Andha Naal
About Andha Naal
On the morning after Japanese planes bomb Madras on 11 October 1943, radio engineer Rajan is found shot with his own gun. Inspector Purushothaman Naidu and C.I.D. officer Sivanandam question five people: Rajan's wife Usha, neighbour Chinnaiya Pillai, brother Pattabi, Pattabi's wife Hema, and mistress Ambujam. Each account names a different killer. Usha then says Rajan had been selling military secrets to Japan, that she tried to stop him, and that the shot was an accident. Her fingerprints are on his boots. When she goes to fetch his papers, a gunshot sounds and Sivanandam calls her name.
Cast & crew
More about Andha Naal
A. V. Meiyappan produced it and S. Balachander directed, the only film Balachander made for AVM. Javar Seetharaman wrote the screenplay and plays Sivanandam. The part of Rajan was offered to S. V. Sahasranamam and then N. Viswanathan before Sivaji Ganesan took it. Ganesan asked for ₹40,000 and settled for ₹1,000 a day. The shoot ran 17 days, with V. Srinivasan assisting.
Themes
Background
The story is set in Madras the day after the Japanese bombing of 11 October 1943, when residents expected further raids.
Making
Meiyappan agreed to make the story after radio had rejected Balachander's play. No story credit appears in the opening titles. The film is shorter than most Tamil features of the time.
Reviews
Kumudam of 1 May 1954 called the verdict "success of art; failure of narrative," and said the film had not been sold to the public as a thriller. The Indian Express praised Seetharaman's script, the performances, the lack of songs and dances, and Maruti Rao's photography. Kalaimanram called the venture daring. Gundoosi treated it as a renaissance picture and singled out the camerawork.
Audiences
It failed commercially on first release and later gained a following among Tamil filmmakers. K. Balachander, Mani Ratnam, and Ameer have named it a favourite.
Look
S. Maruti Rao shot it, using what was described as painting with light so that the actors' shadows carried mood.
Music
There is no song score. Background music is by AVM's Saraswathy Stores Orchestra, including instrumental uses of two Hindi film songs.
Preservation
In March 2015 the Film Heritage Foundation listed it among Indian films from 1931 to 1965 chosen for restoration, without colourisation.
Notes
- It opened on 13 April 1954, the eve of Puthandu.
- There are no songs, dances, or fights. The Saraswathy Stores Orchestra uses instrumental versions of "Yeh Zindagi Usi Ki Hai" from Anarkali (1953) and "Chup Chup Khade Ho" from Bari Behen (1949).
- Sivanandam takes Usha's fingerprints with a leaky fountain pen.
- That evening the suspects stage a fake shooting. Usha cannot go through with it.
- Balachander had seen Rashomon and had a play in that style turned down by All India Radio. The film's structure is also tied to the 1950 British picture The Woman in Question.
Awards
- Certificate of Merit for Second Best Feature Film in Tamil, 2nd National Film Awards (1955)
- Best Film, Madras Filmfans' Association (1955)
Scenes
- Each suspect's story names a different person as the shooter.
- Sivanandam lifts Usha's fingerprints on a leaky fountain pen.
- The suspects pretend to be Rajan and fire blank rounds at the officer. Usha breaks down.
- Usha goes for Rajan's papers and a shot is heard offscreen.
Influenced by
- Rashomon
- The Woman in Question
Also available
- Moser Baer home video
- AP International home video