Connection
Panakkaari (1954)
If you like this film, let us know!
Add to a movie listPanakkaari (Tamil: பணக்காரி) is a Tamil language film starring M. G. Ramachandran in the lead role. The film was released in 1954. Leo Tolstoy’s classic ‘Anna Karenina’ was made into a Hollywood movie in 1935 by Clarence Brown with the iconic star Greta Garbo playing Anna. It was filmed earlier as a silent movie in 1928 named Love, again with Greta Garbo as Anna and the ‘great lover’ John Gilbert in the male lead. The novel and the 1935 Hollywood version were popular in India and the story was filmed in Tamil in 1953 as Panakkari by K. S. Gopalakrishnan (the maker of Chakradhari) under the technical supervision of the renowned Newtone Studio founder-cinematographer-filmmaker, Jiten Bannerjee.
However, Panakkari failed at the box office, mainly because of its ‘anti sentimental’ storyline. During the same period, another film, Pitchaikkari, a remake of a Malayalam film, proved a major hit and gave rise to a joke in the Madras movie circles —‘Those who bought Panakkari became pitchaikkaarans (beggars), while buyers of Pitchaikkari became panakkarans (rich men)!
Remembered for its different storyline, high production values and impressive performances by Nagaiah, Rajakumari and MGR.
Synopsis
T. R. Rajakumari, the then dream girl, played the Tamil Anna and Chittoor V. Nagaiah as the suspecting husband who ill-treats her for being friends with an army officer (M. G. Ramachandran). The original story of misunderstanding between the couple due to the wife’s friendship with another man was more or less followed in the Tamil version. MGR’s role was somewhat villainous. While old timers ‘Javert’ Seetharaman and C. V. V. Panthulu played their supporting roles effectively, Mangalam, the woman the army man discards was also impressive. In a sequence, Panthulu (playing an elderly husband) carrying on with his young daughter’s attractive dance teacher, signals her to come up to his bedroom, leaving the daughter to dance to a gramophone record! While the dancer is busy upstairs, the gramophone record which has a crack, goes on playing the same word, hearing which the wife rushes out of the kitchen and catches the husband and the dance teacher red-handed. Though this sequence is hilarious, the moviegoers in those days thought it was in bad taste. There is also another scene the Tamil audience didn’t relish much — the husband (Nagaiah) introduces his lovely wife (Rajakumari) to his army friend and the man and the woman shake hands. It was also why the public rejected the movie, despite its impressive cast and production values.Actors
Comments
Leave comment :
Suggestions of similar film to Panakkaari
There are 268 films with the same actors, to have finally 70 suggestions of similar films.If you liked Panakkaari, you will probably like those similar films :
Saalivaahanan (1945)
Actors Ranjan, Thanjavur Ranganayaki Rajakumari, M. G. Ramachandran
Saalivaahanan (Ranjan), divinely blessed and born in a potter's family, falls in love with a princess (Rajakumari), while Vikramaditya (MGR) falls for his sister (Vasantha). The hero and villain clash in a furious clang-whang sword duel.
Koduthu Vaithaval (1963)
, 2h5Actors M. G. Ramachandran, Thangavelu, S. A. Ashokan, Madras Rajagopala Radhakrishnan Naidu, M. V. Rajamma
This script must be run from the command line
Thirudadhe (1961)
, 2h53Actors M. G. Ramachandran, B. Saroja Devi, M. N. Nambiar, Thangavelu, M. N. Rajam, M. Saroja
Rating69%
Balu is a small time thief once he happens to steal money from Sarojadevi’s brother who is the breadwinner of the family. After his death the family has to be taken care by Balu, his stealing attitude changes when his mother came to know that his son was a thief and sacrifices her life. How the family is saved is the rest of the story.
Paasam (1962)
, 2h38Actors M. G. Ramachandran, B. Saroja Devi, Kalyan Kumar, Sheela, Thanjavur Ranganayaki Rajakumari, S. A. Ashokan
Rating74%
Dakshayagnam (1962)
Directed by Kadaru Nagabhushanam
Genres Drama, Musical
Actors M. G. Ramachandran, Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao, Devika, Pasupuleti Kannamba, Meena Kumari, Chittor V. Nagaiah
Rating73%
Rani Samyuktha (1962)
, 2h47Directed by D. Yoganand
Actors M. G. Ramachandran, Ragini, M. G. Chakrapani, M. N. Nambiar, Thangavelu, Padmini Ramachandran
Prithvirajan (MGR) falls in love when he sees a portrait of princess Samyuktha (Padmini). To insult him, her father Jayachandran (MG Chakrapani) instals his statue at the entrance to the palace hall where the ‘swayamvara' (a ceremony to choose the bridegroom) by the princess is to take place. Getting wind of it, Prithvirajan rushes to the spot on a horse and carries away his sweetheart, while others present watch shocked and stunned.
Enga Veettu Pillai (1965)
, 3h3Genres Drama, Comedy, Action
Themes Films about families
Actors M. G. Ramachandran, B. Saroja Devi, Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao, M. N. Nambiar, Thangavelu, Nagesh
Rating70%
Ramu (MGR) is the cowardly one – the heir to all riches of Poonjolai Jamin. He has been raised that way by his sister's husband Narendran (Nambiar). Ramu shivers at the very mention of his brother in law's name and a whiplash is Narendran's favorite form of punishment. Narendran wants to get Ramu married to Leela (Saroja Devi) but she is turned off by his cowardice. Ilango (MGR) is a jobless young man, prone to pick a fight and for this reason, the cause of trouble for his mother. Circumstances lead to Ramu and Ilango taking each other's place. Ilango teaches a lesson to Narendran while Ramu learns the ways of the world. Then Ilango teaches Narendran a lesson which forces him to leave the house. Due to this, his sister scolds and he plans to leave by reveal that he was not Ramu. Then the relation of the story reveals that Ramu and Ilango are brothers. With Ramu being kidnapped and Ilango going to help his brother and revealing everything to narendran brings the film to climax.
Thaali Bhagyam (1966)
, 3hDirected by Kadaru Nagabhushanam
Actors M. G. Ramachandran, B. Saroja Devi, M. N. Nambiar, Nagesh, Chittor V. Nagaiah, M. N. Rajam
Rating64%
A provincial region named Karayur, in 60s... Families of Nallasivam (S. V. Subbaiah) and Murugan (M.G. Ramachandran) are neighbours for generations. Nallasivam is nurturing his wish to give his daughter Valli (B. Saroja Devi) in marriage to Murugan (MGR).
Pattikattu Ponnaiya (1973)
, 2h18Directed by B.S. Ranga
Genres Drama
Actors M. G. Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa, Rajasree, Chittor V. Nagaiah, M. N. Nambiar, S. A. Ashokan
Rating68%
Somewhere between the Tamil campaign and its capital. As the farmer Ponnaiya (MGR) puts a lot with a big seriousness into fields, that he takes to heart responsibility that his father, Nathamai Nalasivam (Chittor V. Nagaiah) delegates to him, as the twin younger brother of Ponnaiya, Muthaiya (MGR), studying in agronomy, lets go itself, does not really get involved in its studies, because its spirit is monopolized somewhere else...
Ashok Kumar (1941)
Genres Historical
Actors M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, Chittor V. Nagaiah, Pasupuleti Kannamba, 'Kalaivanar' N. S. Krishnan, M. G. Ramachandran, Ranjan
Rating24%
The film is based on an age-old Buddhist folktale connected with Mauryan Emperor Ashoka's son Kunal. The Mauryan prince Kunal was courted by Ashoka's younger queen Tishyarakshita and when he rejected her advances, was falsely accused by the queen of trying to seduce her and was thrown into prison and blinded. The story, however, comes to a happy end with his eyesight being restored by Lord Buddha and the king acquits of all the charges.