''Vanaraja Karzan'' () is a 1938 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

action adventure film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

directed by Homi Wadia and Nari Ghadiali. The film stars John Cawas and

K. R. Chellam Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli (born 1918), known professionally as K. R. Chellam, was an Indian actress who appeared in Tamil language films. Early life Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli was born in 1918 to a middle-class Iyengar fa ...

. It is the first Tamil film based on the character

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

, the first Tamil film to be shot in forests, as well as the first South Indian jungle-based film. ''Vanaraja Karzan'' was released on 4 June 1938, and became a commercial success, besides receiving significant attention for Chellam wearing a revealing outfit. The

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

version, ''Jungle King'' was released the following year.

Plot

A man named Kulasekaran comes to Vanarajapuram forest with his wife and little son Karzan to find the secret of ''Amirdharasam'' (elixir of life) after fighting with his father Veerasingam, who disapproved of his plan to be in the forest. After considerable efforts for several days, Kulasekaran finds the ''Amirdharasam'' secret, which he writes in a piece of paper and locks it inside a locket on Karzan's necklace. One day, Kulasekaran is killed by lions in the forest, and his wife also dies in the attack. Using a balloon, a tribal "Dada" escapes with the child and his dog Moti from there. 15 years pass. Dada, Moti and the child live in the forest. Karzan has grown close to animals and is uncivilised. Since he moves only with animals, he learns their language. Veerasingam, on learning of the death of his son, comes to the same forest with his adopted daughter Leela to find his grandson. On the way, Sabapathi, a man seeking the secret of ''Amirdharasam'', joins him in their search expedition. A tribal group suddenly surrounds and attacks them, but Karzan appears and saves them. Sabapathi, noticing the locket which has the secret on Karzan's neck, tries to shoot him to obtain it. However, Leela and Veerasingam stop him. The next day, Sabapathi shoots Dada in a fight and injures him. Karzan gets angry with this betrayal and kidnaps Leela as revenge. She struggles to escape from him, yet saves Dada by removing the bullet shot by Sabapathi. Karzan expresses his gratitude and affection, and she realises his innocence. Both fall in love; she teaches him how to speak like a man and they spend their time happily. Veerasingam is sad that even his adopted daughter is lost. One day, tribals attack and kidnap Veerasingam and Sabapathi along with Leela and Moti to be sacrificed to their God Gorilla. Karzan, Dada and Moti save the expedition members from the tribals. Karzan impresses everyone with his valour. Moti jumps from a height of 100 feet to assist Karzan in his rescue effort. Now Veerasingam realises that Karzan is his long lost grandson and Leela's suitor. Sabapathi finds his secret in the locket and they return to civilisation to live happily.

Production

''Vanaraja Karzan'' was a collaborative venture between Wadia Movitone and the Madras United Artists Corporation. Directed by Homi Wadia and Nari Ghadiali, it was the first Tamil film based on the character

, with John Cawas cast in the role, renamed "Karzan" for the film.

was cast as the female lead Leela, T. K. T. Chari as Veerasingam (the paternal grandfather of Karzan), and M. K. Venkatapathy as Sabapathi. The story was written by J. B. H. Wadia, and the screenplay by S. R. Krishnaswamy Iyengar. Cinematography was handled by Rustum Maybar and Bali Mistry. ''Vanaraja Karzan'' became the first South Indian "jungle" film, as well as the first Tamil film to be shot in forests. The film was also made in

as ''Jungle King''.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by "Yanai" Anantharama Iyer and Vaithyanatha Iyer.

Release and reception

''Vanaraja Karzan'' was released on 4 June 1938, and ''Jungle King'' was released the following year. Apart from the former attaining commercial success, it also gained significant attention for Chellam wearing a revealing outfit.

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{Homi Wadia 1930s action adventure films 1930s Hindi-language films 1930s multilingual films 1930s Tamil-language films Films about animals Films set in forests Indian action adventure films Indian black-and-white films Indian multilingual films Tarzan films