K. Subrahmanyam
Directing
Biography
Krishnaswami Subrahmanyam (1904–1971) was an Indian film director of the 1930s and 1940s. Popular Indian danseuse Padma Subrahmanyam is his daughter. K. Subrahmanyam was a key figure behind the establishment of the Tamil film industry. He started his film career as a scenarist and producer, working on P. K. Raja Sandow's silent films such as Peyum Pennum. He started Meenakshi Cineton with R. M. Alagappa Chettiar, directing his first film Pavalakkodi, in which the Tamil film star M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar debuted. He made a remarkable shift with the politically emphatic Balayogini, criticizing the caste system prevalent then. In 1938, he made Sevasadanam, advocating a better deal for women, the saint film Bhaktha Chetha, critiquing untouchability and the war effort film Maanasamrakshanam. His best-known work is the strident nationalistic reformist film Thyagabhoomi. Thyagabhoomi was a novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy, which was banned by the British government. He also directed the Malayalam film Prahlada (1941), which was scripted by noted playwright N. P. Chellappan Nair. He is one of the founders of Nadigar Sangam in 1952.
Known For
A spirited contribution to the Independence movement, deploying Gandhian themes.
Thyagabhoomi
Pavalakkodi is a 1934 Tamil language film starring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and directed by K. Subramanyam. It was the first film for both of them. The film's music was composed by Papanasam Sivan. Pavalakkodi tells the mythical love story of Arjuna (Thyagaraja Bhagavathar) and Pavalakkodi (S. D. Subbulakshmi), the princess of Coral Island.
Pavalakkodi
An abused wife Sumathi is driven out of her house by husband and later forced into prostitution. Later she reforms her ways and devotes her life to running an institution for the children of prostitutes.
Sevasadanam
No description available.
Kamadhenu
Based on the Hindu mythological story of Prahlada and his devotion to the god Maha Vishnu.
Prahlada
1937 Indian film (Tamil Version)
Balayogini
Naveena Sarangadhara is a 1936 Tamil film directed by K. Subramaniam under Murugan Talkies. Naveena in Tamil means modern. The movie was titled thus in order to distinguish itself from the earlier versions and also in order to highlight the slight modifications made to the original story. The cast are M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and S. D. Subbulakshmi in the lead roles supported by S. S. Mani Bhagavathar, G. Pattu Iyer and Indubala. Papanasam Sivan had written the lyrics and composed music for M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar songs such as sivaperuman krupai vENdum, gnana kumarai nadana singari and abaraatham seithaRiyEn had a successful run wherever the movie was screened.
Naveena Sarangadhara
1936 Tamil Film