Kalai Arasi (கலை அரசி, Queen of Arts, Tamil; 1963)
Even when extra-galactical adventures, wars of astronomical proportions and extra-terrestrial visits in vimānas are mentioned in the Hindu scriptures, somehow, science fiction movies never really had a following at the silver screen level. A 1952 Hollywood collaborated film 'Kaadu (Jungle)' is the first Tamil sci-fi movie. Many alien visitation film ventures have failed, including Satyajit Ray's effort.
40 years before 'Koi Mil Gaya' burnt the silver screen hailed as the first successful Indian science-fiction flick, Kollywood did indeed release an epic saga of alien visitation, flying saucers and alien abduction. Keeping with the interest of viewers of that era, the elements of romance, songs, dances and swashbuckling scenes were kept very much alive.
This movie almost did not make it to theatres. The project was apparently started in the last 1950s as evidenced by choice of leading actors. MGR and Bhanumathi must have been the hottest pair in the late 50s after their successful pairing in 1955's 'Ali Baba and 40 thieves' (அலி பாபாவும் நாப்பது திருடர்கள்), hence the pick here, I think. The lyricist who is credited passed away in 1959. The song lyrics were conversational-like, unlike the ones that came out in 1963 where melody, poetry and symbolism were given more importance.
Talking about its songs, I have to say that, even though I can swear that I had never heard the songs before, they had a haunting feel to it. The lines were quite prophetic. One particular line in the opening song struck a chord with me, 'under enclosure of the blue skies, in the lap of the sea and earth, the Lord of Time rules over us'. If one were to scrutinise the lyrics, we could also learn about the planet's weather, terrain and its day-night cycle. It had midnight sun and inhospitable environment.
I have a funny feeling about MGR showcasing his atheistic outlook in this movie. As per the norm in most Tamil films, praises and salutations to the God are the order, either in the opening credits or as props. Surprisingly, none of these was present. As if reading my thought, a line was heard, something to the effect of 'time is under the purview of the sun, and that decides all the occurrences on Earth', i.e., not God who runs the world!
Another line which says about the same ideology towards the end of the movie is 'எங்கிருந்தோ வந்தோம், எங்கேயோ போகிறோம்,எப்படி செந்தோமோ, அப்பெடியே செண்டுகிறோம், வருட்டோமோ?' (Don't know where we came from, don't know where we are going to, don't know how we met, the same way we are going.) It looks like the Creator is nowhere in the equation of birth and death. This, the main character (Mohan, MGR) says this to an alien being as he departs from her planet.
The story can be described as a bit wishy-washy sometimes. The filmmakers must have got some of their ideas from 'Flash Gordon' as seen with some of the cinematography. One can sense that some scenes were added. At one juncture, Mohan is running dressed in dhoti just to continue in another locale in pants and trousers. This can be expected as filming had come to a halt due to MGR's other prolific offers and had to rejuvenated years later after the producer held a hunger strike in front of MGR's office!
It starts with MN Nambiar as the commander of an alien ship navigating through milky way past Jupiter and Saturn heading towards Earth (Boologam). Even though his race had attained great heights in the field of science and technology, it lacked wisdom in art and music. The two-manned flying saucer was heading to Earth to kidnap Vani (Banumathi) whom the aliens knew to be good in this field. The mission was to get Vani to teach his people music and singing.
Mohan, a do-gooder farmer, lives with his sister (Sachu) and an old mother. He is in love with Vani, and the feeling is mutual. Aliens abduct Vani and Mohan is imprisoned as the kidnapper. In the meantime, the no-good manager (VS Veerapa) spots a village idiot who resembles Vani as her replacement. Mohan is freed. Mohan spots the alien who was left behind, overpowers him and sneaks into the flying saucer and makes it to the planet where Vani is held.
She is treated well and is promised of her freedom after she imparts her knowledge to the prince of the land. Guess what! When Mohan reaches the planet, he spots his doppelganger who is kind enough to teach him a thing or two about the planet like using anti-gravity shoes and the environment. Unfortunately, he is hit by meteor and Mohan uses his costume to enter the palace as a jester. The rest of the movie shows the princess (Jaishree) falling in love with Mohan, Mohan wriggling himself away from the princess, convincing her of his undying love to Vani, getting a crash course on manning a spaceship, having a duel with MN Nambiar who is keen to get Vani, saving Vani and safely returning to Earth!
Bearing in mind that the film was made in the late 50s, it can be said to be quite unconventional. Although you cannot compare it to Star Trek or Star Wars where all the tiny details are thought of, it can be said that they did introduce something new as far as Indian cinema is concerned. The idea of anti-gravity shoes is refreshing. Laser guns came in the form of flame-spewing taser guns. Some of the scenes look like they are preparing the people for a time in the future where spotting a UFO in the sky is as uninteresting as seeing a cow on the Indian street.
Unconventional also is the fact that there were no comedians in the cast. The only light moment that I found is a line at the finish when Mohan and Vani are met by Vani's father and questioned about their disappearance, Mohan just says, "Oh, we were abducted to another planet!" To which the father says, "Oh, come off it, we have a lot of work to do."
Mohan and Vani just say to each other, "One day all these will be possible!"
At another instance, farmers are fascinated by the flames in the sky. Mohan, the knowledgeable one, just tell them matter-of-factly, "Oh, that is a flying saucer in the sky!"
It only goes to show that a revolutionary thought just stays a thought if the time is not ripe for the general public to accept. Many forward thinkers who were way ahead of their times just disappeared without having ideas jotted in the annals of time. The performance arts, literary work and now with the aid of cyberspace, every thought process can potentially reach every nook and corner of the civilisation. Ideas evolve so fast in this restless world that even before you say "Eureka!", your discovery is already yesterday's news.
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tamil-film-had-aliens-spaceships-anti-gravity-boots-half-century-ago-44272
http://milliblog.com/2010/08/11/was-mgr-starrer-kalai-arasi-the-first-indian-film-to-feature-an-alien/
Dedicated to SM in JB, you know who you are!
Juno makes it to Jupiter orbit!
Even when extra-galactical adventures, wars of astronomical proportions and extra-terrestrial visits in vimānas are mentioned in the Hindu scriptures, somehow, science fiction movies never really had a following at the silver screen level. A 1952 Hollywood collaborated film 'Kaadu (Jungle)' is the first Tamil sci-fi movie. Many alien visitation film ventures have failed, including Satyajit Ray's effort.
40 years before 'Koi Mil Gaya' burnt the silver screen hailed as the first successful Indian science-fiction flick, Kollywood did indeed release an epic saga of alien visitation, flying saucers and alien abduction. Keeping with the interest of viewers of that era, the elements of romance, songs, dances and swashbuckling scenes were kept very much alive.
This movie almost did not make it to theatres. The project was apparently started in the last 1950s as evidenced by choice of leading actors. MGR and Bhanumathi must have been the hottest pair in the late 50s after their successful pairing in 1955's 'Ali Baba and 40 thieves' (அலி பாபாவும் நாப்பது திருடர்கள்), hence the pick here, I think. The lyricist who is credited passed away in 1959. The song lyrics were conversational-like, unlike the ones that came out in 1963 where melody, poetry and symbolism were given more importance.
 |
| Alien (MN Nambiar) with vision goggles and spacesuit |
I have a funny feeling about MGR showcasing his atheistic outlook in this movie. As per the norm in most Tamil films, praises and salutations to the God are the order, either in the opening credits or as props. Surprisingly, none of these was present. As if reading my thought, a line was heard, something to the effect of 'time is under the purview of the sun, and that decides all the occurrences on Earth', i.e., not God who runs the world!
 |
| Mission: Earth! |
The story can be described as a bit wishy-washy sometimes. The filmmakers must have got some of their ideas from 'Flash Gordon' as seen with some of the cinematography. One can sense that some scenes were added. At one juncture, Mohan is running dressed in dhoti just to continue in another locale in pants and trousers. This can be expected as filming had come to a halt due to MGR's other prolific offers and had to rejuvenated years later after the producer held a hunger strike in front of MGR's office!
It starts with MN Nambiar as the commander of an alien ship navigating through milky way past Jupiter and Saturn heading towards Earth (Boologam). Even though his race had attained great heights in the field of science and technology, it lacked wisdom in art and music. The two-manned flying saucer was heading to Earth to kidnap Vani (Banumathi) whom the aliens knew to be good in this field. The mission was to get Vani to teach his people music and singing.
 |
| What is Tamil movie without dual roles? |
She is treated well and is promised of her freedom after she imparts her knowledge to the prince of the land. Guess what! When Mohan reaches the planet, he spots his doppelganger who is kind enough to teach him a thing or two about the planet like using anti-gravity shoes and the environment. Unfortunately, he is hit by meteor and Mohan uses his costume to enter the palace as a jester. The rest of the movie shows the princess (Jaishree) falling in love with Mohan, Mohan wriggling himself away from the princess, convincing her of his undying love to Vani, getting a crash course on manning a spaceship, having a duel with MN Nambiar who is keen to get Vani, saving Vani and safely returning to Earth!
 |
| Is that a bird or a plane? No, that's a flying saucer! |
Unconventional also is the fact that there were no comedians in the cast. The only light moment that I found is a line at the finish when Mohan and Vani are met by Vani's father and questioned about their disappearance, Mohan just says, "Oh, we were abducted to another planet!" To which the father says, "Oh, come off it, we have a lot of work to do."
Mohan and Vani just say to each other, "One day all these will be possible!"
At another instance, farmers are fascinated by the flames in the sky. Mohan, the knowledgeable one, just tell them matter-of-factly, "Oh, that is a flying saucer in the sky!"
It only goes to show that a revolutionary thought just stays a thought if the time is not ripe for the general public to accept. Many forward thinkers who were way ahead of their times just disappeared without having ideas jotted in the annals of time. The performance arts, literary work and now with the aid of cyberspace, every thought process can potentially reach every nook and corner of the civilisation. Ideas evolve so fast in this restless world that even before you say "Eureka!", your discovery is already yesterday's news.
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tamil-film-had-aliens-spaceships-anti-gravity-boots-half-century-ago-44272
http://milliblog.com/2010/08/11/was-mgr-starrer-kalai-arasi-the-first-indian-film-to-feature-an-alien/
Dedicated to SM in JB, you know who you are!
Juno makes it to Jupiter orbit!
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