Thirumalai Thenkumari

Thirumalai Thenkumari () is a 1970 Indian Tamil-language road film written and directed by A. P. Nagarajan. Inspired by the 1969 film "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium", it features an ensemble cast consisting of Sivakumar, Kumari Padmini, Rama Prabha, Shylashri, Manorama, Sirkazhi Govindarajan and Suruli Rajan. The film focuses on a group of passengers who embark on a pilgrimage across South India. It was commercially successful, and won three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
Plot.
Ten to twelve families from different walks of life, different age groups and different languages unite for a pilgrimage, beginning with Tirupati and going as far as Kanyakumari.
Production.
"Thirumalai Thenkumari" was among the earliest road films in Tamil cinema, and took inspiration from the 1969 film "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium". Unlike the original, it was given a "religious twist", with its premise focusing on a group of passengers who embark on a pilgrimage across South India, visiting places like Tirupati and Madurai. The film was actually shot in the places depicted onscreen, as opposed to using sets. Since it was previously believed in the Tamil film industry that writer-director A. P. Nagarajan's films were successful only because of their star cast and "mammoth" scales, rather than his directorial skills, he made this film, which featured mostly newcomers, to silence his critics. Cinematography was handled by W. R. Subba Rao, the art direction by Ganga, and the editing by T. Vijayarangam. The film, which was produced by C. Paramasivan under the banner Sree Vijayalakshmi Pictures, was completed within a month.
Soundtrack.
The soundtrack of the film was composed by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. He based the song "Thirupathi Malaivaazhum" on the Suprabhatam. The song "Madhurai Arasaalum" is set in the carnatic raga known as Ragamalika. "Thirupathi Malaivaazhum" and "Madhurai Arasaalum" were written by Ulundurpettai Shanmugam.
Release and reception.
"Thirumalai Thenkumari" was released on 15 August 1970. The film was a commercial success, and won in three categories at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards: Best Music Director (Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan), Best Male Playback Singer (Sirkazhi Govindarajan), and a Special Prize. In 2016, film historian Randor Guy said the film would be remembered for "The music, and fine performances by veteran actors".