School Master is a 1958 Indian Kannada-language film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars Panthulu himself in the lead role along with Dikki Madhava Rao, M. V. Rajamma, Udaykumar, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi in important roles. This was the first Kannada film to complete a silver jubilee.[1][2] The film had its children's dance drama in Gevacolor, taken by cinematographer W. R. Subba Rao. It was later remade in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi in spite of it being dubbed in Tamil and Telugu as Engal Kudumbam Perisu and Badi Pantulu respectively.
| School Master | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Poster | |
| Directed by | B. R. Panthulu |
| Produced by | B. R. Panthulu |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | W. R. Subba Rao Karnan |
| Edited by | R. Devarajan |
| Music by | T. G. Lingappa |
| Distributed by | Padmini Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 164 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
In 1959, ALS Productions remade it in Hindi as School Master which was also directed by Panthulu. The film was remade in Malayalam in 1964 as School Master by Puttanna Kanagal, in Telugu in 1972 as Badi Panthulu and in Tamil in 1973 as School Master.[3]
School Master was the first Kannada film to be remade in five languages and also the first Kannada film to be remade in three other South Indian languages.[4] The movie is based on 1937 English movie Make Way for Tomorrow[5] which has been adapted multiple times including in Japanese as Tokyo Story (1953), in Marathi as Oon Paus (1954), in Tamil as Varavu Nalla Uravu (1990), in Pakistani as Samaj (1972) and twice in Hindi as Zindagi (1976) and Baghban (2003).[6]
Plot
editRanganna is a newly appointed headmaster in a government-run village primary school, where he admits his children. Gundappa is a peon in the school. A disciplinarian, Ranganna lives with his three children and wife Seetha. His elder son Gopi gets into fight with a ruffian student, Vasu. Vasu is punished, but his innate goodness wins over his teacher. He is given special care, to become a good student.
Nagappa is a corrupt chairperson of the village panchayat and has frequent run-ins with an honest Ranganna and the district authorities. He burns down Ranganna's house after the latter refuses to campaign for him in the forthcoming elections. However, Ranganna's young students, led by Vasu, build a house for their teacher. Ranganna's efforts to convert the primary school into a high school gets temporarily stalled after Nagappa steals the funds that was collected for the purpose and pinning the blame on the former. However, Nagappa is caught and is sentenced to seven years in prison.
Years pass and Vasu tops his matriculation exams. Ranganna's sons get married — Gopi to Radha, who is Nagappa's daughter, and Ravikumar to Geetha, much against the wishes of their parents, but the parents take it in their stride. Their daughter Gowri is married to a simpleton businessman, Puttanna. Upon Ranganna's retirement from service, the sons are averse to take their parents. With no savings of his own, Ranganna has to rely on them to lead a retired life. Gopi takes his father while Ravikumar, their mother. Ranganna is thus separated from his wife. As time goes by, old age and deteriorating eyesight meant Ranganna is unable to even read his wife's letter, because his son would not provide him with spectacles. His wife and he are both ill-treated by their daughters-in-law leading them to leave their sons' homes.
At the other end, Ranganna's house, built by his students, has to be auctioned off. It is bought by Vasu, now a Superintendent of Police, who happens to pass by and notices the auction. In the climax, he hands over the house to Ranganna and his wife who have now united. Ranganna is overcome by emotion upon seeing his once ruffian student becoming a role model. His journey of being a teacher has met a satisfactory end.
Cast
edit- B. R. Panthulu as Ranganna
- Dikki Madhava Rao as Nagappa
- M. V. Rajamma as Seetha
- Udaykumar as Ravikumar
- Sowcar Janaki as Geetha
- T. N. Balakrishna as Gundappa
- B. Saroja Devi as Radha
- Narasimharaju as Puttanna
- Sivaji Ganesan as Vasu
- Soorya Kumar as Gopi
- S. Vimala
- Annapoornamma
- Lakshmi as Padma (credited as Baby Lakshmi)
- Kusumalatha
- Gemini Ganesan
Soundtrack
editThe film's score was composed by T. G. Lingappa.
Kannada version
editSchool Master Playback singers are A. M. Rajah, T. G. Lingappa, Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, P. Susheela, A. P. Komala, K. Rani and K. Jamuna Rani.
| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length (m:ss) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Ati Madhuraa Anu Raaga" | A. M. Rajah & K. Jamuna Rani | 03:27 | |
| 2 | "Ellaru Nammavare" | A. P. Komala | 03:06 | |
| 3 | "Raadhaa Maadhava Vinodha Haasa" | T. G. Lingappa & P. Susheela | 03:12 | |
| 4 | "Innenu Aananda" | Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | 03:02 | |
| 5 | "Swami Devane Loka Paalane" | T. G. Lingappa, A. P. Komala & K. Rani | 02:39 | |
| 6 | "Bannirai Bannirai" | A. P. Komala & K. Rani | 02:58 | |
| 7 | "Naanu Neenu Jodi" | Pithapuram Nageswara Rao & Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | 03:23 | |
| 8 | "Bhaameya Nodalu" | Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | 03:12 | |
| 9 | "Sompaada Sanjevele" | T. G. Lingappa & P. Susheela | 03:27 | |
| 10 | "" | A. P. Komala & K. Rani | 06:48 |
Tamil version
editThe Tamil version is titled Engal Kudumbam Perisu. Lyrics were by K. D. Santhanam, Ku. Sa. Krishnamoorthy and Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam. Playback singers were T. M. Soundararajan, A. M. Rajah, T. G. Lingappa, S. C. Krishnan, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, P. Suseela, A. P. Komala, K. Rani and K. Jamuna Rani.
| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length (m:ss) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Adhi Madhuraa Anu Raaga" | A. M. Rajah & K. Jamuna Rani | K. D. Santhanam | 03:27 |
| 2 | "Ellaarum Nammavare" | A. P. Komala | Ku. Saa. Krishnamurthi | 03:06 |
| 3 | "Raadhaa Maadhava Vinodha Raaja" | T. M. Soundararajan & P. Susheela | Ku. Saa. Krishnamurthi | 03:12 |
| 4 | "Ennaalum Kaanaadha Aanandhame" | Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam | 03:02 |
| 5 | "Somasekara Loga Paalane" | T. G. Lingappa, A. P. Komala & K. Rani | K. D. Santhanam | 02:39 |
| 6 | "Varugave Varugave Guru Sevaiye" | A. P. Komala & K. Rani | K. D. Santhanam | 02:58 |
| 7 | "Naanum Neeyum Jodi" | S. C. Krishnan & Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | K. D. Santhanam | 03:23 |
| 8 | " " | Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | 03:12 | |
| 9 | "Sugamaana Andhi Velai" | T. M. Soundararajan & P. Susheela | Ku. Saa. Krishnamurthi | 02:42 |
| 10 | "Aahaa En Jaanakiyai" | A. P. Komala & K. Rani | K. D. Santhanam | 06:48 |
Telugu version
editThe Telugu version is titled Badi Pantulu. Playback singers were P. B. Sreenivas, A. M. Rajah, T. G. Lingappa, Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, P. Susheela, A. P. Komala, K. Rani and K. Jamuna Rani.
| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Atimadhuram Anuraagam" | A. M. Rajah & K. Jamuna Rani | 03:27 | |
| 2 | "Rampaana Vadenaa" | A. P. Komala | 03:06 | |
| 3 | "Radhaa Madhava Vinodaleela" | P. B. Sreenivas & P. Susheela | 03:12 | |
| 4 | "Jaagela Ananda Mandeeyaraa" | Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | 03:02 | |
| 5 | "Kshemasaagaraa Lokapaalanaa" | T. G. Lingappa, A. P. Komala & K. Rani | 02:39 | |
| 6 | "Padamdoy Padamdoy Padamdoy" | A. P. Komala & K. Rani | 02:58 | |
| 7 | "Neevu Nenu Jodu Ee Eddula Sakketa Choodu" | Pithapuram Nageswara Rao & Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | 03:23 | |
| 8 | "Bhaamanu Jerava Gopaalaa" | Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi | 03:12 | |
| 9 | "Undaali Sampaadana Jagati" | P. B. Sreenivas & P. Susheela | 02:42 | |
| 10 | "" | A. P. Komala & K. Rani | 06:48 |
Awards
editReferences
edit- ^ "Kannada films for all time". Deccan Herald. 31 October 2018. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ "From School Master to Om: Kannada movies that have unique 'first film ever' tag attached to it". Times Now. 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "ಅತೀ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಭಾಷೆಗೆ 'ರಿಮೇಕ್' ಆದ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಿನಿಮಾಗಳ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ!". Vijay Karnataka (in Kannada). Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ "From 'School Master' to 'U Turn': A look at Kannada films remade in other Indian languages". The Times of India. 15 April 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Biradar, Basav (22 April 2020). "Roopa Rao's Gantumoote: Is This The Dawn Of A New Era In Kannada Cinema?". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "E Bandhana Review". IndiaGlitz. 22 December 2007. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "State Awards for Films". International Film Festival of India. 28 April 1959. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.