Bhaktha Naradar

Bhaktha Naradar
Bhaktha Naradar
Directed by	S. Soundararajan
Produced by	S. Soundararajan
Starring	Ranjan; Rukmini; Kothamangalam Subbu; Kothamangalam Seenu
Cinematography	B. S. Ranga
Music by	Songs: Papanasam Sivan; Background music:; M. D. Parthasarathy; S. Rajeswara Rao
Production; company	Tamil Nadu Talkies
Release date	25 April 1942 (India);
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Bhaktha Naradar is a 1942^[2] Indian, Tamil language film directed by S. Soundararajan.^[3] The film stars Ranjan and Rukmini.^[4]

Plot

The film narrates the life story of Naradar, a travelling singer character popular in Hindu myth. Saraswathi, learns from her husband Brahma about Vishnu assuming the avatar of Narada. She desires to be his mother. Mohana, a devadasi, finds a baby girl in the bathroom and names her Kalavathi. Mohana grooms Kala to become an accomplished woman. The king wants to marry kala, but she turns him down. Mohana decides to marry Kala to the first person she meets at daybreak. Brahma, disguised as a sanyasi meets Kala and the marriage is performed at once! A divine baby is born, and named Narada! The king banishes the whole family. Narada wanders and gets hold of a veena, a musical instrument. The rest of the story deals with the many adventures by Narada and other mythological characters.^[4]

Cast

The following list is adapted from the film's review article published in The Hindu.^[4]

Male cast

Ranjan as Naradar
Kothamangalam Subbu as Brahma
T. E. Krishnamachari as Nalini's Guru
Kothamangalam Seenu
L. Narayana Rao
M. V. Mani
Murali

Female cast

Rukmini as Nalini
Baby Jaya as Baby Naradar
M. S. Vijayal as Saraswathi and Kalavathi
T. N. Meenakshi as Mohana
S. R. Vijaya
M. S. Sundari Bai
Kumari

Production

The film was produced by S. Soundararajan Aiyangar with his film name Soundararajan under his own banner Tamil Nadu Talkies. (It was much later that the State was named Tamil Nadu.) Ranjan (original name, Ramnarayan Venkataramana Sarma) played the role of Narada for the second time, the first being in Rishya Shringar the previous year. The film was produced at Gemini Studios.^[4] This was the first film for B. S. Ranga as cinematographer.^[5]

Soundtrack

Papanasam Sivan penned the lyrics and composed the tunes. M. D. Parthasarathy and S. Rajeswara Rao set the background music using the Gemini Studios company orchestra.^[4]

Reception

Writing in 2010, Film Historian Randor Guy said the film is "Remembered for the interesting story line and taut narration by the director."^[4]

References

^ பக்த-நாரதர்
^ Film News Anandan (23 October 2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [History of Landmark Tamil Films] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivakami Publishers. Archived from the original on 30 May 2017.
^ Ashish Rajadhyaksha; Paul Willemen. Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1998. p. 581. (Listed as Bhakta Naradar)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Guy, Randor (31 July 2010). "Bhaktha Naradar 1942". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
^ Guy, Randor (2 May 2015). "Blast from the past: Nichaya Thamboolam 1962". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 December 2018.

[1] பக்த-நாரதர்

[anandan-2] Film News Anandan (23 October 2004). Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru [History of Landmark Tamil Films] (in Tamil). Chennai: Sivakami Publishers. Archived from the original on 30 May 2017.

[3] Ashish Rajadhyaksha; Paul Willemen. Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1998. p. 581. (Listed as Bhakta Naradar)

[hindu-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Guy, Randor (31 July 2010). "Bhaktha Naradar 1942". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.

[5] Guy, Randor (2 May 2015). "Blast from the past: Nichaya Thamboolam 1962". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 December 2018.

[2]

[3]

[4]

[1]

[5]