''Prabhavathi'' is a 1944 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 directed by

T. R. Raghunath Thimatchipuram Rajagopal Raghunath (16 July 1912 – 2 January 1990) was an Indian film director. He was the younger brother of film director Raja Chandrasekhar. Career Raghunath started his film career as an assistant director in ''Gnanasoun ...

and produced by

Lena Chettiar Lena Chettiar (born S. M. Letchuman Chettiar) was an Indian film producer from Chettinad known for his works in Tamil cinema. Career S. M. Letchuman Chettiar hailed from the Nattukottai Nagarathar clan in Chettinad. Early on in his career, Le ...

. The film stars

Honnappa Bhagavathar Chowdasandra Honnappa Bhagavathar (14 January 1915 – 2 October 1992; kn, ಹೊನ್ನಪ್ಪ ಭಾಗವತರು) was an Indian theatre and film actor, producer, musician and singer. He was best known as a singer and as one of the pio ...

and S. P. L. Dhanalakshmi. It was released on 6 August 1944, and was not commercially successful.

Plot

The film revolves around the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

god

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

n, his son

Pradyumna Pradyumna ( sa, प्रद्युम्न) is the eldest son of the Hindu deities Krishna and his chief consort, Rukmini. He is considered to be one of the four vyuha avatars of Vishnu. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Pradyumna was ...

n, the sage

Narada Narada ( sa, नारद, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage divinity, famous in Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of mind-created children of Brahma, the creator god. He ...

r and his mischief-making activities, Pradyumnan being cursed by a sage into becoming a woman, how he is relieved of the curse due to Krishnan's involvement, and how Pradyumnan and his love interest Mayavathi are reunited.

Cast

;Male cast * C. Honnappa Bhagavathar as

n * M. S. Saroja as Sri Krishnan *

N. S. Krishnan Nagercoil Sudalaimuthu Krishnan, popularly known as Kalaivanar () and also as NSK, was an Indian actor-comedian, theatre artist, playback singer and writer in the early stages of the Tamil film industry – in the 1940s and 1950s. He is conside ...

as Haridas * K. Mahadevan Iyer as

r * R. Balasubramaniam as

Durvasa In Hindu scriptures, Durvasa ( sa, दुर्वासा, ) also known as Durvasas (Sanskrit: दुर्वासस्), is a legendary rishi (sage). He is the son of Anasuya and Atri. According to some Puranas, Durvasa is a partial avata ...

r *

D. Balasubramaniam D. Balasubramaniam was an Indian actor whose career spanned from the late 1930s through the late 1950s. He was well known for his roles in mythological films and later switched to character roles. Filmography References Male actors in Tam ...

as Vajranabhan * M. Lakshmanan as

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 ...

n *

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 ...

as Bhadaranadan * T. V. Namasivayam as

Vishvamitra Vishvamitra ( sa, विश्वामित्र, ) is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the Gayatri Mant ...

r * V. Krishnan as

Lakshmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja (). ...

n *

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 ...

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

n * S. R. Swami as

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

E. R. Sahadevan E. R. Sahadevan was a Tamil veteran villain actor. He acted as the villain along with M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, S. S. Rajendran in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He made his debut film Rajasekaran Emantha Sonagiri, rele ...

as Sunabhan * Velayum as Kumbhanabhan * Kolathu Mani as

Pujari Pūjari is a designation given to a Hindu temple priest who performs pūja. The word comes from the Sanskrit word "पूजा" meaning worship. They are responsible for performing temple rituals, including ''pūjā'' and ''aarti''. ''Pujari'' ...

* Pulimootai Ramaswami Iyer as Asurar * Thiruvenkitam as Asurar * Kuppusami as Asurar * Shankaramoorthi as Asurar * Chellamuthu as Asurar * Krishnamoorthi as Asurar * Chinnasami as Asurar * Gopal as Asurar ;Female cast * S. P. L. Dhanalakshmi as Prabhavathi * T. R. Rajakumari as Mayavathi * T. A. Mathuram as Chitralekha * T. S. Krishna Veni as Rukmani *

P. A. Periyanayaki P. A. Periyanayaki (14 April 1927 – 1990) was an Indian playback singer and actress who worked mainly in Tamil-language films. She also performed stage concerts as a Carnatic singer. Early life She hails from Thiruvadhigai near Panruti. H ...

as Kurathi * P. A. Rajamani as

Satyabhama Satyabhama, also known as Satrajiti, is a Hindu goddess and the third queen-consort of the Hindu god Krishna. Satyabhama is described as the incarnation of Bhudevi, the goddess and the personification of the earth. She aided Krishna in defeati ...

* A. R. Sakunthala as Ahalikai *

K. R. Chellam Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli (born 1918), known professionally as K. R. Chellam, was an Indian actress who appeared in Tamil language films. Early life Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli was born in 1918 to a middle-class Iyengar fam ...

Shakthi In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and rep ...

* R. Padma as Rajahamsi * Rathnam as

Indrani Indrani (Sanskrit: इन्द्राणी, IAST: ''Indrāṇī, lit.'' Indra's queen), also known as Shachi (Sanskrit: शची, IAST: ''Śacī''), is the queen of the devas in Hinduism. Described as tantalisingly beautiful, proud and ki ...

* T. A. Jayalakshmi as Dancer * K. R. Jayalakshmi as Dancer * K. S. Adilakshmi as Dancer * K. S. Rajam as Dancer * S. Saraswathi as Dancer * V. S. Chitti Ammal as Dancer * R. N. Dhanabhagyam as Dancer ;Supporting cast * T. D. Krishna Bai * T. D. Kamala Bai * P. S. Chandra * V. Lakshmikantham

Production

''Prabhavathi'' was directed by

and produced by

, under the production banner Krishna Pictures.

, a male character, was played by Raghunath's wife M. S. Saroja.

Soundtrack

Release and reception

''Prabhavathi'' was released on 6 August 1944, and was distributed by Murugan Talkies. The film was not a commercial success, but film historian

Randor Guy Madabhushi Rangadorai (born 8 November 1937), better known by his pen name Randor Guy, is an Indian lawyer, columnist and film and legal historian associated with the English language newspaper ''The Hindu''. He is also the official editor of the ...

said it would be "Remembered for being one of the early movies of the glamour girl Rajakumari".

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0258890 1940s Tamil-language films 1944 films Films directed by T. R. Raghunath Hindu mythological films Indian black-and-white films