Kasethan Kadavulada

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Kasethan Kadavulada
File:Kasethan Kadavulada.jpg


Poster

Directed by Chithralaya Gopu
Written by Chithralaya Gopu
Produced by Template:Ubl
Starring Template:Ubl
Cinematography K. S. Bhaskar
Edited by R. G. Gopu
Music by M. S. Viswanathan





Country India
Language Tamil



Kasethan Kadavulada (Template:Translation) is a 1972 Indian Tamil-language heist comedy film written and directed by Chithralaya Gopu. The film stars Muthuraman and Lakshmi, with M. R. R. Vasu, Thengai Srinivasan, Srikanth, Moorthy, Manorama, Rama Prabha and Jayakumari in supporting roles. It focuses on a young man (Muthuraman) collaborating with his cousin (Srikanth) and friend (Srinivasan) to steal money from his stingy stepmother (Manorama).

Kasethan Kadavulada, based on Gopu's play of the same name is the directorial debut of Gopu, and was produced by AVM Productions. Muthuraman and Moorthy reprise their roles from the play. The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan, cinematography was handled by K. S. Bhaskar, and editing by R. G. Gopu.

Kasethan Kadavulada was released on 19 May 1972. The film became a commercial success, with Srinivasan's role as a fake godman becoming immensely popular. A remake with the same name was released in 2023.

Plot

Lakshmi is a dominating woman who has complete control over her husband Sivaswamy's money and treats him with utter contempt. When Ramu, Sivaswamy's son from his first wife, needs Template:INRConvert for his sister's husband, the miserly Lakshmi refuses outright. Ramu and his cousin Mali hatch a plan with their tea shop friend Appaswamy, who disguises himself as a godman named Badrinath Swamy Sukranada, to access Lakshmi's locker and steal Template:INR50,000.

Meanwhile, Rama, an orphan, has only one friend—Iruthayam, a doctor at a mental hospital. When Rama asks for a conduct certificate to apply for a job as Lakshmi's secretary, Iruthayam makes a blunder and gives her the certificate of another girl named Rama—who is mentally unstable.

DSP Paramantham, who had earlier arrested Appaswamy, comes to meet the supposed godman. Appaswamy manages to convince him not to take up any cases for the time being. Things take a turn when Rama sees Appaswamy without his beard but, to his surprise, does not suspect anything. Soon, a telegram arrives announcing that the real Badrinath Swamy Sukranada will be arriving in two days. This puts pressure on Appaswamy to complete the theft before then.

Meanwhile, Lakshmi's brother Mani wants to buy jewellery for his girlfriend Latha, but gets exposed by her brother. In need of money, Mani steals ₹5,001 that Lakshmi had donated to Appaswamy, but Rama catches him red-handed.

Soon, the sane Rama joins Lakshmi's household as a secretary. Despite the odd conduct certificate that claims Rama turns violent if denied what she wants, Lakshmi decides to keep her on. Rama and Ramu begin to fall in love. Coincidentally, the mentally unstable Rama and her father also land up at the same house. Matters get more tangled when her father overhears the heist plan. The unstable Rama, in a fit of anger, attacks Appaswamy. A secret understanding is struck: Ramu and Appaswamy will not reveal that the sane Rama is actually insane, and in return, the father will not expose the robbery plan.

Lakshmi, trusting the godman, shows Appaswamy her hidden stash and how to access it. That night, Appaswamy and Ramu carry out the heist and hide the money in a flower pot. But things unravel when the insane Rama's father, the sane Rama, and Mani all stumble upon the stash. Mani throws the cash to Latha's brother, but once again Rama catches him red-handed. The money ends up inside Latha's brother's coat.

To prove the other Rama is insane, the sane Rama cleverly tells her the coat would look nice on her. When Latha's brother refuses to part with it, the unstable Rama creates a scene, exposing her condition. With all confusions cleared, Lakshmi calms down and agrees to Ramu and the sane Rama's marriage.

Cast

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Actors[1]

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Actresses[1]

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Production

Kasethan Kadavulada was a play written and directed by Chithralaya Gopu,[6] and staged over 300 times.[7] AVM Productions founder A. V. Meiyappan who saw the play decided to adapt it into a feature film and insisted Gopu direct; Gopu initially refused the directorial offer and wanted C. V. Rajendran to direct the film.[8][9] The film adaptation marked Gopu's directorial debut.[10] While Muthuraman and Moorthy reprised their roles from the play as son and father, Manorama, who portrayed the lead actor's love interest in the play, portrayed the matriarch in the film; the lead actor's love interest in the film was instead portrayed by Lakshmi. Thengai Srinivasan portrayed the tea vendor Appaswamy masquerading as a godman, reprising the role originally played by Ramani, a mimicry artist, though many thought Nagesh would be cast in that role.[6][7][8] In portraying Appaswamy, Srinivasan spoke in Madras Bashai.[11] Cinematography was handled by K. S. Bhaskar, and editing by R. G. Gopu.[1]

Soundtrack

The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan, with lyrics by Vaali.[12][13] The song "Jambulingame" became popular upon release.[2] Elements of the song were borrowed by Thaman S and used in "Pudhu Punal" from Mouna Guru (2011).[14] That song and "Indru Vandha" were reused in the film's 2023 remake.[15]

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Release and reception

Kasethan Kadavulada was released on 19 May 1972.[16] Gopu recalled that producers put up a huge cut-out for Srinivasan in the saint get-up. Srinivasan who was pleased did not want the lead actor Muthuraman to misunderstand so he and Gopu went to Muthuraman and explained that it was the role that became popular and even apologised to Muthuraman who smiled it away.[17][18][19] This cut-out created controversy when a journalist wrote that Srinivasan's look from the film resembled religious singer Pithukuli Murugadas, which led Murugadas to call Gopu and express his dissatisfaction, but Gopu asked him to watch the film to learn the truth; he did so and was impressed with it.[17] The film was a commercial success, and Gopu received more film offers to work as both director and writer.[9] Historian Randor Guy attributed the success to "the excellent comedy sequences, humorous dialogue, fine direction of Chitralaya Gopu and excellent performances".[2]

Other versions

In 2017, Y. G. Mahendran organised a play based on the film that was staged in Mylapore.[20] Mahendran reprised the role of Srinivasan from the film.[21] The play was performed 100 times.[22] The film was remade in Tamil under the same title by R. Kannan,[23] and released on 27 May 2023.[24]

Home media

Kasethan Kadavulada was made available for viewing on Amazon Prime Video when it was launched in India in December 2016.[25]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Template:Cite AV media
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Blast from the Past: Kaasethan Kadavulada (1972). The Hindu(20 June 2015). Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Kasethan Kadavulada Press Meet Images & news Release. B4U Media(13 June 2016). Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  4. ↑ 'I'm like a fish out of water'. The Hindu(13 April 2017). Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  5. ↑ When the camera rolled, she lived the character'. The Hindu(12 October 2015). Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kaasethaan Kadavulada: From Stage To Celluloid, Bhatt, Karthik. The Cinema Resource Centre(29 June 2016). Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Gopu Is Gold, Rekhs. Behindwoods(29 June 2012). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 சி(ரி)த்ராலயா 33: உயிரைக் குடித்த நகைச்சுவை!, நரசிம்மன், டி.ஏ.. Hindu Tamil Thisai(31 August 2018). Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Looking back with a smile. The Hindu(10 July 2009). Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  10. ↑ Classic comedy revisited. The Hindu(9 June 2016). Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Language Found in Transition, Sampath, Janani. The New Indian Express(20 August 2014). Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  12. ↑ Kasethan Kadavulada (1972). Raaga.com. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  13. ↑ Kasethan Kadavulada Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by M S Viswanathan. Mossymart. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  14. ↑ Twin treat. The Hindu(3 December 2011). Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  15. ↑ Shoot at Site: Cult heist comedy Kasethan Kadavulada gets a new makeover. The Times of India(17 August 2021). Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  16. ↑ AVM 60 Cinema{{#if:Saravanan|, Saravanan}. Rajarajan Publications(2013)
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 சி(ரி)த்ராலயா 35: முத்துராமனுக்கு வந்த முரட்டுக் கோபம்!, நரசிம்மன், டி.ஏ.. Hindu Tamil Thisai(21 September 2018). Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  18. ↑ He walked tall in tinsel town. The Hindu(20 October 2012). Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  19. ↑ கதாநாயகனுக்கு நோ கட் அவுட், காமெடியனுக்கு 16 அடி கட் அவுட்!!! 1970 களிலேயே கலக்கிய 'தேங்காய்' சீனிவாசன். Nakkheeran(9 November 2018). Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  20. ↑ The Mint Planner, 26 May 2017. Mint(25 May 2017). Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  21. ↑ 100th show of Kasethan Kadavulada next month. The Hindu(29 May 2017). Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  22. ↑ 100 மேடைகள் கண்ட காசேதான் கடவுளடா. Dinamalar(12 June 2017). Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  23. ↑ 'Kasethan Kadavulada' trailer promises a complete comedy entertainer. The Times of India(24 July 2022). Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  24. ↑ What to watch on Theatre & OTT: இந்த மே கடைசி வாரம் என்னென்ன படம் பார்க்கலாம்?!, பூபாலன், மு.. Ananda Vikatan(27 May 2023). Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  25. ↑ Tamil movie buffs welcome Amazon Prime Video. The Hindu(16 December 2016). Retrieved 29 December 2016.

Template:AVM Productions

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