''Baghdad Thirudan'' () is a 1960 Indian

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

-language

swashbuckler film Swashbuckler films are a subgenre of the action film genre, often characterised by swordfighting and adventurous heroic characters, known as swashbucklers. Real historical events often feature prominently in the plot, morality is often clear-c ...

produced and directed by T. P. Sundaram. The film stars

M. G. Ramachandran Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...

and

Vyjayanthimala Vyjayanthimala (born 13 August 1936) is a former Indian actress, dancer and parliamentarian. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two BFJA Awards and five Filmfare Awards. She made her screen debut at the age of thirteen with ...

, with M. N. Nambiar,

T. S. Balaiah Thirunelveli Subramaniyan Balaiah (23 August 1914 – 22 July 1972) was an Indian actor. He is best known for playing supporting roles in Tamil films. Born in Sundankottai, near Udankudi in Thoothukudi, Balaiah was introduced to the cine fiel ...

T. R. Ramachandran Thirukampuliyur Ranga Ramachandran (9 January 1917 – 30 November 1990) was an Indian actor and comedian who acted mainly in Tamil films. He was cast mostly in lead or supportive roles, especially in comical parts, from the 1940s to the 1960s. Kn ...

, S. A. Ashokan, M. N. Rajam, A. Sandhya and

S. N. Lakshmi Sennalkudi Narayana Lakshmi (1927 – 20 February 2012) was an Indian actress, who appeared in supporting roles, often playing roles of a mother or grandmother in films. A recipient of the state government's Kalaimamani and Kalaiselvam awards, ...

in supporting roles. It is a remake of the 1924 American film '' The Thief of Bagdad'' and was inspired by 1951 film ''

The Prince Who Was a Thief ''The Prince Who Was a Thief'' is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Rudolph Mate and starring Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie. A technicolor swashbuckler, it was the first film Curtis featured in as a star. It was produced and distributed by ...

''. The film was released on 6 May 1960.

Plot

Following the betrayal of the Prime Minister, the Maharaja and the Maharani of the kingdom are murdered and their son, Abu, is hidden in a herd of cows. Abu is found by robbers, who hidden in the forest and eventually grows up to become their leader. The two impostors who sit on the throne have a daughter and a child servant who poses as the son who survived the death of the former royal couple. Abu robs the rich to give to the poor and strives to reconquer his kingdom.

Cast

;Male cast *

as Abu * M. N. Nambiar as Hyder / Chinna Sarkar *

as Periya Sarkar *

as Abu's friend * S. A. Ashokan as Qayyum *

S. V. Sahasranamam Singanallur Venkataramana Iyer Sahasranamam (29 November 1913 – 19 February 1988), also known as S. V. S., was an Indian actor and director. Primarily a theatre actor, he also worked in over 200 films, mainly in Tamil cinema. Early lif ...

*K. Kannan as Bandit ;Female cast *

as Zarina * M. N. Rajam as Princess Zubeida *

as Begum * Sandhya as Gulshad * M. S. S. Bhagyam * K. S. Angamuthu as Princess Friend *

Helen Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...

as Dancer

Production

''Baghdad Thirudan'' was financed by Krishnaswamy Naidu, the former owner of Golden Studios. A single set in the film cost , yet

always wanted new sets. By this type of over-expenditure, it was believed that the film would ultimately cost . Ramachandran demanded that an additional be spent to complete the film, much to Naidu's horror. ''Baghdad Thirudan'' was also the only film that featured Ramachandran opposite

. Ramachandran briefly served as the film's editor. He said, "I was at the editing table, and it was so easy to join the cuts, because the movements just flowed into each other".

had to fight a leopard in one scene without the use of a

stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...

. She later remarked that she feared cats.

Soundtrack

The music composed by

G. Govindarajulu Naidu G. Govindarajulu Naidu was an acclaimed music director in 1940s and 50s in the south Indian film industry. Hailing from Tiruchirappalli, he was one among the musicians who defined the way of music in South Indian film industry. He composed music ...

. All lyrics were penned by

A. Maruthakasi A. Maruthakasi (13 February 1920 – 29 November 1989) was an Indian poet and film lyricist who wrote mainly in the Tamil language. He penned more than 4000 lyrics in more than 250 Tamil films. Early life Born in Melakudikadu in Tiruchirappal ...

Release and reception

''Baghdad Thirudan'' was released on 6 May 1960, and had an average run. Kanthan of ''

Kalki Kalki ( sa, कल्कि), also called Kalkin or Karki, is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is described to appear in order to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in the endless cycle of exist ...

'' said there was nothing special about the film, but it could be watched for Ramachandran. Later it was dubbed in Hindi and released as ''Baghdad'' in 1962.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0053625 1960 films 1960s Tamil-language films Films based on The Thief of Bagdad Films set in Baghdad Indian remakes of American films Indian swashbuckler films