From the archive folder of ‘Kaviya Budhan’ comes this, all-time awesome movie Bama Vijayam released in the year 1967, directed by one and only KB. He is called ‘Iyakunar Sigaram’ for a reason and this is just another movie that proves his caliber and greatness of art, ‘Direction’. He is a director of different kind who usually handle middle class subjects with a stylish elegance. This one is a comedy film but gives the greatest food for thought, now and ever on financial management. For financial management course this movie is a University.
The plot revolves around 3 brothers and their family headed by their father, a retired head master. The name selection is so apt that goes well with the puranic stories. Maheshwaran–Parvati, Raman-Sita, Krishna-Rukmini. Not sure which part of ‘Arthamulla Hindu Madham’ from Kaviyarasu Kannadasan, he states meaning of Sagodharan, Sagodhari. Udharam denotes to womb. So Sangodharan, Sagodharai means someone who shares the same womb. Similarly, in Tamil language, women married to brothers are related by the term – ‘Oorpadi’, means there isn’t any difference between/among them, when split it reads oor – padi (same level or step).
The movie starts with a song ‘Aani Muthu Vangivandhen’ which beautifully describes this kind of family lineage, togetherness and contentment. The movie takes-off when cine actress becomes their neighbour and these ladies get carried away with her luxurious style while she is attracted to their simplicity. They invite her to their home. Each of them stay in separate portions of their home. In the goal of showing off that they are rich they start to get into financial crisis and their father/father in law works behind the screen to teach them lesson with a shock treatment to make them realize their slippage.
The movie typically describes the 'mellisaana kodu', obsessed with this term. But this movie perfectly defines this line with at most precision. Few scenes are too good to explain. Nagesh’s mustache style will make one laugh whenever he enters the screen. Similarly when Balaiah makes one stand on the bench. Two yesteryear celebrity crush personalities are ‘Thennaga James Bond’ JaiShankar and ‘Navarasa Thilakam’ Muthuraman. Muthuraman keeps scolding Kanjana, keeping the empty vessel on the stove and it starts melting in heat. His reaction on screen is beyond description that one cannot stop laughing. Sowcar Janaki and Kanchana’s Hindi – English fight is ever green.
‘Varavu ettana’ till date teaches how to manage finance. While setting out journey for career, mother reminds not to stay hungry and father gives the best piece of advice ever to save 1/6th of the salary and to give at least 5Rs. of 100Rs salary to someone needy and the song tells all loop holes brilliantly.
In short, the plot is sandwiched between two songs from Kaviarasu Kannandasan, Music by Mellisai Mannar MSV, from ‘Ani Muthu Vangivandhen’ to ‘Varavu ettana’. The movie travels from
“Vittin Nalathukkum
Naattin Nalathukkum
Verrumai Enbadhe Illaiyadi”
to
“Nilaimaikku mele ninaippu vanthaal nimmadhi irukkathu
ayya nimadhi irukkadhu
alavukku mele aasaiyum vanthaal ullathum nilaikkathu
amma ullathum nilaikaathu”
While Nagesh sings
“vayasu pillaigal pudhusa perusa vaazhvathu porukkathu
appa vaazhvathu porukkathu”
T.S. Balaiah, teaches them that bigger isn’t always better in KB’s own style. Trivia tells that the movie was remade in Telugu as 'Bhale Kodalu', in Hindi as 'Teen Bahuraniyan', in malayalam as 'Sreekrishnapurathee NakshatraThilakkam'.
But of all Bama Vijayam sounds perfect as it indirectly tells how luxury enters so as to make necessity take a back seat. A chat with yester generation people tells that this movie was the black and white movie which was a super duper hit when MRG, Shivaji was at the peak of their career delivering commercial colour movies to box office. It just tells the power of KB’s direction and stands till date as hilarious heartwarming movie lingering in mind forever.
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