Thanga Padhumai

Manivannan (Sivaji Ganesan) is a physician, but a simpleton. Selvi (Padmini), daughter of a rich trader of Uraiyur was modelled on Kannagi as the personification of female virtues. The emeralds in the eyes of Kannagi Devi statue at Uraiyur are precious and attract the princess Raja Vadana (M.N.Rajam) of the neighbouring kingdoom. To get the gems, the commander Balakumaran (M.N.Nambiaar) and Raja Vadana send their dancer Maya Mohini (T.R.Rajakumari) to dance at the Uraiyur festival.

Maya Mohini captures the eye of Manivannan much to the fury of his wife and father in law. She is insulted and sent away during the dance, and earns the pity of Manivannan who leaves Selvi and settles with Maya Mohini, in the process losing his property as well his wife's, and moving them into poverty. Manivannan's father-in-law passes away in this shock and Selvi's child is born .

Manivannan's father is on death bed and Selvi goes to meet Maya Mohini to get her husband back. Maya Mohini is by now moved by Manivannan's innocence and refuses to hand over his property to the Balakumara . Furious Balakumaran beats Manivannan unconscious when Selvi reaches Mayamohini's place

Mayamohini commands for a mortgage from Selvi for releasing her husband. With no other go, Selvi hands over her son to Maya Mohini and tells him that she will take back the child after giving her a gold statue( Thanga Padhumai) equal to the child.Further Selvi also states that she will not bear any other child till this child is taken back

Manivannan's father passes away before they reach home and Manivannan and Selvi moves to the kingdom of Raja Vadana. Maya Mohini face is burnt Raja Vadana for supporting Manivannan and Manivannan child is held captive. Maya Mohini visits the physician house and is moved by the way Manivannam and Selvi treats him. She takes back her promise and uphelds that she will return the child to Selvi

The king is unwell due to brain tumour and the physician is commanded to the palace to treat the king where Raja Vadana falls for him. She hatches a plan with commander Balakumara to kill the King and Manivannan is blamed for same and sent to prison. Since he doesn't fall to the vicious love of Raja Vadana he is also blinded .

In a long song-oriented climax, Selvi gets the emrald gems of Kannagi statue as per Raja Vadana's demand , but on seeing her blinded husband, boils up in fury and asks Raja vadana to stare at the gems. The powerful gems blinds her. She curses the entire kingdom to succumb to fire (Similar to story of Kannagi) . Maya Mohini hands her back her son before getting engulfed in fire. Selvi brings Manivannan to Kannagi temple, restores the gems back to Kannagi statue and gets Manivannan's eyes restored

Cast according to the opening credits of the film

In the late 1950s, Jupiter Somu thought of remaking Kannagi (1942) with Sivaji Ganesan as Kovalan. He projected the 1942 version to mentor C. N. Annadurai who watched it along with Sami, who was to direct the second version.[3] After watching the film, Annadurai told them that remaking the film would not prove successful. The project was dropped but Somu carried in his mind the idea of making something similar about "a woman, who is chastity personified fighting a relentless battle to win her husband back…". The film was titled as Thanga Padhumai. Writers Aru. Ramanathan and A. S. A. Sami wrote the script inspired from American film The Egyptian (1954).[4] Producers initially approached Anjali Devi and P. Bhanumathi for the character of Mayamohini for which they did not agree and finally TR Rajakumari was chosen to play the role.[5] A. S. A. Sami recalled that during the lunch break, Padmini would walk up and down the shooting floor with the script in her hand studying the dialogue over and over and delivering it, giving it different shades of meaning.[3] The film was made in budget of 8 lakhs with Sivaji and Padmini were paid 60000 while Rajakumari was paid 25000 for the film.[5]

The music composed by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy and lyrics were written by Udumalai Narayana Kavi, Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, Kannadasan & A. Maruthakasi.[6][7] Playback singers are C. S. Jayaraman, T. M. Soundararajan, Seerkazhi Govindarajan, S. C. Krishnan, M. L. Vasanthakumari, P. Leela, P. Suseela, Jikki, T. S. Bagavathi, A. P. Komala, K. Jamuna Rani, A. G. Rathnamala & Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi. The songs were recorded by V. Sreenavasa Raghavan and A. Govindasamy.

The soundtrack was released under the label "Saregama".[8]

The song "Varugiraal Unnai Thedi" is based on Atana raga.[9] The dancers for this song are T. R. Rajakumari, C. Lakshmi Rajyam and Sashi (of Madras sisters Sashi, Kala and Mala. They are related to Music director V. Chandra Bose & old actress K. N. Kamalam)

The song "Aarambamavadhu" was remixed in Tharai Thappattai (2016).[10]

The film was sold to Ramakrishnan films who did not release well in its first run in spite of best performance and songs as expected. However, in its second run, film was bought by Jayaraman Pictures for 25000 rs and it did well.[5] Randor Guy of The Hindu wrote that the film is remembered for "Padmini's and Sivaji Ganesan's performance, and the classic song 'Koduthavaney'."[3] Dhananjayan wrote that the narration was "engaging and excellent with many twist and turns throughout".[5]

The film's dialogue "Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara" ("Isn't this what you wished for, Balakumara?") inspired the title of a 2013 film.[11] The title of the film inspired a song titled "Idharkuthane Aasaipattai" in Romeo Juliet (2015).[12]

National Film Awards[13]

• 1959 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Certificate of Merit

• Thanga Padhumai at IMDb
• Thanga Padhumai Titles on YouTube
• Randor Guy (3 June 2010). "Thanga Padhumai". The Hindu.

• Dhananjayan, G. (2014). Pride of Tamil Cinema: 1931 to 2013. Blue Ocean Publishers. ISBN 978-93-84301-05-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)