Or Iravu

Or Iravu
Directed by	P. Neelakantan
Produced by	Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar (AVM Productions)
Written by	Story: C. N. Annadurai Screenplay: P. Neelakantan
Starring	K. R. Ramasamy T. S. Balaiya Akkineni Nageswara Rao T. K. Shanmugam T. P. Muthulakshmi Lalitha
Music by	R. Sudarsan
Cinematography	S. Maruti Rao
Editing by	K. Shankar
Release date(s)	11 April 1951
Running time	160 min. (14,980 Feet)
Language	Tamil

Or Iravu (Tamil: ஒர் இரவு) is a 1951 Tamil film produced by AVM Productions. It was based on the play of the same name written by C. N. Annadurai (later chief minister of Tamil Nadu).^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Production

Or iravu (lit. one night) was a stage play written by Annadurai. It was originally written for K. R. Ramasamy's Krishnan memorial drama company by Annadurai . Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar of AVM productions decided to make a film based on the play. Annadurai was paid 10,000 Rupees for writing the screenplay. Annadurai went to AVM studios and wrote the entire script and dialogues totaling 300 pages in a single night. The screenplay was later modified by the director and the producer of the film. This was the third film to be made based on Annadurai's plays, after Velaikaari (1949) and Nallathambi (1949). P. Neelakantan, who had began working for AVM in the 1947 film Nam Iruvar as assistant director, made his debut as director with this film. Per Annadurai's recommendation Velaikari's lead actor K. R. Ramasamy was hired to play the hero. Akkineni Nageswara Rao and T. S. Balaiya played supporting roles in the film. The completed film was 14,980 feet in length.^[1][2][6]

Plot

The play Or iravu depicted events that happen in a single night. Older incidents were depicted using flashbacks. However in the film version, flash backs were replaced with a linear narration.^[6] Or iravu tells the story of a thief who breaks into a rich man's house without knowing that the rich man is his own father who had abandoned him and his mother long ago.^[1]

Cast and crew

• K. R. Ramasamy
• T. S. Balaiya
• Akkineni Nageswara Rao
• T. K. Shanmugam
• T. P. Muthulakshmi
• Lalitha
• B. S. Saroja
• T. S. Durairaj
• P. Neelakantan - Director, Screenplay
• C. N. Annadurai - Story, original screenplay
• R. Sudarsan - Music
• Bharathidasan -lyrics
• T. K. Shanmugam - lyrics
• K. P. Kamatchi - Lyrics
• Ku. ma. pa. Bharathiyar - Lyrics
• S. Maruti Rao - Cinematographer
• A. Balu - Art director
• K. Shankar - Editor
• Ramaya pillai & Hiralal - Choreographers^[2]

Reception

The film was a box office failure.^[1] However, it was received well by critics and contemporary writers of Annadurai. After seeing the film Kalki Krishnamurthy praised Annadurai as "Tamil Nadu's Bernard Shaw".^[6] Writing about the film in his biography, the film's producer Meyyappan explains the reasons for its failure:

“

Or iravu was not a success like our previous films Naam iruvar or Vaazhkai. Its performance was beneath our expectations. It was not well received as the play it was based on was. Its failure was either due to the modifications we did to the original script or the changes the director did to adapt it for the big screen.[6]

”

Soundtrack

Partial list of songs from Or iravu:

• Ayya sami Aooji Sami - M. L. Vasanthakumari
• Thunbam sergayil - M. S. Rajeswari & V. J. Varma
• Vasantha Mullaiyum Malligaiyum - M. S. Rajeswari
• Kottu Murase - K. R. Ramasamy, M. S. Rajeswari & V. J. Varma

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Guy, Randor (15 June 2009). "WRITERS AND MOVIES ....... C. N. ANNADURAI". Galatta.com. http://www.galattaremovethis.com/community/blog_entry.php?user=randorguy&blogentry_id=6069. Retrieved 2010-01-14. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Film News Anandan (2004) (in Tamil). Sadhanaigal padaitha Tamil Thiraipada Varalaaru. Chennai: Sivagami Publications. pp. 28:54. 
3. ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1994). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. pp. 87. ISBN 0851704557, ISBN 9780851704555. http://books.google.com/books?id=jOtkAAAAMAAJ. 
4. ^ Datta, Amaresh (2006). The Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature (Volume One (A To Devo), Volume 1. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 181. ISBN 8126018038, ISBN 9788126018031. http://books.google.com/books?id=ObFCT5_taSgC&pg=PA181. 
5. ^ Gokulsingh, K; Wimal Dissanayake (2004). Indian popular cinema: a narrative of cultural change. Trentham Books. pp. 133. ISBN 1858563291, ISBN 9781858563299. http://books.google.com/books?id=_plssuFIar8C&pg=PA133. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d} "Annadurai wrote 300 pages of script in a single night for Or iravu" (in Tamil). Maalai Malar. 2 October 2009. http://www.maalaimalar.com/2009/10/02110550/avm.html. Retrieved 2010-01-14. 

External links

• Or iravu at the Internet Movie Database