Andhanaal (1954) Tamil_MHCe DVD5_Eng Subs_Classic [DDR]

- Andha Naal (That Day!) is a 1954 Indian crime mystery film in Tamil directed by Veenai S. Balachander. 
- It is arguably the first film-noir in Tamil cinema and is the first Tamil film to be made without songs. 
- The film was inspired by the 1950 Akira Kurosawa film Rashômon, the 1950 Anthony Asquith's film, The Woman in Question
- However, in contrast to Rashômon, the film's climax provides a solution to the murder using an Indian proverb as a vital clue.

- Andha naal was released on 13 April 1954 and received critical and public acclaim. 
- But it was a commercial failure. Its failure to generate revenues meant no such film (without songs or stunts) was made again in Tamil for a long time. 
- The film won the Certificate of Merit for the Second Best Feature Film in Tamil at 2nd National Film Awards.

- The film revolves around a murder of Radio Engineer Rajan (Sivaji Ganesan), with suspects being five characters: Rajan's wife Usha (Pandari Bai), Chinnaiah Pillai, Rajan's brother Pattabi, Rajan's sister-in-law Hema, and dancer Ambujam (also Rajan's Mistress). 
- Each one recounts an incident which points to a new suspect. Sivanandam then uses clues in the victim's room, serendipitous leads, and understands the characters' persona, and uses the knowledge to identify the culprit.

CAST:- 
Sivaji Ganesan - Rajan
Javar Seetharaman - CID Officer Sivanandam
Pandari Bai - Usha (Rajan's wife)
T. K. Balachandran - Pattabi, Rajan's younger brother
P. D. Sambandam - Chinniah Pillai
Menaka - Hema
Suryakala

Directed by Veenai S. Balachander
Music by AVM music troupe
Narrated by Javar Seetharaman

MOVIE REVIEW:- Andhanaal (1954)
On the night of 11 October 1943, the Japanese bombed the Indian city of Madras (now known as Chennai), causing commotion all over the city. In Triplicane the next morning, Rajan (Sivaji Ganesan), a radio engineer and communications researcher, is found murdered with his own hand gun. His neighbour Chinnaiah Pillai (P. D. Sambandam) hears the gunshot and complains to the police. A local Police Inspector named Purushothaman Naidu arrives and investigates the scene. He is joined by C.I.D. officer Sivanandam (Javar Seetharaman) there. He concludes that the killer is some petty thief who must have shot Rajan for the lump of money found in the same room of the crime scene. However, Sivanandam states that to be a bad solution, as the amount of money matches exactly with the withdrawal entry in the bank passbook found in the same room, without a single rupee's difference. Nonetheless, it was clear Rajan was making plans to leave Chennai in anticipation of the bombings. Rajan's wife Usha (Pandari Bai) is almost dumbstruck and unable to speak during any inquiries. Sivanandam and Naidu feel reluctant and embarrassed to do any questioning to her.

The two decide to investigate the case by questioning the people in and around the house, who are the family members or friends of Rajan. They start their questioning with Chinnaiah Pillai, the neighbour, as he is the first to inform them. He tells that the killer could probably be Pattabi, Rajan's younger brother (T. K. Balachandran). He recounts an incident (as flashback), in which Pattabi confronts Rajan at the house's garage to ask for his share of the family property to be apportioned and given to him. Rajan, in good faith, denies to give Pattabi his share, feeling that he and his wife might squander it. Chinnaiah concludes that this would have caused Pattabi to kill Rajan.

Sivanandam and Naidu decide to inquire Pattabi. However, Pattabi had rushed to the Beach before their arrival, probably to commit suicide. They rush there themselves to inquire him. When questioned, Pattabi feels remorseful of his brother's death. He states that he did not treat his brother well when he was alive and failed to understand his good intentions. He recounts another incident where his wife Hema, had fought with him herself, during dinner for the apportionment of the property. She is also a person who loses sanity when overpowered by anger. Pattabi believes it is easily possible that Hema used the Rajan's gun to shoot him for the money.

Sivanamdam briefly parts Naidu, to meet Hema soon after, to do his inquiry. Hema was initially impudent and refusing to give her statement about the crime, but later gives in when threatened that her husband would be arrested for the same. She reveals a secret of Rajan. Rajan has had an extramarital affair with a dancer named Ambujam (Suryakala). Only a week before the murder, she found this out when she stumbled upon and overheard Rajan and Ambujam conversing in some public place. During their conversation, Ambujam unveils that she is pregnant with Rajan's child. Rajan treats the news with a reckless attitude, infuriating Ambujam. Additionally, Hema had received a letter addressed to Rajan from Ambujam, that had the address "No.15, Thoni Street". Hema proposes that Ambujam could have killed Rajan in retaliation to Rajan's lack of concern for her.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:-
Video Codec: MPEG-2
Video Bitrate: 4514 kbps
Video Resolution: 720x480
Video Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1
Frames Per Second: 29.970
Audio Codec:  AC3
Audio Bitrate: 448kb/s CBR 48000 Hz
Audio Streams: 6
Audio Languages: Tamil
RunTime: 2:09:45
Subtitles: English
Ripped by: Trinidad [DDR]   
Duration: 2:09:45

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