K. Subramaniyam (20 April 1904 – 7 April 1971), born Krishnasamy Subramaniyam, was an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

film director of the 1930s and 1940s. Dancer

Padma Subrahmanyam Padma Subrahmanyam (born 4 February 1943, in Madras), is an Indian classical Bharata Natyam dancer. She is also a research scholar, choreographer, teacher, Indologist and author. She is famous in India as well as abroad; several films and docume ...

is his daughter.

Biography

Subramanyam was involved in the establishment of the Tamil film industry. He was born in a

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...

family. He started his film career as a

scenarist A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. T ...

and producer, working on P. K. Raja Sandow's silent films such as '' Peyum Pennum''. He started Meenakshi Cineton with

Alagappa Chettiar Sir Alagappa Chettiar (6 April 1909 – 5 April 1957) was an Indian businessman and philanthropist. He received the Padma Bhushan award (the third highest civilian award in India) in 1956. Early life Chettiar was born in Kottaiyur in the ...

, directing his first film '' Pavalakkodi'', in which the Tamil film star

M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar Mayavaram Krishnasamy Thiyagaraja Bhagavathar (1 March 1910 – 1 November 1959), also known by his initials as M. K. T., was an Indian actor, producer and Carnatic singer. He is considered to be one of the most successful actors in Tamil cine ...

debuted. He made a shift with the politically emphatic ''

Balayogini ''Balayogini'' ( ''Girl Saint'') is a 1937 Indian film made in Tamil language, Tamil and Telugu language, Telugu languages. It was directed by K. Subramanyam. It is one of the earliest Tamil films to be set in a contemporary social setting and to ...

'', criticizing the caste system prevalent then. In 1938, he made ''

Sevasadanam ''Sevasadanam'' () is a 1938 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. Subrahmanyam. It is one of the early Tamil films to be set in a contemporary social setting and to advocate reformist social policies. This was the first film for M. ...

'', advocating a better deal for women, the saint film ''

Bhaktha Chetha ''Bhaktha Chetha'' () is a 1940 Tamil language film directed and produced by K. Subrahmanyam. The film featured Papanasam Sivan as the titular character with G. Subbulakshmi, Kothamangalam Subbu, S. R. Janaki and Master R. Thirumalai playing su ...

'', critiquing

untouchability Untouchability is a form of social institution that legitimises and enforces practices that are discriminatory, humiliating, exclusionary and exploitative against people belonging to certain social groups. Although comparable forms of discrimin ...

and the war effort film '' Maanasamrakshanam''. His best-known work is ''

Thyaga Bhoomi ''Thyaga Bhoomi'' () is a 1939 Indian Tamil-language film directed and produced by K. Subramanyam. Starring K. J. Mahadevan and S.D.Subbalakshmi, the film was produced at the height of India's freedom movement and glorified Mahatma Gandhi and h ...

''. ''Thyaga Bhoomi'' was a novel by

Kalki Krishnamurthy , birth_name = Ramasamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy , birth_date = , birth_place = Puthamangalam, near Manalmedu , death_date = , death_place = Chennai, India , occupation = journalist, critic and writer , nationality = Indian , education = H ...

, which was banned by the British government. He also directed the Malayalam film '' Prahlada'' (1941), which was scripted by noted playwright N. P. Chellappan Nair. He was one of the founders of

Nadigar Sangam The Nadigar Sangam ( en, Actors' association), officially known as the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), is a union for film, television, and stage actors in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, based in Chennai. Formed in 1952, the grou ...

in 1952.

Filmography

* '' Pavalakkodi'' (1934) * ''

Naveena Sadaram ''Naveena Sadaram'' is a List of Tamil films of the 1930s, 1935 Tamil language film directed and produced by Krishnaswami Subrahmanyam. The film featured S. D. Subbulakshmi in the lead role. The film is an adaptation of the Kannada stage play ''S ...

'' (1935) * '' Naveena Sarangadhara'' (1936) * '' Kuchela'' (1936) * ''

Usha Kalyanam ''Usha Kalyanam'' is a 1936 Tamil-language film directed by K. Subramaniam. The film starred S. D. Subbulakshmi, C. V. V. Panthulu and G. Pattu Iyer in lead roles. As was the practice of that time, another film titled ''Kizhattu Maappillai'' ...

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) * ''Mr. Ammanchi'' (1937) * ''Kowsalya Parinayam'' (1937) * ''

'' (1938) * ''

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) * '' Prahlada'' (1941) (Malayalam) * ''

Ananthasayanam ''Ananthasayanam'' is a 1972 Indian Malayalam film, directed and produced by K. Suku. The film stars Sheela, Jayabharathi, Adoor Bhasi and Prema in the lead roles. The film had musical score by K. Raghavan. Cast *Sheela *Jayabharathi *Adoor ...

'' (1942) * '' Barthruhari'' (1944) * '' Maanasamrakshanam'' (1945) * '' Vikatayogi'' (1946) * '' Vichitra Vanitha'' (1947) * ''Kapati Arakshakaya'' (1948) (Sinhalese) * '' Gokuladasi'' (1948) * ''

Geetha Gandhi ''Geetha Gandhi'' () is a 1949 Indian, Tamil-language film produced and directed by Krishnaswami Subrahmanyam. The film stars T. R. Ramachandran and B. S. Saroja. Plot Subbaiyer is an old man whose granddaughter, Girija is studying in Annama ...

'' (1949)

References

External links

* * - A rare song sung by Subrahmanyam from the film Ananthasayanam (1942) {{DEFAULTSORT:Subrahmanyam, K. Film directors from Tamil Nadu Tamil film directors Tamil-language film directors Malayalam film directors 1904 births 1971 deaths People from Thanjavur district 20th-century Indian film directors Odia film directors