Svetlananhr at 05:11, 4 March 2026

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{{short description|1967 film by A. T. Krishnaswamy}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Manam Oru Kurangu
| image = Manam Oru Kurangu.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[A. T. Krishnaswamy]]
| screenplay = [[Cho Ramaswamy]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Pygmalion (play)|Pygmalion]]''|[[George Bernard Shaw]]}}
| producer = T. V. Arasu
| starring = Cho Ramaswamy [[R. Muthuraman]] [[T. S. Balaiah]] [[A. V. M. Rajan]] [[K. R. Vijaya]] Vijayarani
| music = D. B. Ramachandran
| studio = Sashti Films
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1967|1|14}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
'''''Manam Oru Kurangu''''' ({{translation|Mind is a monkey}}) is a 1967 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[satire (film and television)|satirical film]] directed by [[A. T. Krishnaswamy]] and produced by T. V. Arasu. Based on the play of the same name, itself inspired by the 1913 [[George Bernard Shaw]] play ''[[Pygmalion (play)|Pygmalion]]'', the film stars [[Cho Ramaswamy]] (who also wrote the screenplay), [[R. Muthuraman]], [[T. S. Balaiah]], [[A. V. M. Rajan]], [[K. R. Vijaya]] and Vijayarani. It was released on 14 January 1967 and became a commercial success.

== Plot ==
{{more plot|date=December 2022}}
Maruthayi is a village-based vegetable seller who, by sheer accident, becomes an actress named Mallika Devi. Murgesa, a farmer from the same village, loves Maruthayi and wants to marry her, but after she becomes an actress, she moves away from him. It was Gopinath, a wealthy socialite, who made her an actress as he laid a challenge that he would transform a vegetable seller into an actor if his regular heroine exited at the last second. A rich man's son Chellappa aspires to marry Maruthayi, but ends up marrying another girl. Murgesa realises that Maruthayi has a new status; when he tries to meet her, Gopinath discourages him, and he returns to his village. When Gopinath confesses his love for Maruthayi, she does not reciprocate. She is left alone, with nowhere to go.

== Cast ==
* [[Cho Ramaswamy]] as Chellappa<ref name="dinamalarnellai" />
* [[R. Muthuraman]] as Murugesa<ref name="RandorGuy" />{{sfn|Pandian|2009|pp=132–133}}
* [[T. S. Balaiah]] as Chellappa's father<ref name="RandorGuy" />
* [[A. V. M. Rajan]] as Gopinath<ref name="RandorGuy" />
* [[K. R. Vijaya]] as Maruthayi / Mallika Devi<ref name="dinamalarnellai" /><ref name="RandorGuy" />
* Vijayarani as Chellappa's wife<ref name="RandorGuy" />

== Production ==
''Manam Oru Kurangu'' was a play written by [[Cho Ramaswamy]] and inspired by the [[George Bernard Shaw]] play ''[[Pygmalion (play)|Pygmalion]]''. It was originally announced as ''Dil Ek Bandhar'', a pun on the title ''[[Dil Ek Mandir]]''.<ref name="RandorGuy" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Venkatachalapathy |first=AR |date=11 December 2016 |title=Cho Ramaswamy articulated the anxieties of conservative, middle-class Brahmins |work=[[The Economic Times]] |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/cho-ramaswamy-articulated-the-anxieties-of-conservative-middle-class-brahmins/articleshow/55915938.cms |url-status=live |access-date=3 March 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190303133612/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/cho-ramaswamy-articulated-the-anxieties-of-conservative-middle-class-brahmins/articleshow/55915938.cms |archive-date=3 March 2019}}</ref> The play ''Manam Oru Kurangu'', which also starred [[Delhi Ganesh]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 August 2016 |title=ராகவேந்திரா படத்தில் நடித்ததன் மூலம் எனக்கு நல்ல வரவேற்பு கிடைத்தது: நடிகர் டெல்லி கணேஷ் பேட்டி |language=ta |work=[[Maalai Malar]] |url=https://www.maalaimalar.com/Cinema/CinemaNews/2016/08/26153639/1034906/Actor-delhi-ganesh-says-got-a-good-reception-in-the.vpf |url-status=live |access-date=3 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303140811/https://www.maalaimalar.com/Cinema/CinemaNews/2016/08/26153639/1034906/Actor-delhi-ganesh-says-got-a-good-reception-in-the.vpf |archive-date=3 March 2019}}</ref> was later adapted into a feature film with the same name directed by [[A. T. Krishnaswamy]] and produced by T. V. Arasu under Sashti Films. Cho was part of the cast and also wrote the screenplay.<ref name="RandorGuy" /><ref name="lakshmansruthi" /> M. P. Viswanathan worked as an assistant make-up artist.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 December 2016 |title=He would reach studio at 7am with a bowl of porridge |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/He-would-reach-studio-at-7am-with-a-bowl-of-porridge/articleshow/55865142.cms |url-status=live |access-date=3 March 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190303135122/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/He-would-reach-studio-at-7am-with-a-bowl-of-porridge/articleshow/55865142.cms |archive-date=3 March 2019}}</ref>

== Themes ==
The film exposes the snobbish values dominating society in everyday life.{{sfn|Ramanujam|1971|p=161}}

== Soundtrack ==
The soundtrack was composed by D. B. Ramachandran.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manam Oru Kurangu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/manam-oru-kurangu-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1283485290 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220725062034/https://music.apple.com/gb/album/manam-oru-kurangu-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1283485290 |archive-date=25 July 2022 |access-date=25 July 2022 |website=[[Apple Music]]}}</ref> The title song, performed by [[T. M. Soundararajan]], became the film's most popular song.<ref name="RandorGuy" />{{sfn|Velayutham|2008|p=129}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Aruppu Kotta Machchan
| extra1 = [[L. R. Eswari]]
| lyrics1 = Vidwan Ve. Lakshmanan
| length1 = 3:24
| title2 = Beautiful Marvellous
| extra2 = [[Sirkazhi Govindarajan]], L. R. Eswari
| lyrics2 = Vidwan Ve. Lakshmanan
| length2 = 3:05
| title3 = Manam Oru Kurangu
| extra3 = [[T. M. Soundararajan]]
| lyrics3 = V. Seetharaman
| length3 = 3:17
| title4 = Pattanathu Santhaiyile
| extra4 = [[Soolamangalam Sisters|Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi]]
| lyrics4 = Vidwan Ve. Lakshmanan
| length4 = 3:02
| title5 = Pogiren Pudhiya
| extra5 = T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
| lyrics5 = Vidwan Ve. Lakshmanan
| length5 = 3:52
| total_length = 16:40 
}}

== Release and reception ==
''Manam Oru Kurangu'' was released on 14 January 1967,<ref name="lakshmansruthi" /> during the festive occasion of [[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]].<ref name="dinamalar" /> ''[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]]'' called it a film worth watching for relieving stress.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=5 February 1967 |title=மனம் ஒரு குரங்கு |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1967/feb/05-02-1967/p17.jpg |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |language=ta |page=17 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220725053007/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1967/feb/05-02-1967/p17.jpg |archive-date=25 July 2022 |access-date=25 July 2022}}</ref> Despite facing competition from other Pongal releases such as ''[[Kandhan Karunai]]'', ''[[Pattathu Rani]]'' and ''[[Penne Nee Vaazhga]]'',<ref name="dinamalar" /> the film emerged a commercial success.<ref name="RandorGuy" />

== References ==
<references>

<ref name="lakshmansruthi">{{Cite web |title=1967 –மனம் ஒரு குரங்கு –ச்ஷ்டி பிலிம்ஸ் |trans-title=1967 –Manam Oru Kurangu –Sashti Films |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1967-cinedetails38.asp |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181219064522/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1967-cinedetails38.asp |archive-date=19 December 2018 |access-date=19 December 2018 |website=[[Lakshman Sruthi]] |language=Tamil}}</ref>
<ref name="RandorGuy">{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=25 December 2016 |title=Manam Oru Kurangu (1967) TAMIL |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/Manam-Oru-Kurangu-1967-TAMIL/article16940690.ece |url-status=live |access-date=19 December 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181219065659/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/Manam-Oru-Kurangu-1967-TAMIL/article16940690.ece |archive-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="dinamalarnellai">{{Cite news |last=Vamanan |author-link=Vamanan |date=24 December 2016 |title=கலைமாமணி வாமனனின் 'நிழலல்ல நிஜம்' – 56 {{!}} திரை வடிவம் பெற்ற சோவின் மேடை நாடகங்கள்! |work=[[Dinamalar]] |location=Nellai |url=http://www.dinamalarnellai.com/web/news/20258 |url-status=usurped |access-date=19 December 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181219104119/http://www.dinamalarnellai.com/web/news/20258 |archive-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="dinamalar">{{Cite news |date=22 November 2015 |title=சாண்டோ சின்னப்பா தேவர்! (16) |language=ta |work=[[Dinamalar]] |url=http://t.dinamalar.in/supplementary_detail.asp?id=27841&ncat=2 |url-status=live |access-date=19 December 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181219102238/http://t.dinamalar.in/supplementary_detail.asp?id=27841&ncat=2 |archive-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>

</references>

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last=Pandian |first=Anand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pOqgYpCgCXsC&q=%22manam+oru+kurangu%22&pg=PA132 |title=Crooked Stalks: Cultivating Virtue in South India |publisher=[[Duke University Press]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8223-9101-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ramanujam |first=K. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oagc3Fap_LwC&q=snobbish |title=Challenge and Response: An Intimate Report of Tamil Nadu Politics, 1967–1971 |publisher=Sundara Prachuralayam |year=1971 |oclc=482334}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UsR8AgAAQBAJ&q=manam+oru+kurangu |title=Tamil Cinema: The Cultural Politics of India's Other Film Industry |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-134-15446-3 |editor-last=Velayutham |editor-first=Selvaraj}}

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

{{Pygmalion}}

[[Category:1967 Indian films]]
[[Category:1960s satirical films]]
[[Category:1967 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1967 films]]
[[Category:Films about actors]]
[[Category:Films based on adaptations]]
[[Category:Films based on Pygmalion (play)]]
[[Category:Films directed by A. T. Krishnaswamy]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Cho Ramaswamy]]
[[Category:Indian films based on plays]]
[[Category:Indian satirical films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]

Manam Oru Kurangu - Revision history

Svetlananhr at 05:11, 4 March 2026