''Kandhan Karunai'' () is a 1967 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, nati ...
-language
Hindu mythological film
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''Genre'' is the term for ...
, written and directed by
A. P. Nagarajan
Akkamappettai Paramasivan Nagarajan (24 February 1928 – 5 April 1977) was an Indian film director, producer, actor and writer who set a trend in film making in Tamil cinema from 1965 to 1977.
Film career
Nagarajan started his own drama c ...
. It features an
ensemble cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17
Structure
In contrast to ...
including
Sivaji Ganesan
Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji Ga ...
,
Gemini Ganesan
Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the ''Kaadhal Mannan'' (King of Romance) for his romantic roles ...
,
Sivakumar
Palaniswamy, better known by his stage name Sivakumar (born 27 October 1941), is an Indian visual artist and former actor who has portrayed a wide range of leading and supporting roles onscreen in Tamil cinema and television. He made his actin ...
,
Savithri,
K. R. Vijaya
Deivanayaki better known by her stage name K. R. Vijaya is an Indian actress who has featured in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. She started her career in 1963 and has been acting for more than five decades in South Indian cinema. ...
and
Jayalalithaa
Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and actress who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016. From 9 February 1989 to 5 December 2 ...
. This was the debut film for actress
Sridevi
Shree Amma Yanger Ayyappan (13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), professionally credited with her stage name Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. Cited as the "First Female ...
, who had starred as Lord Murugan at the age of 3.
Plot
The film revolves around
Murugan
Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...
, his birth, marriage and his acceptance of the post of the head of the army of heaven. In
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
, there are six abodes of lord Muruga, known as the "
Arupadaiveedu". The story behind each of the abodes are portrayed chronologically in the film. It starts with
Swamimalai
Swamimalai is a panchayat town that is a suburb near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur District in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the banks of river Kaveri river, Kaveri and is one of the Arupadaiveedu, six ab ...
, where Lord Muruga teaches the meaning of the word 'OM' to his father, Shiva. He goes to
Palani
Palani ( or ''Palni'' as in British records, is a town and a taluk headquarters in Dindigul district of the western part of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about south-east of Coimbatore and north-west of Madurai, from Kodaikanal ...
Hills after a fight over a sacred fruit, that is his second abode. Then he wins over the demon king Surapadman in
Thiruchendur
Tiruchendur is a municipality located in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan.
Etymology
Tiruchendur, a temple town like many towns in the st ...
and that is his third abode. The King of heaven,
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
offers his daughter's hand in appreciation of Lord Muruga's victory and he marries her in
Thirupparamkunram, his fourth abode. He later marries Valli in his fifth abode of
Thiruthani
Tiruttani is a town in Tiruvallur district, suburb of Chennai within Chennai Metropolitan Area limit in state of Tamil Nadu, India. This town is famous for Tiruttani Murugan Temple which is one of the Arupadaiveedu and is dedicated to (Kartike ...
, later after a short dispute between both his wives they amicably settle in
Pazhamudircholai
Arulmigu Solaimalai Murugan Temple is a Hindu temple, located about 25 kilometres north of Madurai, Tamilnadu, India atop a hill covered with dense forests. One of the six important abodes ('' Arupadaiveedu'') of Lord Muruga of Madurai District ...
, his sixth abode. All the events are summarised by
Nakkeerar, a great Tamil poet portrayed by
Sirkazhi Govindarajan
Sirkazhi Govindarajan (19 January 1933 – 24 March 1988) was an Indian Tamil Carnatic vocalist and a leading playback singer of Indian cinema.
Early life
Govindarajan, was born on 19 January 1933 at Sirkazhi (a small town in present day May ...
at the end of the film.
Cast
Production
Vijayakumar was supposed to play Lord Murugan in the film but he was replaced by Sivakumar. Vijayakumar instead appeared as one of the lords who was in the jail. This was the debut film for actress
Sridevi
Shree Amma Yanger Ayyappan (13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), professionally credited with her stage name Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. Cited as the "First Female ...
.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by
K. V. Mahadevan
Krishnankoil Venkadachalam Mahadevan (14 March 1918 – 21 June 2001) was an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, and musician known for his works in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Telugu cinema, Telugu, Malayalam cinema, Malayalam, and Kann ...
, for which he received the
National Film Award for Best Music Direction
The National Film Award for Best Music Direction (the Silver Lotus Award) is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards by the Directorate of Film Festivals to a musician who has composed the best score for films produced within t ...
.
The song "Thiruparankundrathil Nee" was composed by
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan (2 March 1935 – 8 September 2008) was an Indian classical music violinist and music composer.
Early life
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan was born on 2 March 1935 and was trained by his father, Ramaswamy Sastry. He was the brother ...
. The song "Arupadai Veedu" is a
ragamalika
Ragamalika, literally a garland of ragas, is a popular form of composition in Carnatic music where different segments of the composition are set to different ragas. It is also known as ''Raga Kadambakam,'' and forms parallel to the composition form ...
; it starts off with
Kambodhi followed by
Hindolam
Hindōḷaṃ is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an ''audava'' rāgam (or ''owdava'' rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the sev ...
,
Chakravakam,
Kaanada,
Hamsanandhi,
Natakurinji and
Kapi
Kapi, Kapı, or KAPI may refer to:
Places
* Kapi, Estonia, a village in Estonia
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* a possible old volcanic eruption site near Krakatoa
People
* Mari Kapi (1950–2009), Papua New Guinean judge
* Mustafa Ka ...
. "Solla Solla inikkudhadaa" song is set to
Kundhalavarali raaga."Thiruparankundrathil Nee" song set in
Suddha Dhanyasi
Udayaravichandrika is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an ''audava'' rāgam (or ''owdava'' rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale ). It is a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the ...
ragam and "Arumugamana Porul" song set in
Mohanam
Mohanam is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an ''audava'' rāga (or ''owdava'' rāga, meaning pentatonic scale). It is usually described as a ''janya'' rāga of Harikamboji (28th Melakartha Raga). ...
ragam."Vellimalai Mannava" song set in
Charukesi
Charukesi (pronounced chārukēśi) is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 26th ''Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Tarangini in Muthuswami ...
ragam.
Reception
''
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 Nagarajan for taking an old story and reinventing it.
References
External links
*
{{A. P. Nagarajan
1960s Tamil-language films
1967 films
Films about Hinduism
Films directed by A. P. Nagarajan
Films scored by K. V. Mahadevan
Films with screenplays by A. P. Nagarajan
Hindu mythological films