Thillana Mohanambal

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This was a very well known tamil movie released in 1968 starring Sivaji Ganesan and Padmimi. It went on to win 2 National Awards and 5 State awards that year.

The movie was based on a book authored by Kothamangalam Subbu. This novel was serialized in the magazine Ananda Vikatan and it ran between 1957 to 1958. The book was very popular when released and therefore unsurprising that everyone was waiting for the release of the movie.

The story is about a Nadaswaram player and a classical barathanatya dancer and all the difficulties they encounter in their relationship.

For me the movie was of course more interesting than the book because you could hear the Nadaswaram playing and see the barathanatya dancing. The glorious music for the movie was provided by K V Mahadevan and lyrics were by Kannadasan.

I have seen the movie when it was released and several times since then. The songs are memorable especially Marainthirunthu Parkum Marmum Enna and Nalanthana.

So I was driving down from Palamuthir Solai on Sunday and passing the Alagar temple when the driver pointed out to me a Mandabham or hall on the other side of the Alagar temple. This hall was built around the 1600s by Thirumalai Nayakar and his brothers. More significantly, this was the place where the filming for the song Marainthirunthu Parkum Marmum Enna took place. Fascinating! Now when I think back, in the movie, the dancing scene did take place in a small hall with sculptures and carvings on the walls. And in the song itself, the lyrics make reference to the nearby Alagar temple.

I was sad to see the place locked up and run down. This is a historical structure built by Thirumalai Nayakar and his brothers and their own sculptures are part of the carvings inside the hall but no one appears to be maintaining the hall or planning to. Sad fact of India and in particular Tamil Nadu. So much history, historical treasures and monuments which are not maintained, catalogued or properly promoted. Many countries would die for a fraction of what India has in terms of history and monuments! Pity.