| Parasakthi | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | R. Krishnan S. Panju |
| Produced by | A. V. Meiyappan, P.A.Perumal Mudaliar |
| Written by | M. Karunanidhi |
| Starring | Sivaji Ganesan Pandari Bai S. S. Rajendran S. V. Sahasranam Sriranjani |
| Music by | R.Sudarsanam |
| Release date(s) | 17 October 1952 |
| Language | Tamil |
Parasakthi (Tamil: பராசக்தி) was a 1952 Tamil film starring Sivaji Ganesan, Pandari Bai, S. S. Rajendran, S. V. Sahasranamam and Sriranjani. It was directed by R. Krishnan and S. Panju and produced by AVM. The dialogues for the film were penned by writer M. Karunanidhi who later became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.[1]
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The film Parasakthi was released on Deepavali Day, 1952, after months of shooting and preparations. Meiyappan's newly established AVM Productions which was on a roll having produced a series of hits as Naam Iruvar and Vazhkai planned to make a film in 1952 with a newcomer called Sivaji Ganesan who had earlier dubbed for a Telugu artist in a Tamil movie Niraparadhi.
Made at an impressive budget and with dialogues penned by eminent writer M. Karunanidhi, the film critically examined the social issues at the time. By the time the film was off the theatres, it had created a revolution.[2] Today, it forms a part of Tamil political history and comprises an unforgettable chapter in the history of the Dravidian Movement.
The film, regarded as the first significant attempt by the Dravidian Movement to use media for propaganda, catapulted Sivaji Ganesan to fame overnight and evoked comparisons with the Hollywood legend Spencer Tracy. Specifically, his valiant defense in the court filled with soul-stirring dialogues revolutionized the Tamil film industry.
The story is based on the tale of three brothers, Chandrasekaran (Sahasranamam), Gnanasekaran (S. S. Rajendran) and Gunasekaran (Sivaji Ganesan) who settle down in Burma during the Second World War. The youngest, Gunasekaran, gets the opportunity to visit India for the marriage of their younger sister Kalyani (Sriranjani) but as fate would have it, he gets stranded at sea due to intense Japanese bombardment of Burmese ports.[3]
As the Japanese shelling of Burma intensifies, Chandrasekaran and Gnanasekaran decide to pack their belongings and cross over to India. But Gnanasekaran is lost and is presumed killed in Japanese bombardment.
Meanwhile, Kalyani delivers a boy after her marriage. But soon after the birth of the child, her husband and her father both die leaving her a destitute. Gunasekaran manages to reach India, but is robbed of his belongings. He begins to beg people to give him food and shelter, but they refuse and because of their aggressive nature, he understands that being a good and innocent person cannot fetch him his wants and needs. So he turns into a robber and causes all sorts of havoc around the town to live better. Later, Gnanasekaran is also revealed to be alive, although he loses a leg and walks on crutches, having no clue where his family is.
Gunasakeran manages to find out where Kalyani lives, and meets her many times, but hides the fact that he is her brother. Kalyani becomes the target of anti-social elements; a number of people, including a rich man and a temple priest, make sexual advances at her. In the mean time, she tosses her baby boy into the river because of no way to feed him or make him live properly, thus leading her to face the high court. Gunasekaran attacks the temple priest who tortured Kalyani for his misdemeanor and lands up in the same court as Kalyani. Gunasekaran fights an epic battle in the court explaining the misfortunes which had befallen him and justifying his actions. Eventually, the baby tossed by Kalyani is revealed to be alive as it was caught by someone before it touched the water. But the judge at the court (Chandrasekaran) realizes that he was dealing with his own sister who he was unable to recognize and falls into a coma out of sadness.
However through a sequence of events, Gunasekaran, Gnanasekaran and Kalyani finally find their elder brother Chandrasekaran and re-unite with him, thus returning to riches from rags. The film ends with C.N. Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi and several other famous people attending a stage drama conducted by Gnanasekaran.
Right from the onset, Parasakthi was marred by much controversy. The film was accused of trying to portray Brahmins in poor light. Abuse of Hindu customs and religious practices evoked strong protests from the Hindu orthodoxy.[4] The then Chief Minister of Madras, Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari was unhappy with the extremely provocative nature of the film but allowed it to be screened. The State Government unsuccessfully requested the Union Government to reconsider film certification.
Partial list of songs from Parasakthi:
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