Burmah Rani 1945

Burmah Rani 1945

C. Honnappa Bhagavathar, T. R. Sundaram, K.L.V. Vasantha, Serukalathur Sama, S. V. Sahasranamam, T. S. Balaiah, K. K. Perumal, Kali N. Ratnam, N. S. Krishnan, T. A. Mathuram, C. T. Rajakantham, M. E. Madhavan and V. M. Ezhumalai

thrilling Burmah Rani

As the Second World War (1939-1945) drew to a close and the Allies were in sight of victory over the Axis, the British Indian government requisitioned leading film producers to make films, highlighting the role of British India in fighting the enemy and putting down fascist forces. The making of such ‘War Propaganda Pictures’, as those came to be known, became imperative to established producers. Some concessions were also held out like the proverbial carrot, and four Tamil producers made such films, all of them released during 1945.

En Magan (Jupiter Pictures), Kannamma En Kaadhali (Gemini Studios),Manasamrakshanam (Madras United Artistes Corporation, a K. Subramanyam company) and Burmah Rani (Modern Theatres) belong to this genre.

Out of the four, T. R. Sundaram’s Burmah Rani was blatantly propagandistic and anti-Japan. The film narrated how the British Indian Army freed the Japanese-occupied Burmah, and Sundaram, an England-educated person with a westernised outlook played the role of a sadistic Japanese army chief. Vasantha (later Mrs. Vasantha Sundaram) was the heroine. While singer-actor C. Honnappa Bhagavathar, an import from the old Mysore state, played the male lead, Balaiah, NSK and other noted artistes of the day played supporting roles. Sundaram, the Modern Theatres boss who directed the film and also played the Japanese army chief, had built over the years an excellent library of stock shots duplicated from Hollywood movies, in his Salem studios which were used with excellent results in many of his films. In this film anyway, the War Propaganda Department with its south Indian headquarters at the landmark building on Mount Road, then known as ‘Victory House’ (now owned by the VGP family), supplied the real arterial warfare shots. They were intercut with staged scenes to make the film thrilling. That was not all. The premiere of this film was held at Madras with the top British officer of the Department presiding over the show and in his speech he praised it and the outstanding services of Sundaram towards the British war efforts.

As for the story, an RIAF officer’s (Honnappa Bhagavathar) plane is knocked down by the Japanese but he and his team manage to escape. He hides in the house of a Burmese officer of Indian origin whose daughter (Vasantha) falls in love with him. The Japanese chief (Sundaram) is after her and attempts to rape her but she escapes...

The story with many twists and turns is excellently narrated on screen by Sundaram. Vivacious Vasantha renders a breezy Burmese dance number to satisfy the whims of the villain.

Sundaram, who controlled every aspect of film production with an iron hand and steel whip, put on greasepaint in a couple of films. One was Burmah Rani and the other was a mythological Sulochana in which he played Indrajit, son of Ravana. At first, P. U. Chinnappa was cast in the role, but as a matter of discipline Sundaram replaced him and played the role himself.

Burmah Rani was fairly successful and during that period there were many foreign soldiers milling about the city and most of them saw the movie in the company of their local girlfriends!

Indeed, Burmah Rani pleased the British Indian government which patted its maker on the back with cheer. Ironically, a few years later, after India attained freedom, this film was banned for its unkind portrayal of the Burmese and the Japanese!

Remembered for its racy narration, Vasantha and the comedy sequences of NSK-Mathuram and Ratnam-Rajakantham.