''Dhakam'' (; ) is an 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

romantic drama Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

film directed by

Babu Nanthankode Babu Nanthankode is a South Indian film director who works mainly in the Malayalam film industry. Born in Thiruvananthapuram, India, Babu Nanthankode displayed a Storytelling, storyteller's potential from an early age. He is known for his rea ...

in his debut. He co-wrote the story with T. Vaiyadurai, who handled the cinematography. The film stars

R. Muthuraman Muthuraman Radhakrishnan (4 July 1929 – 16 October 1981) was an Indian actor who predominantly appeared in Tamil language films. He was a leading actor during the 1960s and 1970s and was fondly called as ''Navarasa Thilagam''. He had paired w ...

and

Nanditha Bose Nanditha Bose is an Indian actress in Malayalam movies. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1970s in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Bengali films. She was well noted for her performance in the Malayalam movies ''Achaani'' (1973), ''Panithee ...

. Filmed in 1972, it did not see a theatrical release, but has been screened at many film festivals.

Plot

Sharada, an orphan, lives with other orphans in an

ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...

, where she bonds with a Sekhar, a blind man. They eventually marry, and she tries to make a living as a saleswoman in

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, but city life is too much for them and they return to the ashram. Sharada dies, having donated her eyes to a blind person.

Cast

as Sekhar *

as Sharada Other supporting roles are played by

Major Sundarrajan Srinivasan Sundarrajan (17 March 1925 – 28 February 2003), popularly known as Major Sundarrajan, was an Indian actor and director who performed predominantly in Tamil language films and plays. He was well known for his sophisticated and ...

Pandari Bai Pandari Bai (1930 – 29 January 2003) was an Indian actress who worked in South Indian cinema, mostly in Kannada cinema during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She is considered Kannada cinema's first successful heroine. She has acted as both heroi ...

Rajakokila Rajakokila/Rajkokila was an Indian actress. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1970s in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films. She was well noted for her glamorous roles. She is married to Crossbelt Mani. The actress Meena is her ...

, Renuka Parvathi and Jayaseelam.

Production

''Dhakam'', the directorial debut of

, was conceived by him and T. Vaiyadurai while they were working at the staff of the

Madras Film Institute The M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute, formerly known as the Adyar Film Institute, is Asia's first-ever film and television training institute. Established in 1945 as Adyar Film Institute, it is one of the pioneer film in ...

. It was produced by Janakiraman under the banner Kavya Chitra. The screenplay was written by K. K. Raman, based on the story of Nanthankode and Vaiyadurai; the latter also handled the cinematography. Shooting took place in 1972, primarily at

Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu Gandhigram is a census town in Dindigul district along the National Highway 44 in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Demographics India census, Gandhigram had a population of 10,666. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Gandhi ...

. The final cut of the film measured 144 minutes.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by

M. B. Sreenivasan Manamadurai Balakrishnan Sreenivasan (19 September 1925 – 9 March 1988), or MBS, was a South Indian music director who worked mainly in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries. He was born to an orthodox Tamil Brahmin family on 19 Septe ...

, while Bharati and Poovai Senguttuvan were the lyricists. The songs "Vanam Namadhu Thanthai" and "Bharata Samudayam" attained popularity.

Release and reception

''Dhakam'' did not have a theatrical release, but has been screened at many film festivals. 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 ...

'' appreciated the film for eschewing stylish costumes, makeup for the lead actors, and elaborate sets.

Legacy

''Dhakam'' was influential in establishing the

art film An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

scenario in

Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...

Ashish Rajadhyaksha Ashish Vithal Rajadhyaksha (born 12 March 1957) is an Indian film scholar, art curator and cultural theorist. He was a Senior Fellow at the Bangalore-based Centre for the Study of Culture and Society. Early life Ashish Vithal Rajadhyaksha was ...

and

Paul Willemen Paul Willemen (17 August 1944 – 13 May 2012) was a Belgian-born British professor, author and essayist. According to the British Film Institute, he was regarded as "a pioneering figure in the revolution in thinking about the cinema that be ...

, in their book ''Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema'', say the film served as an inspiration for ''

Aval Appadithan ''Aval Appadithan'' () is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by C. Rudraiah in his directorial debut, and co-written by him with Somasundareshwar. The film was produced by Rudhraiya in association with the M.G.R. Government Fil ...

'' (1978).

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0315485 1972 romantic drama films 1970s Tamil-language films Films directed by Babu Nanthankode Films scored by M. B. Sreenivasan Indian romantic drama films