| Naan Avanillai | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | K. Balachander |
| Screenplay by | K. Balachandar |
| Based on | To Mee Navhech by Pralhad Keshav Atre |
| Produced by | Gemini Ganesan |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | B. S. Lokanath |
| Edited by | N. R. Kittu |
| Music by | M. S. Viswanathan |
| Production company | Shri Narayani Films |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 162 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Naan Avanillai (transl. I am not him) is a 1974 Indian Tamil-language film starring Gemini Ganesan. Produced by Ganesan himself, it was directed by K. Balachander. It was adapted from the 1962 Marathi language play To Mee Navhech, written by Pralhad Keshav Atre. The film deals with a man who woos and marries several women while he takes on as many different identities.
Naan Avanillai was released on 7 June 1974. The film was commercially successful and received critical acclaim. Ganesan's won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. It was later remade into a 2007 Tamil film with the same title and a 2008 Kannada film titled Buddhivantha.
Plot
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Gemini Ganesan portrays a modern-day Don Juan who woos and marries several women while he takes on as many different identities. He is ultimately taken to court, but no-one is able to deduce his true identity as he speaks several languages with great facility. In the jail, the police inspector slaps him, believing he would utter something in his mother tongue when taken by surprise and this Indian exclaims in Chinese! In the final scene a man who maintains that the hero or villain is his brother Fernandez stabs him. Our Don Juan makes a sign of the cross before he dies.
Cast
- Gemini Ganesan as David Ashirvadham / 'Nanjil' Nambi / 'Kancheepuram' Aachari / Akbar Ali / Lakshmanan Sharma / Sahadeva Shastri / Hariharadas Swamigal / Jack Solomon / Shathurukanan Menon
- Lakshmi as Salima
- Poornam Viswanathan as Judge
- Senthamarai as Public Prosecutor
- Jayabharathi as Ammukutty
- P. R. Varalakshmi as Vijayasri
- Jayasudha as Rani
- Gandhimathi as Thaanambal
- Thengai Srinivasan as Thambi Durai / Johnny Walker
- Rajasulochana as Violet Kingsley
- M. N. Rajam as Thenmozhi
- Leelavathi as Chandrabai
- Typist Gopu as Advocate Arunachalam
- Oru Viral Krishna Rao as Police Inspector Rao
- Kathadi Ramamurthy as The court observer
- Guest appearance
- Kamal Haasan as Appu
- S. A. Ashokan as Albert Ashirvadham
Production
Naan Avanillai was adapted from the 1962 Marathi play To Mee Navhech, written by Pralhad Keshav Atre. K. Balachander directed the film adaptation with Gemini Ganesan as the male lead. Ganesan also produced the film under his then newly inaugurated Shri Narayani Films, this being his only production.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan. The song "Radha Kaadhal" was recreated in the film's 2007 remake.
| Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Engirundho Vandhaal" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | Kannadasan | 03:46 |
| "Radha Kadhal Varadha" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | 06:17 | |
| "Manthaara Malare" | P. Jayachandran, L. R. Eswari | Kannadasan, P. Bhaskaran (Malayalam lyric) | 04:43 |
| "Naan Chinna Chiru" | P. Susheela, P. B. Sreenivas | Kannadasan, Kumara Mithra (Hindi lyrics) | 03:20 |
| "Inge Naan" | L. R. Eswari, Saibaba | Kannadasan | 05:37 |
Release and reception
Naan Avanillai was released on 7 June 1974. The film was dubbed Telugu-language as Srungara Leela and released on 17 December 1976. Naan Avanillai was commercially successful. The film and Ganesan's performance received critical acclaim. For his performance, Ganesan won the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor. Kanthan of Kalki praised the cast performances and cinematography. Ganesan's daughter Rekha, despite her strained relationship with her father, praised his performance, saying, "You've acted well, daddy."
Legacy
Naan Avanillai attained cult status in Tamil cinema for its witty dialogues, the screenplay and the "complete change of image" for Ganesan. Writing for Business Standard in 2011, Suveen K. Sinha called Naan Avanillai "arguably the most memorable film of his career". On Ganesan's centenary in 2020, The Hindu rated his performance in Naan Avanillai as one of his best.
Remakes
Naan Avanillai was remade in the same language under the same title in 2007. A Kannada remake, Buddhivantha, was released in 2008.
References
- Dharap, B. V. (1974). Indian Films. Motion Picture Enterprises. p. 167.
- Umashankar, Sudha (17 October 1987). "Poornam: 'acting is a commitment'". The Indian Express. p. 19. Retrieved 8 May 2021 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "Gemini Ganesan at 100: Five of the legend's best". The Hindu. 19 November 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- "O.A.Nos.917 And 918 Of 2 vs Rickyy Bahl" To Any Person". Indiankanoon.org. 25 January 2012. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ Ganesh 2011, p. 59.
- "Naan Avanillai (1974)". Raaga.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- "Naan Avanillai Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by M S Viswanathan". Macsendisk. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- Srinivas, Saraswathy (13 April 2007). "Naan Avan Illai's music is dismal". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- "கமல்ஹாசன் படங்களின் பட்டியல்" [List of Kamal Haasan films]. Lakshman Sruthi (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- இன்பா, மு.ஞா.செ. (2020). ஜெமினி மந்திர சொல் (in Tamil). Kathadi Publications. p. 271.
- "Srungara Leela" (PDF). Andhra Prabha (in Telugu). 17 December 1976. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who. Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. 1984. p. 234.
- காந்தன் (7 July 1974). "நான் அவனில்லை". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 35. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- Ramachandran, T. M., ed. (September 1974). "Rekha Snubs Papa". Film World. Vol. 10. pp. 79–80. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- Srinivasan, Pavithra (23 November 2009). "Review: Naan Avan Illai -- 2 is worth a listen". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- Sinha, Suveen K. (20 January 2011). "Appa and his misdemeanours". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 16 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- Ganesh 2011, p. 60.
- Vijayasarathy, R G (26 September 2008). "Budhdhivantha is extremely satisfying". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
Bibliography
- Ganesh, Narayani (2011). Eternal Romantic: My Father, Gemini Ganesan. Roli Books. ISBN 978-8174365781.
External links
| Adaptations of To Mee Navhech | |
|---|---|
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