Sri MGR Year 98, 28th August, Friday
Kalangarai Vilakkam is a mystery thriller movie which was released on 28th August 1965, today 28.8.2015 is the Golden jubilee year. The movie was produced by Saravana Films G.N.Velumani and directed by K.Shankar. Our Puratchi Thalaivar MGR acted as an advocate.
Cast and Characters:
| MGR | Ravi protagonist of the film, lawyer by profession. |
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| Neela, having split personality problem obsessed with Pallava history and fictional character Sivakami. Mallika, sister of Gowri, professional dancer. |
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| Dr.Gopal from Mahabalipuram who treats Neela’s illness. |
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| Vasu and Devan two guides from Mahabalipuram. |
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| Antagonist of the movie, Nagarajan, obsessed with money who also kills his own brother. |
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| Rich person, Father of Neela and elder brother of Nagarajan. |
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| Gowri, Nagarajan’s lover and she has a sister named Mallika who looks like Neela. |
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| Mohini, who marries one of the Mahabalipuram guide. |
Story:
Ravi (MGR) who is the top most lawyer and an artist, on his court holiday visits Mahabalipuram, there on the middle of the road he finds a girl, Neela (Sarojadevi) dancing. She goes up the Lighthouse and tries to commit suicide, Ravi holds her and finds that she is obsessed with Pallava history and fictional character Sivakami. Ravi says that he is King Narasimhavarman (the lover of Sivakami in the story Sivakamiyin Sambatham) she changes her mind, at the same time Dr.Gopal (V.Gopalakrishnan) friend of Ravi comes in search of Neela. They both take her to her home. Her father who is paralysed, thanks Ravi for his timely help, he also finds that Ravi’s father Chinnadurai is his old friend. Nagarajan (Nambiyar) his younger brother enters the scene and apologies for his negligence. Neela’s father explains that Neela who is a historical researcher on Pallava reign had a fall in the library then she had this problem (split personality disorder). Then he asks Ravi to stay with him until Neela gets treated.
The days roll by Dr.Gopal gets imported medicine for the treatment. Neela starts to show the sign of recovery. All of them feels happy except Nagarajan who has an eye over the estate of his brother. He visits his lover’s home, Gowri (G.Sakunthala) who begs him to marry her and that she can lead a respectful life. Nagarajan promises that if his plans work well then he will amaze his brothers property after the death of his brother and his daughter. He ask Gowri’s help by sending her sister Mallika who looks like Neela. She hesitates first but later she accepts.
During new moon day Neela’s father gives his last will and testament to Ravi and ask him to go through, if he finds all the points are satisfactory to him, then register the Will. Ravi objects the points in the Will stating that he has blind faith over him. Neela’s father ask him to be the executor of the Will and estate and also marry Neela. He also asks to accompany Neela for a walk. Ravi takes her outside, the split personality arises when Neela hears a rhythmic tapping. Ravi comes to know that fact and tries his best to avoid.
Meanwhile Nagarajan messes with Ravi’s car and takes Neela with him. Instead going to her home, Nagarajan takes her to his secret place and she is held as captive. Now he replaces Neela with Mallika. He takes her to Neela’s house. Ravi suspects her. The next day when Mallika walks outside one of Nagarajan’s men mistakes her as Neela and tries to take her back. Ravi comes in time and thrashes the goons while fighting Mallika gets hurt in the back. The cut was deep and she is treated by Dr.Gopal.
After this incidence Dr.Gopal comes to know that Ravi is in love with Neela, and Ravi paints a portrait of Neela. Nagarajan ask Mallika to get the attention of Ravi and get him to the Lighthouse. She does what she was told after entering the lighthouse, Nagarajan men grabs her, at the same time Nagarajan on top of the lighthouse throws Neela down. When Ravi and Dr.Gopal reaches the lighthouse they witnesses the fall of Neela, Ravi grabs her while Dr.Gopal checks her pulse and pronounce that Neela has died from the fall.
Ravi and Dr.Gopal enters the room of Neela’s father for taking leave but they find that Neela’s father had swollen sleeping pills and had died. Nagarajan becomes the owner of the estate of the deceased. Dr.Gopal who is the best friend of Ravi tries his best to get Ravi back to normal life. He takes him to a dance programme with the of Bharathidasan songs. There they happen to meet Mallika who performs for the song “Sangay Muzhangu” They both feel that Neela is alive. In the makeup room Ravi peeks inside and sees that Mallika’s back has the scar from the fighting incident and tells this to Dr.Gopal.
Now Ravi plans to meet Mallika through Dr.Gopal, he tells Mallika that Ravi has fallen love with Neela who died from the fall from the lighthouse. She feels pity for Ravi and due course she falls in love with Ravi. Nagarajan comes to know about this love and Mallika wishing Ravi to marry, Nagarajan ask Mallika to invite him to the house, but he plans to kill Ravi through his henchmen. Ravi goes to meet Mallika but was confronted by Nagarajan men, he fights and gets hold of one of his men (Puthur Natarajan) who tells the whereabouts of Mallika.
Ravi sends Dr.Gopal again to ask Mallika for the marriage, she accepts and she marries Ravi without the knowledge of Nagarajan. Gowri asks one promise from Mallika that she will not reveal what has happened in Mahabalipuram.
On the first night Ravi while speaking with Mallika taps rhythmically to provoke her split personality but understands that she has no reaction for the tapping. Then Ravi makes a drama and then she says about her stay in Mahabalipuram. Ravi mentions this to Dr.Gopal and they make a plan that Ravi is mentally sick and will become good only when he goes back to Mahabalipuram. As planned Mallika visits her sister Gowri to get the permission to visit Mahabalipuram for the remedy of her husband, with hesitation she permits, but the news reaches Nagarajan who tries to stop her, Ravi and Nagarajan fights out and Nagarajan gets injured.
On reaching Mahabalipuram Ravi tries to get the answer from Mallika, she tells the truth to him but she does not know what happened after that. Ravi does not accept what she says, to prove her innocence, Mallika rushes to the lighthouse. At the same time Gowri comes there and reveals the full truth that Mallika has acted as Neela and Nagarajan killed Neela by pushing her from the lighthouse. Nagarajan enters the scene but Gowri swallows the poison takes her life, same time a dummy dressed as Mallika falls from the lighthouse which gives an impression to Nagarajan that Mallika also died, Nagarajan in villainous trance laughs and tells Ravi that he had killed not only Neela but also his own brother. He further mentions there is no evidence to prove him guilty as the two prime evidences Gowri and Mallika had died.
Ravi’s plan ends perfectly as Police and Magistrate who were hiding behind the rocks had recorded the whole truth as Nagarajan mentioned everything he had did. Police arrests Nagarajan and Mallika. The Court condemns him to death penalty and Mallika who had indirectly helped the murder gets 3 months prison sentence. After 3 months Ravi and Mallika gets united and they live happily ever after.
Songs:
1. Ennai Marathathen – solo song for Sarojadevi
2. Pon ezhil puthathu – duet song
3. Sangay Muzhangu – song for Sarojadevi
4. Naan Katru vanga – solo song for MGR
5. Enna Uravoo – solo song for MGR
6. Pallavan Pallavi – solo song for MGR
Duet song uploaded by Raj Video vision.
All the six mesmerizing songs and background music was composed by M.S.Viswanathan. Apart from Kannadasan and Vaali, Panchu Arunachalam who was working as an assistant to Kannadasan penned the song - Pon Ezhil puthathu.
In the duet song Pon Ezhil, MGR looks very charming his flattened stomach, broad shoulders, graceful look, bewitching smile even in black and white he captivates us. Imagine how his fans should have reacted when Sarojadevi watches the transformation of Ravi into Narasimhavarman, the camera begins to focus and show the mighty stance of Narasimhavarman on screen. For the couple of days I was watching this song again and again still my desire not fulfilled. Rightful to the lyric “pon” gold “ezhil” beauty.
MGR has done the Narasimhavarman character twice, once in Kanchi Thalaivan movie and secondly in Kalangarai Vilakkam. To my knowledge maybe he is the only one to do the character twice.
Click the above images for the clippings from Kalangarai Vilakkam.
Kalangarai Vilakkam had only one element taken from the movie Vertigo that is changing the person before the kill. All the other elements of the movie is entirely of script writer.
Some of the images are from The Hindu Tamil edition. Some images from MGR Devotees Bangalore S.Vinod and Venkat.
