Ashok Kumar | |
---|---|
Directed by | Raja Chandrasekhar |
Written by | Ilangovan |
Starring | M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar Chittoor V. Nagayya P. Kannamba |
Cinematography | Jiten Banerjee |
Edited by | T. R. Raghunath |
Music by | Alathur V. Subramanyam |
Production company | Murugan Talkies |
Release date |
|
Running time | 211 minutes [1] |
Country | India |
Language | Tamil |
Ashok Kumar is a 1941 Indian Tamil-language historical drama film directed by Raja Chandrasekhar. Based on a legend involving the Mauryan emperor Ashoka The Great, his son Kunala and Ashoka's second wife Thishyarakshai, it stars M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, Chittoor V. Nagayya and P. Kannamba. The film was released on 17 September 1941.
The Mauryan emperor Ashokar's son Kunalan is courted by Ashokar's second wife Tishyarakshai. When he rejects her advances, he is falsely accused by the queen of trying to seduce her, and is thrown into prison and blinded. The story, however, comes to a happy end with his eyesight being restored by Gautama Buddha and the king acquits him of all the charges.
Ashok Kumar is based on a legend involving the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, his son Kunalan and Ashoka's younger queen Thishyarakshai. It was the first Tamil film based on the legend, which was previously filmed in Hindi as Veer Kunal (1925). Telugu actress P. Kannamba played the role of Thishyarakshai. This was her second Tamil film and since she did not know the language, she was provided with a script in which Tamil words had been transliterated into Telugu. Ashok Kumar marked the debut of Ranjan (credited as R. Ramani), [2] who portrayed Gautama Buddha. The song and dance sequence, "Unnai Kandu Mayangaatha" was shot in a single night at Newtone Studio. [3]
The songs were composed by Alathur V. Subramanyam and the lyrics were written by Papanasam Sivan. [2] Playback singers are Rama Rao and Mani of the Renuka Orchestra. [4] [5]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Unnai Kandu" | Papanasam Sivan | M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar | 2:51 |
2. | "Dhyaname Enadu" | Papanasam Sivan | M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar | 3:06 |
3. | "Manamae Nee" | Papanasam Sivan | M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar | 3:19 |
4. | "Sathvaguna Bothan" | Papanasam Sivan | M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar | 3:14 |
5. | "Bhoomiyil Maanida Jenmam" | Papanasam Sivan | M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar | 2:46 |
Total length: | 15:16 |
Ashok Kumar was released on 17 September 1941. [7] Kay Yess Enn of The Indian Express praised the film for Kannamba's performance. [8]
Portions of "Bhoomiyil Maanida" were used in "Theepidikka", a song in Arinthum Ariyamalum (2005). [9]
Ashoka was a monarch of the Mauryan Empire of India.
Kunala was the Crown Prince and second son of 3rd Mauryan Emperor Ashoka and Empress Padmavati and the presumptive heir to Ashoka, thus the heir to the Mauryan Empire which once ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent. After the departure of Mahendra, Ashoka's eldest son, he was supposed to be the heir to the empire, but was blinded by his step-mother, Tishyaraksha, at a young age in jealousy. While he was not able to take the throne, his son, Samprati, became his heir.
Pasupuleti Kannamba was an Indian actress, playback singer and film producer of Telugu cinema, of Andhra Pradesh, India. She acted in more than 170 films and produced about 25 films in Telugu and Tamil languages during the 1930s to the 1960s.
Mayavaram Krishnasamy Thiyagaraja Bhagavathar, also known by his initials as M. K. T., was an Indian actor, producer, and Carnatic singer.
Haridas is a 1944 Tamil language film directed by Sundar Rao Nadkarni and starring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, T. R. Rajakumari and N. C. Vasanthakokilam.
Pavalakkodi is a 1934 Tamil language film starring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and directed by K. Subramanyam. It was the first film for both of them. The film's music was composed by Papanasam Sivan.
Ambikapathy is a 1937 Indian Tamil musical period film directed by American film director Ellis R. Dungan. It starred M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, M. R. Santhanalakshmi, Serugulathur Sama, T. S. Balaiya, N. S. Krishnan, T. A. Madhuram and P. G. Venkatesan. Ambikapathy is regarded as one of the greatest hits of pre-independence Tamil cinema. Ambikapathy, along with Chintamani were the greatest hits of 1937 and made critics regard Bhagavathar as the "first superstar of Tamil cinema". This was the first Tamil film to name a music director in its credits.
Mangamma Sabatham is a 1943 Indian Tamil-language film, starring Vasundhara Devi, Ranjan, N. S. Krishnan and T. A. Mathuram. The film was produced by S. S. Vasan and directed by T. G. Raghavachari, credited as Acharya. The film was remade in Hindi and Telugu as Mangala and again in Telugu as Mangamma Sapatham (1965).
Sarangadhara is an epic story during the reign of Rajaraja Narendra. Gurajada Apparao wrote the story in long poetic form in English and published in "Indian Leisure Hour" in 1883. It is a popular Telugu drama and made into South Indian films.
Ranjan was an Indian actor, singer, journalist and writer. He debuted in the 1941 movie Ashok Kumar, but gained fame in S. S. Vasan's 1948 magnum opus Chandralekha.
Gopalan Ramanathan was an Indian music composer for Tamil movies. He is also known as Isai Methai or Sangeetha Chakravarthy and is considered to be one of the influential Tamil music composers to take Carnatic music to the masses. Notable for his association with M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. G. Ramanathan also composed for films of Salem Modern Theatres and Coimbatore Central Studios. His career lasted until his death in 1963. During the 1950s G.Ramanathan's music dominated most of the box office hits of the then leading Tamil movie stars Shivaji Ganesan and M. G. Ramachandran.
Sozhavanthan Varadharajan Venkatraman, also known as SVV, was an Indian actor, singer, and music director, who was active in the Indian film industry from 1938 to the 1970s.
Veer Kunal also called Son Of Ashoka is a 1945 Hindi historical fiction film directed by Kishore Sahu. Besides directing the film Sahu also produced it and wrote the story and screenplay. The cinematographer was Chandu. Produced under the Ramnik Productions banner, it had music by Khan Mastana. The starcast consisted of Kishore Sahu, Shobhna Samarth, Durga Khote, Mubarak and Maya Banerji.
Viduthalai (transl. Liberation) is a 1954 Indian Tamil-language crime drama film directed and produced by K. Ramnoth. It was adapted from the play The First and the Last by John Galsworthy. The film stars V. Nagayya and Manohar. It was released on 12 February 1954 and failed at the box office.
Vikatayogi is a 1946 Indian, Tamil-language film produced and directed by K. Subramanyam. The film featured P. U. Chinnappa and T. R. Rajakumari in the lead roles.
Shyamala is a 1952 Indian Tamil-language film directed by B. A. Subba Rao. The film stars M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and S. Varalakshmi. It was released on 29 November 1952.
Navajeevanam is a 1949 Indian Tamil-language film directed by K. B. Nagabhushanam. The film featured V. Nagayya, P. Kannamba, Sriram and T. A. Jayalakshmi.
Naveena Sarangadhara is a 1936 Tamil film directed by K. Subramaniam under Murugan Talkies. Naveena in Tamil means modern. The film was titled thus in order to distinguish itself from the earlier versions and also in order to highlight the slight modifications made to the original story. The cast includes M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and S. D. Subbulakshmi in the lead roles supported by S. S. Mani Bhagavathar, G. Pattu Iyer and Indubala. The music was composed by Papanasam Sivan.
B. Jayamma was an Indian actress and singer. She began her career on stage as a 14-year-old when she joined a theatre group owned by Gubbi Veeranna, her future husband. She went on to perform for 45 years on stage while also appearing in 45 Kannada, Telugu and Tamil films.
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