Karpagam boasted an ensemble cast featuring Gemini Ganesan and KR Vijaya.
The film is about the struggles and sacrifice of a woman named Karpagam.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary on November 15, the Tamil film Karpagam continues to stand as a cinematic classic, released on the auspicious occasion of Diwali six decades ago. Directed by KS Gopalakrishnan, the film unfolds the narrative of a woman named Karpagam, portraying her resilience in facing life’s challenges. Recognized with the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil, the movie achieved tremendous success, running in theatres for over 100 days.
KS Gopalakrishnan, in his third directorial venture, initially envisioned actress CR Vijayakumari for the lead role. However, her prior commitments led the director to express frustration, exclaiming, “Can’t you act in my film? Without this Vijaya, I will make another Vijaya.” A chance encounter at a dance show, where Gemini Ganesan was seen dancing with a woman named Deivanayaki, altered the casting dynamics. Convinced that she was the ideal Vijaya for the film, Deivanayaki was rechristened KR Vijaya, securing the titular role in Karpagam.
The director’s initial choice for the hero was MG Ramachandran, who expressed a desire to cast Balayya in the film. Unfortunately, the role had already been assigned to SV Ranga Rao, leading to Ramachandran’s replacement by Gemini Ganesan.
Produced by KS Sabarinathan under the banner of Amar Jyothi Movies, Karpagam boasted an ensemble cast featuring Gemini Ganesan, KR Vijaya, SV Ranga Rao, Savitri, MR Radha, R Muthuraman, VK Ramasamy, and others. The film’s musical score was crafted by Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy. Over the years, Karpagam has been remade in various languages, including Hindi as the 1965 film Rishte Naate, Telugu as Thodu Needa in 1965, and Malayalam as Vishukanni in 1977.
