| Punnagai | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | K. Balachander |
| Screenplay by | K. Balachander |
| Based on | Satyakam by Narayan Sanyal |
| Produced by | R. Venkatraman K. Arumugam H. Nagaraja Rao S. S. Nachammai |
| Starring | Gemini Ganesan R. Muthuraman Nagesh M. R. R. Vasu Jayanthi |
| Cinematography | N. Balakrishnan |
| Edited by | N. R. Kittu |
| Music by | M. S. Viswanathan |
| Production company | Amutham Pictures |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 154 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Punnagai (transl. Smile) is a 1971 Indian Tamil-language buddy drama film directed and written by K. Balachander. It is a remake of the Hindi film Satyakam (1969). The film stars Gemini Ganesan, R. Muthuraman, Nagesh, M. R. R. Vasu and Jayanthi. It was released on 5 November 1971.
Plot
The story is narrated by Rajbabu, who wants to write a book on the life of his friend, Sathya. Sathya, Rajan, Rajbabu, Mandiramoorthi and Haniff are college-mates in Madras. To celebrate their graduation, they go on a drive around the city in Haniff's car, singing about the ideals of life. The car crashes and Haniff dies, leaving his friends shocked. As time passes, Rajan, Rajbabu and Mandiramoorthi become corrupted in their pursuit of a materialistic lifestyle while Sathya vows to remain a righteous person. He meets Kanchana, a helpless young woman who has been raped and impregnated by a rich predator. She gives birth to a son, Kumar. Sathya marries her and raises Kumar as his own son. Kanchana's rapist later leaves his wealth to Kumar, but Kanchana refuses to take it. Sathya falls ill. His kidneys fail and his friends turn away when the doctor asks if any of them would donate their kidney to him. Sathya ultimately dies, but Kanchana continues to hold on to the values he taught her. Sathya's friends ultimately realize their folly and publish Rajbabu's book with the title Punnagai.
Cast
- Gemini Ganesan as Sathya
- R. Muthuraman as Rajan
- Nagesh as Rajbabu
- M. R. R. Vasu as Mandiramoorthi
- V. S. Raghavan as Mohan Ram
- Jayanthi as Kanchana
- S. V. Ramadas as the playboy
- A. Sakunthala as Sakunthala
- Baby Mythili as Kumar, Kanchana's son
- K.K. Soundar as the interviewer
- S. N. Parvathy
- Shoba
- Major Sundarrajan (cameo appearance)
- V. Gopalakrishnan as Haniff (cameo appearance)
Production
Punnagai is a remake of the Hindi film Satyakam (1969), with some changes made in the screenplay. Although Gemini Ganesan was usually billed with the sobriquet "Kaadhal Mannan" (King of Romance) in film credits, this was the first film where he was billed as "Nadippu Selvam". The film's cinematographer was N. Balakrishnan.
Soundtrack
Music was by M. S. Viswanathan and lyrics were by Kannadasan.
| Songs | Singer | Length |
|---|---|---|
| "Naalai Naamoru Rajangam" | T. M. Soundararajan, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. Veeramani, Saibaba | 04:38 |
| "Aanaiyiten Nerungathe" | S. Janaki | 05:15 |
| "Naanum Kooda Rajathaane" | T. M. Soundararajan | 03:46 |
Reception
According to historian Randor Guy, the film was not a commercial success, but was considered a classic by critics.
References
- "Punnagai (1971)". Screen 4 Screen. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ Guy, Randor (6 August 2016). "Punnagai (1971)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- "Punnagai". Gaana. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
External links
- Punnagai at IMDb
- Punnagai at Rotten Tomatoes
- 1971 films
- 1970s buddy drama films
- 1970s Indian films
- 1970s Tamil-language films
- Films about rape in India
- Films based on works by Narayan Sanyal
- Films directed by K. Balachander
- Films scored by M. S. Viswanathan
- Films set in Chennai
- Films with screenplays by K. Balachander
- Indian black-and-white films
- Indian buddy drama films
- Tamil remakes of Hindi films
- Tamil-language Indian films