{{short description|1965 film by P. Neelakantan}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox film | name = Poomalai | image = Poomalai poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = P. Neelakantan | writer = M. Karunanidhi | producer = Murasoli Maran | starring = S. S. Rajendran<br />C. R. Vijayakumari<br />Anjali Devi | cinematography = Amirtham | editing = R. Devarajan | music = R. Sudarsanam | studio = Meghala Pictures | distributor = Meghala Pictures | released = {{film date|df=y|1965|10|23}} | runtime = 150 minutes | country = India | language = Tamil }}
'''''Poomalai''''' ({{IPA|ta|puːmaːlaɪ|pron}} {{Translation|Garland of Flowers}}) is 1965 Indian Tamil-language woman's film, directed by P. Neelakantan and written by M. Karunanidhi. The film was produced by Murasoli Maran under Karunanidhi's production company Meghala Pictures, which also distributed the film. It stars S. S. Rajendran, C. R. Vijayakumari and Anjali Devi, with S. A. Ashokan, Nagesh and Manorama in supporting roles. The film focuses on the title character, a happy-go-lucky girl whose life changes for the worse when she is raped. It was released on 23 October 1965.
== Plot == {{more plot|date=September 2021}} Poomalai is a happy-go-lucky girl living with her father and elder brother. Her life changes for the worse when she is raped.
== Cast == {{Cast listing| * S. S. Rajendran as Sundaram *C. R. Vijayakumari as Poomalai<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sankaran |first=Keerthana |date=8 August 2018 |title=How Kalaignar's movie scripts show a subtle blend of Dravidian politics, mythology and women-centric stories |work=The New Indian Express |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2018/aug/08/how-kalaignars-movie-scripts-show-a-subtle-blend-of-dravidian-politics-mythology-and-women-centric-1855011.html |url-status=live |access-date=5 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106055114/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2018/aug/08/how-kalaignars-movie-scripts-show-a-subtle-blend-of-dravidian-politics-mythology-and-women-centric-1855011.html |archive-date=6 January 2019}}</ref> * Anjali Devi as Maragatham * Nagesh as Chittu * Manorama as Myna * S. A. Ashokan as Anand *Rajasree as Nalina * T. S. Muthaiah as Poomalai and Anand's father * V. R. Thilakam as Leela * M. S. Bhakkyam as Subbhamma }}
== Production == ''Poomalai'' was directed by P. Neelakantan, written by M. Karunanidhi and produced by Murasoli Maran under Meghala Pictures. Art direction was handled by B. Nagarajan, cinematography by Amirtham and editing by R. Devarajan.<ref name="movie" /> Karunanidhi appeared as himself onscreen, giving the film's opening monologue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swathi |date=4 September 2018 |title=கலைஞர் என்னும் கலைஞன் - 17 : பூமாலை |trans-title=Kalaignar alias the artist – 17: Poomalai |url=http://www.valaitamil.com/kalaignar-enum-kalaignan-17_17801.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190221041603/http://www.valaitamil.com/kalaignar-enum-kalaignan-17_17801.html |archive-date=21 February 2019 |access-date=21 February 2019 |website=Valai Tamil |language=ta}}</ref> Although Karunanidhi was the owner of Meghala Pictures,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rathnagiri |first=R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=64kMAQAAMAAJ&q=Megala+Pictures |title=Time capsule of Kalaignar |publisher=Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |year=2007 |pages=63}}{{cbignore}}</ref> he was not credited as the film's producer.<ref name="movie" />
== Themes == Historian R. Kannan said that Karunanidhi used to ingeniously weave contemporary politics into the dialogues he wrote for films, and named a dialogue in ''Poomalai'' where the sister speaks highly of her brother and threatens to shoot anyone speaking ill of him as an example.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kannan |first=R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQc_Xi0J8M0C&q=Poomaalai |title=Anna: The Life and Times of C.N. Annadurai |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-670-08328-2 |location=New Delhi |pages=197}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
== Soundtrack == The soundtrack was composed by R. Sudarsanam.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poomaalai |url=https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/poomaalai/mAhlylEypFI_ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110092643/https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/poomaalai/mAhlylEypFI_ |archive-date=10 January 2019 |access-date=10 January 2019 |website=JioSaavn|date=31 December 1960}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuGH0uKnHeE |title=Poomalai {{!}} Tamil Movie Audio Jukebox |date=4 March 2015 |last=Saregama Tamil |author-link=Saregama |access-date=5 January 2019 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/XuGH0uKnHeE |archive-date=10 March 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" ! Songs !! Lyricist !! Singers !! Length |- | "Badhamgeer...Rani Diamond" |Seetharaman||S. C. Krishnan, L. R. Eswari|| 03:53 |- | "Kannam Kannam" |M. Karunanidhi|| L. R. Eswari || 03:48 |- | "Kattai Viral" |Kumaradevan||P. Susheela|| 04:19 |- | "Penne Un Gathi" |Mayavanathan||C. S. Jayaraman|| 03:09 |- | "Ulagame Ethirthaalum" |Mayavanathan|| C. S. Jayaraman || 02:52 |- | "Un Ennathai" |Kavi Rajagopal||T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela || 03:45 |}
== Release == ''Poomalai'' was released on 23 October 1965,<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 July 2018 |title=திரையுலகில் கலைஞர் |language=ta |trans-title=Artist in the world of films |work=Dinamalar |url=https://www.dinamalar.com/karunanidhi/newsdetail.asp?id=8 |url-status=dead |access-date=5 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106010637/https://www.dinamalar.com/karunanidhi/newsdetail.asp?id=8 |archive-date=6 January 2019}}</ref> during that year's Diwali day.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dheenadhayalan |first=P. |date=3 March 2016 |title=அஞ்சலி தேவி: 5. சத்ய சாயீ! |language=ta |work=Dinamani |url=https://www.dinamani.com/junction/kanavukkannigal/2016/mar/05/%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%9E%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF-5.-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AF-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%80-1289593.html |url-status=live |access-date=10 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110091949/https://www.dinamani.com/junction/kanavukkannigal/2016/mar/05/%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%9E%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF-5.-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AF-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%80-1289593.html |archive-date=10 January 2019}}</ref> Meghala Pictures distributed the film themselves in Madras, while other distributors did so in other districts of Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 October 1965 |title=Poomalai |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19651023&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=5 January 2019 |work=The Indian Express |pages=3 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}</ref> According to historian Vamanan, the film landed Karunanidhi in deep debt.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vamanan |author-link=Vamanan |date=31 August 2018 |title=Rare scenes: When party lines blurred for Karuna |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/rare-scenes-when-party-lines-blurred-for-karuna/articleshow/65615025.cms |url-status=live |access-date=10 January 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190110091007/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/rare-scenes-when-party-lines-blurred-for-karuna/articleshow/65615025.cms |archive-date=10 January 2019}}</ref>
== Reception == ''The Indian Express'' wrote on 30 October, "An otherwise loose screenplay is propped up by the beautiful dialogues by M. Karunanidhi and fine portrayals by Rajendran (the hero), R. Vijayakumari (the heroine), veteran Anjali Devi (the widowed sister of the hero) and comedian Nagesh. Neelakantan's direction is nothing to write home about, but with the material at his disposal, he has made it into a good tear-jerker, appealing to family audiences, especially women".<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 October 1965 |title=Poomalai is a good family entertainer |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19651030&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=5 January 2019 |work=The Indian Express |pages=3 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Writing in ''Sport and Pastime'', T. M. Ramachandran lauded the performances of Rajendran, Vijayakumari and appreciated the performances of Nagesh, Anjali Devi, Manorama, Ravi, Asokan, Muthiah and Rajsri. He added that Karunanidhi's screenplay and dialogues were the film's "saving graces", but criticised Neelakantan's direction for succumbing to "trivialities and box-office considerations".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ramachandran |first=T. M. |date=4 December 1965 |title=A Basket of Mixed Fruits |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12064/page/n559/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230206062210/https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12064/page/n559/mode/2up |archive-date=6 February 2023 |access-date=6 February 2023 |magazine=Sport and Pastime |pages=51 |via=Internet Archive |volume=19}}</ref> ''Kalki'' praised the film for Vijayakumari's performance and Neelakanta's direction.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=14 November 1965 |title=பூமாலை |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1965/nov/14-11-1965/p12.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220903052839/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1965/nov/14-11-1965/p12.jpg |archive-date=3 September 2022 |access-date=10 March 2022 |magazine=Kalki |page=12 |language=ta}}</ref>
== References == <references>
<ref name="movie">{{Cite AV media |title=Poomalai |type=motion picture |language=ta |publisher=Meghala Pictures |year=1965 |time=0:00 to 4:12 |time-caption=Opening credits, from}}</ref>
</references>
== External links == * {{IMDb title|id=0248318}}
{{P. Neelakantan}} Category:1960s feminist films Category:1965 Indian films Category:1965 Tamil-language films Category:1965 drama films Category:1965 films Category:Films about rape in India Category:Films about women in India Category:Films with screenplays by M. Karunanidhi Category:Indian black-and-white films Category:Indian drama films Category:Indian feminist films Category:Tamil-language Indian films