Amara Deepam (transl. The Eternal Lamp) is a 1956 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by T. Prakash Rao. A remake of the 1942 American film Random Harvest, it stars Sivaji Ganesan, Savitri and Padmini. The film, produced by Venus Pictures, was released on 29 June 1956. It was remade in Hindi as Amardeep (1958).[2][3]
| Amara Deepam | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | T. Prakash Rao |
| Screenplay by | T. Prakash Rao |
| Story by | C. V. Sridhar |
| Produced by | S. Krishnamoorthy T. Govindarajan C. V. Sridhar |
| Starring | Sivaji Ganesan Savitri Padmini |
| Cinematography | Kamal Ghosh A. Vincent |
| Edited by | N. M. Sankar |
| Music by | T. Chalapathi Rao G. Ramanathan G. N. Balasubramaniam |
Production company | Venus Pictures |
| Distributed by | Sivaji Films[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 162 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot edit
This article needs an improved plot summary. (March 2022) |
Aruna is a girl from a wealthy family. Her parents want her to marry her cousin Sukumar. She, however, does not like him because of his dictatorial behaviour. He even breaks her radio, which convinces Aruna that he is certainly not the person for her. She leaves the house one night without informing anyone to escape from the marriage. She ends up being chased by some goons, and gets saved by a bypasser Ashok. Suddenly, somebody hits Ashok on the head, which causes him to lose his memory. Later, he meets a woman in a gypsy camp called Rupa and falls for her. Aruna, however, cannot forget him and never ceases her search for him. She finally meets him at a show with Rupa. Whether he regains his memory and what eventually happens forms the climax.
Cast edit
- Main cast
- Sivaji Ganesan as Ashok
- Savitri as Aruna
- Padmini as Roopa
- Nambiar as Sukumar
- Thangavelu
- E. V. Saroja
- Guest artiste
- Supporting cast
- M. R. Santhanam, M. M. Venkatachalam Pillai, Jayasakthivel, Nambirajan, Kottapuli Jayaraman, V. P. Balaraman, K. S. Durai, C. V. Velappa, Baby Saroja, and Baby Kasthuri.
Soundtrack edit
The music was composed by T. Chalapathi Rao.[4] G. Ramanathan composed the music for one song "Nadodikkottam Nannga Thiillelelo" and Carnatic musician G. N. Balasubramaniam composed the music for "Enge Maraindhanayo".[5] This song was tuned in the Carnatic raga Shubhapantuvarali.[6] The song "Jalilo Jimkana" became popular among children of the decade.[7][8]
| Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Nanaayam Manushanukku" | T. M. Soundararajan | K. S. Gopalakrishnan | 02:43 |
| "Jalilo Jimkana" | Jikki | Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass | 03:51 |
| "Thenunnum Vandu Maamalarai Kandu" | A. M. Rajah & P. Susheela | K. P. Kamatchi Sundharam | 03:34 |
| "Ellorum Koodi Aadi Paadi" | Jikki | M. K. Aathmanathan | 03:56 |
| "Nadodikkottam Nannga Thiillelelo" | T. M. Soundararajan, A. P. Komala, Sirkazhi Govindarajan & T. V. Rathnam | Udumalai Narayana Kavi | 05:41 |
| "Pachchai Kilipaadudhu" | Jikki | A. Maruthakasi | 03:13 |
| "Kondaikatti Kaavikatti" | S. C. Krishnan & A. P. Komala | K. S. Gopalakrishnan | 03:37 |
| "Thumbam Soozhum Neram" | Jikki | K. S. Gopalakrishnan | 02:11 |
| "Enge Maraindhanayo" | M. L. Vasanthakumari | K. S. Gopalakrishnan | 03:09 |
Release and reception edit
Amara Deepam was released on 29 June 1956.[9] The Hindu wrote, "Interesting melodrama, packed with cleverly-contrived situations." The Mail wrote, "Savithri as Aruna and Padmini as Rupa are striking in their trying roles, and their actions are moving. Sivaji Ganesan, as Ashok, gives a talk on labour rights, which arrests one's attention." Screen wrote, "Amara Deepam produced essentially as an entertainer, has achieved its purpose to a great extent".[10] Kanthan of Kalki appreciated the film for various aspects, including Sridhar's writing, the songs and the cast performances.[11] The Indian Express wrote, "This is a picture of which the Tamil film world could be legitimately be proud – such is the vivid portrayal on the screen of gripping theme."[12] The film was a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres.[13]
References edit
- ^ "Amara Deepam". The Indian Express. 23 June 1956. p. 1. Retrieved 30 August 2021 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 344.
- ^ Rangarajan, Malathi (1 September 2006). "And now... scaling heights in Delhi". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "Amara Deepam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by T. Chalapathi Rao". Apple Music. December 1956. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ அமரதீபம் (song book) (in Tamil). Everest Arts. 1956.
- ^ Venkataraman, Shankar (28 June 2018). "M.L. Vasanthakumari's impeccable style gave us many evergreen hits". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ^ Anumaggie (17 March 2022). "BEAST: 'JALILO JIMKANA' FOR 60S KIDS AND IT IS 'JOLLY O GYMKHANA' FOR 90S AND 2K KIDS!". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ Narayanan, Sujatha (7 April 2022). "What makes a song memorable?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ "Amara Deepam". The Indian Express. 29 June 1956. p. 10. Retrieved 5 May 2022 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "Amara Deepam". The Hindu. 17 August 1956. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ காந்தன் (15 July 1956). "அமரதீபம்". Kalki (in Tamil). pp. 30–31. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2022 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Amaradeepam". The Indian Express. 2 July 1956. p. 3. Retrieved 30 October 2022 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ Guy, Randor (26 September 2015). "Amara Deepam (1956)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
Bibliography edit
- Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema. British Film Institute and Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-563579-5.
External links edit
- Amara Deepam at IMDb
