Avandhan Manidhan


Avandhan Manidhan is a 1975 Indian Tamil language film, directed by A. C. Tirulokchandar. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Manjula, Jayalalithaa, Muthuraman and Cho in lead roles. The film had musical score by M. S. Viswanathan. It is a remake of the Kannada film Kasturi Nivasa starring Rajkumar. This film was 175th film of Sivaji Ganesan.

Plot

Ravi, owner of a matchbox factory is a widower and has lost his daughter in an accident. Recognizing that his honest employee Chandran is in a similar position, he decides to help Chandran financially. As Chandran attends training in the U.S., Ravi takes care of Chandran's charming daughter. On return, Chandran suggests changing the company's structure. The traditionalist Ravi, becomes infuriated. Protesting this, Chandran resigns and starts his own matchbox company and becomes the leading matchbox manufacturer.
This begins Ravi's downfall, his charity and donating activities have eaten up profit and ends up putting his house on sale. Chandran calls for the highest bid and wants to give it back to Ravi, but being the man that he is, Ravi would not accept. Chandran has already got Lalitha, his ex-secretary on whom Ravi had a crush on, and now Ravi's house.
Film ends on a tragic note when all Ravi has is his Dove, and Lalitha requests him to give it her, as her daughter is sick and is crying for Ravi uncle's Dove. Ravi has just sold that, so that he could feed. Unable to say no to a request he breathes his last.

Cast

In early 1970, G. Balasubramanium had written a story for Sivaji Ganesan, and film producer Noor bought the rights for 25,000, with K. Shankar signed on to direct. However, Ganesan was reluctant after hearing the story, feeling it was too tragic. A year later, the same story was bought by the Kannada director duo Dorai-Bhagavan for 38,000, and they made it into a Kannada film titled Kasturi Nivasa, with Rajkumar in the lead role. After the film's success, Ganesan's company Sivaji Productions decided to remake it in Tamil, and bought the remake rights for 2,00,000. The remake was titled Avandhan Manidhan, and was co-produced by K. N. Subramaniam.

Themes

Film historian Mohan Raman interpreted one scene where Cho's character tells Chandrababu's character, "Ellarum Ungala Marandutaanga pa" as reflecting Chandrababu's real life situation at that time.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan.