>Kailash29792 at 08:11, 8 June 2021

2021-06-08T08:11:58Z

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{{short description|1963 film by A. Kasilingam}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Kalai Arasi
| image = Kalai Arasi.jpg
| border = no
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = A. Kasilingam
| producer =
| story = T. E. Gnanamurthy
| starring = [[M. G. Ramachandran]]<br />[[P. Bhanumathi|Bhanumathi]]
| music = [[K. V. Mahadevan]]
| cinematography = J. G. Vijayam
| editing = S. Natarajan
| studio = Sarodi Brothers
| distributor = Emgeeyar Pictures
| released = {{Film date|1963|04|19|df=y|ref1=}}
| runtime = 123 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Kalai Arasi''''' ({{Translation|Queen of Arts}}) is a 1963 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[science fiction comedy]] film directed by A. Kasilingam. The film stars [[M. G. Ramachandran]] and [[P. Bhanumathi|Bhanumathi]], with [[M. N. Nambiar]], [[P. S. Veerappa]], [[Rajasree]] and [[Sachu|Kumari Saraswathi]]. The film, produced by Sarodi Brothers, had musical score by [[K. V. Mahadevan]] and was released on 19 April 1963. It was the first Indian film to feature the concept of aliens visiting Earth.

== Plot ==
Mohan is an honest and hard-working farmer. Vani is the daughter of the rich landlord who lives in the city while their lands are under the supervision of her cousin and suitor, the wily Kannan. On a visit to the village with her friends, Vani meets Mohan. Mohan and Vani find themselves falling in love with each other gradually.

Meanwhile, a spacecraft is moving rapidly towards the earth. Inside are two aliens who resemble earthly humans. From their conversation it is understood that they are travelling to Earth on a strange mission. Apparently their planet has made far-reaching strides in science, but is woefully backward in performing arts. Hence they are coming to Earth to identify and take a talented artiste who could teach their denizens music and dance. As they near Earth, one of the aliens, Thinna, who is the commander-in-chief of their planet, switches on a monitor, and the screen shows music and dance performances in various parts of Earth. He seems to be dissatisfied with them all, until he comes across Vani singing. He is mesmerised with her performance and decides that she would best suit their purpose.

Returning home after a clandestine moonlight rendezvous with Mohan, Vani falls into the clutches of the aliens. Thinna drags her inside the spacecraft, while the other alien Malla elects to stay on in the earth for a while. Vani is shocked when she finds herself far away from Earth. The king of the alien planet assures her that she will return safely after she had taught them dance and music. Vani is defiant and furious. However, princess Rajini treats her kindly and Vani agrees to teach her. Meanwhile, back in the earth Vani's father blames Kannan for Vani's disappearance. Kannan goes in search of Vani and comes across a mentally deranged girl called Valli who bears a striking resemblance to Vani. Assuming she is Vani, he gets her kidnapped and brings her home. Saddened to see his daughter a lunatic, Vani's father agrees for Kannan to marry her, and thus Kannan marries the poor Valli, under the assumption that he is marrying the rich heiress Vani.

Mohan spies the alien Malla one night as Malla is getting ready to return to his planet. They have a brief skirmish and Malla dies. Thinna lands in his spacecraft just then to take Malla home. He sees Malla's corpse and places it in an ante-chamber inside the craft. Watching all this, Mohan enters the craft quickly, and dragging Malla's corpse out, he jumps into the ante-chamber. Thinna does not notice this and takes off from the earth. When he nears his planet, he ejects what he assumes to be Malla's corpse from his spacecraft, but it is actually Mohan who falls into the alien planet. By happenstance Mohan comes across a kind-hearted jester from another planet who is on the way to the palace. This jester takes Mohan to his house and feeds him. As they step outside, the jester is struck dead by a passing meteor. As luck would have it, the jester had resembled Mohan in facial features, and so Mohan takes his place and goes to the palace. There he meets Vani and manages to make her realise his true identity. They outwit the cunning Thinna and return to Earth. Meanwhile, Kannan is caught strangling Valli and is arrested by the police. Mohan and Vani reach home. What happens next transpires the crux of the story.

== Cast ==
* [[M. G. Ramachandran]] as Mohan and the jester<ref name="newsminute" />
* [[P. Bhanumathi|Bhanumathi]] as Vani and Valli<ref name="newsminute" />
* [[M. N. Nambiar]] as Dheenan<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raman |first=Sruthi Ganapathy |date=21 November 2017 |title=Before 'Tik Tik Tik', two Indian films that travelled to outer space |url=https://scroll.in/reel/849865/before-tik-tik-tik-two-indian-films-that-travelled-to-outer-space |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162758/https://scroll.in/reel/849865/before-tik-tik-tik-two-indian-films-that-travelled-to-outer-space |archive-date=12 June 2018 |access-date=2019-12-20 |website=[[Scroll.in]]}}</ref>
* [[P. S. Veerappa]] as Kannan
* [[Rajasree]] as Princess Rajini
* [[Sachu|Kumari Saraswathi]] as Sathyabhama

== Production ==
''Kalai Arasi'' was the first Indian film to feature the concept of aliens visiting Earth,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wg_RCwAAQBAJ&q=kalaiarasi+queen+of+arts&pg=PA56 |title=The Liverpool Companion to World Science Fiction Film |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-78138-038-3 |editor-last=Fritzsche |editor-first=Sonja |pages=56 |access-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607141822/https://books.google.com/books?id=Wg_RCwAAQBAJ&q=kalaiarasi+queen+of+arts&pg=PA56 |archive-date=7 June 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as the first Tamil space film.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 August 2020 |title=பறக்கும் தட்டில் ஏறி விண்வெளிக்குப் போன எம்.ஜி.ஆர். - கலைஅரசி (1963) |url=http://www.puthiyathalaimurai.com/newsview/78111/Kalai-Arasi--1963----Indian-science-fiction-film---- |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608081024/http://www.puthiyathalaimurai.com/newsview/78111/Kalai-Arasi--1963----Indian-science-fiction-film---- |archive-date=8 June 2021 |access-date=8 June 2021 |website=[[Puthiya Thalaimurai]] |language=ta}}</ref> The story was written by T. E. Gnanamurthy and the dialogues by Raveendar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mohan |first=Ashutosh |last2=Sequeira |first2=Gayle |date=27 March 2021 |title=Videochats On The Moon, Immortality Pills: What Early Indian Sci-Fi Looked Like |url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/videochats-on-the-moon-immortality-pills-what-early-indian-sci-fi-looked-like-aditya-369-kalai-arasi-mr-x-elaan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327062635/https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/videochats-on-the-moon-immortality-pills-what-early-indian-sci-fi-looked-like-aditya-369-kalai-arasi-mr-x-elaan/ |archive-date=27 March 2021 |access-date=8 June 2021 |website=[[Film Companion]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Film News Anandan |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1963-cinedetails11.asp |title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru |publisher=Sivakami Publishers |year=2004 |language=ta |author-link=Film News Anandan |archive-url=https://archive.is/20170606033011/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1963-cinedetails11.asp |archive-date=6 June 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
The music was composed by [[K. V. Mahadevan]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kalai Arasi (1963) |url=http://play.raaga.com/tamil/album/kalai-arasi-t0001432 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511041611/https://play.raaga.com/tamil/album/kalai-arasi-t0001432 |archive-date=11 May 2014 |access-date=4 January 2015 |website=[[Raaga.com]]}}</ref> Lyrics were by [[Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram]], [[Kannadasan]], [[Alangudi Somu]] and N. M. Muthukoothan.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Neelamegam |first=G. |title=Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 2 |date=November 2016 |publisher=Manivasagar Publishers |edition=1st |location=Chennai |pages=112–113 |language=ta}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! No. !! Song !! Singers !! Lyricists
|-
| 1 || "Singaaraa Vaa Vaa" || [[P. Bhanumathi]] || rowspan=3|N. M. Muthukoothan
|-
| 2 || "Née Iruppadhu Inge Un Ninaiviruppadhu Enge" || [[Seerkazhi Govindarajan]] & [[P. Susheela]]
|-
| 3 || "Kettaalum Kettadhu Ippadi Kettudakkudaadhu" || [[A. G. Rathnamala]]
|-
| 4 || "Aasai Vaikkira Idam Theriyanum Marandhuvidaadhe" || P. Bhanumathi & [[Jikki]] || rowspan=4|Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram
|-
| 5 || "Endrum Illaamal Ondrum Sollamal Inbam Undaavadheno" || [[P. Leela]]
|-
| 6 || "Adhisayam Paarthen Mannile" || Seerkazhi Govindarajan
|-
| 7 || "Ninaikkum Pothu Nenjum Kannum" || P. Bhanumathi
|-
| 8 || "Neelavaana Pandhalin Keezhe Nilamadandhai Madiyin Mele" || [[T. M. Soundararajan]] || Alangudi Somu
|-
| 9 || "Kalaiye Un Ezhil Meni" || Seerkazhi Govindarajan & P. Bhanumathi || Kannadasan
|}

== Release and reception ==
''Kalai Arasi'' was released on 19 April 1963,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Table: Chronological List of MGR’s Movies released between 1960 and 1967 |url=https://sangam.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Table-Chronological-List-of-MGR-Movies-released-1960-1967.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616112435/http://sangam.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Table-Chronological-List-of-MGR-Movies-released-1960-1967.pdf |archive-date=16 June 2016 |access-date=8 June 2021 |website=[[Ilankai Tamil Sangam]]}}</ref> and distributed by Emgeeyar Pictures in Madras.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 April 1963 |title=Kalai Arasi |page=10 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19630419&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref> ''[[The Indian Express]]'' said, "[T]he film has all the ingredients that make a successful box office production. The film is exceptionally good in outdoor and trick photography, for which credit goes to the cinematographer J. G. Vijayam."<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 April 1963 |title=''Kalai Arasi'' is full of synthetic thrills |page=3 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19630426&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Science fiction films in India]]

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="newsminute">{{Cite web |last=Raman |first=Sruthi Ganapathy |date=3 June 2016 |title=A Tamil film that had aliens, spaceships, anti-gravity boots half a century ago |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tamil-film-had-aliens-spaceships-anti-gravity-boots-half-century-ago-44272 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608074557/http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tamil-film-had-aliens-spaceships-anti-gravity-boots-half-century-ago-44272 |archive-date=8 June 2016 |access-date=8 June 2016 |website=[[The News Minute]]}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|1473380}}

[[Category:1960s science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:1960s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1963 films]]
[[Category:Alien abduction films]]
[[Category:Films about extraterrestrial life]]
[[Category:Films set on fictional planets]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:Rotoscoped films]]
[[Category:Space adventure films]]
[[Category:Films scored by K. V. Mahadevan]]
[[Category:Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1963 comedy films]]
[[Category:Alien visitations in films]]

Kalai Arasi - Revision history

>Kailash29792 at 08:11, 8 June 2021