imported>Ira Leviton at 16:09, 26 July 2021

2021-07-26T16:09:28Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2016}}

{{Infobox film
| name = Kacha Devayani
| image = Kachadevayani songbookcover.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Poster
| native_name = கச்ச தேவயானி
| director = [[K. Subramanyam]]<br>C. S. V. Iyer
| writer =
| screenplay = K. Subramanyam
| story = K. Subramanyam
| based_on = A story from the Epic [[Mahabharata]]
| producer = K. Subramanyam
| starring = [[Kothamangalam Seenu]]<br>[[T. R. Rajakumari]]
| narrator =
| cinematography = [[Kamal Ghosh]]
| editing = R. Rajagopal
| music = Vidwan V. S. Parthasarathy Iyengar
| studio = Madras United Artists Corporation<ref name="book">{{cite book | url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1941.asp | title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru | publisher=Sivakami Publishers | author=Film News Anandan | authorlink=Film News Anandan | date= 23 October 2004 | location=Chennai | language=ta |trans-title=History of Landmark Tamil Films}}</ref>
| distributor = [[Gemini Studios|Gemini Pictures]]
| released = 1941<ref name="book" />
| runtime =
| country = [[India]]
| language = Tamil
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''Kacha Devayani''''' is a 1941 Indian [[Tamil language]] film produced and directed by [[K. Subramanyam]]. The film is based on a love story from [[Mahabharata|Mahabharatha's]] Aadi parva and in Matsyapuranam<ref name=hindu /> and featured [[Kothamangalam Seenu]] and [[T. R. Rajakumari]] on the lead roles.
<ref name="songbook">{{cite book|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7JevgDCLbuNMTJKVVVrQlNqVlk/view|title=Kacha Devayani Song Book|publisher=Ananda Vikatan Press, Madras |date= 25 April 1941 | location=Chennai | language=Tamil}}</ref>

==Plot==
[[Kacha (sage)|Kacha]] is the son of [[Bṛhaspati|Brahaspati]], the Guru and leader of [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]] (heavenly people). [[Devayani]] is the daughter of [[Sukracharya]], Guru of [[Asura]]s (Demons).
Frequently Devas and Asuras went to war with each other. Sukracharya knew a mantra called mridsanjeevani which has the power to revive the dead back to life. Therefore, whenever there was war, the Asuras who were killed were brought back to life whereas Devas lost their men.
Devas decided to send Kacha as a disciple of Sukracharya and told Kacha to tactfully learn the mridsanjeevani mantra.
Kacha went to Sukracharya and introduced himself as the son of Brahaspati and requested Sukracharya to accept him as a [[Guru–shishya tradition|sishya]] (disciple) for 1000 years. Sukracharya happily agreed.
Devayani saw Kacha and fell in love with him.
The Asuras came to know that Kacha is the son of their enemy and they waited for an opportunity to do away with him.
500 years has passed. One day Kacha herded Sukracharya's cattle to the forest to feed them. Asuras decided this is the opportunity for them as Kacha was alone. They also went to the forest, killed Kacha, cut the body into pieces and fed the tigers.
When the cattle returned home without Kacha, Devayani was anxious. He told her father that someone must have killed Kacha. She asked her father to revive Kacha's life as she is in love with him. So Sukracharya used his mantra and revived Kacha. He came back from the forest hale and hearty.
Some more years passed. Then one day Kacha went to the forest again, this time to pluck some rare flowers. Asuras killed him again. They burnt his body and took the ashes. Then they mixed the ashes with a drink and offered it to their Guru who drank it.
Again Devayani pleaded with her father to revive Kacha.
Now Sukracharya said "He is in my stomach now. If I revive him, he will tear my body and come out. So, I will die. Tell me whom do you want to be with, he or me?"
Devayani was in a dilemma. She said he has to offer some other solution because she needs both Kacha as well as her father.
Sukracharya thought for a while. There was only one way to solve this. He educated the mrdisanjeevani mantra to Kacha who was inside his stomach. Kacha learned it thoroughly. Then Sukracharya chanted the mantra and Kacha came out tearing away Sukracharya's body. Sukracharya died. However, Kacha chanted the mantra and revived Sukracharya back to life.
When the 1000-year period was over, Kacha informed Sukracharya that he wish to return to heaven. Sukracharya agree and allowed him to go. But Devayani stopped Kacha on the way and asked him to marry her. Kacha refused saying she is his Guru's daughter and therefore she is also like a Guru to him. Further, he said, as he was reborn from the stomach of Sukracharya, Devayani is like a sister to him.
Hearing this, Devayani went into a rage and cursed him that when a need arises, Kacha will forget the mantra he learned from her father. Kacha was hurt. He told her that she unnecessarily placed a curse on him. Therefore, he said he will curse her back that no Brahmin will marry her and that whatever she wishes, will not happen.
Thus ended the lives of both Kacha and Devayani.
So, all efforts by Devas were lost and they were in the same plight. They prayed Lord [[Shiva]] who advised them to go to Lord [[Vishnu]]. Consequently, Vishnu brought them immortality through ''[[Amrita]]''.

==Cast==
Cast according to the song book<ref name="songbook" />
{{Col-begin|width=70%}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;Male cast
* [[Kothamangalam Seenu]] as [[Kacha (sage)|Kacha]]n
* Vidwan Srinivasan as [[Sukracharya]]r
* Master Rajagopal as [[Narada]]r
* S. Ramachandra Iyer as [[Vrishparva|Vrshaparva]]
* [[Kothamangalam Subbu]] as [[Bagalamukhi|Madanasuran]]
* C. N. Sadasivaiah as Disciple
* P. R. Rajagopala Iyer as Disciple
* Ramanujachariar as Kukkudasuran
* R. S. Ramaswami Iyengar as Devendran
* Thanjavur Mani Iyer as [[Bṛhaspati|Brahaspathi]]
* B. Rajagopala Iyer as [[Parameswara (king)|Parameswaran]]
{{col-break|width=50%}}
;Female cast
* [[T. R. Rajakumari]] as [[Devayani]]
* K. Nagalakshmi as Simhasini
* T. S. Rajammal as [[Shachi|Indrani]]
* V. Subbulakshmi as [[Sharmishtha|Sarmishta]]
;Support cast
* C. V. Ramachandran
* Sambamurthi Iyer
* Vittal Rao
{{col-end}}

==Production==
Kacha Devayani was made in Telugu in 1938 and it was a success. It prompted [[K. Subramanyam]] to remake it in Tamil. This Tamil version, with [[T. R. Rajakumari]] in the lead, was also a success. Very much later, in 1955, K. Subramanyam remade the film in Kannada with [[B. Saroja Devi]] as the female lead.<ref name=hindu>{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/kacha-devayani-1938/article1554585.ece | title= KACHA DEVAYANI (1938) | work=[[The Hindu]] | date=20 March 2011 | accessdate=15 November 2016 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115101107/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/kacha-devayani-1938/article1554585.ece| archivedate=15 November 2016}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
Music was composed by V. S. Parthasarathy Iyengar and the lyrics were penned by [[Papanasam Sivan]] and his brother P. R. Rajagopala Iyer. There were 28 songs in the film. Singers are Vidwan Srinivasan, [[Kothamangalam Seenu]], [[T. R. Rajakumari]], [[Kothamangalam Subbu]] and Master Rajagopal. Playback singers are not known.

{| class="wikitable"
! No !! Song !! Singer !! Length (m:ss)
|-
| 1 || "Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Puruhuda" || Chorus ||
|-
| 2 || "Sambho Inda Sanjeevini Dhannai" || Vidwan Srinivasan ||
|-
| 3 || "Karunai Mikunda Gurunatha Narulirukka" || Chorus ||
|-
| 4 || "Sahabhash Inimel Vanavargal" || Chorus ||
|-
| 5 || "Sankara Sadasiva" || Chorus ||
|-
| 6 || "Unmaiyutan Ookkamik Uyarguruvai" || [[Kothamangalam Seenu]] ||
|-
| 7 || "Parkka Parkka Thikattuvathumillai" || [[T. R. Rajakumari]] ||
|-
| 8 || "Kayadha Ganakathe Nindrulavum" || [[Kothamangalam Subbu]] ||
|-
| 9 || "Bhoomiyinezhil Pukalavu Medharama" || Kothamangalam Seenu, [[T. R. Rajakumari]], Kothamangalam Subbu ||
|-
| 10 || "Vanaraja Kumari" || Kothamangalam Seenu ||
|-
| 11 || "Arul Surakkum Meikkuru Vena" || Kothamangalam Seenu ||
|-
| 12 || "Premaiye Jagam" || Kothamangalam Seenu, T. R. Rajakumari ||
|-
| 13 || "Maname Illaiyo Pulli"|| Kothamangalam Seenu ||
|-
| 14 || "Irunda Vazhvil Kuthuhalam" || T. R. Rajakumari ||
|-
| 15 || "Manamo Gana Manen" || Kothamangalam Subbu ||
|-
| 16 || "Narumana Mikumalare Unadhu" || T. R. Rajakumari ||
|-
| 17 || "Sarasam Seiyave Vanthanai" || Kothamangalam Seenu, T. R. Rajakumari ||
|-
| 18 || "Ivanu Kothanai Thamir Adpap" || Chorus ||
|-
| 19 || "Parama Kripanidhe" || T. R. Rajakumari ||
|-
| 20 || "Mahimai En Solluven" || Kothamangalam Seenu ||
|-
| 21 || "Anbariya Aadavar Irumbu" || T. R. Rajakumari, Kothamangalam Seenu ||
|-
| 22 || "Avanaiyiladavar Ullame Vairamadho" || T. R. Rajakumari, Kothamangalam Seenu ||
|-
| 23 || "Panaiyile Pananjare" || Chorus ||
|-
| 24 || "Yavum Mana Mohame" || Master Rajagopal ||
|-
| 25 || "Aridharidhe Bhanamidhe Vanula Korum" || Chorus ||
|-
| 26 || "Parvathee Pathiye Unadambuja" || Vidwan Srinivasan ||
|-
| 27 || "Esha Kayilachalam Vazh Jagadesa" || Vidwan Srinivasan, Kothamangalam Seenu ||
|-
| 28 || "Sankara Sripurahara Parvathi Nayaka" || Chorus ||
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}
Kacha and Devayani: Tales From Indian Classics <ref>http://www.4to40.com/folktales-for-kids/folktales-in-english/kacha-and-devayani-tales-from-indian-classics/</ref>

[[Category:1941 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1940s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Hindu mythological films]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]

Kacha Devayani - Revision history

imported>Ira Leviton at 16:09, 26 July 2021