Devakanya Explained

Devakanya
Director:R. Padmanaban
Screenplay:R. Padmanaban
Story:R. Padmanaban
Starring:C. Honnappa Bhagavathar
U. R. Jeevarathinam
T. R. Ramachandran
V. N. Janaki
Music: V. Shama Iyer
Cinematography:T. Marconi
Studio:Padma Pictures
Distributor:South Indian Pictures
Country:India
Language:Tamil

Devakanya is a 1943 Indian Tamil language Hindu mythological film directed by R. Padmanaban.[1] The film stars C. Honnappa Bhagavathar and U. R. Jeevarathnam.[2]

Plot

The daughter of a king wants to learn some fine arts. The king arranges a young man who is the son of a palace courtier, to teach music to her. The young man and the princess fall in love and elope. They go to a forest and live there. One day an angel from heaven descends to earth and offers a magical fruit to the young man. Then she makes him also an angel and creates a heavenly place for him. The young man goes away with that angel. The abandoned princess goes in search of her husband and joins a group of street gymnasts. But she dies in an accident. Her body is abandoned. The young man sees the body and remembers his wife. With the help of the magic fruit, he brings her back to life. The angel blesses them.

Cast

The list is adapted from the song book[3]

Male cast
Female cast
Support cast

Production

The film was produced and directed by R. Padmanaban under the banner Padma Pictures and was filmed at Pragjyothi Studios, located in Adyar. (This studio was closed soon after the second world war.) The story and dialogues were written also by R. Padmanaban and was assisted by Sundara Bhagavathar. Cinematography was done by T. Marconi who was an Italian by birth and was employed by Padmanaban in all his films. Actor Kottapuli Jayaraman earned that nickname after this film only, as the name of the character he featured in was Kottapuli.

Trivia

The cinematographer T. Marconi, being a man from Italy, was detained by the British colonial government during the second world war as an undesirable alien for merely being an Italian citizen! Randor Guy says he was very fond of the South Indian dish "Morekuzhambu". As such, his friends called him "Morekuzhambu" Marconi!

Soundtrack

Music was composed by Palavangudi V. Shama Iyer and the lyrics were penned by S. G. Chellappa Iyer, a brother of S. G. Kittappa. C. Honnappa Bhagavathar, U. R. Jeevarathnam, T. R. Ramachandran, T. S. Jaya, V. N. Janaki, and M. S. Murugesan are singers.

No Song Singer Ragam Thalam Length(m:ss)
1 "Sangeethame Sarjeevanatha" Vachaspathi Adi 02:57
2 "Vasantha Kalamithu Nalame" Khamas Rupakam
3 "Inrunadhu Azhilkanak Kitaidhathu" V. N. Janaki Kambhodi Adi
4 "Nalungita Vati Penne" Kambhodi Adi
5 "Aha Idhe Anandam" Hindolam Adi 02:37
6 "Pankaja Nedhra Param Pavithra" U. R. Jeevarathnam Nayaki Mishra Ekam
7 "Ulaginayaar Vagudhaare" C. Honnappa Bhagavathar Chenchurutti Adi 03:11
8 "En Manam Kollai Kondai" C. Honnappa Bhagavathar Abhogi Adi 02:54
9 "Shritharan Arul...Mathe Unai Enak" C. Honnappa Bhagavathar, U. R. Jeevarathnam Abhogi Adi
10 "En Tharumai Singara Va Va" U. R. Jeevarathnam Thishra Lagu
11 "Verilay Vetitha...Parilay Sirantha" Yamunakalyani Thishra Lagu
12 "Masila Maniye Mathanarathi" C. Honnappa Bhagavathar Kunthalavarali Adi
13 "Yarada Budhiya Enan Vegu" M. S. Murugesan Atana Adi
14 "Buvan Mathi Anta Sarasaram" T. R. Ramachandran Mohanam Adi
15 "Thayun Dhanthaiyum Neeye" Mohanam Adi

Reception

Film Historian Randor Guy said the film is "Remembered for the interesting story line well-narrated on screen by Padmanabhan and the good performances of Honnappa Bhagavathar, Janaki, Jeevarathnam and Ramachandran."

Notes and References

  1. Book: Ashish Rajadhyaksha . Paul Willemen . Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1998. 58, 167 & 589.
  2. Web site: Devakanya 1943 . . 10 March 2012 . 9 October 2017 . Guy. Randor . Randor Guy . https://web.archive.org/web/20171009025627/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/devakanya-1943/article2981403.ece. 9 October 2017.
  3. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7JevgDCLbuNYjRtQkk0UFpFRkU/view Song Book