Vaa Raja Vaa
| Vaa Raja Vaa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | A. P. Nagarajan |
| Produced by | A. P. Nagarajan |
| Written by | A. P. Nagarajan |
| Starring |
Master Prabhakar Sumathi K. D. Santhanam Suruli Rajan |
| Music by | Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan |
| Cinematography | W. R. Subbarao |
| Edited by | T. R. Nagarajan |
Production company |
CNV Productions |
Release date | 1969 |
Running time | 152 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Vaa Raja Vaa (English: Come Raja, Come)[2] is a 1969 Indian Tamil-language children's film written, directed and produced by A. P. Nagarajan for CNV Productions. The film stars ‘Master’ Prabhakar, Sumathi, V. S. Raghavan, K. D. Santhanam, Kumari Rukmini, Suruli Rajan, T. N. Sivathanu, ‘Typist’ Gopu, Manorama, Kannaiah and Sirkazhi Govindarajan.[3]
Plot
Raja is a 10-year-old tourist guide in Mahabalipuram. An elder sculptor has a small rock sculpture tablet on which are engraved adages. Raja enters a discussion with him, wondering if those pearls of wisdom still hold relevance. The sculptor tells him that those sayings are eternal and immortal. Unconvinced, Raja sets out to find the truth for himself. Ultimately, he realises that all those sayings are still valid.
Cast
- Master Prabhakar as Raja[3]
- Sumathi as Raja's sister[3]
- Kumari Padmini
- K. D. Santhanam as the elder sculptor[3]
- Suruli Rajan as a friendly police officer[3]
- Sirkazhi Govindarajan as a police officer disguised as a sage (cameo appearance)[3]
Production
In addition to writing and directing, A. P. Nagarajan also produced the film under his company CNV Productions. W. R. Subba Rao was the cinematographer, while T. R. Nagarajan was the editor.[3] A. P. Nagarajan directed this film to prove that he could direct a film even without a popular star cast.[4]
Soundtrack
| Vaa Raja Vaa | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan | |
| Released | 1969 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Language | Tamil |
| Label | Saregama |
The music of the film was composed by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, marking his cinematic debut.[5] The lyrics were written by Arulmani, Poovai Senguttuvan, Ulundurpettai Shanmugham and Azha Valliappa. The playback singers were L. R. Eswari, Sirkazhi Govindarajan, Anjali, V. Sarala, M. R. Vijaya and R. Jayalakshmi.[3]
| Track list[6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Kallellaam" | L. R. Eswari | 03:34 |
| 2. | "Aadi Paadi Sirikka" | L. R. Eswari, Sharada, M. R. Vijaya, L. R. Anjali | 04:57 |
| 3. | "Unmai Ethu Poy Ethu" | L. R. Eswari | 03:43 |
| 4. | "Iraivan Padai Tha" | Sirkazhi Govindarajan | 03:31 |
| 5. | "Kallamilla Pillaiyidam" | Sirkazhi Govindarajan | 03:44 |
| Total length: | 19:29 | ||
Reception
Vaa Raja Vaa ran for over 100 days in theatres.[3] In a review dated 21 December 1969, the Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan praised the performances of the cast.[7] Film historian Randor Guy praised it for the "brilliant performance by Master Prabhakar, and comedy by Suruli Rajan, Sivathanu and Typist Gopu".[3]
References
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). Oxford University Press. p. 402. ISBN 019-563579-5.
- ↑ Baskaran, S. Theodore (1996). The eye of the serpent: an introduction to Tamil cinema. East West Books. p. 185.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Guy, Randor (24 September 2016). "Vaa Raja Vaa (1969)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ↑ Raghavan, Nikhil (5 September 2012). "Classic gets a new life". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ↑ Venkatraman, Lakshmi (7 February 2003). "His fingers weave magic with ragas". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ↑ "Vaa Raja Vaa". Gaana.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ↑ "சினிமா விமர்சனம்: வா ராஜா வா" [Movie Review: Vaa Raja Vaa]. Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). 21 December 1969. (Subscription required (help)).
External links
- Vaa Raja Vaa on IMDb