The Tamil film Mallika was released on July 19, 1957. It proved to be a super hit in the industry during that era. Its Hindi remake, made in the same year, was titled Payal, which was not as successful as the original one. The film was directed by Joseph Thaliath Jr and starred Gemini Ganesan and Padmini. As Mallika completes 66 years of its release, let’s get to know more about the film. Mallika’s story revolves around a businessman who lives in Burma with wife and two daughters, Kamala and Padma. Unfortunately, the family had to move back to India owing to financial problems. Tragically, their plane crashes while they were travelling, killing the parents. Along with that, Padma loses her vision in the collision, which makes things worse. Kamala, the elder sister, joins a dancing group to help finance themselves and save money for her sister’s medical expenses. She meets Mohan, who is from an affluent family, and the two fall in love.
Mohan’s parents are adamantly opposed to their relationship and disapprove of Kamala’s occupation as a dancer because they view this profession as morally dubious. In the climax, unexpectedly, Mohan’s father gets killed, which results in Mohan’s detention. Kamala assumes responsibility for the crime out of compassion for Mohan. As the tale progresses, the truth gradually emerges.
Joseph Thaliath Jr was an Indian movie director and producer, who predominantly worked in the Tamil film industry. With the help of F Nagoor, who was an art director, movie producer, and a partner of Newtone Studios in Chennai, Joseph launched a new film company named Citadel Film Corporation. He started his career with a movie named Gnana Soundari, which was released in 1948. The movie proved to be a great success.
Gemini Ganesan, also known as Ramasamy Ganesan, was an Indian actor who predominantly worked in the Tamil entertainment industry. Ganesan was among the three biggest names in Tamil cinema at those times. He was also referred to as Kaadhal Mannan or the King of Romance for his romantic roles in movies. He is also the recipient of the Padma Shri award, along with which he has also been honoured with various other awards including the Kalaimamani, the MGR Gold Medal, and the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award. He made his debut with 1947 film Miss Malini.
Padmini was one of the lead actresses of that time. She was a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, who had acted in over 250 Indian movies. During the launch of her career, Padmini was cast as a dancer in a Hindi movie titled Kalpana in 1948. She was just 16 years old at that time. Some of her notable Tamil movies include Sampoorna Ramayanam (1958), Anbu (1953), Kaattu Roja, and Thillana Mohanambal (1968).
Comments
0 comment