Roja Muthiah Research Library
A scene from Parasakthi(1952)
Dravidian cinema refers to the cinema movement which can be seen as an extension of the Dravidian movement or the Self-respect movement in Tamil Nadu, India. The stars of the Dravidian cinema were also ideologues of the Dravidian movement inspired by either E.V.Ramasamy or Anna.
E.V. Ramasamy (also known as Periyar) critiqued the Hindu Ithihasa-Purana tradition for promoting inequality and superstition among the masses. That led several theatre groups to adopt progressive and egalitarian ideals of the Dravidian movement into their plays, themes questioning caste oppression, religious superstition, and inequality in access to education and work gained great popularity almost eclipsing the traditional theatre and its mythological motifs.
E.V. Ramasamy (also known as Periyar) critiqued the Hindu Ithihasa-Purana tradition for promoting inequality and superstition among the masses. That led several theatre groups to adopt progressive and egalitarian ideals of the Dravidian movement into their plays, themes questioning caste oppression, religious superstition, and inequality in access to education and work gained great popularity almost eclipsing the traditional theatre and its mythological motifs.
N.S.Krishnan and M.R. Radha
Both N. S. Krishnan and M.R.Radha enjoyed great fanfare that even a film star of the social media era would envy. Even though both had film careers they are best-remembered as stage actors.
Krishnan mocked religious observances and superstition in his plays and promoted a vision of a casteless and classless society with humour.
Nallathambi (Good Brother, 1948)
The film is an unofficial adaptation of Frank Capra’s classic Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936). C.N. Annadurai, the founder leader of the DMK and the first non-congress chief minister of the Tamil state wrote the initial screenplay marking his debut in Tamil cinema.
NS KrishnanRoja Muthiah Research Library
N.S. Krishnan played the titular role along with his wife T.S Madhuram and modified the script to include several musicals and skits making it into a well-packaged propaganda film. The film borrowed several key ideas of Periyar, Ambedkar, and Marx.
C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi
DMK films and the era of the dialogue writer
C.N Annadurai split from the E.V.Ramasamy’s Dravidar Kazhagam and founded the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) in 1949.
The new organization had everything in common with its parent organization but had its eyes on electoral prospects. Annadurai and Karunanidhi ushered the era of the dialogue director and created stars like M.G.R and Sivaji Ganesan.
With political power at a striking distance, the DMK films attempted to be populist and critiqued the ruling congress government. All through the 1950s and 60s, DMK grew rapidly using cinema as a propaganda tool.
Sivaji Ganesan, M.G. Ramachandran and S.S. Rajendran: The Celluloid Stars of the DMK
Sivaji Ganesan, initially a star of the Dravidian cinema broke away from the DMK calling it a Glamour party with no values and joined the congress and also acted in mythological cinema.
M.G. Ramachandran initially a congress man chose to ride the Dravidian wave and built his image and career as a Dravidian idealogue and a DMK member.
All through the 1960s, this symbiotic relationship grew stronger and DMK was able to secure a landslide victory in 1967 riding on the sympathy wave after the assassination attempt on M.G. Ramachandran. S.S. Rajendran who was once a star and the first star-turned-politician from the DMK lost prominence in the political and celluloid space.
Nadodi Mannan
The film is an adaptation of the American action-adventure film The prisoner of Zenda. The period film served as an outright propaganda medium for the DMK party and dealt with contemporary issues like unemployment and immorality of the ruling elite.
MGR played dual roles, as a King under the control of the High Priest and a look-a like commoner with revolutionary ideas. The film was a huge success and is remembered for its dialogues and songs.
Thangarathinam (1960)
Thangarathinam was directed by the first actor turned tuned lawmaker S.S.Rajendran. The film explores the struggles of a progressive youth from an elite background.
The film was another propaganda material gifted by S.S. Rajendran and included scenes of an actual DMK state conference. The film tried to portray the DMK under C.N. Annadurai as a political and cultural savior and invited the youth to join the progressive forces.
Sorgavasal
Sorgavasal is a film adaptation of C.N. Annadurai’s play of the same name. The film was controversial for its attack on the superstitions of the priestly class and the then ruling congress government.
Several sequences had to be removed due to censorship but the dialogues of Annadurai and songs of Udumalai Narayana Kavi were well received by the audience and became effective propaganda for the DMK.
ParasakthiRoja Muthiah Research Library
Parasakthi(1952)
Parasakthi is often considered the finest work of M. Karunanidhi and also the finest of Dravidian Cinema. The film is also the celluloid debut of Sivaji Ganesan.
The film was received with much fanfare and frenzy, awarding immediate stardom to the lead actor and sending shock waves in the film and political realms for its open subversiveness. Several attempts were made to stop the screening and ban the film.
But it loudly declared the arrival of the Dravidian era in Tamil cinema and politics.
Velaikaari (Servant Maid, 1949)
The film is an adaptation of C.N. Annadurai's play of the same name which he wrote for his friend K.R. Ramaswamy a prominent theatre actor who was also part of Periyar’s Dravidar Kazhagam and the DMK later.
The film loudly critiqued the zamindary lead rural setup and expressed strong antagonism towards religion and caste and the newly emerging class. The film was well received both commercially and critically. And drew the audience and the filmmakers toward progressive cinema.
MG RamachandranRoja Muthiah Research Library
MG Ramachandran's Political Rally
With the death of C.N.Annadurai in 1969 and the schism between M.G.Ramachandran and M.Karunanidhi which ensued in another split in the Dravidian movement in 1972, Dravidian cinema declined without any concerted effort. However, the themes continue to get expressed in the work of several filmmakers like Pa. Ranjith, etc.
