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{{short description|1935 film by Maniklal Dandan}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Bhakta Nandanar
| image = Nandanar 1935 Poster.JPG
| caption = Poster
| director = Manik Lal Tandon
| producer =
| writer =
| starring = [[K. B. Sundarambal]]<br />[[Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer]]
| narrator =
| music =
| cinematography =
| editing =
| studio = Asandas Classical Talkies
| released = 1935
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Tamil
| budget = {{INR}} 3 lakh
}}

'''''Bhakta Nandanar''''' ({{trans|Devotee Nandanar}}) is a 1935 [[Tamil language|Tamil-language]] film directed by Manik Lal Tandon. It marked the cinematic debut of the carnatic singer and stage artist [[K. B. Sundarambal]]. She was paid a then unprecedented {{INR}}100,000 (equivalent of {{INR}}60 million (2013 prices)) as salary for this film. This was also the first film for [[Ellis R. Dungan]].<ref name="A">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/cp/2008/02/08/stories/2008020850351600.htm|title=Blast from the past: Nandanar -- 1935|last=Guy|first=Randor|date=8 February 2008|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908005805/http://www.hindu.com/cp/2008/02/08/stories/2008020850351600.htm|archive-date=8 September 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=5 November 2017|website=[[The Hindu]]|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="B">{{Cite book| first=S. Theodore| last=Baskaran | author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran | year= 1996| title=The eye of the serpent: an introduction to Tamil cinema | publisher= East West Books| location= Chennai| pages=80 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PhFlAAAAMAAJ}}</ref><ref name="C">{{Cite book| first=S. Theodore| last=Baskaran | author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran | year= 1981| title=The message bearers: the nationalist politics and the entertainment media in South India, 1880–1945 | publisher= Cre-A| location= Chennai| pages=119 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PhFlAAAAMAAJ}}</ref><ref name="D">{{Cite book| last= National Film Development Corporation of India| year= 1998| title= Indian cinema: a visual voyage|edition= Hardback| publisher= Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt of India|isbn=978-81-230-0646-8| pages=127 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=9uJkAAAAMAAJ}}</ref><ref name="E">{{Cite book| first= Ashish | last=Rajadhyaksha| first2=Paul |last2=Willemen| year= 1994| title= Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema | publisher= British Film Institute|isbn=978-0-85170-455-5| pages=309 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nOZkAAAAMAAJ}}</ref><ref name="dungan">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2002/02/01/stories/2002020100850300.htm |title=He transcended barriers with aplomb, The Hindu 1 February 2002 |access-date=23 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130001747/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2002/02/01/stories/2002020100850300.htm |archive-date=30 November 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> No print of the film is known to survive, making it a [[lost film]].<ref name="A" />

== Plot ==
The story is based on the life of [[Nandanar]] (also known as Thirunaalai Povar – ''thee who pilgrims tomorrow'') and his becoming of a [[Nayanars|Naayanar]].

== Cast ==
*[[K. B. Sundarambal]] as [[Nandanar]]
*[[Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer]] as Vedhiyar

== Production ==
[[File:Nandanar 1935 film.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[K. B. Sundarambal]] and [[Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer]] in Nandanar]]
K. B. Sundarambal had retired from stage performances in 1932 after the death of her husband S. G. Kittappa. Hassandas, a textile magnate from [[Madras]] and a member of Chellaram business family was keen on making a film with Sundarambal in the lead. She was initially reluctant to star in the film and refused even the recommendation of her mentor [[S. Satyamurti]]. Hassandas persisted and to discourage him she offered to act in the film if he could pay One lakh Rupees. Hassandas agreed to pay her and the film was made.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080609131008/http://www.hindu.com/cp/2008/06/06/stories/2008060650321600.htm Blast From the Past – Nava Yuvan (1937), The Hindu 6 June 2008]</ref><ref name="F">{{Cite book| last=Film News Anandan| language= ta| year= 2004 | title=Sadhanaigal padaitha Tamil Thiraipada Varalaaru | publisher=Sivagami Publications| location= Chennai| pages=28:5}}</ref><ref name="G">{{Cite book| last=Arandhai Narayanan| language= ta| year= 2008 | title=Arambakala Tamil Cinema (1931–1941) | publisher=Vijaya Publications| location= Chennai| pages=60}}</ref><ref name="H">{{Cite book| first=Claude | last=Markovits| year= 2000| title=The global world of Indian merchants, 1750–1947: traders of Sind from Bukhara to Panama | publisher= Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-62285-1| pages=141 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DutV94n8_X4C}}</ref>

The film was directed by Manik Lal Tandon with Ellis Dungan shooting many scenes in his absence.<ref name="dungan" /> Sundarambal was cast as a man – the untouchable saint [[Nandanar]]. The same story had earlier been the subject of a 1932 Tamil film of the same name. Carnatic musician [[Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer]] was cast as the landlord Vedhiyar. He was paid 3000 Rs as salary. The script had a scene where Iyer's character would prostrate before Nandanar. Due to the prevailing social norms and her respect for Iyer, Sundarambal refused to do the scene. Director Tandon filmed a compromise by changing the scene such that both prostrated before each other.<ref name="A" /> The completed film cost {{INRConvert|3|l|year=1935}} to make and was 18000 feet long.<ref name="F" /><ref name="G" /> Tunes of three songs from the 1934 Hindi film ''Chandidas '' were reused in this film.<ref name="B1">{{Cite book| first=S. Theodore| last=Baskaran | author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran | year= 1996| title=The eye of the serpent: an introduction to Tamil cinema | publisher= East West Books| location= Chennai| pages=45 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PhFlAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

== Reception ==
The film was released in 1935 amid great expectations from the public. It failed at the box office and received mixed reviews from the critics. [[Kalki Krishnamurthy]] made fun of it in ''[[Ananda Vikatan]]'' by claiming buffaloes and palm trees had acted well in the film.<ref name="I">{{Cite book| first=Selvaraj| last= Velayutham| year= 2008| title= Tamil cinema: the cultural politics of India's other film industry |edition= Hardback| publisher= Routledge| location= New York| isbn= 978-0-415-39680-6 | pages=115 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=65Aqrna4o5oC}}</ref> He wrote the number one actor in the film was the coconut tree, number two was the buffalo and number three, the kid goat. The Tamil newspaper ''[[Dina Mani]]'' also gave it an unfavourable review.<ref name="J">{{Cite book| first=S. Theodore| last=Baskaran | author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran | year= 2004| title=Chithiram Pesuthadi |language=ta | publisher= Kalachuvadu| location= Chennai| isbn= 81-87477-75-X | pages=35 }}</ref> Writing in the April 1938 issue of the ''Eelakesari'', [[Pudhumaipithan]] explained the reasons for its failure:

{{Cquote|..''Nandanar'' was released. It had beautiful scenes and melodious songs. They had made it at enormous expense. But it was not able to distinguish itself. Why? because it had a female (Sundarambal) playing a man. In a stage play, one can appreciate things like make up or facial expressions. But in a movie you have to depict Nandan's story realistically. However we try we can not picture Sundarambal as Nandanar. If we kept seeing Sundarambal and not Nandan, how can we experience Nandan's story and how can the film succeed?<ref name="J1">{{Cite book| first=S. Theodore| last=Baskaran | author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran | year= 2004| title=Chithiram Pesuthadi |language=ta | publisher= Kalachuvadu| location= Chennai| isbn= 81-87477-75-X | pages=62 }}</ref> }}

However it received favourable reviews in 15 July 1935 issues of [[The Hindu]], ''Tamil Nadu'', ''Sudesamithran'' and ''Cinema Ulagam''.<ref name="J" /> Viswanatha Iyer was criticised by conservative [[Brahmin|brahimins]] of his hometown [[Kumbakonam]] for acting in the film.<ref name="A" />

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nandanar (1935 Film)}}
[[Category:1935 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Indian biographical films]]
[[Category:1930s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Films about social class]]
[[Category:Lost Indian films]]
[[Category:1930s biographical films]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:1935 lost films]]

Bhakta Nandanar - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 19:45, 21 April 2021