A hint of scandal in Madras| work=The Hindu| date=16 August 2014| accessdate=28 October 2014| archive-date=25 June 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625115449/http://www.thehindu.com/madras375/a-hint-of-scandal-in-madras/article6321907.ece| url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
== The murder == | == The murder == | ||
{{Moresources|section|date=December 2022}} | |||
[[File:General collins Road.jpg|right|thumb|130px| General Collins Road, Vepery]] | [[File:General collins Road.jpg|right|thumb|130px| General Collins Road, Vepery]] | ||
In the morning of 8 November 1944, Lakshmikanthan paid a visit to his close friend and lawyer, J. Nargunam, who lived in Vepery, suburb in [[Madras]]. En route during return to his residence at the Venkatachala Mudali Street in [[Purasawalkam]], another Madras suburb, by a [[Pulled rickshaw|hand-rickshaw]] at 10:00 ([[Indian Standard Time|IST]]) in General Collins Road, he was attacked by a group of unknown assailants — one of whom stabbed him with a knife.<ref name="pritt" /><ref name="attack">{{cite news|title=C. N. Lakshmikantam Attacked Again|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PIw-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=IUwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3181%2C6691042|accessdate=18 February 2018|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=9 November 1944|page=2}}</ref> He reportedly suffered injuries in the left side of his abdomen among minor wounds on other parts of his body.<ref name="attack"/> The bleeding Lakshmikanthan managed to garner enough strength to walk to the lawyer's house, who listened to his description of the incident, and then sent him to General Hospital, Madras in the company of his friend, Brew. | In the morning of 8 November 1944, Lakshmikanthan paid a visit to his close friend and lawyer, J. Nargunam, who lived in Vepery, a suburb in [[Madras]]. En route during return to his residence at the Venkatachala Mudali Street in [[Purasawalkam]], another Madras suburb, by a [[Pulled rickshaw|hand-rickshaw]] at 10:00 ([[Indian Standard Time|IST]]) in General Collins Road, he was attacked by a group of unknown assailants — one of whom stabbed him with a knife.<ref name="pritt" /><ref name="attack">{{cite news|title=C. N. Lakshmikantam Attacked Again|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PIw-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=IUwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3181%2C6691042|accessdate=18 February 2018|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=9 November 1944|page=2|archive-date=20 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020162026/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PIw-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=IUwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3181%2C6691042|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
He reportedly suffered injuries in the left side of his abdomen among minor wounds on other parts of his body.<ref name="attack"/> The bleeding Lakshmikanthan managed to garner enough strength to walk to the lawyer's house, who listened to his description of the incident, and then sent him to General Hospital, Madras in the company of his friend, Brew. | |||
On the way, Lakshmikanthan requested the rickshaw-driver to stop at Vepery police station to file a complaint against the assailants. At about that time, Brew took leave of him. Profusely bleeding and unable to move, Lakshmikanthan dictated his description of the incident while sitting in the rickshaw while inspector Krishnan Nambiyar wrote it down on a piece of paper. | On the way, Lakshmikanthan requested the rickshaw-driver to stop at Vepery police station to file a complaint against the assailants. At about that time, Brew took leave of him. Profusely bleeding and unable to move, Lakshmikanthan dictated his description of the incident while sitting in the rickshaw while inspector Krishnan Nambiyar wrote it down on a piece of paper. | ||
At the General Hospital, Lakshmikanthan was admitted to the Wenlock Ward when bleeding in the abdomen did not cease. In the ward, Dr. P. R. Balakrishnan inspected his abdomen to check whether there was a serious wound. After this inspection, Lakshmikanthan's condition reportedly grew serious and he died at 4:15 a.m. (IST) on 9 November 1944 due to secondary shock caused by damage to the kidney.<ref name="pritt" /> [[The Indian Express]] reported that he was "aged about fifty" | At the General Hospital, Lakshmikanthan was admitted to the Wenlock Ward when bleeding in the abdomen did not cease. In the ward, Dr. P.R. Balakrishnan inspected his abdomen to check whether there was a serious wound. After this inspection, Lakshmikanthan's condition reportedly grew serious and he died at 4:15 a.m. (IST) on 9 November 1944 due to secondary shock caused by damage to the kidney.<ref name="pritt" /> ''[[The Indian Express]]'' reported that he was "aged about fifty" at the time of his death.<ref>{{cite news|title=C. N. Lakshmikantam Dies in Hospital|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PYw-AAAAIBAJ&pg=5041%2C6764951|accessdate=18 February 2018|work=The Indian Express|date=10 November 1944|page=4|archive-date=20 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020162038/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PYw-AAAAIBAJ&pg=5041%2C6764951|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
== Arrests == | == Arrests == | ||
On the day of the attack, the police arrested one Vadivelu.<ref name="attack"/> Six suspects were arrested in the days following the murder. Among them were Bhagavathar, Krishnan and Naidu.<ref name="pritt" /> They were tried for the murder. Bhagavathar and Krishnan were convicted while Naidu was acquitted.<ref name="pritt" /> The Madras High Court sentenced the duo to transportation for life.<ref name="pritt" /> Krishnan and Bhagavathar appealed to the [[Privy Council]].<ref name="pritt" /> However, the appeal from the Privy Council did not come until the duo had already spent 30 months in jail.<ref name="pritt" /> | |||
On the day of the attack, the police arrested one Vadivelu.<ref name="attack"/> Six suspects were arrested in the days following the murder. Among them were Bhagavathar, Krishnan and Naidu.<ref name="pritt" /> They were tried for the murder. Bhagavathar and Krishnan were convicted while Naidu was acquitted.<ref name="pritt" /> The Madras High Court sentenced the duo to [[transportation for life]].<ref name="pritt" /> Krishnan and Bhagavathar appealed to the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]].<ref name="pritt" /> However, the appeal from the Privy Council did not come until the duo had already spent 30 months in jail.<ref name="pritt" /> | |||
== Suspects == | == Suspects == | ||
{{See|M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar}} | {{See|M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar}} | ||
[[M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar]] (1909-1959) was one of the biggest stars of early Tamil cinema. With his trademark long hair and his sweet voice, he set long-standing movie records. He was appreciated for his generosity and was perhaps the only film actor to be awarded a "[[Rao Bahadur]]" title (which he refused). | [[M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar]] (1909-1959) was one of the biggest stars of early Tamil cinema. With his trademark long hair and his sweet voice, he set long-standing movie records. He was appreciated for his generosity and was perhaps the only film actor to be awarded a "[[Rao Bahadur]]" title (which he refused). | ||
At the time of his arrest, Bhagavathar was at the peak of his success. He had just completed shooting for ''[[Haridas (1944 film)|Haridas]]'', which ran for three successful years at Sun Theatre in Broadway, Madras. He was the highest paid Tamil actor at the time and had been signed for as many as 12 films at the time of his arrest. | At the time of his arrest, Bhagavathar was at the peak of his success. He had just completed shooting for ''[[Haridas (1944 film)|Haridas]]'', which ran for three successful years at Sun Theatre in Broadway, Madras. He was the highest-paid Tamil actor at the time and had been signed for as many as 12 films at the time of his arrest. | ||
===N. S. Krishnan=== | ===N. S. Krishnan=== | ||
[[N. S. Krishnan]] was a Tamil film comedian, drama artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry. He is considered as the "Charlie Chaplin of India." | [[N. S. Krishnan]] was a Tamil film comedian, drama artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry. He is considered as the "Charlie Chaplin of India." | ||
| Line 47: | Line 76: | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[List of unsolved murders ( | |||
* [[List of unsolved murders (1900–1979)]] | |||
* [[Murder of Renukaswamy]] | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
| Line 53: | Line 84: | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/244689/|title=Transcript of the verdict in M.K. Thiagaraja Bhagavathar And Ors. vs on 29 October 1945|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20170625120518/https://indiankanoon.org/doc/244689/|archivedate=25 June 2017|url-status=dead}} | * {{Cite web|url=http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/244689/|title=Transcript of the verdict in M.K. Thiagaraja Bhagavathar And Ors. vs on 29 October 1945|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20170625120518/https://indiankanoon.org/doc/244689/|archivedate=25 June 2017|url-status=dead}} | ||
<!-- https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bNc-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=WkwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6016%2C2132781 a newspaper article of the acquittal, if anyone wants to make use of it, please do --> | <!-- https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bNc-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=WkwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6016%2C2132781 a newspaper article of the acquittal, if anyone wants to make use of it, please do --> | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:1944 murders in India]] | ||
[[Category:Crime in Tamil Nadu]] | [[Category:Crime in Tamil Nadu]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:20th century in Tamil Nadu]] | ||
[[Category:Judicial Committee of the Privy Council cases]] | [[Category:Judicial Committee of the Privy Council cases]] | ||
[[Category:Scandals in India]] | [[Category:Scandals in India]] | ||
[[Category:Trials in India]] | [[Category:Trials in India]] | ||
[[Category:Unsolved murders in India]] | [[Category:Unsolved murders in India]] | ||
[[Category:Murder trials]] | |||
[[Category:1944 in Indian cinema]] | |||
[[Category:Controversies about films in India]] | |||
[[Category:1940s trials]] | |||
[[Category:November 1944 in Asia]] | |||
[[Category:Tamil cinema]] | |||
[[Category:Journalists killed in India]] | |||
[[Category:Murdered Indian journalists]] | |||
[[Category:Madras Presidency]] | |||
[[Category:India in World War II]] | |||
Latest revision as of 03:49, 16 January 2026
C. N. Lakshmikanthan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Madras, British India (present-day Chennai, India) |
| Died | 7 November 1944 Madras, British India |
| Cause of death | Stabbing |
| Occupation | Film journalist |
| Known for | Victim of an unsolved murder |
The Lakshmikanthan murder case was a high-profile criminal trial that was conducted in the then Madras Presidency of British India between November 1944 and April 1947. The cause of the trial was the murder of C. N. Lakshmikanthan, a Tamil film journalist. Lakshmikanthan was stabbed in Vepery, Madras, on 7 November 1944. He died the next morning in General Hospital, Madras.
A criminal case was filed and a series of suspects were arrested. The suspects included Tamil film actors M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and N. S. Krishnan and director S. M. Sriramulu Naidu. While Naidu was acquitted, Bhagavathar and Krishnan were found guilty and convicted. Bhagavathar and Krishnan appealed to the Madras High Court, but their appeals were turned down. The duo remained in jail until 1947, when an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was successful, and the Privy Council directed the sessions court to make a fresh retrial. They were found to be innocent and acquitted. The case remains unsolved as the real killers were never identified.[1]
The arrest completely broke Bhagavathar's morale. He lost all his money and died in 1959 in penury. Krishnan went on to do a few films, only some of which were successful.[citation needed]
Background[edit | edit source]
The feud between the accused and Lakshmikanthan[edit | edit source]
C. N. Lakshmikanthan was an infamous film journalist in Madras Presidency. His foray into journalism began in 1943 when he launched a film weekly called Cinema Thoothu which was extremely successful, due to extensive columns devoted to the personal lives of some of the top actors and actresses of the day. Many actors and actresses responded by paying large amounts of money to "buy" his silence. As a result, Lakshmikanthan set up a prosperous vocation.[2]
Eventually, matters reached a standstill when Bhagavathar, Krishnan, and Naidu submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Madras, Arthur Oswald James Hope, requesting him to revoke the license for the magazine. Hope obliged and the license for the magazine was cancelled. Lakshmikanthan tried to run the magazine with forged documents but, after a few months, he was forced to close shop.[citation needed]
Unfazed, Lakshmikanthan set up a new magazine called Hindu Nesan in which he continued his scandalous stories on Bhagavathar, Krishnan and a few other top actors, actresses and film people of the day. The tactics paid huge dividends and Lakshmikanthan purchased his own printing press.[3]
Lakshmikanthan's background[edit | edit source]
Film historian and author Randor Guy writes that Lakshmikanthan had a dark past with a criminal record. As a young man, Lakshmikanthan desired to become a lawyer but could not afford the expense involved as his family was not well-off. However, with his sufficient knowledge of law, he managed to establish himself as a "tout". He was successful for some time but was eventually caught and convicted for forgery. He tried to escape but was captured and imprisoned on a seven-year term at Rajahmundry jail. He tried to escape once again but was caught and deported to the Andaman Islands.
Lakshmikanthan was eventually released when the islands came under Japanese occupation during the Second World War. He returned to India and established himself as a journalist.[4][5][6]
The murder[edit | edit source]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2022) |
In the morning of 8 November 1944, Lakshmikanthan paid a visit to his close friend and lawyer, J. Nargunam, who lived in Vepery, a suburb in Madras. En route during return to his residence at the Venkatachala Mudali Street in Purasawalkam, another Madras suburb, by a hand-rickshaw at 10:00 (IST) in General Collins Road, he was attacked by a group of unknown assailants — one of whom stabbed him with a knife.[3][7]
He reportedly suffered injuries in the left side of his abdomen among minor wounds on other parts of his body.[7] The bleeding Lakshmikanthan managed to garner enough strength to walk to the lawyer's house, who listened to his description of the incident, and then sent him to General Hospital, Madras in the company of his friend, Brew.
On the way, Lakshmikanthan requested the rickshaw-driver to stop at Vepery police station to file a complaint against the assailants. At about that time, Brew took leave of him. Profusely bleeding and unable to move, Lakshmikanthan dictated his description of the incident while sitting in the rickshaw while inspector Krishnan Nambiyar wrote it down on a piece of paper.
At the General Hospital, Lakshmikanthan was admitted to the Wenlock Ward when bleeding in the abdomen did not cease. In the ward, Dr. P.R. Balakrishnan inspected his abdomen to check whether there was a serious wound. After this inspection, Lakshmikanthan's condition reportedly grew serious and he died at 4:15 a.m. (IST) on 9 November 1944 due to secondary shock caused by damage to the kidney.[3] The Indian Express reported that he was "aged about fifty" at the time of his death.[8]
Arrests[edit | edit source]
On the day of the attack, the police arrested one Vadivelu.[7] Six suspects were arrested in the days following the murder. Among them were Bhagavathar, Krishnan and Naidu.[3] They were tried for the murder. Bhagavathar and Krishnan were convicted while Naidu was acquitted.[3] The Madras High Court sentenced the duo to transportation for life.[3] Krishnan and Bhagavathar appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.[3] However, the appeal from the Privy Council did not come until the duo had already spent 30 months in jail.[3]
Suspects[edit | edit source]
M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar (1909-1959) was one of the biggest stars of early Tamil cinema. With his trademark long hair and his sweet voice, he set long-standing movie records. He was appreciated for his generosity and was perhaps the only film actor to be awarded a "Rao Bahadur" title (which he refused).
At the time of his arrest, Bhagavathar was at the peak of his success. He had just completed shooting for Haridas, which ran for three successful years at Sun Theatre in Broadway, Madras. He was the highest-paid Tamil actor at the time and had been signed for as many as 12 films at the time of his arrest.
N. S. Krishnan[edit | edit source]
N. S. Krishnan was a Tamil film comedian, drama artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry. He is considered as the "Charlie Chaplin of India."
He acted in nearly 150 Tamil films and the matinee-duo of Krishnan and T. A. Madhuram (later his wife) in Tamil films was very popular; he did roles along with leading stage and cine artists. He was also a talented singer.
His jail term and fight for justice made him penurious; his wealth was lost in fighting the case.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Frederick, Prince (23 August 2013). "Gripped by sleaze, sex and murders". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ↑ "Defender of lost causes". The Hindu. 7 November 2004. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Guy, Randor (7 November 2004). "Defender of lost causes". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009.
- ↑ Muthiah, S. (24 August 2003). "The Varadachariar viewpoint". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 April 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
- ↑ Narasimhan, T. A.; Kolappan, B. (16 August 2014). "A hint of scandal in Madras". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 November 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ↑ "A hint of scandal in Madras". The Hindu. 16 August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "C. N. Lakshmikantam Attacked Again". The Indian Express. 9 November 1944. p. 2. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- ↑ "C. N. Lakshmikantam Dies in Hospital". The Indian Express. 10 November 1944. p. 4. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
External links[edit | edit source]
- "Transcript of the verdict in M.K. Thiagaraja Bhagavathar And Ors. vs on 29 October 1945".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)