{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox film | name = Neelagiri Express | image = Neelagiri Express poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Thirumalai–Mahalingam | screenplay = Cho Ramaswamy | producer = V. Arunachalam | starring = Jaishankar | cinematography = G. Vittal Rao | editing = A. Paulduraisingam | music = T. K. Ramamoorthy | studio = A. L. S. Productions | distributor = <!-- do not add without source --> | released = {{Film date|1968|03|23|df=y}} | runtime = 120 minutes | country = India | language = Tamil | budget = <!-- do not add without source --> | gross = <!-- do not add without source --> }}
'''''Neelagiri Express''''' ({{Translation|Blue Mountain Express}}) is a 1968 Indian Tamil-language thriller film directed by Thirumalai–Mahalingam and written by Cho Ramaswamy. The music was composed by T. K. Ramamoorthy. The film stars Jaishankar, Cho, Vijaya Nirmala and Vijaya Lalitha. It is a remake of a 1967 Malayalam film ''Cochin Express'' (1967).<ref name="thehindu1" /> The film was released on 23 March 1968 and was a commercial success.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=7 November 2008 |title=Bond of Tamil Screen |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/Bond-of-Tamil-screen/article15400631.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=30 January 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190305161913/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/Bond-of-Tamil-screen/article15400631.ece |archive-date=5 March 2019}}</ref>
== Plot == {{more plot|date=August 2022}} A murder takes place aboard Neelagiri Express, bound to Coimbatore from Madras. Ravanan is the only passenger who is travelling with the deceased. One of Ravanan's co-passengers is a mysterious woman named Kalavathy. She takes him off the train to have food at Arakkonam Station and deliberately makes him miss the train, and then she disappears. In the meantime, a wealthy man named Sabapathy is murdered, and Ravanan becomes the prime suspect in that murder. CID Inspector Shankar is assigned the task of nabbing the murderer. He realises that Ravanan is innocent and commences the investigation. So, he sets out of solving the case with the help of Ravanan and eventually tracks down the murderer.
== Cast == {{cast listing| * Jaishankar as CID Inspector Shankar<ref name="thehindu1" /> * S. A. Ashokan as the villain with eye-patch<ref name="thehindu1" /> * Cho Ramaswamy as Ravanan<ref name="thehindu1" /> * Vijaya Nirmala as Geetha<ref name="thehindu1" /> * Vijaya Lalitha as Kalavathy<ref name="thehindu1" /> * V. S. Raghavan as Sabapathy<ref name="thehindu1" /> *S. V. Ramadas as Boopathy<ref name="thehindu1" /> * K. Vijayan as Kumar * S. Parvathi as Mahalakshmi * Tambaram Lalitha as Geetha's mother *Kallapart Natarajan<ref name="thehindu1" /> * Srividya (special appearance in the song "Thiruthani Muruga Thennava Thalaiva") * M. Bhanumathi (special appearance in the song "Thiruthani Muruga Thennava Thalaiva") }}
== Soundtrack == The music was composed by T. K. Ramamoorthy and the lyrics were written by Kannadasan.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" ! Song !! Singers !! Length |- | "Vallibam Oru Velli Thattu" || rowspan=2|T. M. Soundararajan, L. R. Eswari || 5:11 |- | "Naan Kalaingan Alla" || 3:56 |- | "Thiruthani Muruga Thennava Thalaiva" || P. Susheela, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi || 4:20 |- | "Kalyana Pennai Konjam" || P. Susheela, L. R. Eswari || 4:18 |- | "Kadavul Madhuvai Kangalil Aada" || L. R. Eswari || 4:20 |}
== Release and reception == ''Neelagiri Express'' was released on 23 March 1968.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 March 1968 |title=Nilgiri Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19680323&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=30 January 2020 |work=The Indian Express |pages=3 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''Kalki'' said the story looked like it lacked salt and pepper.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=21 April 1968 |title=நீலகிரி எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1968/apr/21-04-1968/p31.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220725114334/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1968/apr/21-04-1968/p31.jpg |archive-date=25 July 2022 |access-date=11 July 2022 |magazine=Kalki |page=31 |language=ta}}</ref> Despite this, it was a commercial success.<ref name="thehindu1" />
== References == <references>
<ref name="thehindu1">{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=14 March 2015 |title=Neelagiri Express 1968 |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/neelagiri-express-1968/article6993706.ece |url-status=live |access-date=30 January 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200130161803/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/neelagiri-express-1968/article6993706.ece |archive-date=30 January 2020}}</ref>
</references>
== External links == * {{IMDb title}}
Category:1968 Indian films Category:1960s mystery thriller films Category:1960s spy thriller films Category:1968 spy films Category:1968 Tamil-language films Category:1968 films Category:1968 black-and-white films Category:Fictional portrayals of the Tamil Nadu Police Category:Films about organised crime in India Category:Films set on trains Category:Films with screenplays by Cho Ramaswamy Category:Indian black-and-white films Category:Indian mystery thriller films Category:Indian spy thriller films Category:Tamil remakes of Malayalam films Category:Tamil-language Indian films