Kudiyirundha Koyil

Plot

Twins Sekhar and Anand (Master Sekhar) along with Mangalam (Pandari Bai), their mother witness their father (S. V. Ramadoss) being killed by escaped prisoner Nagappan (M. N. Nambiar), and are grief-stricken. This prompts the family to leave to Chennai in order to pursue a new life. But when Sekhar gets down from the train to fetch some water, it leaves without him. Nagappan arrives and kidnaps Sekhar, who is raised as a criminal, unaware that the same man killed his father.

Years later, the now-grown up Sekhar (M. G. Ramachandran) who calls himself "Babu", is an established criminal and is the most wanted man in the city. Meanwhile, Anand is a club-dancer and neither are aware of each other's existence. During a police encounter, Babu is grievously wounded and seeks shelter in Mangalam 's house, although he does not recognise her as his mother. He develops a soft corner for her, but when Nagappan (now known as Boobadhi, the owner of a cabaret and employer of Babu) learns about this, he tries to eradicate the kind-self out of Babu.

During another police encounter, Babu is again wounded but becomes insane this time, also becoming amnesiac. D.I.G. Mogan (Major Sundarrajan), the local inspector then comes across Anand, and after seeing the striking resemblance between him and Babu, advices him to act as Babu in order to get all the secrets of the gang and have them arrested. Anand agrees, but later realises Babu is his brother. Anand's girlfriend Jaya (Jayalalithaa) sees him having lot of money in a brief-case, and the police chase him. Unaware of the truth, she thinks he has turned into a criminal, and refuses to speak to him. Anand's mother also comes to know of this, and becomes heartbroken. However, Mangalam and Jaya soon reconcile with Anand after learning of the truth, and they both also learn that Babu is his brother.

Babu's girlfriend Asha (Rajashree) later discovers that Anand is impersonating Babu, but he surrenders to her and explains about Babu's medical condition, subsequently revealing himself as Babu's brother. Asha forgives him and the duo subsequently team up to defeat Nagappan and his men. Babu later escapes from the prison to kill Anand when learning about him, but is cornered by Jaya who tells him that Anand is his brother. Babu refuses to believe this, and kidnaps Jaya. He is later stopped by Mangalam, who makes him realise that he is her son and Anand is his brother, Babu finally realises it. Remembering that Nagappan killed his father, he teams up with Anand to defeat Nagappan, who is later arrested. Subsequently, Babu returns to being "Sekhar", and reunites with his family.

Award

1968 Tamil Nadu State Film Award

Around the movie

The film was adapted from the 1962 Hindi film CHINA TOWN, which starred Shammi Kapoor.

In the opening credits, the name of MGR appears only at the end, with the mentions of "Puraitchy Nadhigar - Makkal Thilagum" MGR in a double role.

It was the first Tamil film to feature a Bangra dance sequence in the song "Aadaludan Padalai...", which became an instant hit among audiences. Ramachandran had to practice for one month to dance in the song.

"Tiger" Nellore Kantha Rao (native of Andhra-Pradesh) makes a noted appearance. Box office hit of the year and ran more than 100 days in Chennai, Madurai, Kovai, Trichi and other major cities. Here, he comes to attack the MGR-Anand. What gives rise to a beautiful fight. He is stopped clear(net) by a blow of bottle at the top of the skull (with hair) by beautiful Rajasree-Asha. Physically, he reminds us another actor, Harold Sakata, the most famous villain Oddjob in the James Bond movie GOLDFINGER. We can see him in other big movie of MGR, the romantic comedy of the A.V.M. Productions, ANBE VAA of 1966.

The big Asian star of action movie, Jackie Chan interpreted in the same vein an entitled movie TWIN DRAGONS of Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam, in 1992.

We can find the same weft in other taken(brought) out movie, previous year, in 1991 in DOUBLE IMPACT of Sheldon Lettich, with another big star, Jean-Claude Van Damme.

But the one who inspired them was an immense comic, an American star Bob Hope, in MY FAVORITE SPY of 1951, a comedy realized by Norman Z. McLeod.

KUDIYIRUNDHA KOYIL was called SANGAMAM.

It was the case of another movie of MGR, PANATHOTHAM of 1963, another production of Saravana Fims ((later, G.N.Velumani changed her in Saravana Screen), with the same director K. Shankar, the name of MGR joins that at the end of credits of opening.

The first name after the title of the movie (in this case, (KUDIYIRUNDHA KOVIL) is the one of the big actress Jayalalithaa.

The " Puraitchy Thalaivar " MGR received rightly the award of "Tamil Best Actor" of year 1969 for this movie.

The difference of the complexion of the skin of the brothers is not harmless because it makes a reference to the politics, to the flag of the D.M.K. (Black, in Tamil language கருப்பு and red, in Tamil language சிவப்பு), proceeded already used for another MGR of 1971, NEERUM NERUPPUM. According to Jump Cut, MGR portraying a dark-skinned character in the film was meant to showcase him as the criminal doppelgänger of a white-skinned character, also played by him.

Soundtrack

Music composed by M. S. Viswanathan. The song "Aadaludan Paadalai" was later remixed by Amresh Ganesh for Motta Siva Ketta Siva (2017).