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{{short description|1943 film by Ellis R. Dungan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Dhaasippen தாசிப்பெண்
| image = Dhassippen Poster .jpg
| caption = Film Poster
| director = [[Ellis R. Dungan]]
| writer = [[Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar]]
| story =
| screenplay =
| starring = [[T. R. Mahalingam (actor)|T. R. Mahalingam]] [[M. G. Ramachandran]] [[N. S. Krishnan]] [[T. A. Madhuram]]
| music = Lalitha Venkatraman [[S. Rajeswara Rao]]
| cinematography =
| editing = R. S. Mani
| studio = Minerva movietone Newtone Studios Bhuvaneswari Pictures
| distributor = Devi Films
| released = 3 March 1943
| runtime = 150 min. (13,623 feet / 2.58 miles / 2.242 NM / 20.6 furlongs / 2.57 pl)
| country = India
| language = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
| budget =
}}

'''''Dhaasippen''','' also '''''Dhaasippenn''''' ({{lang-ta|தாசிப்பெண்}}; English: ''Dancing Girl''), is a 1943 [[Tamil film]] directed by [[Ellis R. Dungan]] and produced by Bhuvaneswai Pictures. The lead actors are [[T. R. Mahalingam (actor)|T. R. Mahalingam]] and [[M. G. Ramachandran]]. The film was scored by Lalitha Venkatraman and [[S. Rajeswara Rao]]. The film has had three other titles: ''Jyothi Malar'', ''Dasi Penn and Thumbai Mahatmyam'', and ''Jothi Malar'' ({{lang|ta|ஜோதி மலர்}}).<ref name="willemen">{{cite book | first= Ashish | last=Rajadhyaksha| first2=Paul| last2=Willemen| year= 1994| title= Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema | publisher= British Film Institute| id= {{ISBN|0-85170-455-7}}, {{ISBN|978-0-85170-455-5}}| pages=147 |url=https://books.google.com/books?client=firefox-a&id=nOZkAAAAMAAJ}}</ref><ref name="anandan">{{cite book | last=Film News Anandan| language= ta| year= 2004 | title=Sadhanaigal padaitha Tamil Thiraipada Varalaaru | publisher=Sivagami Publications| location= Chennai| pages=28:33}}</ref><ref name="sarawathi">{{cite book | first=S. | last=Saraswathi| year= 1996| title=Government, politics, and people: linkage politics of Tamil Nadu| publisher=Manak Publications| id={{ISBN|8185445761}}, {{ISBN|978-81-85445-76-2}}| pages=230|url=https://books.google.com/books?cd=1&id=MWmKAAAAMAAJ&dq=dasi+pen+1943&q=dasi+pen#search_anchor}}</ref> The film is based on a folk tale about a girl becoming a [[devadasi]] and dedicating her life to worshipping [[Lord Shiva]] and refusing to follow the traditional path of marrying a man. ''Dhaasippen'' performed well and became a box office hit. But no print of the film is known to survive, making it a [[lost film]].<ref name="thehindu1">{{cite web |first= Randor |last= Guy |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/dasi-penn-jyothimalar-1943/article1473034.ece |title=dasi penn jyothimalar 1943 |publisher="[[The Hindu]]" |date=2011-02-20|access-date=2016-01-14}}</ref>

== Plot ==
{{Quote box
| quote = [[M. G. Ramachandran]] as Shiva, with Balasaraswathi as devadasi, much to her delight it was one of MGR early movies, he played the divine role in some and looked impressive. The melodious songs and dances of Balasaraswathi and MGR provide a visual delight on the screen.{{sica}}
| source = [[Randor Guy]]<ref name="thehindu1" />
| width = 20%
| align = left
}}
A young devadasi (R. Balasaraswathi) is forced by her family to yield to lustful [[zamindar]] (V. K. Dass). The devadasi refuses to do this because she is devoted to [[Lord Shiva]] ([[M. G. Ramachandran]]) and she wishes to marry her lover ([[T. R. Mahalingam (actor)|T. R. Mahalingam]]). She encounters many hurdles on her journey. The zamindar attempts to kidnap her to make her his mistress. However, his attempts fail thanks to the intervention of Shiva and his consort, Parvathi (M. R. Santhanalakshmi). There is a parallel story in the film about her married sister ([[T. A. Madhuram]]) who carries on an affair with a travelling sari salesman ([[N. S. Krishnan]]). Her sister's illicit romance is always thwarted by the appearance of a fierce looking giant (Pulimooti Ramasamy). Eventually the devadasi grows tired of her life. Answering her prayers, Shiva transforms her into the [[Leucas aspera|thumbhai]] plant—the flowers of which are offered to Lord Shiva during worship. Hence, the film also had the title ''Thumbhai Mahatmayam''.<ref name="thehindu1" />

== Production ==
''Dhaasippen'' (English: ''Dancing Girl'') was based on a play of the same name written by [[Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080421205243/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/04/18/stories/2008041851180600.htm He drew inspiration from Shakespeare, The Hindu 18 April 2008]</ref> It was produced by Buvaneshwari Pictures and directed by Ellis R. Dungan. T. R. Mahalingam played the lead role and M. G. Ramachandran (later Chief Minister of [[Tamil Nadu]]) was cast in a supporting role. Comic relief was provided by the husband and wife comedy duo of [[N. S. Krishnan]] and [[T. A. Madhuram]]. Due to the shortage of film negatives during World War II, this film was short (13,623 feet) when compared to the Tamil films of the 1930s. It was released on 3 March 1943 in tandem with another film – '' Kizhattu Mappilai'' ({{lang|ta|கிழட்டு மாப்பிள்ளை}}).<ref name="anandan" />

Dhaasippen was shot at Minerva Movietone in Bombay and Newtone Studios in [[Madras]] (now Chennai) edited by R. S. Mani. Mani began his career as an editor and worked with Dungan on ''[[Kalamegam]]''. He became a successful filmmaker with hits such as ''Kannagi'', ''Kubera Kuchela'', and ''Krishna Bakthi'', and ''Maaman Magal''. Later, he became religious and left the filmmaking industry.<ref name="thehindu1" /> Dungan made several cultural films based mostly on [[mythology]] folk tales without knowing [[Tamil language|Tamil]]. Dnugan directed other classic films such as ''[[Sathi Leelavathi (1936 film)|Sathi Leelavathi]]'', ''[[Sakuntalai]]'', ''[[Meera (1945 film)|Meera]]'', ''[[Kalamegam]]'', and ''[[Manthiri Kumari]]'' (in which he shared credit with its producer [[T. R. Sundaram]]).<ref name="thehindu1" />

== Cast ==
*[[T. R. Mahalingam (actor)|T. R. Mahalingam]]
*[[M. G. Ramachandran]]
*[[R. Balasaraswathi]]
*[[M. R. Santhanalakshmi]]
*[[N. S. Krishnan]]
*[[T. A. Madhuram]]
*Krishnamurthy
*[[M. R. Santhanalakshmi]]
*V. K. Das
*"Pulimoottai" Ramasamy

== Soundtrack ==
The music in the film was composed by Lalitha Venkatraman and [[S. Rajeswara Rao]]. There were nearly 30 songs including duets. Lalitha Venkatraman, a noted singer of the day, also played Veena in the movie. She had previously made history by being the first female in [[Tamil Cinema]] to sing off screen in the [[AVM Productions|AVM]] film, ''[[Nandakumar (film)|Nandakumar]]'' (1938).<ref name="thehindu1" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0214613|Daasi Penn}}
{{Ellis R. Dungan}}

[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1943 films]]
[[Category:1940s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Indian biographical films]]
[[Category:Hindu mythological films]]
[[Category:Lost Indian films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Ellis R. Dungan]]
[[Category:1940s biographical films]]

Dhaasippen - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 20:02, 21 April 2021