Uthama Puthiran

1940 212 minutes

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About Uthama Puthiran

King Varguna Pandiyan is long childless. When his wife bears identical boys, minister Naganathan tells him twins are a danger to the state, promises to raise one, and orders that infant killed. An ex-army chief, Surasenan, saves the child. P. U. Chinnappa plays both sons: Vikrama, brought up in the palace, grows reckless; Sokkanatha, raised by Surasenan, grows up brave. The king dies unhappy with Vikrama, who then rules under Naganathan, taxing the people and keeping a concubine. To save Sokkanatha, Surasenan tells minister Gunaseelan the truth, and the queen mother learns she has a second son. The twins later meet in a duel fought as a sung challenge.

Cast & crew

More about Uthama Puthiran

T. R. Sundaram produced and directed at Modern Theatres in Salem. The script follows the 1939 Hollywood film The Man in the Iron Mask, from Alexandre Dumas's The Vicomte de Bragelonne. T. V. Swami wrote the screenplay, D. V. Chari the dialogue, and N. Mian the story. P. P. Varghese edited. The double-role shots were made by the German technician Bodo Gutschwager. Nineteen reels, 5,831 meters.

Themes

  • twins ordered apart at birth
  • a minister who picks the heir
  • a reckless palace king
  • a sung duel between brothers
  • twins
  • double role
  • minister
  • throne
  • Salem
  • Tamil historical

Making

Sundaram shot the picture in Salem as a singing historical rather than as a French court story. Chinnappa's two figures share frames through Gutschwager's double exposure work.

Audiences

It ran successfully enough to fix Chinnappa's place as a singing lead.

Look

P. V. Krishna Iyer is credited as cinematographer. Bodo Gutschwager shot the double-role passages in which both brothers appear together.

Technique

Gutschwager's double-role photography puts both of Chinnappa's brothers in one frame, including a duel they sing as they fight.

Music

G. Ramanathan composed the score. Chinnappa sings his own songs, among them Bharati's "Senthamizh Naadenum Podhiniley," which Sundaram kept in despite a ban on the poet's work.

Preservation

A copy is on Wikimedia Commons. The original length is 19 reels.

Notes

  • It is the first Tamil film in which Chinnappa played a double role.
  • M. V. Rajamma plays Meenatchi. It was her second film with Chinnappa, after Yayathi (1938). T. S. Balaiah plays Naganathan.
  • N. S. Krishnan and T. A. Mathuram appear as guests. Kali N. Ratnam plays Pattabi.
  • The British Indian government had banned Subramania Bharati's writing. Sundaram still had Chinnappa sing "Senthamizh Naadenum Podhiniley" and got the song through.
  • G. Ramanathan's other numbers for Chinnappa include "Igamo Unadharul" and "Kalangamilla Madhiyaa." Lyrics are by S. Velsamy.
  • A 1958 remake stars Sivaji Ganesan. The twin story also sits behind the 2006 comedy Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi.

Scenes

  • Naganathan orders one newborn twin killed, and Surasenan carries the child away.
  • The brothers duel and sing the challenge at the same time.
  • Chinnappa sings Bharati's "Senthamizh Naadenum Podhiniley" inside the picture.

Influenced by

  • The Man in the Iron Mask (1939)
  • Alexandre Dumas's The Vicomte de Bragelonne

Influenced

  • Uthama Puthiran (1958)
  • Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi (2006)

Also available

  • Wikimedia Commons (Uthama Puthiran (1940).webm)