CinemaNational and Dravidian movements

Haridas released

· Chennai

Haridas, a Tamil film with M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar in the lead, played at one Madras theatre across three Diwalis in a row, a record that stood for years.

Sundar Rao Nadkarni directed Haridas, which opened on Diwali, 16 October 1944, with M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar as its star. Few Tamil pictures of the period matched its success. At the Sun Theatre on Broadway in Madras it kept screening through three Diwalis in succession, and in all it played continuously for 133 weeks in various theatres. The film represented the high point of Bhagavathar's fame as a singer-actor, coming just before he was arrested in connection with the Lakshmikanthan murder.

Related events

  1. 1931

    1. 31 Oct 1931ChennaiCinema

      Kalidas, the first Tamil talkie, released

      Released in 1931, H. M. Reddy's Kalidas was the first Tamil film with sound and opened the era of Tamil talkies.

  2. 1936

    1. 1 Feb 1936ChennaiCinema

      Sathi Leelavathi released, M. G. Ramachandran's debut

      Ellis R. Dungan's Sathi Leelavathi was released, marking the film debuts of M. G. Ramachandran and other future stars.

  3. 1937

    1. 1937ChennaiCinema

      Chintamani runs for a year in a single theatre

      Starring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, Chintamani was the first Tamil film to stay a full year in one theatre.

  4. 1938

    1. 2 May 1938ChennaiCinema

      Sevasadanam released, M. S. Subbulakshmi's film debut

      K. Subramanyam's reformist film Sevasadanam was released, marking the screen debut of M. S. Subbulakshmi.

  5. 1940

    1. 1940ChennaiCinema

      S. S. Vasan founds Gemini Studios

      S. S. Vasan acquired a studio in Madras and established Gemini Studios, which became one of India's major film studios.

  6. 1945

    1. 1945ChennaiCinema

      Meera released with M. S. Subbulakshmi

      Meera, directed by Ellis R. Dungan with M. S. Subbulakshmi in the lead and a script by Kalki, reached screens; a Hindi version came later.

Open in the timeline explorer