Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum (1956 film)

For the 1941 film, see Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum (1941 film).

Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum
File:Alibabavum 40 thirudargalum poster.jpg Theatrical poster with original release date
Directed by	T. R. Sundaram
Written by	Murasoli Maran (dialogues)
Produced by	T. R. Sundaram
Starring	M. G. Ramachandran Bhanumathi Ramakrishna
Cinematography	W. R. Subba Rao
Music by	Susarla Dakshinamurthy
Production company	Modern Theatres
Release date	14 January 1956 (1956-01-14)
Running time	149 minutes
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum (read as "Alibabavum Narpadhu Thirudargalum"; [Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) is a 1956 Indian Tamil-language fantasy swashbuckler film directed and produced by T. R. Sundaram under his production banner Modern Theatres. The film features M. G. Ramachandran and Bhanumathi Ramakrishna in the lead roles, with K. Sarangkapani, P. S. Veerappa, K. A. Thangavelu, M. N. Rajam, Sushila and M. G. Chakrapani in supporting roles. It tells the story of Ali Baba, a poor woodcutter, whose fortune changes when he learns about a secret cave which contains a huge collection of treasures and antiques, and he resolves to keep his source of wealth as a secret, in order to lead a peaceful life. Whether he keeps it a secret and protect the treasure from falling into the wrong hands forms the rest of the story.

Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum is notable for being the first full length colour film made in Tamil cinema, being shot in Gevacolor. It is a remake of the 1954 Hindi film Alibaba Aur 40 Chor; both films are based on the story Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves from One Thousand and One Nights. It is also the second Tamil film adaptation of that story, after the 1941 film of the same name. The film's original soundtrack and score were composed by Susarla Dakshinamurthi, with lyrics by A. Maruthakasi. It was also Ramachandran's final film with Modern Theatres.

Released on 14 January 1956 during the festive occasion of Thai Pongal, Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum received positive reviews and became a success at the box office. The film also became a landmark in Ramachandran's acting career. It was later remade in Telugu as Ali Baba 40 Dongalu (1970) with N. T. Rama Rao and Jayalalithaa in the lead roles. The remake too became a commercial success.

Plot

Marziana is a dancer in Baghdad. The tyrant Sher Khan, commander of the notorious king Amir Kasim Khan, tries to take her by force to his palace. She is rescued by Ali Baba, who fights with Sher Khan and vanquishes him. Marziana and her sidekick Dowlath find refuge in Ali Baba’s house. Ali Baba is an impoverished woodcutter and lives with his sister Ayisha and servant Bulbul. Marziana learns that they are the siblings of Kasim, who had driven them out at the instigation of his cruel wife Salima. Marziana and Ali Baba later fall in love.

One day, when Ali Baba goes to cut wood, he chances upon the cavernous hideout of Abu Hussain, the notorious leader of forty dacoits, and overhears the secret code to enter and exit the cave. After the dacoits leave, Ali Baba uses the code word, enters the hideout and takes some of the cave's wealth which he uses to help the poor people around. Both Ali Baba and Marziana become wealthy overnight.

Kasim becomes jealous when he hears about his brother's fortune, and wants to know how Ali Baba became rich overnight. Under Salima’s guidance, he invites Ali Baba and his household for a feast. Cunningly obtaining the secret of the dacoit's cave from Ali Baba, he then orders Ali Baba’s arrest, accusing him falsely of attempted murder. Marziana pretends to hail Kasim's order. She declares that Ali Baba had been unfaithful to her and he deserves this retribution. Taking a knife, Marziana acts as though she means to kill Ali Baba, but instead cuts the ropes that bind his hands. Ali Baba is freed and after defeating Kasim's thugs, escapes with Marziana.

Kasim enters the cave and greedily starts collecting many treasures. He soon forgets the code word, and is left trapped. The dacoits arrive, and kill him for entering their secret cave. Ali Baba later visits the cave and is shocked to see his brother dead; he takes away the corpse. After Kasim's death is publicly announced, Ali Baba is declared the new king of Baghdad and everyone rejoices. Meanwhile, the dacoits return to their cave and see that Kasim's corpse is missing. Realising that someone else has entered their cave, they start searching for the mystery person.

From the cobbler Gulam's assertion that the woodcutter Ali Baba had become wealthy overnight, Abu Hussain realises that it is Ali Baba who discovered the secret of his cave. However, he kills the cobbler afterwards. Having his men hidden inside barrels, Abu Hussain comes to Ali Baba's house disguised as an oil merchant seeking shelter for the night. However, Marziana overhears him whispering to his men hidden in the barrels, and realises his true identity. When she dances at a banquet that Ali Baba hosts in honour of the guest, Dowlath and Bulbul roll the barrels one by one into the swirling waters as per the plan. After Marziana unsuccessfully tries to stab the "oil merchant", she exposes him as Abu Hussain and Ali Baba is shocked. This leads to a fight between the two men, which results in Abu Hussain kidnapping Marziana and fleeing to the cave. Ali Baba chases him and reaches the cave, where he kills Abu Hussain after an intense battle. After Ali Baba rescues Marziana, they both marry and continue to perform social work.

Cast

Male actors

• M. G. Ramachandran as Ali Baba
• K. Sarangkapani as Dowlath
• P. S. Veerappa as Abu Hussain
• K. A. Thangavelu as Gulam
• M. G. Chakrapani as Amir Kasim Khan

Female actors

• Bhanumathi Ramakrishna as Marziana
• M. N. Rajam as Bulbul
• Vidhyavathi as Salima
• Sushila as Ayisha
• Waheeda Rehman as a dancer in "Salaam Babu"

Production

Development

The 1954 Hindi Alibaba Aur 40 Chor was based on the story of Ali Baba from One Thousand and One Nights. T. R. Sundaram, the owner of the production studio, Modern Theatres, purchased the screenplay and rights to remake the film in Tamil as Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum. A. J. Dominic was signed as the film's art director, while W. R. Subba Rao, L. Balu and Murasoli Maran were in charge of the cinematography, editing and dialogues respectively. A. K. Chopra and K. N. Dhandayudapani Pillai were in charge of the choreography. The story of the film is credited to the Modern Theatres Story Department. Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum became the second major Tamil film adaptation of the story of Ali Baba, the first being a 1941 film, which featured N. S. Krishnan. A. J. Dominic also designed the cave for the 1956 film.

M. G. Ramachandran was cast in the role of Ali Baba, this being the final of his three-film contract with Modern Theatres, following Manthiri Kumari (1950) and Sarvadhikari (1951). The screenplay was written in a way that would suit his then "swashbucking" image. P. S. Veerappa was cast as Abu Hussain, the leader of the forty thieves. Padmini was initially given the role of the female lead Marziana, but she was subsequently replaced by Bhanumathi Ramakrishna. Bhanumathi liked the film, one of her earliest in Tamil, because she found the character a "go-getter". Ramachandran's elder brother M. G. Chakrapani was cast in the role of Ali Baba's elder brother Kassim. Waheeda Rehman, who later became a leading actress in Hindi cinema, appeared as a dancer in the number "Salaam Babu".

Filming

Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum was shot entirely on indoor sets, with the exception of a few riding sequences. For changes of scenes, irises and wipes were used, which according to Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema by Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, added a "sense of anachronism" to the film. It was also the first full-length Tamil colour film, being shot in Gevacolor. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema claims it to be the first South Indian film in Gevacolor, despite the fact that the 1955 Tamil film Kanavaney Kankanda Deivam had a few sequences in Gevacolor. The scenes involving horses were shot at Mysore for ten days; the horses that were used belonged to the Mysore Reserve Police. The cavernous hideout of the thieves was created at two locations — the exterior cave scenes with the horses were taken at Mysore, while the interior scenes at the set were taken at Yercaud near Salem. Sundaram brought twenty horses from Mysore for the shoot at Yercaud. The jewels and gold coins featured in the film were actually clay painted in gold.

When only a song and a fight sequence were left to be finished, Ramachandran was unable to attend the shoot. Those portions were eventually shot with Karadimuthu, who acted for Ramachandran as a body double. In one particular scene, Ramachandran objected to the dialogue where he had to swear in the name of Allah, as he was then associated with the rationalist Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He suggested that the dialogue be changed to swearing in the name of his mother, but was finally requested by the director to use the original dialogue. Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum was processed at the Film Centre, Bombay (now Mumbai). The final length of the film was 16,789 feet (5,117 m).

Themes and influences

Ramachandran was an avid fan of action heroes like Errol Flynn, John Barrymore and Douglas Fairbanks. Throughout the 1950s, he acted in films that justified his status as an action hero. Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum portrayed Ramachandran as a swash-buckling action hero who also has a Robin Hood-like agenda of serving the poor and the downtrodden with the treasure he finds in the cave. Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, in their book Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, compared the film to Ramachandran's other films like Malaikkallan (1954) and Madurai Veeran (1956). Although the tale and costumes are middle eastern, Marziana, a Muslim, often refers to Yama, the Hindu god of death.

Music

The film's original soundtrack and score were composed by Susarla Dakshinamurthy, while the lyrics were written by A. Maruthakasi. A large number of the tracks were re-used from the original film Alibaba aur 40 Chor. The soundtrack played a key role in the success of the film. The song "Azhagaana Ponnu Naan" is based on the Mayamalavagowla raga. "Ullasa Ulagam" was later remixed by Pravin Mani and Vidyasagar in Jayamkondaan (2008). The song "Chinnanchiru Chitte" was remixed in Muruga (2007).

Film producer and writer G. Dhananjayan said in his 2011 book The Best of Tamil Cinema that the film's "success was buoyed by the super hit songs 'Azhagaana Ponnu Naan, athuketha kannu than...', [....] and 'En nattamellam oru vettaiyile thane...', which remain evergreen today." Charulatha Mani, writing for The Hindu, called "Azhagaan Ponnu Naan" a "peppy" song. IndiaGlitz wrote, ""Masilla Unmai Kadhale" will take you to the world of the golden period of rich lyrics and soft instrumentation."

Tracklist

No.	Title	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Masila Unmai Kathale"	A. M. Rajah, Bhanumathi Ramakrishna	3:04
2.	"Chinnanjiru Chitte"	S. C. Krishnan, Jikki	2:53
3.	"Azhagaana Ponnu Naan"	Bhanumathi Ramakrishna	3:04
4.	"Naama Aaduvathum"	Swarnalatha, Jamuna Rani	3:34
5.	"Unnaivida Maattaen"	P. Bhanumathi	2:40
6.	"Ullaasa Ulagam"	Ghantasala	2:47
7.	"Salaam Baabu"	Jikki	4:19
8.	"Anbinaale Aalavandha"	Bhanumathi Ramakrishna	3:25
9.	"En Aattamellaam"	Bhanumathi Ramakrishna	3:56

Release

Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum was released on 14 January 1956, during the festive occasion of Thai Pongal. It became a commercial success and ran for over 100 days in theatres. According to G. Dhananjayan, the film's success was "largely contributed by a lively screenplay, massive sets never seen before, excellent fight scenes, interesting comedy scenes and evergreen songs ably supported by the lovely pair MGR and Bhanumathi". It was later dubbed in Telugu as Ali Baba 40 Dongalu. A Telugu remake, also titled Ali Baba 40 Dongalu and starring N. T. Rama Rao and Jayalalithaa, was released in 1970. Like the original, the remake was also successful. Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum had a limited re-release on 14 April 2011, during the festive occasion of Puthandu (Tamil New Year) in Chennai.

Critical reception

Tamil film historian S. Theodore Baskaran wrote in his 1996 book The Eye of the Serpent, "The film's cast of M.G. Ramachandran as the swash-buckling Alibaba, Bhanumathi as the singing-heroine — two of the most popular artistes of the fifties — and Thangavelu as the comedian was the main factor contributing to its huge success. The screen villain of the fifties, P.S. Veerappa's portrayal of the heartless Abu Hussain was memorable". In The Best of Tamil Cinema, Dhananjayan called the film "one of the finest action packed entertainers with fantastic songs and dances". He further mentioned, "Though MGR scored through his heroics, Bhanumathi also played an equally important role and exhibited her histrionics in several scenes. Her intelligence and presence of mind were exhibited in several scenes, including the last scene where kills all the thieves during her dance and teases Abu Hussain back in his own style", while concluding that "The film belongs to both MGR and Bhanumathi".

Sri Lankan scholar Sachi Sri Kantha felt that the Gevacolor looked somewhat "washed out", and that the film succeeded with the Tamil masses because "it was a first time experience they could enjoy the [colour] in totality". In Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, Rajadhyaksha and Willemen said the film was remembered "mainly for MGR's swashbuckling stunts, the elaborate group dances and Bhanumathi's very popular song-and-dance routines".

Home media

Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum was released on home video by Moser Baer in June 2010, and by Raj Video Vision in April 2012.

Legacy

Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum became a "landmark" in Ramachandran's acting career. It has also been referenced in many films. In Thoppi (2015), the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments orders police inspector Kuzhanthaisamy to find a stolen film reel box; the film is Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum. Janagaraj sings a portion of "Ullasa Ulagam" in Rajadhi Raja (1989), before meeting with a fate similar to that of Thangavelu in the film. Goundamani and Sathyaraj imitate the song "Maasila Unmai Kadhale" in Rickshaw Mama (1992).

Bibliography

• Baskaran, Sundararaj Theodore (1996). The eye of the serpent: an introduction to Tamil cinema. East West Books. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Dhananjayan, G. (2011). The Best of Tamil Cinema, 1931 to 2010: 1931 to 1976. Galatta Media. ISBN 978-8192104300. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Guy, Randor (2007). From Silents to Sivaji! A look into the past — Part II. Galatta Cinema. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Pillai, Swarnavel Eswaran (2015). Madras Studios: Narrative, Genre, and Ideology in Tamil Cinema. SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-93-5150-212-8. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press. ISBN 019-563579-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Swaminathan, Roopa (2002). M.G. Ramachandran: Jewel of the Masses. Rupa Publications. ISBN 8171678971. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

• Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum at IMDb