Directed by Murugadasa Music by M. D. Parthasarathy Music director M. D. Parthasarathy | Produced by Nayina Director Murugadasa | |
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Screenplay by Kothamangalam SubbuKi. Raa.Nayina Based on A stage play by the same name Starring M. K. RadhaSusheelaT. R. RamachandranP. Kannamba Cast T. R. Ramachandran, M. K. Radha | ||
Gnana Soundari is a Tamil historical fiction film produced by Gemini Studios and released in 1948. A film by the same name and with a same story (Gnana Soundari) but with a different cast and crew was produced by another company and was running successfully when this film was released. This film was a flop and the producer withdrew it from circuits.
Contents
Production
Gemini Studios has a pride of place in Tamil film world because all the films produced by them were successful at the box-office. When they started making this film it may be known to the producers that the same story is being filmed by another company. However, depending on their years of continued success, Gemini produced this film hoping their version will be received well by the people. But it turned out the other way.
Plot
The story was adapted from a Christian folk lore. Nawab Rajamanickam Pillai conducted it as a successful stage play for several years. Gnanam is the only daughter of King Dharmar. From her childhood she is an ardent devotee of Mother Mary. She is ill-treated by her step mother. She grows into a beautiful young girl and becomes Gnana Soundari. The step mother plans to kill her while the king was away. Arranged by the step mother, Gnana Soundari is taken to a forest by goons. However, instead of killing her, the goons amputate both her arms and abandon her. A prince from a neighbouring state comes to the forest for hunting and finds Gnana Soundari. He rescues and then falls in love with her. In spite of his father's objection the prince marries Gnana Soundari. But she has not divulged her true identity to him. Her father's kingdom is attacked by enemies and the Prince, as a neighbour, helps the father in fighting the enemies. The father (king) comes to know the whole story. Mother Mary restores the arms to Gnana Soundari.
Cast
M. K. Radha
Susheela
T. R. Ramachandran
P. Kannamba
T. E. Krishnamachari
T. N. Meenakshi
Velautham
Suppiah Pillai
Crew
Producer: Nayina
Director: Murugadasa
Screenplay & Dialogues: Kothamangalam Subbu, Ki. Raa. and Nayina
Music: M. D. Parthasarathy
Lyrics: Papanasam Sivan, Kothamangalam Subbu, K. V. Venu
Cinematography: M. Natarajan
Art: A. K. Sekar
Editing: N. R. Krishnaswamy
Choreography: Jayashankar, Nataraj
Photography: S. V. Gopal Rao
Studio: Gemini
Reception
Gnana Soundari was released on 18 June 1948 at Wellington Theatre at Chennai. According to film historian G. Dhananjayan's book Pride of Tamil Cinema: 1931 to 2013, viewers disliked the film in which the characters spoke in "Brahminical" tone for a historical film and broke the chairs of the theatre. The film stopped screening, and Vasan subsequently announced that it would not be screened in any theatre in the future. Dhananjayan believes he had burnt the negatives of the film.