The Independence Struggle in Tamil Cinema

Today marks the 70th Independence Day and it is time for us to remember all the great men and women known and unknown whose sacrifices we are breathing as oxygen in a free India today. Here we take a look at some of the Tamil Films that have reminded us of the great struggle for freedom which are probably our only visual tools that help us go back in time and feel the spirit of unity and undying passion for Independence that our forefathers and mothers felt such a long time ago that pushed them on to break the shackles of slavery.

Thyagabhoomi (1939)

Director K. Subramaniyam, Producer S.S. Vassan and Writer Kalki Krishnamoorthy had the courage to make a Tamil film when the British Rule was still on and the Freedom Movement was at its highest peak. The film glorified Mahatma Gandhi and his principles and the British banned the film. The film starred S.D.Subulakshmi and Papanasam Sivan.

Veerapandiya Kattabomman (1959)

It is not far from the truth to say that Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan lives in the minds of Tamils and the world as 'Veerapandiya Kattabomman' for such was his powerful portrayal that anyone who watches the film will have goosebumps when he plays the chieftain Kattabomman who takes on the British single handedly and was one of the first voices of freedom in India.

Kappalottiya Tamizhan ( 1961)

The biopic of V.O.Chidambaram Pillai, who defied all odds to run a shipping company against the British thereby championing the cause of the freedom struggle. Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan as VOC, S.V.Subbaiah as Subramaniya Bharathiyar and T.K.Shanmugham as Subramaniam Siva lived the roles and this classic stands as one of the best films on the Indian Freedom Struggle in Indian Cinema.

Siraichaalai (1996)

Director Priyadarshan set his Malayalam movie 'Kaalapaani' in Port Blai Andaman where the political prisoners of India were locked in horrifying surroundings. Mohanlal as Govardhan, Prabhu as the firebrand Mukundan and Amrish Puri as the Afghan warden of the prison brought back the horrors of the British rule right in front of us and 'Siraichaalai ' remains as one of the most authentic South Indian films in the pre-Independence India.

Indian (1996)

Director Shankar took up the burning social evil of corruption in 'Indian' written by Sujatha and the inimitable Kamal Haasan played the character of his Senapathi a freedom fighter who takes it upon himself to clean up the modern society. The film had a beautifully choreographed sequence of the freedom struggle and the Kamal effectively reproduced the ideologies of that era through the character.

Hey Ram (2000)

Kamal Haasan chose the period film 'Hey Ram' for his directorial debut and he played Saket Ram who opposes the Gandhian ideology but realizes its relevance in the end. Shah Rukh Khan portrayed the role of a Pathan, Amjad Ali Khan. The film recreated the pre-independence era to perfection.

Bharathi (2000)

Director Gnana Rajasekaran's 'Bharathi' is more about the man than the freedom struggle, but the film is relevant as it effectively conveys the ideologies of Subramaniya Bharathiyar brilliantly portrayed by Marathi Actor Sayaji Shinde.

Kamaraj (2004)

The film is divided into three phases the pre-independence phase, which depicts the childhood of Kamaraj and the second one about his taking over as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the third phase when he resigned as CM and became the King Maker who re-wrote the modern History of India.

Madrasapattinam (2010)

Though this cleverly etched blockbuster by A.L.Vijay is essentially a love story between a British girl and a dhobi this film finds its place here for that brilliant sequence when Arya hoists the Indian flag on the midnight of August 15th 1947 that will surely move the viewer.

Kaaviyathalaivan (2014)

A brilliant premise set by director Vasantha Balan about a stage actor Kallappan (Siddharth) who cleverly stages plays that invoke the fire of Independence in the hearts of the audience. The film effectively brought the pre-independence era to the modern viewer and it is also a fact that many stage artistes in real life did the same thing by disguising their plays as social dramas while they were actually propagandas for the freedom struggle.