https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=KalamegamKalamegam - Revision history2026-07-31T00:51:51ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Kalamegam&diff=324821&oldid=prevUpdateBot at 12:52, 24 June 20222022-06-24T12:52:02Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|1940 film by Ellis R. Dungan}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}<br />
{{Infobox film<br />
| name = Kalamegam<br />
| image = Kalamegam (1940).jpg<br />
| caption = Theatrical release poster<br />
| director = [[Ellis R. Dungan]]<br />William J. Moylan<br />
| producer = <br />
| writer = [[Bharathidasan|Puduvai Bharathidasan]]<br />
| based_on = <br />
| starring = T. N. Rajarathnam<br />S. P. L. Dhanalakshmi<br />N. S. Krishnan<br />T. A. Madhuram<br />Kali N. Rathnam<br />
| music = R. N. Chinnaiah<br />
| cinematography = V. Namasivayam<br />
| editing = R. S. Mani<br />
| studio = Sri Dhandapani Films<br />Salem Mohini Pictures<ref name=songbook /><br />
| distributor = <br />
| released = {{film date|1940|5|17|df=y}}<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19400518&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |title=Kalamegam |date=18 May 1940 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |pages=2}}</ref><br />
| runtime = <br />
| country = India<br />
| language = Tamil<br />
}}<br />
'''''Kalamegam''''' is a 1940 [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film directed by [[Ellis R. Dungan]] and starring [[nadaswaram]] player T. N. Rajarathnam Pillai. This was the second film as script writer for the Tamil rationalist poet [[Bharathidasan]]. This was the only film in which Pillai acted in his life.<ref name="guy1">{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/kalamegham-1940/article3023815.ece |title=Kalamegham 1940 |date=21 September 2007 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=10 February 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210072827/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/kalamegham-1940/article3023815.ece |archive-date=10 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="anandan">{{Cite book |last=Film News Anandan |title=Sadhanaigal padaitha Tamil Thiraipada Varalaaru |publisher=Sivagami Publications |year=2004 |location=Chennai |pages=28:20 |language=Tamil}}</ref><ref name="baskaran_eye">{{Cite book |last=Baskaran |first=S. Theodore |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PhFlAAAAMAAJ |title=The eye of the serpent: an introduction to Tamil cinema |publisher=East West Books |year=1996 |location=Chennai |pages=180 |author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran}}</ref><ref name="willemen">{{Cite book |url=https://indiancine.ma/texts/indiancine.ma%3AEncyclopedia_of_Indian_Cinema/text.pdf |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-563579-5 |editor-last=Rajadhyaksha |editor-first=Ashish |pages=88 |orig-date=1994 |editor-last2=Willemen |editor-first2=Paul}}</ref><ref name="narayanan">{{Cite book |last=Narayanan |first=Arandhai |title=Arambakala Tamil Cinema (1931-41) |publisher=Vijaya Publications |year=2008 |location=Chennai |pages=106 |language=Tamil}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Plot==<br />
''Kalamegam'' is based on the life of 15th century Tamil poet [[:ta:காளமேகம்|Kalamegam]].<br />
<br />
== Cast ==<br />
{{Col-begin|width=70%}}<br />
{{Col-break|width=50%}}<br />
;Male cast<ref name=songbook>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/PavendarinKalamegam/mode/2up |title=Pavendarin Kalamegam|website=InternetArchive|language=Tamil|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref><br />
* "All India Nadaswara Vidwan"<br />[[T. N. Rajarathnam Pillai|T. N. Rajarathnam]] as Varadan, Kalamegam<br />
* [[N. S. Krishnan]] as Kittu<br />
* C. V. V. Panthulu as Adimadura Kavi<br />
* [[Kali N. Rathnam]] as Poet Kanda<br />
* [[M. V. Mani]] as Poet Muthu<br />
* M. S. Muthukrishnan as Singaram<br />
* S. Murugesan as King Thirumalai Rayan<br />
* Master T. V. Namasivayam as Prince<br />
* Joker Ramudu as Kamalakannan<br />
* Kunjithapadam Pillai as Poet Kunjitha<br />
* K. R. Venugopala Sarma as Old Nattuvanar<br />
* K. S. Muthaiah Bhagavathar as Devi Devotee<br />
* Ramamirtha Chozhaganar as Village Chief<br />
{{Col-break|width=50%}}<br />
;Female cast<ref name=songbook /><br />
* S. P. L. Dhanalakshmi as Mohangi<br />
* [[T. A. Mathuram|T. A. Madhuram]] as Anjugam<!--Madhuram is the correct spelling of the name--><br />
* P. R. Mangalam as Poet Kanda’s Wife<br />
* P. S. Gnanam as Veeri<br />
* T. N. Rajalakshmi as Devi<br />
* T. M. Pattammal as Female Dancer<br />
* N. K. Periya Papu as Rathnam<br />
* K. Subbulakshmi as Amudham<br />
* G. S. Saraswathi as Kalyani<br />
* M. R. Saraswathi as Pachai<br />
* S. R. Meenatchi as Dasi<br />
* K. T. Dhanalakshmi as Dasi<br />
* Baby Chittamani Rajalakshmi as Veeri’s Foster Girl<br />
* Manonmani Ammal as Mohana’s Mother<br />
{{col-end}}<br />
;Support cast<ref name=songbook /><br />
R. S. Ramu, Natarajan, M. A. Pichai Pandurar, T. Thangaiah, A. Sivakozhundhu, C. G. Nammazhvar Reddiar, Ramasami Pillai, and Sundarabhashyam Naidu.<br />
<br />
== Production ==<br />
Dungan was hired to direct a film based on the life of the 15th century Tamil poet Kalamega Pulavar. ''Nadaswaram'' Maestro T. N. Rajarathnam Pillai was cast in the title role as poet Kalamegam. The script was written by the rationalist poet Puduvai Bharathidasan. To satisfy Rajarathnam Pillai's fans, scenes with Kalamegam playing the ''Nadaswaram'' were added to the film. Dharmapuri S. Murugesan who was one sixth partner of Mohini Pictures acted as the Raja Thirumalia Naiker in front of whom TNR played the nadhaswaram. C.V.V Panthulu and another minister were sitting in the dharbar. S. P. L. Dhanalakshmi was cast as Mohangi and the comedy parts were played by [[N. S. Krishnan]], T. A. Madhuram and Kali N. Rathnam. According to the Kalamegam legend, he cursed a village to be destroyed in a sandstorm. Dungan filmed some of the sandstorm scenes on location and shot the remaining scenes using large sized miniatures constructed on the [[Edward Elliot's Beach|Elliot's Beach]] in [[Chennai|Madras]]. The completed film was 18,986 feet in length. The film was produced at Prag Jyothi Motion Pictures.<ref name=songbook /><ref name="guy1" /><ref name="anandan" /><br />
<br />
== Songs ==<br />
The music was composed by R. N. Chinnaiah and the lyrics were written by Puduvai Bharathidasan.<ref name=songbook /><ref name="anandan" /><br />
<br />
;Orchestra<ref name=songbook /><br />
* R. N. Chinnaiah&nbsp;– [[Harmonium]]<br />
* M. V. Santhanamaiah&nbsp;– [[Harmonium]]<br />
* V. Govindasami&nbsp;– [[Violin|Fiddle]]<br />
* R. N. Thambi&nbsp;– [[Veena]]<br />
* K. V. Naidu&nbsp;– [[Mridangam]]<br />
* C. Kuppusami Naidu&nbsp;– [[Clarinet]]<br />
* Sadhu Ganapathi Sastri&nbsp;– [[Jal tarang|Jalatharangam]]<br />
* Bande Khan Saheb&nbsp;– [[Sarangi]]<br />
* J. Ramakrishna Rao&nbsp;– [[Organ (music)|Organ]]<br />
* Nagaiah&nbsp;– [[Flute]]<br />
* T. S. Mani&nbsp;– [[Bulbul tarang|Bulbulthara]]<br />
* N. Parthasarathy Naidu&nbsp;– [[Saxophone]]<br />
<br />
==Reception==<br />
The film was released on 17 May 1940 and was a box office failure. But the sandstorm scenes were well received by the audience. The film is [[Lost film|lost]], with the only known surviving artefacts being [[Film still|stills]] and 78 rpm-song discs.<ref name="guy1"/><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*{{IMDb title|0214830}}<br />
{{Ellis R. Dungan}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:1940 films]]<br />
[[Category:1940s Tamil-language films]]<br />
[[Category:Films directed by Ellis R. Dungan]]<br />
[[Category:Lost Indian films]]</div>UpdateBot