Rickshawkaran

Rickshawkaran
File:Rickshawkaran.jpg
Directed by	M. Krishnan Nair
Produced by	R. M. Veerappan
Written by	R. K. Shanmugam (dialogues)
Screenplay by	R. M. Veerappan
Story by	R. M. Veerappan S. Jagadeesan Radha Veerannan
Starring	M. G. Ramachandran Manjula Padmini
Music by	M. S. Viswanathan
Cinematography	V. Ramamoorthy
Edited by	C. P. Jambulingam
Production company	Sathya Movies
Distributed by	Sathya Movies
Release dates	29 May 1971 (1971-05-29)
Country	India
Language	Tamiil

Rickshawkaran (English: Rickshaw Driver) is a 1971 Tamil-language film starring M. G. Ramachandran. The movie was remade in 1972 in Hindi as Rikshawala which was the debut of Neetu Singh as a leading actress.

Plot

In the Tamil capital of the 70s...

At the end of a competition of rickshaw, the winner Selvam (MGR), an ex-military officer, witnesses a murder, that of another driver of rickshaw named Manickam.

With his girl Soussi in the arms, this one was chased, killed and burned on the spot by a notable of the region, merciless Kaïlasam (S. A. Ashokan).

The latter imagines above the laws for a very good reason, he is defended by effective Dharmaradj (Major Sundarrajan) who is also his brother-in-law.

Dharmaradj knows perfectly the weaknesses of the judicial system and does not hesitate to exploit them in defiance of the morality.

Meanwhile, Selvam got back the orphan girl Soussi and wants now that justice is returned for the girl and his deceased father.

But nice Selvam is very far from suspecting that behind this murder hides in fact a vast network, specialized trafficking in persons, especially women led by vile Kaïlasam.

Noticing that the justice is ineffective, Selvam decides to tidy up there in his own way...

Cast

• M. G. Ramachandran as Selvam, the rickshaw driver, the military ex-officer
• Padmini as Parvathi
• Manjula as Uma
• S. A. Ashokan as Kaïlasam, a chairman and a business man
• Major Sundarrajan as The judge K.Dharmaraj
• R. S. Manohar as "Kathikuthu" Karmegham
• Thengai Srinivasanas Vandu, a rickshaw driver
• Cho Ramaswamy as Pitchumani
• S. V. Ramadass as Mannarai
• Jothilakshmi as A dancer, "Kollimalai Kaatukkule..."
• G. Sakuntala as Kamala, Selvam 's sister
• Jaikumari as a girl from Kaïlasam 's group
• Anitha as Soussi, Manikkum 's daughter
• Vijayachandrika as Munimma, the itinerant seller of food
• Leela as The principal of The Mangayarkarasi College For Women
• Ranjana Devi
• Kalapathre Nadrajan as Kaïlasam 's manager
• Poornam Visuwanadhan as The judge
• Justin as Mister T
• T.N.Vengathraman
• Isari Velan as Maistry, the person in charge of the fitness gym

Awards

• 1972 — National Film Award for Best Actor for M. G. Ramachandran

Production

In 1968, the Puja was held with the heroine for the film not being finalised at that time and Pandari Bai playing the role of M. G. Ramachandran's sister, Parvathi. After the completion of the first schedule of the principal photography, the film's shooting was delayed due to conflict of views on the selection of the heroine. In 1969, Kasilingam and Pandari Bai were replaced with M. Krishnan Nair and Padmini respectively. Regarding the female lead, Ramachandran wanted Jayalalithaa for the role while R. M. Veerappan, the film's producer, wanted to include a newcomer to break the proximity between Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. The result went in Veerappan's favour and Manjula Vijayakumar was cast as Uma.

Two years later, in 1973, under the same banner (Sathiya Movies) and on RICKSHAWALA title, took out the hindie version of RICKSHAWKARAN, directed by MGR 's friend, K.Shankar with in the principal roles, the actor Randhir Kapoor and the actress Neetu Singh.

MGR presents us with a mythical scene at 2.38.47, according to DVD : the " Makkal Thilagum " MGR uses with all its dexterity and perfection, an Indian bladed weapon, Surul Pattai (சுருள் பட்டாக்கத்தி in Tamil), a sword, constituted by a grip generally with a swept hilt protecting the hand and from a pommel, followed by the blade, here compound of several flexible hoses and thus extremely cutting!

The sequence where the " Makkal Thilagum " MGR protects the actress Mandjula of the good-for-nothings, of its rickshaw, without coming down there, while driving it, with a stick, became from its release, on 29 May 1971, cult ! Preceded by a dialogue of electrifying MGR ! It is situated in approximately 45 minutes and 52 seconds of the beginning of the movie, according to the copies of the DVD!

RICKSHAWKARAN possessed a first version, already with MGR, turned during the first half of the 60s, a black & white movie. But she did not become a reality. It was necessary to wait almost for a decade so that the project is reactivated and led to its term, in 1971. At that time, MGR did not lead a cycle rickshaw, but pulled a pulled rickshaw.

Soundtrack

The music composed by M. S. Viswanathan.

No.	Song	Singers	Lyrics
1	"Kadloram Vaangiya"	T. M. Soundararajan	Vaali
2	"Ange Sirippavarkal"	T. M. Soundararajan	Vaali
3	"Kollimalai Kaatukkule"	T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela	Vaali
4	"Ponnazhagu Penmai"	P. Susheela, L. R. Eswari	Avinasi Mani
5	"Kadalooram Vaangiya"	T. M. Soundararajan	Vaali

External links

• Rickshawkaran at IMDb

• https://antrukandamugam.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/g-sagunthala/
• https://antrukandamugam.wordpress.com/2013/11/09/jaikumari/
• https://antrukandamugam.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/vijayachandrika/
• https://antrukandamugam.wordpress.com/2013/08/11/kalla-part-nadarajan/
• https://antrukandamugam.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/poornam-vishwanathan/
• https://antrukandamugam.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/justin/
• Dhananjayan 2014, p. 221.