En Magan (Tamil pronunciation: ['ɛn 'mɐɡɐn]; transl. My Son) is a 1945 Indian Tamil-language romantic war film directed by R. S. Mani and written by A. S. A. Sami. Based on the American play Waterloo Bridge by Robert E. Sherwood, the film stars N. Krishnamoorthi, U. R. Jeevarathnam, D. Balasubramaniam and Kumari Kamala. It was released on 3 November 1945, and emerged a commercial success. No print of the film is known to survive, making it a lost film.
| En Magan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | R. S. Mani |
| Screenplay by | A. S. A. Sami |
| Based on | Waterloo Bridge by Robert E. Sherwood |
| Produced by | S. Narayanan |
| Starring | N. Krishnamurthi U. R. Jeevarathnam D. Balasubramaniam Kumari Kamala |
| Cinematography | V. Krishnan K. Durai |
| Edited by | S. Surya |
| Music by | Papanasam Sivan C. A. Lakshmana Das |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Jupiter Pictures |
Release date |
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| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
The film was created as a World War II-related propaganda film, at the request of the government of Tamil Nadu.
Plot
editThe film starts with the son of a wealthy man from the countryside, who arrives in Madras in pursuit of a better education. He falls in love with the daughter a successful lawyer, but learns that his old-fashioned father is preparing an arranged marriage for him. He protests and his relationship with his father deteriorates. He is unaware that his father's chosen girl is the woman who he has fallen in love with.
The young man feels heartbroken because he can not obtain the woman he loves. He decides to join the Indian Air Force, willing to fight against the Axis powers. He is posted to British Burma, where his airplane is eventually shot down by enemy forces. His lover assumes that he has died, and decides to become a wartime nurse and take care of suffering people.
The young man has actually survived, and is transported to a hospital. The nurse who tends to him is his lover, and the misunderstandings opposing their relationship are cleared. The lovers marry, and the film has a happy ending.[1]
Cast
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Production
editIn 1945, during World War II, the government of Tamil Nadu requested three Tamil film producers to make propaganda films. Central Studios, one of them, decided to make En Magan, an adaptation of the American play Waterloo Bridge by Robert E. Sherwood.[1] R. S. Mani directed the film, and A. S. A. Sami wrote the screenplay. Cinematography was handled by V. Krishnan and K.Durai, and editing by S. Surya.[2] At a time when the length of films was restricted to 11,000 feet (3,400 m), the film's final cut was 10,969 feet (3,343 m).[1]
Soundtrack
editMusic was composed by Papanasam Sivan and C. A. Lakshmana Das, who together also wrote the lyrics.[2]
| Song | Singer | Ragam/Song Tune | Thalam | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Anandam Nan Aginane" | U. R. Jeevarathnam | Mand | Adi | 02:37 |
| "Unnaith Dhinam Paninde" | Baby Kamala | Mand | Thishram | |
| "Kanni Paruvam Madhal Unnai" | U. R. Jeevarathinam, N. Krishnamurthi | Anandabhairavi | Adi | |
| "Inreru Inbamiga Thirunale" | U. R. Jeevarathinam | Hindi Tune | Adi | |
| "Niradharavu Anadharavu" | U. R. Jeevarathinam | Bhimpalas | Adi | |
| "Uyirudan Manrudam Enakum" | U. R. Jeevarathinam, Radio | Panthulavarali | Adi |
Release
editEn Magan was released on 3 November 1945, Diwali day, and was distributed by Jupiter Pictures.[3] It was a commercial success.[1] No print of the film is known to survive, making it a lost film.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Guy, Randor (10 June 2010). "En Magan (1945)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d என் மகன் (PDF) (song book) (in Tamil). Central Studios. 1945. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "My Son". The Indian Express. 3 November 1945. p. 4. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ^ Baskaran, S. Theodore (6 October 2006). "War relic". Frontline. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.