''Kappalottiya Thamizhan'' () is a 1961 Indian

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

-language

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and s ...

film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars

Sivaji Ganesan Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji G ...

Gemini Ganesan Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the ''Kaadhal Mannan'' (King of Romance) for his romantic roles ...

and Savitri. It is based on the 1944 book of the same name by M. P. Sivagnanam, a biography of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai who founded the Swadeshi Stream Navigation Company to break the monopoly of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

over maritime trade out of India. ''Kappalottiya Thamizhan'' was released on 7 November 1961. The film received critical acclaim, and won the

National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil The Indian Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several aw ...

at the

9th National Film Awards The 9th National Film Awards, then known as State Awards for Films, presented by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in 1961. The awards were announced on 5 April 1962 and were prese ...

Plot

V. O. Chidambaram Pillai has devoted himself to the cause of India's freedom from the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

. Chidambaram, appearing for the peasant Madasami, wins a case filed by an agent of a British proprietor. Chidambaram's father, who appeared for the agent, sends his son to

Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...

lest the British proprietor should give him any trouble. Madasami who accompanies Chidambaram, looks after the latter's salt-pan. At Thoothukudi, Chidambaram meets

Subramaniya Siva Subramaniya Siva (Tamil: சுப்பிரமணிய சிவா) (4 October 1884 – 23 July 1925) was an Indian freedom fighter, writer and pure Tamil movement activist during the Indian independence movement. Life Subramaniya Siva was ...

, a freedom fighter and works for the Swadeshi movement. Chidambaram receives a complaint from some of the local merchants that the British Shipping Company had refused to load their goods. Against great odds, Chidambaram starts the National Shipping Company with Indian Capital to free Indian trade from dependence on foreign liners. The company prospers despite attempts by the British Company to sabotage the ship of the Indian firm. Chidambaram incurs the displeasure of the Government by organising a strike for getting the grievances of the local coral mill workers redressed and by organising public celebrations to mark the release of

Bipin Chandra Pal Bipin Chandra Pal ( bn, বিপিন চন্দ্র পাল ; 7 November 1858 – 20 May 1932) was an Indian nationalist, writer, orator, social reformer and Indian independence movement freedom fighter. He was one third of the “L ...

in contravention of a prohibitory order. Chidambaram, along with Siva, is invited to Tirunelveli by the District Collector, Winch. The collector directs them not to engage in political activity and also orders them out of the District. They defy the orders and are arrested. In the trial which ensues, Chidambaram is sentenced to 20 years life imprisonment and Siva to 10 years. Chidambaram's sentence is reduced to six years on appeal. The imprisonment of these two leaders sparks off mass unrest which is put down ruthlessly. Some time later, the new District Collector Ashe is shot dead by a patriotic

Vanchinathan Vanchinatha Iyer (1886 – 17 June 1911), popularly known as Vanchinathan or Vanchi, was an Indian independence activist. He is best remembered for assassinating Robert Ashe, the Tax Collector of Thirunelveli who was instrumental in closing ...

, who commits suicide before the police can reach him. The news of the unrelenting struggle outside gives much consolation to Chidambaram and Siva who are treated barbarously in the prison. Chidambaram emerges from the prison a broken man only to witness a series of disappointments – Chidambaram's brother has become insane, Siva is a victim of

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve d ...

contracted during his term in prison, people have forgotten him and his role in the Indian independence movement, the National Shipping Company is bought by its British rival and leaders like

Bal Gangadhar Tilak Bal Gangadhar Tilak (; born Keshav Gangadhar Tilak (pronunciation: eʃəʋ ɡəŋɡaːd̪ʱəɾ ʈiɭək; 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), endeared as Lokmanya (IAST: ''Lokmānya''), was an Indian nationalist, teacher, and an independence ...

and

Bharathiyar C. Subramania Bharathi Birth name: C. Subramaniyan, the person's given name: Subramaniyan, father's given name: Chinnaswami. (C. Subramaniyan by the prevalent patronymic initials as prefix naming system in Tamil Nadu and it is Subramaniyan C ...

die one after another. Chidambaram devotes the last years of his life to the study of literature and dies still dreaming of the day when India would be free.

Cast

;Male cast *

as V. O. Chidambaram Pillai *

as Madasami *

T. K. Shanmugam T. K. Shanmugam (1912–1973; also known as "Avvai" T. K. Shanmugam) was a Tamil theatre and film artist. He acquired the prefix "Avvai" after portraying saint-poet Avvaiyar in a play. Early life T.K. Shanmugam was born on 26 April 1912 to Tamil ...

* S. V. Subbaiah as

* Balaji as

* Nagayya as Ulaganathan Pillai *

T. S. Durairaj T. S. Durairaj (31 December 1910 – 2 June 1986) was a Tamil film comedian, drama artist, producer and director in the early stages of the Tamil film industry (Kollywood). He received a Kalaimamani award from the Tamil Nadu Government in ...

as Sangan *

Karunanidhi Muthuvel Karunanidhi (3 June 1924 – 7 August 2018) was an Indian writer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for almost two decades over five terms between 1969 and 2011. He was popularly referred to as Kalaignar (Art ...

as Mannarsami * M. N. Kannappa as Meenakshisundaram * M. R. Santhanam as ''Aid'' Ekambaram * T. N. Sivathanu as Vanchi's father-in-law * Veerasami as a lawyer * Eswaran as Neelakanta Brahmachari * K. V. Srinivasan as Shankara Krishna Iyer *

Parthiban R. Parthiban (born 14 October 1958) is an Indian actor and filmmaker who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He has directed 15 films, produced 13 films and acted in more than 70 films. He started his career as assistant director for K. Bhagyaraj in ...

as Judge Pinhe * Natarajan as Pandit Durai Thevar * S. A. Kannan as Vijayaraghavachariar * Nannu as Fakir Muhammed Seth * Sayeeram as ''Sakshi'' Dharmanayagam Pillai * Master Thyagarajan as a blind boy ;Female cast * Savithri as Kannamma *

Kumari Rukmani Kumari Rukmani (19 April 1929 – 4 September 2007), also known as Kumari Rukmini, was an Indian actress and dancer. She has acted in about 100 films in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi languages. Childhood She is the daughter of Nungambakkam Janaki, a ...

as V. O. C.'s wife, Meenakshi Ammal * Gemini Chandra as Vanchi's wife, Ponnammal *

T. P. Muthulakshmi T. P. Muthulakshmi (Native name: தமிழ்: டி. பி. முத்துலட்சுமி) was an Indian actress who was active from the 1950 to 1969. She was a prominent lead comedy actress during the early 1950s in Tamil film ...

as (Sudhandira Devi) Singamma * S. R. Janaki as Madasami's mother * Saraswathi as Iyengar's wife * Sasikala as Bharathiyar's wife, Chellammal * Radhabhai as Paramayi Ammal ;Guest artists *

S. V. Ranga Rao Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao (3 July 1918 – 18 July 1974), popularly known as SVR, was an Indian actor, producer, and director known for his works majorly in Telugu and Tamil films. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in the history o ...

as Winch * Ashokan as Ashe *

K. Sarangapani Kumbakonam Sarangapani (1904-1984) was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out ...

as Rayar *

O. A. K. Thevar O. A. K. Thevar (1924–1973) was an Indian actor. He acted in over 200 films and stage plays. He is known for his antagonistic roles. In 1955 he acted his debut movie ''Maman Magal''. His notable movie are Mahadhevi, Thaikkupin Tharam, Uth ...

as Vaduguraman * Stunt Somu as Sudalai ;Supporting cast *

Karikol Raju Karikol Raju was a Tamil film veteran actor who appeared in Tamil-language films. He acted in more than 500 films in a career spanning over five decades. He had started his career as a dramatist and stage actor and went on to act as a charact ...

, Thangaraju, M. S. Karuppaiah, Mani Iyer, Vijayakumar, Kuppusami, V. P. S. Mani, Somanathan, S. A. G. Sami, Harihara Iyer, T. P. Harisingh, Gopraj,
V. Mahalingam, Balakrishnan, Natarajan, Raja, Subbaiah, Ramkumar, Ibrahim, Thoothukudi Arunachalam Kuzhavinar, Master Krishna, Seetharaman and Baby Pappi.

Production

On 14 January 1960, ''Kappalottiya Thamizhan'', a biopic of V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, was announced, to be produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu under Padmini Pictures. The film is based on the 1944 book of the same name by M. P. Sivagnanam, a biography of Chidambaram Pillai. During a time when the DMK was gaining political ground in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

, a time when there was competition between parties, and films were pitched against each other, the opposition unleashed a malicious propaganda that since Chidambaram belonged to the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

, ''Kappalottiya Thamizhan'' was a film for the Congress. Certain people did not want the masses to be "stirred" by the nationalist spirit.

was hesitant to do the role of Chidambaram Pillai as he doubted whether he could perform the role flawlessly, but later accepted and studied various material to understand Chidambaram Pillai. S. V. Subbaiah was cast as the poet

Subramania Bharati C. Subramania Bharathi Birth name: C. Subramaniyan, the person's given name: Subramaniyan, father's given name: Chinnaswami. (C. Subramaniyan by the prevalent patronymic initials as prefix naming system in Tamil Nadu and it is Subramaniyan C ...

alias Bharathiyar, taking inspiration from his role as Kavi Anandar from the play ''Kaviyin Kanavu'' (1945). V. Nagayya who was then in "dire straits", was signed up for a significant role, that of Ulaganathan Pillai, as Panthulu wanted to give him a "break in films". According to film historian

S. Theodore Baskaran Sundararaj Theodore Baskaran (born 1940) is a film historian and wildlife conservationist from Tamil Nadu, India. Early life and education Theodore Baskaran was born in Dharapuram, (in present-day Tiruppur district, Tamil Nadu) in 1940. He ...

, there is no evidence of any research undertaken for making the film. He stated that the film had no

prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

s, apart from the character's costumes and the female characters' ear-lobes, which were done to create a "period effect". Though then known for his theatrical-style acting, Ganesan tried acting naturally during the prison sequences and his character's trauma of disillusionment. While primarily in black and white, the film was partly coloured using

Gevacolor Gevacolor is a color motion picture process. It was introduced in 1947 by Gevaert in Belgium, and an affiliate of Agfacolor. The process and company flourished in the 1950s as it was suitable for on location shooting. Both the companies merged in ...

, and the colour sequences were processed at the Film Centre,

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of the film was composed by

G. Ramanathan Gopalan Iyer Ramanathan was an Indian music composer for Tamil movies. He is also known as ''Isai Methai'' (Genius of Music) or ''Sangeetha Chakravarthy'' (Emperor of Music) and is considered to be one of the influential Tamil music composers ...

. All the songs are based on poems, written by Subramania Bharati.

Release

''Kappalottiya Thamizhan'' was released on 7 November 1961, and failed commercially, losing ₹7 lakh (worth ₹29 crore in 2021 prices). Tax exemption was offered during its re-release in 1967, making it the first Tamil film to get tax exemption from the

government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

. About the film's initial failure, Ganesan felt that since the Congress did not understand artistic sensitivities, ''Kappalottiya Tamizhan'' was a failure. He also stated that he was not upset for losing money making the film to kindle the national spirit, but rather happy that he could harness the medium to remind people of the Indian freedom fighters of the bygone era. At the

, ''Kappalottiya Thamizhan'' won the

Reception

The magazines ''Kalai'' and ''Thendral'' gave the film positive reviews, saying every Tamilian should see it. ''

Kalki Kalki ( sa, कल्कि), also called Kalkin or Karki, is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is described to appear in order to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in the endless cycle of exist ...

'' praised Krishnaswamy's writing, and compared the film favourably to ''

Veerapandiya Kattabomman Veerapandiya Kattabomman was an 18th-century Tamil Palayakarrar and king of Panchalankurichi in Tamil Nadu, India. He refused to accept the sovereignty of the British East India Company and waged a war against them. He was captured by the Briti ...

'' (1959), another biopic also directed by Panthulu and starring Ganesan. On Ganesan's performance, Chidambaram's son Subramaniam said it was like seeing his father alive on the screen, a statement Ganesan considered his "highest award". Following Ganesan's death in 2001, S. Viswanathan of ''

The Frontline The Frontline is an American rap duo from Richmond, California, consisting of Left and Locksmith, also known as Lock.Hildebrand, Lee (2005)RICHMOND VIOLENCE FUELS HIP-HOP DUO, ''San Francisco Chronicle'', June 26, 2005, retrieved 2010-07-06 Th ...

'' praised his performance, saying "Critics list several films as his best in terms of performance. However, according to the actor, his career best was ''Kappalottiya Thamizhan''."

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

* {{NationalFilmAwardBestFeatureFilmTamil 1960s biographical drama films 1960s historical drama films 1960s Tamil-language films 1961 drama films 1961 films Best Tamil Feature Film National Film Award winners Drama films based on actual events Epic films based on actual events Films directed by B. R. Panthulu Films scored by G. Ramanathan Films set in 1870 Films set in 1880 Films set in 1890 Films set in 1900 Films set in 1910 Films set in 1920 Films set in 1930 Films set in Tamil Nadu Films set in the British Raj Films set in the Indian independence movement Films set on ships History of India on film Indian biographical drama films Indian films based on actual events Indian historical drama films Indian history in popular culture Sailing films Works about ships