| Ratha Thilagam | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dada Mirasi |
| Screenplay by | Dada Mirasi |
| Produced by | Panchu Arunachalam P. V. Krishnan |
| Starring | Sivaji Ganesan Savitri Ganesan |
| Cinematography | Jagirdhar |
| Edited by | R. Devarajan |
| Music by | K. V. Mahadevan |
Production company | National Movies |
Release date |
|
Running time | 142 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Ratha Thilagam (transl. Tilaka of Blood) is a 1963 IndianTamil-languagewarromance film directed by Dada Mirasi. The film starsSivaji andSavitri Ganesan (no relation). Based on theSino-Indian border dispute of 1962, it was released on 14 September 1963. The film was not commercially successful.
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Kumar is a graduate who decides to enlist in the Indian Army, following news of the Chinese invasion in the country during theSino-Indian War, only to find out that his love interest Kamala was working against the Indian Army.
Ratha Thilagam is based on theSino-Indian border dispute of 1962. It was directed by Dada Mirasi who also wrote the screenplay. It was produced under National Movies byPanchu Arunachalam and P. V. Krishnan whileKannadasan, along with, P.C. Ganesan and Thyagan wrote the dialogue; Kannadasan also presented the film. Cinematography was handled by Jagirdhar and editing by R. Devarajan.[1][3]
CriticBaradwaj Rangan notedRatha Thilagam's similarities to theBengali filmSaptapadi (1961) in that both films had "the backdrop of war, the star-crossed lovers, and, of course,the staging ofOthello, which, in both films, appears to have been dubbed by the same voices (Jennifer Kapoor,Utpal Dutt)."[4] Writing forThe Times of India, Ganesh Krishnamoorthy felt that, as the film was set in the backdrop of theSino-Indian War, "this scene, used as a play enacted by the characters, provides a structural unity to the main plot."[5]
The music was composed byK. V. Mahadevan, with lyrics byKannadasan.[6] The songs "Oru Koppaiyila" and "Pasumai Niraintha" were well received.[1]
| Song | Singers | Length |
|---|---|---|
| "Buddhan Vanthan" | T. M. Soundararajan | 02:55 |
| "Happy Birthday" | Suzi Miller | 03:22 |
| "Oru Koppaiyile" | T. M. Soundararajan | 02:33 |
| "Pani Padarntha" | T. M. Soundararajan | 06:06 |
| "Pasumai Niraintha" | T. M. Soundararajan,P. Susheela | 03:49 |
| "Pogathe Pogathe" | Manorama | 01:56 |
| "Thazhampoove" | T. M. Soundararajan, L. R. Eswari | 05:53 |
| "Vaadai Kaatramma" | L. R. Eswari | 03:27 |
Ratha Thilagam was released on 14 September 1963.[3] Kanthan ofKalki praised the film for the comedy subplot and theOthello play.[7] T. M. Ramachandran, writing forSport and Pastime, commended Ganesan and Savitri's performances, calling their roles in the Othello play the film'spièce de résistance.[8] The film was not commercially successful.[1]