சதி லீலாவதி (1936)

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Sathi Leelavathi is a 1936 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Ellis R. Dungan in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Madras Kandaswamy Mudaliar is based on S. S. Vasan's novel of the same name, which had been serialised in 1934. M. K. Radha stars as Krishnamurthy, a man from Madras, who is lured into drinking alcohol by an acquaintance. Believing he murdered his friend in a drunken stupor, Krishnamurthy flees to Ceylon while his wife and daughter, played by M. R. Gnanambal and M. K. Mani respectively, are reduced to poverty. T. S. Balaiah, M. G. Ramachandran, M. V. Mani and P. Nammalvar appear in supporting roles.

Production

Pathi Bhakthi, a Tamil play dealing with alcohol abuse and its effects on family life, was written by Te. Po. Krishnaswamy Pavalar during the early 1930s and was successful throughout the Madras Presidency. Pavalar's play was rewritten for the Madurai Original Boy's Company (MOBC) theatre troupe by playwright Madras Kandaswamy Mudaliar, and this production was also successful. A. N.

Chettiar, still determined, approached Mudaliar who told him about S. S. Vasan's 1934 novel Sathi Leelavathi. First serialised in the weekly magazine Ananda Vikatan, the novel had the same storyline as Pathi Bhakthi. Chettiar and Mudaliar approached Vasan, who sold the film rights for ₹200 (about $75 in 1936). Mudaliar was then signed on as the screenwriter and soon began developing the screenplay.

Chettiar wanted Manik Lal Tandon to direct the film but he declined; Tandon instead suggested his American friend Ellis R. Dungan. Chettiar was hesitant because Dungan was new to India and did not know Tamil or much about Indian culture, but was persuaded to hire him because he had worked as a technician in Hollywood. The film was Dungan's directorial debut, and was the first Indian film to be directed by a foreigner.

Sathi Leelavathi was one of the earliest Tamil films to be involved in a plagiarism controversy; when it was still in the pre-production stage, MOBC sued Chettiar and Mudaliar for plagiarising Pathi Bhakthi. There were many similarities noted between the two stories; for example, "Leelavathi" was the name of the female lead in both.

Mudaliar had initially intended to launch a career in film for his son M. K. Radha, an MOBC actor, with Pathi Bhakthi, but another MOBC actor K. P. Kesavan was selected for the lead role instead. Radha was eventually cast as the protagonist Krishnamurthy of Sathi Leelavathi. Other MOBC actors who made their screen debuts with the film were N. S. Krishnan, T. S. Balaiah, and M. G.

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