Paradesi (1953 film)

Paradesi or Poongothai is a 1953 Indian Telugu-Tamil bilingual romance film, produced by P. Adinarayana Rao under the Anjali pictures banner and directed by L. V. Prasad.[1] It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi, Sivaji Ganesan and music also composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. The film is a remake of the Hindi movie Raj Rani (1950). No print of Poongothai is known to survive, making it a lost film.[2]

Paradesi
Poongodhai
Theatrical release poster
Directed byL. V. Prasad
Produced byP. Adinarayana Rao
Anjali Devi (presents)
Screenplay byL. V. Prasad
StarringAkkineni Nageswara Rao
Anjali Devi
Sivaji Ganesan
Music byP. Adinarayana Rao
CinematographyKamal Ghosh
Edited byN. S. Pragasam
Production
company
Distributed byPoorna films
Release date
  • 14 January 1953 (1953-01-14)
(Telugu)
  • 7 February 1953 (1953-02-07)
(Tamil)
Running time
190 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu
Tamil

Plot

The film begins in a hilly village Seethagiri, where lives a flower vendor Lakshmi (Anjali Devi). Chandram (Akkineni Nageswara Rao) is left in penury after his father's death in an accident. On the double, Chandram's friend Raghu (Janardhan) also dies out of heart attack, but before he entrusts him the responsibility of his wife Susheela (Pandari Bai) & son Anand (Master Mohan). Chandram's health deteriorates as he works overtime to support the dependents. The doctor advises him to take rest at a hill station. Chandram arrives in Seethagiri where he meets Lakshmi and marries her in a local temple. Lakshmi reveals to her father Rangaiah (S.V.Ranga Rao) regarding her marriage with a "Paradesi" (city folk) and she is pregnant. Rangaiah asks her to bring him but when she reaches the hotel Chandram has already left the village. Now she is unable to bear the insults of the villagers because of which Rangaiah commits suicide. Declared an outcast, Lakshmi lives all alone and gives birth to a baby girl Tara. Chandram, who left for the city on an urgent call, returns to take Lakshmi along with him. Unfortunately, he is told that she has died in a fire accident. Years roll by, Anand (Sivaji Ganesan) and Lakshmi's daughter Tara (Vasantha) fall in love when Anand comes to Seethagiri. Lakshmi tries to wean away Tara from the "Paradesi". From there on the story takes a few twists before leading to an intriguing climax.

Cast

Soundtrack
Telugu
Paradesi
Film score by
P. Adinarayana Rao
Released1953
GenreSoundtrack
ProducerP. Adinarayana Rao

Music composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. Lyrics were written by Malladi Venkata Krishna Sharma. Music released on Audio Company.

S. No.Song TitleSingerslength
1 "Jeevithame Hai"
2 "Jaatibhedaalu Marachi"
3 "Ayya Ghuma Ghumalaade"
4 "Gaajulo Gaajulu"
5 "Pilichindi Kaluvapuvvu"
6 "Nenenduku Raavali"
7 "Kanikaramleni"
8 "Raavoyi Thoti Raja"
9 "Naa Hrudayamlo"
Tamil

One song Thayagamey Vaazhka, was written by Bharathidasan and all others were penned by Kambadasan. Playback singers are A. M. Rajah, D. B. Ramachandran, Chellamuthu, V. N. Sundaram, Jikki and A. P. Komala.[3]

No.SongSinger/sDuration (m:ss)
1"En Ninaivuthanil"
2"Oho Azagaana Roja"Jikki03:08
3"Thayagamey Vaazhka"
4"Naan Yen Vara Vendum"D. B. Ramachandran, Jikki03:12
5"Kannaal Pesi Pesi"A. P. Komala02:56
6"Neelavaan Nedungkundram...Yen Padaithaai"V. N. Sundaram03:26
7"Valaiyal, Jil Jil Valaiyal"Chellamuthu03:14
8"Thaenoorum Paarijaatha Malar"A. P. Komala and group02:28
9"Aiyaa Paarunga Vaangunga"

Production

After splitting out from Aswini Pictures, Anjali Devi and her husband Adinarayana Rao formed their own production house and named it Anjali Pictures. They decided to remake Raj Rani, a 1950 Hindi film directed by Satish Nigam and bought the rights.[4] They decided to shoot the film in two languages—Tamil and Telugu, and appointed L. V. Prasad as the director. Prasad, however, did not make a direct copy of the Hindi original; he made subtle changes to the screenplay to suit the audience.[4] The producers were looking for a new actor to play the second lead role.[4] P. A. Perumal Chettiar, a leading film distributor suggested Sivaji Ganesan to Anjali Devi and her husband. Ganesan, who was a prominent theatre artist acquired the prefix "Sivaji" after he played Chatrapati Shivaji in a stage play. Ganesan was immediately chosen for the role and had a screen test for the first time. It was during this time that Parasakthi was made.[4] Perumal, the film's producer made a request to Anjali Devi that Parasakthi be released before Paradesi. Anjali and Rao, the producers agreed and hence Parasakthi became Ganesan's first released film.[4]

Sakthi Krishnaswamy wrote the dialogues while Bharathidasan and Kambadasan wrote the lyrics for the Tamil film Poongodhai.[5]

Reception

The film released on 14 January 1953. Both the versions did well in the run. The Tamil version Poongodhai received positive response from the critics.[6]

In November 2013, M. L. Narasimham of The Hindu noted that the film would be "remembered as the launch pad for Sivaji Ganesan".[4] Film critic and Telugu film director K. N. T. Sastry in his L.V. Prasad: a monograph described, "Paradesi is about urbanites" and not the conventional village-based subject.[6] He also noted that the screenplay was very fast.[6]

Notes
  1. Thoraval 2000, p. 348.
  2. Rangarajan, Malathi (31 August 2017). "Another Anandan in the making". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  3. Neelamegam, G. (December 2014). Thiraikalanjiyam â€“ Part 1 (in Tamil) (1st ed.). Chennai: Manivasagar Publishers 044 25361039. p. 56.
  4. M. L. Narasimhan (16 November 2013). "Blast from the past: Paradesi (1953)". The Hindu. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  5. Film News Anandan (23 October 2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [History of Landmark Tamil Films] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivakami Publishers. Archived from the original on 27 May 2017.
  6. Sastry 1993, p. 54.

References
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