Nam Naadu (1969 film)

Ramachandran's entry into politics

Mr. Reddi recalled watching the film with Ramachandran: "When it was released, we both went to Mekala Theatre to watch the reaction of the viewers. Except for the manager, no one was aware of our presence. It was a pleasant evening and the doors had been kept wide open. MGR stood leaning on one side of the door and I was leaning on the other. There was a scene in which Jayalalitha, the heroine of the movie, appeared singing the song Vaangaiya Vaathiyaraiah while welcoming MGR after his victory in the elections."

"The audience rose as one man, cheering, clapping, whistling. There were cries: ‘We want to see the scene again! Repeat the scene!’ We advised the manager to oblige the audience. The reel was rewound and the sequence was shown again. I turned to MGR. His eyes were filled with tears of joy. He hugged me. ‘O Reddiar! I have received the people’s acceptance.’ "

Plot

Dharmalingham (S. V. Ranga Rao), Aalavandar (S. A. Ashokan) and Punniyakodi (K. A. Thangavelu) are three VIPs in a township who have established themselves as noble citizens of the country but in reality are traitors who dare to do any type of crimes for money.

Durai (M.G.R) is an honest government office clerk who wants to be sincere for the nation and to help the poor and needy. In order to save the rights of the poor he fights with higher society people which is disliked by brother Muthaiya (T.K.Bhagavathi) who works for Dharmalingham and is an equally honest person as Durai. Though Muthaiya scolds Durai for his acts he is very affectionate to him and Durai is equally respectful and affectionate towards him and his family. Durai once picks a fight with Aalavandar in a shop - he insists on his standing in a queue like everyone else as there should be no special right for him over poor people. This creates tension between Aalavandar and Durai. Muthaiya worries that he will get into trouble because Aalavandar and Dharmalingham are good friends.

Durai meets a tender-coconut selling girl Ammu (alias Alamelu) (Jayalalitha) and gets attracted towards her nobility and honesty. Aalavandar takes revenge on Durai by making fake bribery complaint on him and because of which Durai loses his job. The enmity between Dharmalingham and Durai increases gradually because of which his brother shouts at him and ask him to get out of the house as Muthaiya believes Dharmalingham is honest and treat him like God. Ammu supports Durai and takes him to slum. Durai works for them and earn the love of slum people and people support him to contest and win in the municipal election. Durai takes action against the trio with his rights and enmity further increases. The trio plan and succeed to throw Durai away from the municipal office. Meanwhile, Muthaiya finds that Dharmalingham has looted a sum of Ten lakh Rupees which actually belong to the welfare of poor people. So he runs away with the money to save from them and he buries it in a place. But the trio catch him and shut him at a secret place when he refuse to open his mouth on the whereabouts of the money.

Now Durai plans to take revenge on them and to reveal themself and their crimes by their own mouth. Did Durai succeed in his mission and found the money and his brother forms the rest of the story.

Cast

Awards

The Best Movie (Sirede Padham)

By The Cinema Fan Association Award (Cinema Rasigar Sangue Parisu)

Around the movie

The film was produced by Vijaya Combines Productions in 1965 under the banner name Vijaya International.

It is a remake of the Telugu hit Kathanayakudu, starring N. T. Rama Rao and also Jayalalitha

Produced by Kodali Gopala krishna under the banner name GOPALA KRISHNA COMBINES

The film was remade in Hindi in the year 1972, as Apna Desh (Our Country) by the same director with Rajesh Khanna. Released date : 26 May 1972.

It ran up to 20 weeks in Chennai and more than 100 days in other major cities.

Two of Ramachandran's Harlequin Great Danes appear in the film.

"Djambhu" (alias the editor C.P.Djambhulingham), took charge of the editing for 14 movies of MGR.

Soundtrack

Music is composed by MS Vishwanathan.