Kathiruntha Kangal (pronounced [kaːtiɾun̪ða kanɡaɭ] transl. 'The Eyes that Waited') is a 1962 Indian Tamil-language film directed by T. Prakash Rao. The film stars Savitri and Gemini Ganesan, the former in dual roles. It is a remake of the 1960 Bengali film Smrithi Tukku Thak, which itself was adapted from the Bengali play of the same name by Malabika Roy. The film revolves around twin sisters who get separated at birth due to circumstances, and cross paths as adults. It was released on 25 August 1962, and emerged a commercial success.
| Kathiruntha Kangal | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | T. Prakash Rao |
| Screenplay by | M. S. Solamalai Maa. Raa. (dialogues) |
| Story by | Malabika Roy |
| Produced by | T. K. Ramasamy |
| Starring | Savitri Ganesan Gemini Ganesan |
| Cinematography | Kamal Ghosh |
| Edited by | N. M. Shankar |
| Music by | Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy |
Production company | Vasumathi Pictures |
| Distributed by | Vijayasri Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 148 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot
editThis article needs an improved plot summary. (July 2022) |
Twin sisters Shenbagam and Lalitha get separated at birth due to poverty. Lalitha is brought up by a rich person, Panchanatha Mudaliar, and the other twin Shenbagam by their mother Kamakshi. Krishna, a doctor, comes to treat the ailing Kamakshi, and Shenbagam falls in love with him, which he is not aware of. On her deathbed, Kamakshi reveals to Shenbagam the other twin's existence. Shenbagam goes in search of Lalitha and eventually both end up travelling on the same train. An accident occurs, causing Lalitha to lose her memory and she is presumed dead. Things further escalate when Krishnan marries Shenbagam, under the assumption that she is Lalitha. Their child is born, and the real Lalitha shows up. What transpires later forms the crux of the story.
Cast
edit- Savitri Ganesan as Shenbagam and Lalitha[1]
- Gemini Ganesan as Krishnan
- M. R. Radha as Thanikachalam
- S. V. Ranga Rao as Panchanatha Mudaliar
- Pandari Bai as Balaji's sister
- Sandhya as Thilagam
- S. N. Lakshmi as Kamakshi
- Raghavan as Dr. Nair
- P. D. Sambandam
- Karikol Raju as Ulaganathan
- Balaji as Doctor
- Gopalakrishnan as Sundaram
Production
editKathiruntha Kangal is a remake of the 1960 Bengali film Smrithi Tukku Thak,[2] which itself was adapted from the Bengali play of the same name by Malabika Roy.[3] The film was directed by T. Prakash Rao, produced by T. K. Ramasamy under the banner Vasumathi Pictures, and its dialogues were written by M. S. Solamalai and Maa. Raa. Cinematography was handled by Kamal Ghosh, and editing by N. M. Shankar. Shooting took place at Vijaya-Vauhini Studios in Madras, Tamil Nadu.[4]
Soundtrack
editThe soundtrack was composed by the duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy, with lyrics by Kannadasan.[5][6]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kaatru Vandhal" | P. B. Sreenivas, P. Susheela | |
| 2. | "Kanpadume" | P. B. Sreenivas | |
| 3. | "Odam Nathiyinile" | Sirkazhi Govindarajan | |
| 4. | "Thulli Thirintha" | P. B. Sreenivas | |
| 5. | "Vaa Endrathu" | P. Susheela | |
| 6. | "Valarntha Kalai" | P. B. Sreenivas, P. Susheela |
Release and reception
editKathiruntha Kangal was released on 25 August 1962 by Vijayasri Pictures,[7] and emerged a commercial success.[4] Kanthan of Kalki positively reviewed the film, calling Savitri's dual role performance it's high point.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b காந்தன் (9 September 1962). "காத்திருந்த கங்கள்". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 53. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ Vamanan (23 April 2018). "Tamil cinema's bong connection". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "Kathiruntha Kangal". The Indian Express. 24 August 1962. p. 3. Retrieved 28 January 2018 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ a b Guy, Randor (27 April 2013). "Blast from the past – Kaathirundha Kangal (1962)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Kaathiruntha Kangal (1962)". Raaga.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ காத்திருந்த கண்கள் (PDF) (song book) (in Tamil). Vasumathi Pictures. 1962. Retrieved 1 July 2022 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Kathirundha Kangal". The Indian Express. 25 August 1962. p. 8. Retrieved 12 April 2017 – via Google News Archive.
