A kid's movie with murder?

Avana Ivan? (Is that him?, Tamil; 1962)

Directed and Produced by S. Balachander

It is supposed to be based on a murder which happened in the USA at the early of 20th century. An executive killed his pregnant secretary on a boat trip to marry a rich woman. The story created such a sensation that it a spawned a best seller novel and a 1951 Hollywood hit, 'A Place in the Sun'.

The lone wolf, S. Balachander, wrote the screenplay for this film based the above hit, just that this Tamil version ended up as more of a children's show. Two children witness a brutal and fatal beating of a lady. They are totally composed throughout the event and afterwards, showing no emotional catastrophe but have the composure to narrate the whole incident to adults around them. Unfortunately, none the adults including the police take them seriously. Balachander, the flamboyant director, acts as the anti-hero to have committed the heinous for the same reason; to dispose of his pestering girlfriend to marry a rich man's daughter to win his business deals.

Interspersed in the narration is the evil wife of the businessman with her piercing tongue and incisive words, the daughter with her love of a commoner as well as the bane of being amongst the slave class. For comedic relief, there is the bumbling chef with his horrendous culinary skills and his antics of courting his neighbour!

Kudos go to the two child actors. One of them is Kutti Padmini, the child prodigy who went on to act in many more films later. Her magnum opus was 1965 hit 'Kulanthaiyum Deivamum, a Tamil version of 'Parent Trap' where she acts in a dual role.

S. Balachander gives a stellar performance as a killer without over-acting. He is likeable as an actor and is very comfortable in front of the camera. He even composed the music.