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The script required two major roles, the princes of a kingdom&nbsp;— the elder being the protagonist and his younger brother a villainous, amoral person. Originally [[M. K. Radha]] was chosen to play the villainous role of the younger prince Sasankan, but he politely declined the perceived negative role, and instead took the elder prince Veerasimhan’s role.<ref name="galatta page 3" /> K. J. Mahadevan, an [[England]]-educated actor was chosen to play the younger prince. However after the first few shots were shot, his performance was deemed poor, and he was eventually replaced by [[Ranjan (actor)|Ranjan]].<!--Additional info can be added from http://www.hindu.com/cp/2011/06/26/stories/2011062650391600.htm--> [[T. R. Rajakumari]], an actress, dancer and singer, was preferred over K. L. V. Vasantha and cast in the [[title role|titular character]] Chandralekha, as Vasantha was in the process of moving to Modern Theatres.<ref name="madras musings" />
The script required two major roles, the princes of a kingdom&nbsp;— the elder being the protagonist and his younger brother a villainous, amoral person. Originally [[M. K. Radha]] was chosen to play the villainous role of the younger prince Sasankan, but he politely declined the perceived negative role, and instead took the elder prince Veerasimhan’s role.<ref name="galatta page 3" /> K. J. Mahadevan, an [[England]]-educated actor was chosen to play the younger prince. However after the first few shots were shot, his performance was deemed poor, and he was eventually replaced by [[Ranjan (actor)|Ranjan]].<!--Additional info can be added from http://www.hindu.com/cp/2011/06/26/stories/2011062650391600.htm--> [[T. R. Rajakumari]], an actress, dancer and singer, was preferred over K. L. V. Vasantha and cast in the [[title role|titular character]] Chandralekha, as Vasantha was in the process of moving to Modern Theatres.<ref name="madras musings" />


In April 1947, comedian [[N. S. Krishnan]], who had been in prison since 1944,<ref name="arrest">{{cite web | url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article73652.ece | title=Alleged celebrity crime in 1944 | work=[[The New Indian Express]] | date=24 August 2009 | accessdate=3 July 2013 | author=V Gangadharan | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130704035713/http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article73652.ece | archivedate=4 July 2013}}</ref>{{efn|name=arrest}} was released, and Vasan signed him and [[T. A. Mathuram]] to act in ''Chandralekha''. Thus, the story was altered and new scenes were added to fit in the famed comedy pair.<ref name="the hindu" /> Actress [[S. N. Lakshmi]] made her debut in this film as a dancer, appearing in the film's climactic drum dance sequence.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/05/28/stories/2010052851030100.htm | title=Courage goaded her on ... | work=The Hindu | date=28 May 2010 | accessdate=2 July 2013 | author=Randor Guy | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100808170247/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/05/28/stories/2010052851030100.htm | archivedate=2 July 2013}}</ref> Actress M. S. Sundari Bai was signed to appear as the dancer in the number ''Naatiya Kudhirai''.<ref name="sundari bai">{{cite web | url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/03/24/stories/2006032402130100.htm | title=Charming, villainous | work=The Hindu | date=24 March 2006 | accessdate=30 July 2013 | author=Randor Guy | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20120628063814/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/03/24/stories/2006032402130100.htm | archivedate=30 July 2013}}</ref>
In April 1947, comedian [[N. S. Krishnan]], who had been in prison since 1944,<ref name="arrest">{{cite web | url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article73652.ece | title=Alleged celebrity crime in 1944 | work=[[The New Indian Express]] | date=24 August 2009 | accessdate=3 July 2013 | author=V Gangadharan | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20130704035713/http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/article73652.ece | archivedate=4 July 2013}}</ref>{{efn|name=arrest}} was released, and Vasan signed him and [[T. A. Mathuram]] to act in ''Chandralekha''. Thus, the story was altered and new scenes were added to fit in the famed comedy pair.<ref name="the hindu" /> Actress [[S. N. Lakshmi]] made her debut in this film as a dancer, appearing in the film's climactic drum dance sequence.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/05/28/stories/2010052851030100.htm | title=Courage goaded her on ... | work=The Hindu | date=28 May 2010 | accessdate=2 July 2013 | author=Randor Guy | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100808170247/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2010/05/28/stories/2010052851030100.htm | archivedate=2 July 2013}}</ref> Actress M. S. Sundari Bai was signed to appear as the dancer in the number ''Naatiya Kudhirai''.<ref name="sundari bai">{{cite web | url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/03/24/stories/2006032402130100.htm | title=Charming, villainous | work=The Hindu | date=24 March 2006 | accessdate=30 July 2013 | author=Randor Guy | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20120628063814/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/03/24/stories/2006032402130100.htm | archivedate=30 July 2013}}</ref> T. A. Jayalakshmi appeared in a single sequence lasting only a few minutes.<ref>http://www.hindu.com/cp/2011/06/19/stories/2011061950301600.htm</ref>


A minor role of hero’s bodyguard was yet to be cast. The then struggling stage actor Villupuram Chinniah Pillai Ganesha­murthy, who later became [[Sivaji Ganesan]], was interested in playing the role, and even grew his hair long for the same. Vasan vehemently rejected Ganesan and bluntly advised him to leave acting and choose another profession. It is widely believed that this incident was the cause of the rift between Vasan and Ganesan, which never ended.<ref name="madras musings"/>
A minor role of hero’s bodyguard was yet to be cast. The then struggling stage actor Villupuram Chinniah Pillai Ganesha­murthy, who later became [[Sivaji Ganesan]], was interested in playing the role, and even grew his hair long for the same. Vasan vehemently rejected Ganesan and bluntly advised him to leave acting and choose another profession. It is widely believed that this incident was the cause of the rift between Vasan and Ganesan, which never ended.<ref name="madras musings"/>

Revision as of 13:56, 9 September 2013

This article is about the 1948 film. For other uses, see Chandralekha (disambiguation).
Chandralekha
File:Chandralekha 1948.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed byS. S. Vasan
Written byVeppathur Kittoo
Kothamangalam Subbu
Produced byS. S. Vasan
StarringM. K. Radha
Ranjan
T. R. Rajakumari
Edited byChandru[2]
Music byS. Rajeswara Rao
M. D. Parthasarathy
Distributed byGemini Studios
Release date
9 April 1948[1]
Running time
210 mins
LanguagesTamil
Hindi
Budget₹3 million[3]
Box office₹10 million (Domestic)[4]

Chandralekha is a 1948 Indian historical fiction film directed and produced by S. S. Vasan under the banner of Gemini Studios. The film stars T. R. Rajakumari in the title role and M. K. Radha as the male lead, with Ranjan playing the main antagonist. The music was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao and M. D. Parthasarathy, and the screenplay was written by Veppathur Kittoo and Kothamangalam Subbu. A "ruritanian period extravaganza",[5] the film deals with the sibling rivalry between two princes, the good Veerasimhan (Radha) and the bad Sasankan (Ranjan). The object of desire and bone of contention between them is state power equated with the possession of the village maiden Chandralekha (Rajakumari).

Development for Chandralekha began in 1943 when Vasan, following two successive hit films, announced that his next film would be "Chandralekha". Yet, when he launched an advertising blitz for the film, he had nothing other than the name of the heroine — which he had found used in the storyline of a tough woman that he had rejected. One of his storyboard men, Veppathur Kittoo, then developed a story that impressed Vasan, from Robert McCaire the Male Bandit, a novel by G. W. M. Reynolds. The original director of Chandralekha was T. G. Raghavachari, who after directing nearly half the film, left the project due to differences between him and Vasan, who took over the film, making his directorial debut.

Originally made in Tamil and later in Hindi, Chandralekha (which was in the making for five years from 1943 to 1948) went through repeated changing of story, casting and shooting, and the film ultimately ended up costing over ₹3 million. It was the most expensive film made in India till then; to the extent that filming a single sequence cost as much as the entire budget of any typical Indian film of that time. Chandralekha, after massive publicity, was released on 9 April 1948, created a sensation and smashed box-office records all over the country, making it the first "all-India hit". Its Hindi version was also successful, and opened the doors for South Indian producers to sell their Hindi films in North India.

Plot

Veerasimhan (M. K. Radha) and Sasankan (Ranjan) are the sons of a king of an unspecified region. While returning to his palace on a horse, Veerasimhan meets a village belle Chandralekha (T. R. Rajakumari), and both fall in love. Sasankan, the younger of the two brothers, demands that his father should make him the next king as he considers himself more powerful than Veerasimhan, but the king refuses. To teach his father a lesson, Sasankan gets out of the palace, forms a gang of thieves and creates confusion in the country by robbing and killing people. In one such incident, Chandralekha's father a victim. She is orphaned and leaves her village to live with her aunt in another village, but is captured on the way by Sasankan's men.

Sasankan falls in love with Chandralekha, but she escapes him and runs away. Veerasimhan learns that Sasankan is the man behind the mayhem in the country and comes with his army to capture him. However, in a sudden attack, Sasankan captures Veerasimhan, dumps him in a cave and closes it with a huge rock. Chandralekha notices this act and with the help of a circus elephant and men passing through the village, she rescues Veerasimhan. Meanwhile, Sasankan reaches the kingdom, captures and arrests his father and declares himself king. He remembers Chandralekha and asks his men to find her. Both Veerasimhan and Chandralekha join the circus troupe and live incognito. Veerasimhan and his friends plan to rescue the kingdom.

Chandralekha performs daredevil acts in the circus. One of Sasankan's men notices her during one such act, and later tries to nab her, but she escapes from him and joins a gypsy group. Veerasimhan reaches his palace and tries to get a vehicle to rescue Chandralekha. Sasankan's men however capture her in another encounter, and take her to the palace. Sasankan demands that she marry him, which she refuses. She pretends to be unconscious whenever he tries to approach her. Veerasimhan sends a message to Chandralekha to organise a huge drum dance in order to rescue her.

Chandralekha agrees to marry Sasankan if he agrees for a drum dance to celebrate their engagement. Sasankan agrees, and a mammoth drum dance is organised at the palace, with Chandralekha also taking part in the dance. As the drum dance comes to an end, Veerasimhan's men, who were hiding inside the huge drums, come out to attack Sasankan's forces and defeat them. Veerasimhan arrives and engages in a long sword fight with Sasankan, who is finally defeated and captured. Veerasimhan releases his parents, and marries Chandralekha.

Cast

File:Radha rajakumari.jpg
Radha and Rajakumari
File:Sasankan chandralekha.jpg
Ranjan
Main cast
  • T. R. Rajakumari as Chandralekha, a village belle who later becomes a successful circus artiste
  • M. K. Radha as Veerasimhan, the elder of two princes, who falls in love with Chandralekha
  • Ranjan as Sasankan, the antagonistic younger brother of Veerasimhan
Supporting cast

Other minor supporting roles were played by V. N. Janaki, Velayudham, V. S. Susheela, 'Javert' N. Seetharaman,[6] T. E. Krishnamachariar, L. Narayan Rao, P. Subbaiah Pillai, Surabhi Kamalabai, Pottai Krishnamurthy,[7] and the film's scriptwriter Veppatthur Kittu, who was uncredited.[6] N. S. Krishnan, T. A. Mathuram, Krishnamachariar, Pottai Krishnamurthy and Seetharaman remained exclusive to the Tamil version, while artists exclusive to the Hindi version include Yashodhara Katju and H. K. Chopra.[7]

Production

Development

In 1943,[3] S. S. Vasan was contemplating a story for his third film after Mangamma Sabatham (1943) and the Telugu film Balanagamma (1942), which netted profits of ₹4 million. Vasan wanted the film to be on a grand scale and hence budget was not a constraint. Vasan asked Gemini Studio’s story department to come up with a screenplay and writers like Kothamangalam Subbu, Veppathur Kittoo and many others opined that Mangamma Sabatham and Balanagamma were heroine-oriented plots and proposed a similar story to Vasan. They narrated the story of Chandralekha, a tough woman who fights a bandit and ultimately slashes off his nose. Vasan rejected it for being gruesome and vulgar, but the name "Chandralekha" stuck to his mind.

Vasan without even waiting for the full story, immediately announced that his next project would be Chandralekha, publicising it with front-page advertisements in all the leading publications. Despite intensive work by Gemini’s writers, the story was not ready even after 3 months. Vasan became impatient and once also thought about shelving Chandralekha and wanted to move on. However Kittoo pleaded and was given a week’s extension. In the meantime, Kittoo accidentally came across an English novel by G. W. M Reynolds titled Robert McCaire The Male Bandit, which read:

"...it's night in rural England and a mail coach convoy trots its way, when, suddenly, Robert McCaire, the bandit, and his henchmen on horses emerge from the surrounding darkness, hold up the convoy and rob it. Hiding under a seat is a young woman fleeing from a harsh home. She is a dancer and when she refuses to dance, the bandit whips her into submission..."

Vasan was impressed when he heard Kittoo narrate a story based on this episode and he decided to continue with the film, and named the heroine "Chandralekha".[8]

Casting

The script required two major roles, the princes of a kingdom — the elder being the protagonist and his younger brother a villainous, amoral person. Originally M. K. Radha was chosen to play the villainous role of the younger prince Sasankan, but he politely declined the perceived negative role, and instead took the elder prince Veerasimhan’s role.[9] K. J. Mahadevan, an England-educated actor was chosen to play the younger prince. However after the first few shots were shot, his performance was deemed poor, and he was eventually replaced by Ranjan. T. R. Rajakumari, an actress, dancer and singer, was preferred over K. L. V. Vasantha and cast in the titular character Chandralekha, as Vasantha was in the process of moving to Modern Theatres.[8]

In April 1947, comedian N. S. Krishnan, who had been in prison since 1944,[10][a] was released, and Vasan signed him and T. A. Mathuram to act in Chandralekha. Thus, the story was altered and new scenes were added to fit in the famed comedy pair.[6] Actress S. N. Lakshmi made her debut in this film as a dancer, appearing in the film's climactic drum dance sequence.[11] Actress M. S. Sundari Bai was signed to appear as the dancer in the number Naatiya Kudhirai.[12] T. A. Jayalakshmi appeared in a single sequence lasting only a few minutes.[13]

A minor role of hero’s bodyguard was yet to be cast. The then struggling stage actor Villupuram Chinniah Pillai Ganesha­murthy, who later became Sivaji Ganesan, was interested in playing the role, and even grew his hair long for the same. Vasan vehemently rejected Ganesan and bluntly advised him to leave acting and choose another profession. It is widely believed that this incident was the cause of the rift between Vasan and Ganesan, which never ended.[8]

Filming

"During the film’s making our studio looked like a small kingdom...horses, elephants, lions, tigers in one corner, palaces here and there, over there a German lady training nearly a hundred dancers on one studio floor, a shapely Sinhalese lady teaching another group of dancers on real marble steps adjoining a palace, a studio worker making weapons, another making period furniture using expensive rosewood, others set props, headgear, and costumes, Ranjan undergoing fencing practice with our fight composer ‘Stunt’ Somu, our music directors composing and rehearsing songs in a building...there were so many activities going on simultaneously round-the-clock in the same place."

 – Kothamangalam Subbu, on the making of Chandralekha[3]

The shooting of Chandralekha began in 1943.[3] Vasan initially chose T. G. Raghavachari to direct the film, who nearly completed half the film. However, due to difference of opinion between the two over shooting of some of the scenes at the Governor’s Estate, Raghavachari left the project and Vasan took over, making his directorial debut. Over the five years it took to shoot, Chandralekha went through several changes in storyline requiring repeated shoot.[8] As a part of change of the screenplay, Vasan decided to include circus scenes in Chandralekha. Kittoo traveled all over South India and Ceylon to watch over 50 circus companies perform,[8] before chosing Kamala Circus Company.[14] The circus scenes were shot by K. Ramnoth. The film's staff members and their families, and even by-passers were asked to sit as spectators in the circus scenes.[6]

The highlight of the film was the drum dance — the first of its kind in Indian cinema,[6] which involved 400 dancers rehearsing for six months; the drum dance was designed by the Chief Art Director A. K. Sekhar,[8] and choreographed by Jayashankar, while the cinematography was handled by Kamal Ghosh, Ellappa, C. V. Ramakrishnan and S. Maruthi Rao. The drum dance sequence alone cost ₹5,00,000 (valued at about US$105 000.11 between 1948 and 1966[b]) — an amount equal to the entire budget of any typical Indian film at the time. Elements and footage from the 1937 Hollywood film The Prisoner of Zenda were also freely used in the film.[14]

The repeated changes to story, casting and shooting caused substantial time and cost overrun, and the film ultimately ended up costing ₹3 million (valued at about US$630,000.63 between 1948 and 1966[b]) and was the most expensive Indian film made till then.[8]

Music

The film's original soundtrack was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao and M. D. Partha­sarathy.[8] Film critics V. A. K. Ranga Rao[7] and Shoma A Chatterji have noted that the film’s music shows influence of Carnatic, Hindustani, Bharatnatyam, Latin American and Portuguese folk music.[15] The film also features The Blue Danube, a Strauss waltz.[16] The number Naattiya Kuthirai was not originally in the script, and was added only during the final stages of the film. It is believed to have been inspired by the 1943 musical film Coney Island.[12] The songs Indrae Enathu Kuthukalam and Manamohana Saaranae were sung by Rajakumari herself. Not included in the soundtrack is the chorus by the film's circus members, which was adapted from The Donkey Serenade from R. Z. Leonard's The Firefly (1937).[7] Chandralekha is believed to have "created an atmosphere" of music directors inspired by Western music in Tamil cinema.[17]

Tamil tracklisting[18]
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Indrae Enathu Kuthukalam"T. R. Rajakumari1:09
2."Aathoram Kodikkalam"M. D. Parthasarathy[19]2:23
3."Padathey Padathey Nee"N/A3:29
4."Naattiya Kuthirai"M. D. Parthasarathy[19]4:09
5."Namasthey Sutho"N/A4:10
6."Aayilo Pakiriyamo"N/A3:10
7."Manamohana Saaranae"T. R. Rajakumari2:30
Hindi tracklisting[20]
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Sajana Re Aaja Re"Uma Devi3:04
2."Man Bhavan Sawan Aaya"Uma Devi3:09
3."O Chand Mere"Uma Devi3:21
4."Maai Re Main To Madhuban Mein"Uma Devi2:33
5."Sanjh Ki Bela"Uma Devi, Moti Bai3:07
6."Mera Husn Lootne Aaya Albela"Zohra Ambala, Moti Bai2:41

Marketing

File:Chandralekha japan.png
Japanese release poster

Through Chandralekha, Gemini became the first Tamil studio to attempt distribution of a film across India.[21] Vasan spend nearly ₹5,00,000 on publicity alone, which was one of the highest of the times. Audience were excited to see the full page colour advertisements, large colour wall posters, giant hoardings and glossy handbook. Also Chandralekha was released simultaneously in 40 theatres in South India and in another ten within a week of its release.[14] An English dubbed version of Chandralekha, although a shorter version of the film titled Miss Chandra, was screened in the United States and Europe during the 1950s.[2][3]

Chandralekha was released in Japan in April 1954, where it was distributed by Nippon Cinema Corporation (NCC). It became the first Tamil film to be released in Japan and the second Indian film after Hindi film Aan. Since NCC collapsed later, no information has since then been made available on how this film was brought to Japan. In the 1950s, it was quite common to send commodities made in India to overseas business partners in the form of barter, after receiving imported goods from abroad. Because this exchange method was prevalent when India was short of foreign currency, it might have been the case with Chandralekha. The pamphlet prepared by NCC for Chandralekha, whose Japanese title was Shakunetsu-no ketto ([Fight under the red heat] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)), introduces S. S. Vasan as the “Cecil B. DeMille of the Indian film industry”.[22] A Danish version of the film titled Indiens hersker ([India's ruler] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) was released on 26 April 1954.[23]

Release

Reception

Chandralekha was released on 9 April 1948.[1] The film was a trend setter for the making, production cost incurred, publicity and the hype it created before and during the making and after its release. Most producers delayed the release of their films fearing competition and released after Chandralekha's release. The film had the sole motto entertain the audience, which it achieved immensely and thus became a commercial success.[9]

Despite its success in Tamil, the returns were not commensurate with the expenditure. Hence, Vasan decided to remake the film in Hindi. He re-shot many scenes, added some songs and replaced the comedy scenes with Hindi artistes. The Hindi version, released with 609 prints, took the country by storm, created box office records and opened the market for South Indian producers.[14] Vasan termed the film "a pageant for our peasants",[24] as it was meant for "the war-weary public that had been forced to watch insipid war propaganda pictures for years".[25] The film was also selected by the Government of India for exhibition at the Fourth International Film Festival at Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1949.[26]

Sharmishtha Gooptu, author of the book Bengali Cinema: 'An Other Nation' states that Chandralekha grossed ₹10 million (valued at about US$2,100,002.1 between 1948 and 1966[b]) in India alone,[4] thus becoming the first Madras Production to become an "All-India hit".[2] According to Box Office India, the Hindi version alone earned a nett gross of ₹7 million (valued at about US$1,470,001.47 between 1948 and 1966[b]), and became the second highest grossing Bollywood film of the year 1948, surpassed only by Shaheed's ₹7.5 million nett gross.[27]

Reviews

File:Chandralekha drum dance.jpg
The film's drum dance sequence is widely considered by critics as the highlight of the film

Chandralekha received generally positive reviews from critics. Among contemporary reviewers, The Hindu (9.4.1948) said, "India has not witnessed a film of this magnitude in terms of making and settings so far".[9] The Indian Express (10.4.1948) said, "Chandralekha is an entertaining film for everyone with elements like animals, rope dance, circus and comedy".[9] Tamil newspaper Dinamani (10.4.1948) said, "Chandralekha is not only a first rate Tamil film but also an international film."[9] Reviewing the English version, The New York Times described Rajakumari as a "buxom beauty".[28] In August 1981, American film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum said, "The prospect of a three-hour Indian film in Temil [sic] with no subtitles is a little off-putting, I would say -– wouldn’t you?" but had "surprisingly little trouble following the plot and action" of the film, and concluded, "this made-in-Madras costume drama makes for a pretty action-packed 186 minutes."[29] Film critic V. A. K. Ranga Rao described the film as "the most complete entertainer ever made."[3]

Film historian Randor Guy, in a 2010 review of Chandralekha, praised Rajakumari's performance, calling it "her career-best" and mentioned that she "carried the movie on her shoulders", while praising Radha as his "usual impressive self" and concluded that the film would be "Remembered for: the excellent onscreen narration, the magnificent sets and the immortal drum dance sequence."[6] In December 2008, film historian S. Muthiah said, "Given how spectacular it was — and the appreciation lavished on it from 1948 till well into the 1950s, which is when I caught up with it — I’m sure that if re-released, it would do better at the box office then most Tamil films today."[3] Behindwoods.com praised the film for its "mind boggling art work and production values".[30] In May 2012, South Indian entertainment magazine Galatta Cinema, although critical of the script,[9] called the film "a delight to watch even after 50 years".[14]

In a 2013 interview with K. Jeshi of The Hindu, director Dhanapal Padmanabhan said, "Chandralekha had grandeur that was at par with Hollywood standards."[31] Entertainment portal IndiaGlitz praised the film for its "opulent songs and sinister plots."[32] Writers Sangita Gopal and Sujata Moorti, in their book Global Bollywood: Travels of Hindi Song and Dance, said: "Chandralekha is a film that translates the aesthetic of Hollywood Orientalism for an indigenous mass audience" and called its drum dance sequence as "perhaps one of the most spectacular sequences in Indian cinema".[33] In June 2009, K S Sivakumaran of Daily News Sri Lanka called it "The first colossal Thamil [sic] film I saw".[34] In a 2007 interview with S. R. Ashok Kumar of The Hindu, director J. Mahendran said "I choose 'Chandralekha,' a remarkable film, because of its grandeur in all departments of filmmaking. There are no graphics or special effects."[35]

Legacy

With the national success of Chandralekha, Vasan became a national figure and went on to be counted as one of the best directors in Indian cinema. Honours came seeking Vasan, but he took them in his stride. He sat on many committees, panels and bodies connected with the Indian film industry. He was even a member of the Rajya Sabha for one term.[8] Film historian Randor Guy later dubbed Vasan as the "Cecil B. DeMille of Tamil Cinema".[3] Vasan is also believed to have been the inspiration for producer A. V. Meiyappan, who later became a "master at publicity".[36]

Gemini Studios later published a book named Campaign, in which background details of the making of Chandralekha, such as how the story discussions happened, how the shooting happened and other news related to the film were given. Chandralekha was the costliest Tamil film made at that time, yet it achieved huge box office success and opened the market for Tamil films across South India. It established the concept that cost is not a constraint if a film was made and marketed well. It also demonstrated that the film's core objective should be to entertain and achieve commercial success.[9]

The film elevated the careers of Rajakumari and Ranjan, both became popular all over India with the film.[6] The film's climatic sword fight scene was well received, and is considered the longest sword fight in the history of films. It was widely believed that this fight sequence was influenced by Scaramouche, which had the longest sword fight in the history of Hollywood — seven minutes, although Chandralekha was made three years before Scaramouche.[37] The climatic drum dance sequence became equally popular, and is considered the biggest highlight of the film.[6][8] Later film producers tried to emulate the dance sequence, but the legacy of the sequence in Chandralekha remains.[38]

In his interview with The Hindu, director J. Mahendran stated, "If anybody tries to remake this black and white film, they will make a mockery of it."[35] Speaking to The Times of India, G. Dhananjayan of UTV Motion Pictures said, "When you talk of black and white films, you cannot resist mentioning the 1948 epic Chandralekha, directed and produced by movie moghul S S Vasan."[39] Chandralekha was also screened at the 10th Chennai International Film Festival in December 2012 to commemorate 100 years of Indian cinema.[40][41]

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ N. S. Krishnan was arrested in November 1944 as a suspect in the Lakshmikanthan murder case.
  2. ^ a b c d The exchange rate between 1948 and 1966 was 4.79 Indian rupees (₹) per 1 US dollar (US$).[42]

Further reading

  • Banerjee, Shampa (1988). One Hundred Indian Feature Films: An Annotated Filmography. Taylor & Francis. p. 58. ISBN 0-8240-9483-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

References

  1. ^ a b G. A. Natesan (1948). "Chandraleka". The Indian Review. 49: pg. 333. {{cite journal}}: |page= has extra text (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Chandralekha [Page 1]". Galatta Cinema. 6 (2): pg. 54. 2012. {{cite journal}}: |page= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j S. Muthiah (8 December 2008). "A 'Cecil B. DeMillean' Chandralekha". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 11 December 2008 suggested (help)
  4. ^ a b Sharmistha Gooptu (2011). Bengali Cinema: 'An Other Nation'. p. 85. ISBN 0203843347.
  5. ^ Gulzar, Govind Nihalani, Saibal Chatterjee (2003). Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema. Popular Prakashan. p. 432. ISBN 8179910660.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Randor Guy (2 October 2010). "Blast from the Past: Chandralekha (1948)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 10 June 2013 suggested (help)
  7. ^ a b c d Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Paul Willemen (1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. p. 310.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Randor Guy (2008). "... And thus he made Chandralekha sixty years ago". Madras Musings. XVIII. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013. {{cite journal}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 24 May 2013 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "Chandralekha [Page 3]". Galatta Cinema. 6 (2): pg. 56. 2012. {{cite journal}}: |page= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ V Gangadharan (24 August 2009). "Alleged celebrity crime in 1944". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  11. ^ Randor Guy (28 May 2010). "Courage goaded her on ..." The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 8 August 2010 suggested (help)
  12. ^ a b Randor Guy (24 March 2006). "Charming, villainous". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 28 June 2012 suggested (help)
  13. ^ http://www.hindu.com/cp/2011/06/19/stories/2011061950301600.htm
  14. ^ a b c d e "Chandralekha [Page 2]". Galatta Cinema. 6 (2): pg. 55. 2012. {{cite journal}}: |page= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Shoma A Chatterji (11 November 2006). "Sound of (background) Music". GlamSham. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 20 June 2007 suggested (help)
  16. ^ Rasa: Music and dance. Anamika Kala Sangam. 1995. p. 305.
  17. ^ Religion and Society, Volume 12. Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society. 1965. p. 103.
  18. ^ Chandralekha (DVD). Raj Video Vision. 2012.
  19. ^ a b Randor Guy (23 September 2010). "Unsung veteran of Tamil cinema". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 5 August 2013 suggested (help)
  20. ^ "Chandralekha Songs". Raaga.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 8 February 2013 suggested (help)
  21. ^ Tamaki Matsuoka (2008). Asia to Watch, Asia to Present: The Promotion of Asian/Indian Cinema in Japan (PDF). p. 246. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2013. {{cite book}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 22 July 2011 suggested (help)
  22. ^ "Indiens hersker". Danish Film Institute. Archived from the original on 17 July 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  23. ^ Prakash Chander (2003). India: Past and Present. p. 135. ISBN 8176484555.
  24. ^ Ashok Da. Ranade (2006). Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries. p. 127. ISBN 8185002649.
  25. ^ Panna Shah (1950). The Indian film. Greenwood Press. pp. 83, 278.
  26. ^ "Box Office 1948". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 12 October 2012 suggested (help)
  27. ^ Randor Guy (2007). "From Silents to Sivaji! A look into the past — Part II". Galatta Cinema: pg. 68. {{cite journal}}: |page= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. ^ Jonathan Rosenbaum (20 August 1981). "August Humor". Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 23 January 2013 suggested (help)
  29. ^ "A Brief History Of Tamil Cinema". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  30. ^ K. Jeshi (6 May 2013). "The uninvited". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  31. ^ "End of the world movies". IndiaGlitz. 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  32. ^ Sangita Gopal, Sujata Moorti (2008). Global Bollywood: Travels of Hindi Song and Dance. University of Minnesota Press. p. 26. ISBN 9780816645787.
  33. ^ K S Sivakumaran (8 June 2009). "Indian film music: An amalgam of different tunes". Daily News (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  34. ^ a b S. R. Ashok Kumar (13 July 2007). "Filmmakers' favourites". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 8 January 2008 suggested (help)
  35. ^ Bhama Devi Ravi (8 August 2008). "Kollywood turns to coffee-table books". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 18 July 2013 suggested (help)
  36. ^ J. Vasanthan (16 July 2005). "Heroines of the past". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  37. ^ Gokulsing, K. (2004). Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change. Trentham Books. p. 49. ISBN 1-85856-329-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  38. ^ M. Suganth (2 March 2012). "Black and white films in Kollywood". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  39. ^ Sudhish Kamath (3 December 2012). "Showcase of the best". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 August 2013. {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  40. ^ "Big B comes to Chennai". Behindwoods. 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 17 January 2013 suggested (help)
  41. ^ "Rupee's journey since Independence: Down by 65 times against dollar". The Economic Times. 24 August 2013. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
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