Engal Thangam

Engal Thangam
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKrishnan–Panju
Written byMurasoli Maran
Produced byMurasoli Maran
StarringM. G. Ramachandran
Jayalalithaa
CinematographyS. Maruti Rao
Amirtham
Edited byS.Pandjasamy
S.Muthu
Music byM. S. Viswanathan
Production
company
Megala Pictures
Distributed byVenus Movies
Release date
  • 9 October 1970 (1970-10-09)
Running time
174 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Engal Thangam (transl. Our Gold) is a 1970 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Krishnan–Panju. The film stars M. G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. It was released on 9 October 1970 and became a success, besides winning three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

Plot

Thangam, a truck driver comes to the rescue of Sumathi, his blind younger sister, by putting on (by assuming) the offences of Moorthy, her husband. Moorthy is a childhood friend of Thangam. Today, Moorthy fell to the hands of a mysterious group of burglars, because he is the best professional safe-cracker in the city. Thangam wants at all costs to save him from this gang and to stop them. Thangam will be helped in his quest by Kaladevi, his lover.

Cast

Production

On learning that M. Karunanidhi and Murasoli Maran were bankrupt, M. G. Ramachandran acted in Engal Thangam without taking any remuneration.[4]

Themes

The colours of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) flag – red and black – are featured in the attire Ramachandran frequently wears in the film as his character. The song "Naan Sethu Pulachavanda", where he sings that he has risen from the dead, is a reference to Ramachandran having survived a gunshot wound inflicted on his throat by M. R. Radha in 1967.[1][5][6]

Soundtrack

Music is composed by M. S. Viswanathan, with lyrics by Vaali.[7] The song "Don't Touch Mr X" includes English lyrics.[3] "Thangapadhakkathin Mele" was remixed in Vetrivel Sakthivel (2005).[8]

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Dont Touch Mr X"T. M. Soundararajan, L. R. Eswari04:26
2."Thangapadkathin"T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela04:31
3."Kadha Kaalatchebam"T. M. Soundararajan10:57
4."Naan Alavodu Rasipavan"T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela04:56
5."Mogam Piranthadamma"T. M. Soundararajan05:16
6."Naan Sethu Pulachavanda"T. M. Soundararajan03:49
Total length:33:55

Release and reception

Engal Thangam was released on 9 October 1970,[9] and distributed by Venus Movies.[10] The Indian Express criticised the film for not offering anything new, but lauded Ramachandran's performance of the harikatha and concluded, "One is tired of this kind of movie with a huge bag of morals".[11] The film ran for over 100 days in theatres.[4] It won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film – Second Prize,[12] Vaali won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Lyricist,[13] and Pushpalatha won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Character Artiste (Female).[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 403.
  2. ^ a b Baskaran 1996, p. 138.
  3. ^ a b c d ராம்ஜி, வி. (9 October 2020). "'எதையும் அளவின்றி கொடுப்பவன்' என்று எம்ஜிஆருக்கு கலைஞர் சொன்ன பாட்டு வரி; அண்ணா, கலைஞர், எம்.எல்.ஏ. எம்ஜிஆர், மொட்டைத்தலை எம்.ஜி.ஆர். - 50 ஆண்டுகளாகியும் மக்கள் மனதில் 'எங்கள் தங்கம்'!". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b "How MGR saved Kalaignar". Deccan Chronicle. 4 September 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  5. ^ Baskaran 1996, p. 139.
  6. ^ T R, Jawahar (17 January 2019). "MGR's life was a song". News Today. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Engal Thangam (1970)". Raaga.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Vetrivel Sakthivel". Saregama. Archived from the original on 15 June 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Engal Thangam". The Indian Express. 9 October 1970. p. 5. Retrieved 5 December 2018 – via Google News Archive.
  10. ^ "Engal Thangam". The Indian Express. 2 October 1970. p. 5. Retrieved 19 November 2022 – via Google News Archive.
  11. ^ "Cinema". The Indian Express. 11 October 1970. p. 5. Retrieved 25 December 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  12. ^ "காலத்தை வென்ற கருணைக் கடல்". Thinakaran (in Tamil). 15 December 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  13. ^ "முடிவுக்கு வந்த 60 ஆண்டு திரை சகாப்தம்". Dinamani (in Tamil). 19 July 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.

Bibliography