| Balan | |
|---|---|
&sq=Kyiv_School_of_Economics&lang=en&file=File:Balan_film_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | S. Nottani |
| Screenplay by | Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai |
| Based on | Vidhiyum Mrs. Nayarum by A. Sundaram |
| Produced by | T. R. Sundaram |
| Starring | K. K. Aroor M. K. Kamalam Master Madanagopal M. V. Shanku K. Gopinath Alleppey Vincent C. O. N. Nambiar K. N. Lakshmi Baby Malathi |
| Cinematography | Bado Gushwalker |
| Edited by | Varghese and K.D. George |
| Music by | K. K. Aroor Ibrahim |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Shyamala Pictures |
Release date |
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| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Balan is a lost 1938 Indian Malayalam-language drama film produced by T. R. Sundaram under the banner of Modern Theatres, directed by S. Nottani and written by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai.[2] It is notable for being the first sound film in the Malayalam language, and the third feature film in Malayalam cinema after Vigathakumaran and Marthanda Varma.[3][4] Based on the short story Vidhiyum Mrs. Nayarum by A. Sundaram. The film is a melodrama about the struggle of two orphaned children. The film stars K. K. Aroor in the title role and M. K. Kamalam as the female lead, with Master Madanagopal, M. V. Shanku, K. Gopinath, Alleppey Vincent and C. O. N. Nambiar in supporting roles.[5][6]
The film was produced by T. R. Sundaram, a Salem-based producer under the banner of Modern Theatres. German cinematographer Bado Gushwalker handled the camera while Varghese and K.D. George did the editing. The film's music was composed by K. K. Aroor, himself, with lyrics written by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai. Balan is the first Malayalam film to have a soundtrack. The sound of the film was recorded using German-made technology [citation needed]. The film features twenty-three songs. Balan was shot in Madras and on the sets of Powerful Studios. The filming of the film was done in five months.[7]
Balan was released with high expectations on 19 January 1938. It was the only Malayalam film to be produced and released that year. Despite numerous technical flaws, it received critical acclaim, with praise for the film's social theme.[8] The film was a major box office success, becoming the first commercially successful Malayalam film.[4] Because only a few stills and the songbook are known to survive, it is a lost film. K. K. Aroor and Alleppey Vincent also starred in the second Malayalam talkie Gnanambika two years later.[9]
- ^ "Remembering Malayalam's first talkie". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014.
- ^ Kasbekar, Asha (2006). "Cinema". Pop culture India : media, arts and lifestyle. Popular Culture in the Contemporary World (Illustrated Hardcover ed.). USA: ABC-CLIO. p. 233. ISBN 978-1-85109-636-7.
- ^ "A nostalgic look at Malayalam cinema". The Hindu. 15 August 2004. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009.
- ^ a b Jonathan Crow (2012). "Balan (1938)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
- ^ Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen (1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. Oxford University Press. p. 274. ISBN 0-85170-455-7.
- ^ "Balan: The First Talkie". Cinemaofmalayalam.net. n.d. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014.
- ^ M. A. Oommen, Kumbattu Varkey Joseph (1991). Economics of Indian cinema. India: Oxford & IBH Publications. p. 45. ISBN 81-204-0575-7.
- ^ Menon, Ajay (7 September 2009). "Old is Gold: Balan (1938 )". Old is Gold. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ "Gnanambika (1940)". www.malayalachalachithram.com. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
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