‘Kaadan’ starring Rana Daggubati and Vishnu Vishal, directed by Prabhu Solomon is releasing today. The movie has gathered more and more attention as the theme seems to revolve around elephants.
The significance of elephants in Tamil films started way back in 1953 when Kothamangalam Subbu decided to cast the jumbos in his classic hit film ‘Avvaiyar’. Infact most Kollywood stars have acted in atleast one elephant film.
Elephant films were once very common in Tamil cinema. Devar Films, one of the reputed production banners used to make many films featuring elephants. In fact, their title card would feature a video footage of roaring elephant.
‘Kumki’ and ‘Kadamban’ which are also based on elephants are still fresh in our memories. Let us look into some of the other most popular elephant based films in Tamil cinema.
Avvaiayar (1953):
Telling the story of the great saint-poet Avvaiyar, the film combined religious appeal with Tamil revivalism that was in the air in the 1950s.
There was a scene when a helpless Avvai seeks the help of Lord Ganesa to send her help to tackle three arrogant kings. The lord sends her a herd of elephants to demolish the fort.
It is said that when the makers at Gemini Studios heard that a herd of captured elephants was being transported from Coorg to Andaman via Madras port, they almost kidnapped them and brought them to Gemini Studio where breaking the fort scene were shot over 10 days.
The elephants with their painted vibhuthi signs were taken to the port just in time to catch the ship.
Nalla Neram (1972):
Raju (MGR) owns elephants and earns a livelihood by making them perform tricks. He falls in love with Vijaya (K R Vijaya) and they get married. But soon, a problem arises.
Vijaya hates elephants because of a personal tragedy in her life. She also feels that Raju spends too much time with his elephant friends.
He had to choose between the love of his wife and the friendship of his loyal and devoted pet elephants.
Thangamalai Ragasiyam (1957):
Sivaji Ganesh (Gajendran), a Tarzan-like character of the Western Ghats comes under the care of a love-smitten princess and is civilized.
There were many elephants in the movie as Tarzan moves in the jungles of Anamalai near Pollachi with a herd. And each and every elephant in the herd had a name and could understand human language.
Gajendran talks to them as if they were fellow humans. There is a scene in which he saves an elephant from the jaws of a crocodile.
Annai Oru Aalayam (1979):
The film stars Rajinikanth as an animal hunter who helps a baby elephant to reach its mother.
Rajini manages to trap a baby elephant in a pit, but the angered mother elephant pursues them, even after they transport it in a truck.
She overtakes the truck, dismantles it, but is chased away by Rajini and his employees. She turns to attack Rajini, but his mother intervenes – and is instantly attacked and crushed.
Rajini swears to hunt the elephant as well as all other animals and kill them one by one, but his dying mother makes him promise that he will not do so.
Rajini’s mom tells him to instead return all cubs to their parents, as well as the baby elephant. He promises to do so, and his mother passes away. Did he fulfil his promise forms the rest of the story.
Ram Lakshman (1981):
Ram (Kamal Haasan) and his pet elephant Laxman have grown up together and are very emotionally attached to one another. They share such a strong bond that Ram refuses to marry his sweetheart Meena (Sripriya) when her father refuses to sanction their marriage unless Ram leaves Laxman.
Meanwhile, in a very cunningly planned plot, an employee of Meena’s father kills him and implicates Ram and Laxman for the murder. How the two friends stand by each other in the hour of need and how they prove themselves innocent forms the rest of the plot.
