Tamil cinema, an extension of Tamil theatre, quickly took a plunge into the liberty motion after the appearance of talkies. Despite the watchful eyes of the British authorities, theatre personalities and film-makers launched nationalist concepts and songs — significantly these of Bharathiyar — into their performs and movies.
A play banned by the British
Bharathiyar’s songs had been first included within the play Desa Bhakti, which was banned by the British authorities. The drama additionally included Gandhi Mahan Kathai, rendered as Villupattu, which was popularised by comic N.S. Krishnan.
“When the artistes from the stage moved to movie studios within the Nineteen Thirties, they introduced with them their ideology, their involvement with the political activism of the Congress, propaganda strategies, and, after all, the corpus of songs,” writes movie historian Theodore Baskaran in his ebook, History by the Lens.
Desa Bhakti was primarily based on the play Panapurathu Veeran by author V. Saminatha Sharma. Since the unique play was banned, it was carried out beneath the title Desa Bhakti. Bhaskara Das, a Madurai-based playwright, launched the play to Shanmugam and his brothers, including some new components.
Explaining how the “politicisation of Tamil cinema progressively intensified”, Mr. Theodore Baskaran says that even within the first Tamil talkie, Kalidas (1931), there was a music praising Gandhian beliefs and the chakra, though it was a mythological movie. All the songs within the movie had been penned by Bhaskara Das, and the music Indiarkal Nammavarkalukul Eno Veen Chandai (Why do Indians have pointless fights amongst ourselves?) advocated amity between Hindus and Muslims. “Typical of this style was Iru Sagotharargal (The Two Brothers, 1936), which, too, had been a preferred play,” writes Mr. Theodore Baskaran.
The entry of theatre personalities, who had been ardent supporters of the liberty motion, into the movie world ensured the continuation of their spirit and beliefs in cinema. Okay.S. Santhanakrishna Naidu of the Arya Gana Sabha, who produced performs geared toward inculcating patriotism within the plenty; M.S. Balasundaram, who wrote an elegy for Motilal Nehru; Bhaskara Das, whose music Raatinamaam Gandhi Kai Paanamam echoed throughout Tamil Nadu; and Boomi Baladoss, who wrote lyrics for movies, had been among the many contributors, says Aranathi Narayanan in his ebook Tamil Cinemavin Kathai.
Many others additionally acted in movies. Among them had been M.G. Nataraja Pillai who was arrested for his participation within the Civil Disobedience Movement; S.V. Subbaiah Bhagavatar, arrested for picketing toddy retailers; Sundaramurthy Oduvar, who actively participated within the motion in opposition to untouchability; and S. Devudu Iyer, arrested for singing songs in opposition to the British throughout the Salt Satyagraha.
Though censorship remained a problem for movies carrying messages of the liberty motion, the Government of India Act, 1935, and the 1937 election, through which C. Rajagopalachari was elected the Prime Minister of the Madras Presidency (because the submit of Chief Minister was recognized then), virtually introduced movie censorship to an finish.
‘Newfound freedom’
“Utilising the newfound freedom, overtly propagandist movies supporting nationalistic struggles had been made. One such movie was Mathrubhoomi (Motherland, 1939), an allegory set in opposition to the background of Alexander’s invasion of India,” says Mr. Theodore Baskaran.
He says Okay.B. Sundarambal, a star of the stage and the display, campaigned for the Congress. “Gramophone discs of propaganda songs by luminaries of the display, together with Okay.B. Sundarambal, had been launched. All these artistes had acquired fame and recognition as movie personalities, they usually used their charisma in the reason for nationalism,” he writes.
Another movie that kindled the spirit of nationalism was Thyagabhoomi, an adaptation of author Kalki’s novel serialised in Ananda Vikatan. The movie was made by making the most of the Congress’s victory beneath Rajaji within the 1937 election. Directed by Okay. Subramanyam, it featured S.D. Subbulakshmi and Okay.J. Mahadevan within the lead roles. It advocated progressive concepts of marital relationships. The movie’s storyline handled the tensions between a pair. Instead of residing a lifetime of concern, the spouse turns into a freedom fighter, singing Desa Sevai Seyya Vaareer, popularised by Carnatic vocalist D.Okay. Pattammal. According to a report in The Hindu, the movie was banned by the British authorities when it assumed energy from the Congress, which resigned over the problem of the Second World War.
“The British Indian rulers thought Thyagabhoomi was Congress propaganda. The movie includes a procession of Gandhi-capped volunteers. Off-screen, D.Okay. Pattammal sings Desa Sevai Seyya Vaareer,” writes movie historian Randor Guy. However, director Okay. Subramanyam and Kalki screened the movie free of charge at Gaiety Cinema, Madras, till the ban order was formally served on the theatre homeowners. One particular person died within the baton-charge on the theatre.
As the nation inched nearer to independence, movie producers started together with patriotic songs. Naam Iruvar, produced by AVM, which had the rights to Bharathiyar’s songs, featured Aaduvome Pallu Paaduvome. It celebrated independence even earlier than it was achieved and was screened in cinemas on the day the nation made its tryst with future. Meiyappa Chettiar, proprietor of AVM Studios, recorded the music Thayin Manikodi Pareer and included it within the movie. “After independence, the movie actors as a group, who had earlier been backing the reason for the Congress, moved on to assist the Dravidian Movement,” writes Mr. Theodore Baskaran.
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