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[S.Balaji]

Retired Father Sarangapani teases a playful younger sister L.Vijayalakshmi who will be doing a swara practice ….a cheerful Gemini Ganesan , with a tennis racquet enters , further adds fun to the happy atmosphere and soon elder brother Muthuraman and his wife also join the fun ….this is how the movie starts….a typical middle class family counting on the salary of Muthuraman …as he goes to each member giving their monthly quota …..so , a contended joint family having some lighter moments….. Another scene immediately shown throwing his lighthearted frolics along with college friends Nagesh and others….GG swears that he can charm any girl ….Now Nagesh and others ask him to try his youthful exuberance against Devika , their former School Teacher V.S.Raghavan’s only daughter …He takes up the challenge and enters their household as a student trying to learn English literature…..As days pass by GG successfully allures Devika…Though it all starts just for fun, seeing Devika’s true love , GG also mutually reciprocates………

Muthuraman is the lead member and the family thrive purely on his earnings ……one day a dejected Muthuraman informs everyone that he has lost his job…his sick company is wound up….Consequently the family is left with bare minimum to meet with….pressure mounts on GG to leave his college and take up a job…..gets a job for Rs. 150 ( a decent sum during the early 60s I believe ) Gemini happily owns the family’s responsibility …..meanwhile L.Vijayalakshmi is in love with Gemini’s friend and had to get married…it so happened that while walking in the beach, Gemini identifies a purse which belongs to a retired Judge …he hands it over to him…the Retd Judge soon visits Gemini’s house meets Sarangapani …mentions about Gemini’s noble deed …expresses his desire to offer Gemini marry his daughter …he also promises a decent job for Muthuraman and also Rs. 20,000 as additional sum to support the family….( the Judge’s daughter is Indira Devi , a friend of Devika who also is a chronic fits patient )…. This nervous weakness of his daughter was duly conveyed to Sarangapani but he decides not to inform GG in the larger interests of the family...the enduring double benefit makes Sarangapani conceal the shortcoming … VSRaghavan aware of the love , meets Sarangapani and proposes for Devika but Sarangapani outrightly rejects it …saying that this alliance will do no good to both the families… GG reluctantly had to yield out of family pressure and decides to sacrifice his love ……..Devika is shocked by this development and so is V.S.Raghavan ……L.Vijayalakshmi happily marries his lover….

However, on the wedding day , Indira Devi comes to know about the love between GG and Devika gets the nervous weakness followed by fits , falls unconscious….Gemini is shell shocked and the marriage is cancelled as the Judge felt it inauspicious…..

L.Vijayalakshmi’s husband gets a good job but had to give a deposit of Rs. 1000 ….at this moment, Gemini gets a bonus money which he was forced to give it to L.Vijayalakshmi for her hubby to get the job secured…so the sacrifice continues…..…..

Balaji, a good friend of both Nagesh and V.S.Raghavan’s relative enters now…..he is a foreign returned guy and has his own flourishing business….he meets VSR and also Devika…VSR is very much impressed by GG and even proposes Devika to him…Balaji is extremely happy with this and accepts …..

Oneday Nagesh and Balaji come across Gemini in a vague disturbed mood …..Nagesh explains his background to Balaji and his continuing sacrifices ….Balaji pitied by his plight offers to give a job which Nagesh conveys to Gemini….Muthuraman overhears this conversation….…..MUthu insists that GG cede that offer to him so that he will resume his role as a lead member and adds that this may enable GG to get back to his studies…Another sacrifice one had to make it here and GG requests Balaji to exercise the option to his brother …

A change of heart now …GG thinks about restoring his love life with Devika , expresses his renewed vigor but V.S.Raghavan is not happy….Devika too regrets about her love life and advises Gemini to forget the past and live on current ……V.S.Raghavan tells Gemini that he has already fixed alliance with a rich guy and requests Gemini not to spoil this prospect…A dejected Gemini walks back….

A frustrated Gemini, having lost interest in life, feels there is no purpose in life , resigns his job and comes home….Muthuraman hears this news and rushes home….he sees Gemini about to have his dinner….He screams at Gemini for having resigned suddenly….adds a strong remark…. “It’s a curse , somebody in our family always is jobless….I don’t know how long someone of us will have to eat free food always…” …this comment hurts Gemini deeply that he immediately walks out of the house and through his friend’s request he lives in an isolated place….Despite repeated requests from Muthu, Vijayalakshmi and sundries, GG refuses to come back …..he looks for solace and peace of mind ..

As the Devika’s wedding with Balaji is about to reach the final stages , L.Vijayalakshmi pleads Devika to reconsider her past love and requests her to marry Gemini….Devika expresses to Balaji about her past love ….Balaji gracefully agrees to her request and cancels the marriage….but Gemini is unaware of all these developments and as days pass by his bitter past and continuous sufferings haunt him so badly that he writes a letter to Muthuraman a lengthy letter on what made him to reach such an isolated mood now…he wishes the family all the best and ends with a note that he is moving away from everyone to seek his final path in life…Muthuraman tracks the destination of Gemini through the cover of the letter which shows the seal of Kodaikanal postal dept….a stunned Muthuraman sensing disaster rushes to V.S.Raghavan and pleads him to reconsider marrying Devika with Gemini …VS.Raghavan agrees finally and all three rush to Kodaikanal……….Desperate in search , V.S.Raghavan , Devika, Muthuraman all rush to meet Gemini only to see him walk along with a group of Christian Clerics

YES. Unable to withstand continuing challenges , sacrifices and compromises , Gemini Ganesan finally converts into Christianity , becomes a Cleric …..It was Devika who identifies Gemini amongst the group and screams Babuuuuuuuu …..dressed in conventional Christian Priest attire , Gemini stops for a moment and slowly walk past a stunned Devika/Muthuraman/V.S.Raghavan chanting sacred quotes from the Bible…….

[madhuraman]

Dear Mr.Balaji,
Nice to read your recalling of Sumai Thaangi. A small addition would be both true and relevant. In that scene while GG is taking food, Muthuraman makes a casual remark that became CAUSAL in effect driving GG out of the house and the social fabric that was binding him all these days.
The remark was "It is a curse that one of us has to eat free food [Dhanda Soru] in our family. That was the exact moment when GG was jobless and though casual, the remark deeply hurts GG as well as thr audience. This was the exact turning point where things go out of control for everyone except Sridar. My mentioning this is only to strengthen our mission that earlier Directors developed a plot on solid mental foundation instead of relying on Cosmetic looks of heroines and hollow heroics of the so-called hero. The younger generation must dispassionately watch such movies to understand what are finer emotions and how the Directors really elevated the taste of the audience instead of liberally letting loose vulgar utterances on the name of ground reality. Direction also ably strips the Director for his calibre.
Warm regards Prof.K.Raman Madurai
_________________
Prof. K. Raman
Mumbai

[S.Balaji]

Quote:

My mentioning this is only to strengthen our mission that earlier Directors developed a plot on solid mental foundation instead of relying on Cosmetic looks of heroines and hollow heroics of the so-called hero. The younger generation must dispassionately watch such movies to understand what are finer emotions and how the Directors really elevated the taste of the audience instead of liberally letting loose vulgar utterances on the name of ground reality. Direction also ably strips the Director for his calibre

Dear Professor,

Thank you very much for highlighting this particular scene which I also felt very much. My Mother says that during this shot, even the audience will feel personally hurt as by now they have become part of the GG character !
Sir I think Mr. Sridhar had virtually sculpted each character and even choice of dialogues have been very selective, precise and decisive !
Sridhar beautifully makes the brothers regret that momentary aberration …..Muthuraman meets him in that isolated place and pleads to Gemini to forgive him for having uttered that thankless comment …One could clearly see tears in his eyes when he requests Gemini to come back home for which GG gracefully absorbs displaying a warmth of a loving brother

An unforgettable scene and a wonderful screen play !

[madhuraman]

Dear Mr.Balaji,
Sumai thaangi, Policekaaran manal , Vidi velli, Nemjam Marappadhillai, Kalailovil, Kodimalar, Ooty varai uravu were some movies Directed by CVS for other producers. But all these are idebtified with Sridar as he has given his best to all these movies though he did not produce them Such was the commitment that, those Directors aligned with the movie heart and soul and made it a Director's movie. Sridar perhaps was the first TF Director to have built a fan-following by his skillful exploitation pf the visual medium.
Warm regards Peof.K.Raman Madurai
_________________
Prof. K. Raman
Mumbai

[S.Balaji]

Dear All,

THE CLASSIC SUMAITHANGI WILL BE TELECASTED ON SUN TV AT 10.30PM TONIGHT ( 3rd June ) . PLS WATCH THE MOVIE WITHOUT FAIL AND OFFER YOUR COMMENTS

THIS REQUEST OF MINE IS TO HONOUR ONE OF THE GREATEST CREATORS OF TAMIL CINEMA , OUR MR. C.V.SRIDHAR .