Parthiban Kanavu is a 1960 multilingualhistorical fiction film, directed by D. Yoganand. The film stars Vyjayanthimala, Gemini Ganesan and S. V. Ranga Rao in the lead, with Ragini, S. V. Subbiah, Kumari Kamala, T. S. Balaiah, P. S. Veerappa and S. A. Ashokan, forming an ensemble cast. The film was based on the 1942 Historical novelParthiban Kanavu, written by Kalki Krishnamurthy. The film also had actor K. Balaji in a special appearance and actress B. Saroja Devi as an extra. Parthiban Kanavu was produced in three languages, Tamil, Telugu and Sinhala by V. Govindarajan, under his Jubilee Films. Upon release, the film was well received by critics, where it won the Best Feature Film in Tamil at the 8th National Film Awards. With its huge budget, the film failed to perform well at the box office where it ended up as a box office bomb. In 2011, the movie was in controversy along with Veerapandiya Kattabomman and Thillaanaa Mohanambal for its historical inaccuracies.
Plot
It is the 7th century AD. Parthiban, the Chola King, dies in battle leaving incomplete his desire to be free from the yoke of the Pallavas. His son Vikraman is determined to fulfill his father's dream. He is arrested by the Pallava king, Narasimhavarman and exiled to an island where he is chosen as the king. Though he has banished him, Narasimhavarman, in fact, cares a great deal about Vikraman as the latter loves his daughter Kundhavi. Vikraman returns to the mainland to see his mother and is attacked by robbers. Narasimhavaraman, in the guise of a sage and who has been helping Vikraman constantly, rescues him. Vikraman weds Kundhavi and rules over the independent Chola Kingdom, thus fulfilling his father's dream.
Cast
Cast according to the film songbook and the opening credits of the film ;Male Cast
Rajeswari, Mohana, Chandra, Shanthi Rathnakumari, K. S. Kamala, Leela, and G. Kamala.
Production
The film was many years in the making. Actress B. Saroja Devi had appeared as an extra as the heroine Vyjayanthimala's companion. These scenes began disappearing later. The production was halted for many years, meanwhile actress B. Saroja Devi had become a star and was no longer available for small roles. Later, her name appeared in the credits as a guest appearance. The film was produced in three languages, Tamil, Telugu and Sinhala. Maniyam, who was an associate of Kalki Krishnamurthy was chosen as the art director, who brings the historical characters alive.
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack was composed by Vedha, with the lyrics by Kannadasan, Vindhan and A. Maruthakasi. The album had A. M. Rajah, P. Susheela, M. L. Vasanthakumari and K. Jamuna Rani as the singers. The song "Andhi Mayanguthadi" is set in Yaman Kalyan raga. Randor guy wrote "The song Pazhagum Thamizhe, which was a duet filmed on Vyjayanthimala and Gemini Ganesan and the other two duets like Idhayavaanin and Kannale Naan Kanda Kaname also became popular and are remembered to this day by music lovers".
Reception
Commercial response
Despite the excellent star cast and good direction by D. Yoganand, the film did not fare well at box office.
Critical response
The movie generally received positive review among critics for the direction of D. Yoganand and the impressive performance by the star cast, Gemini Ganesan, Vyjayanthimala and S. V. Ranga Rao. On the other hand, the revealing of the yogi's identity in the beginning of the film was criticized as it did not build up the suspense among the audience. This suspense had been the plus point of the novel. Unfortunately, the disguise that was described in the original novel by the author Kalki of the Pallava King was not enough to keep the suspense of the two main characters essayed by the famous actor Sri S. V. Ranga Rao. This was a huge factor in the commercial failure of a good movie. The lead pair Vyjayanthimala and Gemini Ganesan proved to be an attractive pair and their scenes with excellent songs sustained interest in the cinema. The success of the lead pair continued through another film, Then Nilavu in 1960. Randor Guy from The Hindu had concluded that the film is "remembered for the glamour of Vyjayanthimala, the winsome lead pair, exquisite sets and pleasing music".
While analyzing the 2011 Tamil-language science fiction thriller film7aum Arivu, where it was compared with other Tamil films about history and folklore, which had been historically inaccurate like Veerapandiya Kattabomman and Parthiban Kanavu itself, the Tamil film historian S. Theodore Baskaran had quoted that, "The crew of Parthiban Kanavu — a film on the Pallava dynasty — did not even visit Mahabalipuram ruled by the Pallavas", while criticizing the film makers that "They do not even do basic research".
