School Master (1958 film)
School Master is a 1958 Indian Kannada language film, which was simultaneously dubbed into Tamil language as Engal Kudumbam Perisu. It was later remade into various other languages including Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi. This is a classic film starring Dikki Madhava Rao, Udaykumar, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi. It was the first Kannada film to complete a Silver Jubilee Celebration. This film had its children's dance drama in gorgeous Gevacolor, taken by cinematographer by W. R. Subba Rao.
| School Master ಸ್ಕೂಲ್ ಮಾಸ್ಟರ್ | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Poster | |
| Directed by | B. R. Panthulu |
| Produced by | B. R. Panthulu |
| Based on | Vaishnavi by Kusumagraj |
| Starring | |
| Music by | T. G. Lingappa |
| Cinematography | W. R. Subba Rao Karnan |
| Edited by | R. Devarajan |
| Distributed by | Padmini Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 164 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
B. R. Panthulu came up with film versions of this story in various languages. In 1958, School Master (Kannada) and Engal Kudumbam Perisu (Tamil) were directed by him, and dubbed into Telugu as Badi Pantulu. In 1959, ALS Productions remade the story in Hindi as School Master, again directed by Panthulu.
The Malayalam version School Master was released on 3 April 1964, directed by Puttanna Kanagal and starring Prem Nazir, K. Balaji, Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair, Sivaji Ganeshan, Ragini, Ambika, Sowcar Janaki, Aranmula Ponnamma, and Bahadur. The lyrics were by Vayalar Ramavarma, music by G. Devarajan and dialogues by Ponkunnam Varki. The film was a super hit.
In 1972, the movie was remade in Telugu as Badi Pantulu, starring NTR. In 1973 the same story was again filmed in Tamil with the same name, School Master, starring Gemini Ganesan.
It was the first Kannada movie to be remade in four languages. The concept of the movie is based on Make Way for Tomorrow (1937),[1] which had already been adapted in Japanese in 1953 as Tokyo Story; in Marathi in 1954 as Oon Paus, directed by Raja Paranjpe, in Tamil as Varavu Nalla Uravu, in Telugu as Dabbu Bhale Jabbu , in Pakistani as Samaj (1972) and in Hindi twice as Zindagi and Baghban ( which was remade in Kannada in 2007 as Ee Bandhana).
Plot
The story revolves mostly around the producer/director B. R. Panthulu who plays the role of school master, and his wife. Uncommonly for Balkrishna, he plays a positive role in the film. Bustling actor Narasimharaju is also present.
A humble school teacher with his two sons and a daughter arrives at a new place. He finds that the school building is in bad shape and his staff are not motivated to teach. He is a strict disciplinarian, which is shown in a humorous way.
His elder son gets into fight with a ruffian student, Vaasu. Vaasu is punished, but his innate goodness wins over his teacher. He is given special care, to become a good student.
The teacher has to fight against village politics, when he wishes to build a new building to the school. Undeterred, he motivates his students and villages to amass enough funds to build it.
However, henchmen in the village burn down his house. His pet student Vaasu gathers all his friends and builds a small house for his teacher.
Years pass and Vaasu tops his matriculation exams.
The teacher's sons get married, much against the wishes of their parents, but the teacher takes it in his stride. Their beautiful daughter is married to a simpleton business man.
When the teacher retires, his sons are averse to take their parents. With no savings of his own, the teacher has to rely on his sons to lead a retired life. The elder son takes his father, while the younger one takes his mother. The teacher is thus separated from his wife.
Things take such a bad turn, that teacher cannot even read his wife's letter, because his sons will not provide him with spectacles.
In the climax, the teacher's erstwhile house, which was painfully constructed by his students, has to be auctioned off. Vaasu (Sivaji Ganeshan), now the Superintendent of Police, happens to pass by in the car and notices the auction. Distraught with pain, he confides to his wife, this is the very house, he built with his fellow students for the teacher, who led him to the garden path. He is overcome by emotions, on seeing the auction. Vaasu's wife immediately removes all her jewellery and urges Vaasu to use them to stop the auction and pay the bank. Vaasu is filled with joy and does so.
The teacher is filled with happiness on seeing his once ruffian student becoming a role model. His journey of being a teacher has met a satisfactory end.
The film has some sentimental and emotional moments, as well as humorous moments. It also has some village politics at the start, which continues to influence the school master character throughout the film.[2]
Soundtrack
The film's score was composed by T. G. Lingappa.
Kannada version
School Master Playback singers are A. M. Rajah, T. G. Lingappa, Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, P. Suseela, A. P. Komala, K. Rani and K. Jamuna Rani.
| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length (m:ss) |
| 1 | "Ati Madhuraa Anu Raaga" | A. M. Rajah, K. Jamuna Rani | 03:27 | |
| 2 | "Ellaru Nammavare" | A. P. Komala | 03:06 | |
| 3 | "Raadhaa Maadhava Vinodha haasa" | T. G. Lingappa, P. Susheela | 03:12 | |
| 4 | "Innenu Aananda" | Soolamangalam Sisters | 03:02 | |
| 5 | "Swami Devane Loka Paalane" | T. G. Lingappa, A. P. Komala, K. Rani | 02:39 | |
| 6 | "Bannirai Bannirai" | A. P. Komala, K. Rani | 02:58 | |
| 7 | "Naanu Neenu Jodi" | Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Soolamangalam Sisters | 03:23 | |
| 8 | "Bhaameya Nodalu" | Soolamangalam Sisters | 03:12 | |
| 9 | "Sompaada Sanjevele" | T. G. Lingappa, P. Susheela | 03:27 |
Tamil version
The Tamil version is titled Engal Kudumbam Perisu. Lyrics were by K. D. Santhanam, Ku. Sa. Krishnamoorthy and Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam. Playback singers were T. M. Soundararajan, A. M. Rajah, T. G. Lingappa, S. C. Krishnan, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, P. Suseela, A. P. Komala, K. Rani and K. Jamuna Rani.
| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length (m:ss) |
| 1 | "Adhi Madhuraa Anu Raaga" | A. M. Rajah, K. Jamuna Rani | K. D. Santhanam | 03:27 |
| 2 | "Ellaarum Nammavare" | A. P. Komala | Ku. Saa. Krishnamurthi | 03:06 |
| 3 | "Raadhaa Maadhava Vinodha Raaja" | T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela | Ku. Saa. Krishnamurthi | 03:12 |
| 4 | "Ennaalum Kaanaadha Aanandhame" | Soolamangalam Sisters | Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam | 03:02 |
| 5 | "Somasekara Loga Paalane" | T. G. Lingappa, A. P. Komala, K. Rani | K. D. Santhanam | 02:39 |
| 6 | "Varugave Varugave Guru Sevaiye" | A. P. Komala | K. D. Santhanam | 02:58 |
| 7 | "Naanum Neeyum Jodi" | S. C. Krishnan, Soolamangalam Sisters | K. D. Santhanam | 03:23 |
| 8 | "Sugamaana Andhi Velai" | T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela | Ku. Saa. Krishnamurthi | 02:42 |
| 9 | "Ramayana Children's Drama" | K. D. Santhanam | 06:48 |
Telugu version
The Telugu version is titled Badi Pantulu. Playback singers were P. B. Sreenivas, A. M. Rajah, T. G. Lingappa, Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, P. Suseela, A. P. Komala, K. Rani and K. Jamuna Rani.
| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length (m:ss) |
| 1 | "Atimadhuram Anuraagam" | A. M. Rajah, K. Jamuna Rani | 03:27 | |
| 2 | "Rampaana Vadenaa" | 03:06 | ||
| 3 | "Radhaa Madhava Vinodaleela" | P. B. Sreenivas, P. Suseela | 03:12 | |
| 4 | "Jaagela Ananda Mandeeyaraa" | Soolamangalam Sisters | 03:02 | |
| 5 | "Kshemasaagaraa Lokapaalanaa" | 02:39 | ||
| 6 | "Padamdoy Padamdoy Padamdoy" | 02:58 | ||
| 7 | "Neevu Nenu Jodu Ee Eddula Sakketa Choodu" | Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Soolamangalam Sisters | 03:23 | |
| 8 | "Bhaamanu Jerava Gopaalaa" | Soolamangalam Sisters | 03:12 | |
| 9 | "Undaali Sampaadana Jagati" | P. B. Sreenivas, P. Susheela | 02:42 |
Awards
- 1959 – All India Certificate of Merit for Third Best Feature film
- 1959 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada
Trivia
This film is one of the earliest Kannada films to contain a sequence in color. B. R. Panthulu had always included color portions, mainly Gevacolor portions in his early career as a director.
A few scenes in the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Baghban are taken from this movie, such as parents being separated by their sons, and a father unable to read his wife's letter, due to his spectacles being broken.
References
- https://www.filmcompanion.in/kannada-movies-roopa-rao-gantumoote-is-this-the-dawn-of-a-new-era-teju-belawadi-rakshit-shetty-hemanth-rao-pawan-kumar-amazon-prime-video/amp/
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250714/reviews-1
- "6th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
External links
- School Master on Chiloka
- School Master on IMDb