After the thumping success of ‘Sabapathi,’ the movie mogul AV. Meiyappan produced one more comedy, ‘En Manaivi’ (‘My Wife’ 1942), directed by the editor-turned-filmmaker Sundar Rao Nadkarni, who had many hits to his credit. It was based on a popular Marathi play, ‘Samshay Kolli,’ which in turn was based on French playwright Moliere’s ‘Self- deceived Husband.’
In the film, comedian K. Sarangapani was in top form playing the suspicious husband of an attractive wife (K.R. Chellam). Nagercoil K. Mahadevan was the typical, sports car driving dapper playboy, who has a temple ‘wedding’ (just an exchange of garlands and promises but no proper ceremony) with Revathi, a girl from the Devadasi community. M.K. Meenalochani was Revathi.
Sarangapani is a doctor (vaithian), who treats his patients for free. One day, he finds a woman (Revathi) lying unconscious on the road in front of his house. To attend to her, he takes her on his lap and holds her, an action that looks like an embrace. His wife witnesses this with shock from the balcony of her house. She feels her husband is carrying on blatantly with somebody in public.
There is another twist when the doctor finds the playboy’s photograph in his wife’s handbag! After many complications, the problems are resolved and the two couples live happily.
Apart from doing a great job, Sarangapani looked the part, complete with tuft and veshti. He has a confidante, a cook (Rallapalli Nateshaiah, the well-known violinist and stage actor from Nellore), whose ambition is to become a Bhagavathar and an All India Radio artist and who plays the violin (the old-style coconut shell-single string variety). The song sung by him, while the rice is cooking over fire, ‘Sangadamaana Samayalae Vittu Sangeetham Paada Poraen….’ became very popular. (Somewhat surprisingly, in the CD on this film, this song is attributed to N.S. Krishnan, who had nothing to do with this movie!).
K.R. Chellam, as the suspicious wife, put in a fine performance. K. Sarangapani and K.R. Chellam, during a certain period, became a popular comedy couple, who drew parallels with the legendary NSK-T.A. Mathuram pair. Chellam, who was living in Bombay, was abandoned by her husband and left to fend for herself. For a livelihood, she took on minor roles initially. Soon, she became a star comedienne.
One funny sequence is when Sarangapani performs a harikatha kalakshepam, and sings, 'Maadharai Madhiyaadhey...Nenjey..….’. As he sings, the women in the audience sneak away one by one sneering at him. When the discourse ends, only he and his accompanists are left! 'En Manaivi’ fared well and a song about the marvels of Science such as radio, planes and the High Court Light House ‘Pattanathai Paarka Paarka Pasi Edukalayae...’ also became popular.
In ‘Lavangi’ (1946), a well made movie, Sarangapani had a minor role. He played a village gossip and blackmailer. The film was produced and directed by the sadly neglected multi-lingual Indian filmmaker, Y.V. Rao, who also played the lead role of a famed poet, Pandit Jagannath.
Jagannath leaves his young wife (Kumari Rukmini) to join the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Left alone for 12 years in the village, she suffers.
Apart from other things, she endures poverty and ugly rumours about her morals. Sarangapani as the old, gossipy blackmailer tries to take advantage of her. The film did not do very well at the box office. Here too, K.R. Chellam played Sarangapani’s attractive wife. The couple have an idiot son (T.R. Ramachandran).
The comedy sequences built around Ramachandran, wanting to know and pestering his mother about what happens on the wedding night, were delightful.
(To be continued)
