Thanga Padhumai

Name: Thanga Padhumai
Director: A. S. A. Samy
Released: 2021-04-26T19:28:02Z
Duration: 3 h 4 min
Cast: Sivaji Ganesan, Padmini (actress), T. R. Rajakumari, N. S. Krishnan, M. N. Nambiar

Thanga Padhumai
Thanga Padhumai
	File:Thanga Padhumai poster.jpg
Directed by	A. S. A. Samy
Produced by	M. Somasundaram
Written by	Dialogues:; Aru. Ramanathan,; M. Viswanathan
Screenplay by	A. S. A. Samy
Story by	Aru. Ramanathan
Starring	Sivaji Ganesan; Padmini; T. R. Rajakumari; N. S. Krishnan; M. N. Nambiar; M. N. Rajam
Music by	Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy
Cinematography	P. Ramasamy; Art Direction:; T. V. S. Shama
Edited by	A. Thangarajan
Production; company	Jupiter Pictures
Distributed by	Jupiter Pictures
Release date	10 January 1959
Running time	184 mins
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Thanga Padhumai (English: Golden Statue) is a Tamil language film starring Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini in the lead roles. The film was co- written and directed by A. S. A. Samy, produced by M. Somasundaram under Jupiter Pictures, and musical score by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy.^[2] Thanga Pathumai proved to be a hit in its re-release, and won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for the year 1959.

Plot[edit | edit source]

Manivannan (Sivaji Ganesan) is a physician, but a simpleton. Selvi (Padmini), daughter of a rich trader of Uraiyur was modelled on Kannagi as the personification of female virtues. The emeralds in the eyes of Kannagi Devi statue at Uraiyur are precious and attract the princess Raja Vadana (M.N.Rajam) of the neighbouring kingdoom. To get the gems, the commander Balakumaran (M.N.Nambiaar) and Raja Vadana send their dancer Maya Mohini (T.R.Rajakumari) to dance at the Uraiyur festival.

Maya Mohini captures the eye of Manivannan much to the fury of his wife and father in law. She is insulted and sent away during the dance, and earns the pity of Manivannan who leaves Selvi and settles with Maya Mohini, in the process losing his property as well his wife's, and moving them into poverty. Manivannan's father-in-law passes away in this shock and Selvi's child is born .

Manivannan's father is on death bed and Selvi goes to meet Maya Mohini to get her husband back. Maya Mohini is by now moved by Manivannan's innocence and refuses to hand over his property to the Balakumara . Furious Balakumaran beats Manivannan unconscious when Selvi reaches Mayamohini's place

Mayamohini commands for a mortgage from Selvi for releasing her husband. With no other go, Selvi hands over her son to Maya Mohini and tells him that she will take back the child after giving her a gold statue( Thanga Padhumai) equal to the child.Further Selvi also states that she will not bear any other child till this child is taken back

Manivannan's father passes away before they reach home and Manivannan and Selvi moves to the kingdom of Raja Vadana. Maya Mohini face is burnt Raja Vadana for supporting Manivannan and Manivannan child is held captive. Maya Mohini visits the physician house and is moved by the way Manivannam and Selvi treats him. She takes back her promise and uphelds that she will return the child to Selvi

The king is unwell due to brain tumour and the physician is commanded to the palace to treat the king where Raja Vadana falls for him. She hatches a plan with commander Balakumara to kill the King and Manivannan is blamed for same and sent to prison. Since he doesn't fall to the vicious love of Raja Vadana he is also blinded .

In a long song-oriented climax, Selvi gets the emerald gems of Kannagi statue as per Raja Vadana's demand , but on seeing her blinded husband, boils up in fury and asks Raja vadana to stare at the gems. The powerful gems blinds her. She curses the entire kingdom to succumb to fire (Similar to story of Kannagi) . Maya Mohini hands her back her son before getting engulfed in fire. Selvi brings Manivannan to Kannagi temple, restores the gems back to Kannagi statue and gets Manivannan's eyes restored

Cast[edit | edit source]

Cast according to the opening credits of the film

Male cast

Sivaji Ganesan as Manivannan
M. N. Nambiar as Villavan
Kalaivanar N. S. Krishnan as Chinnaiah
Kuladeivam V. R. Rajagopal
Pulimootai Ramasami as Nagavijayan
D. Balasubramaniam as Muthuvelar
R. Balasubramaniam as Manivanna's father
K. Duraisami
M. R. Saminathan

Female cast

Padmini as Selvi
M. N. Rajam as Raja Vadana
T. P. Muthulakshmi
T. R. Rajakumari as Maya Mohini

Dance

Production[edit | edit source]

In the late 1950s, Jupiter Somu thought of remaking Kannagi (1942) with Sivaji Ganesan as Kovalan. He projected the 1942 version to mentor C. N. Annadurai who watched it along with Sami, who was to direct the second version.^[3] After watching the film, Annadurai told them that remaking the film would not prove successful. The project was dropped but Somu carried in his mind the idea of making something similar about "a woman, who is chastity personified fighting a relentless battle to win her husband back…". The film was titled as Thanga Padhumai. Writers Aru. Ramanathan and A. S. A. Sami wrote the script inspired from American film The Egyptian (1954).^[4] Producers initially approached Anjali Devi and P. Bhanumathi for the character of Mayamohini for which they did not agree and finally TR Rajakumari was chosen to play the role.^[5] A. S. A. Sami recalled that during the lunch break, Padmini would walk up and down the shooting floor with the script in her hand studying the dialogue over and over and delivering it, giving it different shades of meaning.^[3] The film was made in budget of 8 lakhs with Sivaji and Padmini were paid 60000 while Rajakumari was paid 25000 for the film.^[5]

Soundtrack[edit | edit source]

The music composed by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy and lyrics were written by Udumalai Narayana Kavi, Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, Kannadasan & A. Maruthakasi.^[6]^[7]^[8]

The song "Varugiraal Unnai Thedi" is based on Atana raga.^[9] The dancers for this song are T. R. Rajakumari, C. Lakshmi Rajyam and Sashi (of Madras sisters Sashi, Kala and Mala. They are related to Music director V. Chandra Bose & old actress K. N. Kamalam)

The song "Aarambamavadhu" was remixed in Tharai Thappattai (2016).^[10]

No.	Song	Singers	Lyrics	Length (m:ss)
1	Vanam Poyyaadhu	T. M. Soundararajan	Sitthar Viruththam	00:30
2	Engal Kula Nayagiye	P. Leela	Kannadasan	05:36
3	Varugiraal Unnai Thedi	M. L. Vasanthakumari & Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi	Kannadasan	05:35
4	En Vaazhvil Pudhu Padhai Kanden	P. Susheela	A. Maruthakasi	03:34
5	Indru Namathullame Pongum	T. M. Soundararajan & Jikki	Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram	04:30
6	Eedatra Patthinikku.... Aarambam Avathu Pennukkulle	C. S. Jayaraman & dialogues by Padmini		07:22
7	Pariththa Kannaipadhitthu	P. Leela		05:22
8	Marundhu Vikira Maappillaiku	A. P. Komala & K. Jamuna Rani		02:49
9	En Vaazhvil Pudhu Padhai Kanden (pathos)	P. Susheela	A. Maruthakasi	03:41
10	Poomalai Pottu Pona Mama	S. C. Krishnan & A. G. Rathnamala	Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram	02:27
11	Ondru Patta Kanavanukku	T. S. Bagavathi		01:48
12	Mugatthil Mugam Parkkalam	T. M. Soundararajan & P. Leela		02:59
13	Vizhi Vel	A. P. Komala & K. Jamuna Rani	Udumalai Narayana Kavi	03:00
14	Illara Maligaiyil	T. S. Bagavathi	Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram	03:00
15	Vidhi Enum Kuzhandai	Seerkazhi Govindarajan		01:46
16	Kotravan Madhurai Moodhor	P. Leela		03:10

Release[edit | edit source]

The film was sold to Ramakrishnan films who did not release well in its first run in spite of best performance and songs as expected. However, in its second run, film was bought by Jayaraman Pictures for 25000 rs and it did well.^[5] Randor Guy of The Hindu wrote that the film is remembered for "Padmini's and Sivaji Ganesan's performance, and the classic song 'Koduthavaney'."^[3] Dhananjayan wrote that the narration was "engaging and excellent with many twist and turns throughout".^[5]

Legacy[edit | edit source]

The film's dialogue "Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara" ("Isn't this what you wished for, Balakumara?") inspired the title of a 2013 film.^[11] The title of the film inspired a song titled "Idharkuthane Aasaipattai" in Romeo Juliet (2015).^[12]