Thiruvilayadal Story

Thiruvilayadal (1965) is film directed by A.P. Nagarajan. The cast includes Sivaji Ganesan, R. Muthuraman, Savithri, Nagesh, Manorama, and Balaiyah. It was one of the memorable films of Sivaji Ganesan and Nagesh. Lord Shiva's grace of helping his ardent devotees is conveyed through 64 stories, four of them are portrayed in the film. Sivaji Ganesan portrays the role of Almighty Lord Shiva, and Goddess Parvathi is portrayed by Savithri Ganesan. The story begins when the Lord gives the sacred fruit brought by sage Narada to his elder son, Lord Ganesh. His younger son becomes angry and thus goes to a hill abode of Palani in the clothes of a hermit sage.

Goddess Parvathi tries to pacify her son telling him that these are all small pranks played by his father to make us realise something important that have so far eluded our senses. She narrates the story of when the Lord opened his third eye, an episode where Lord comes to the city of Madurai to the Pandya Kingdom, enters the court of the King Pandian (actor Muthuraman), and makes an ego - filled poet of the Durbar, Nakeeran (AP Nagarajan), realise himself. In the process, He helps an ardent devotee, Poet Dharmi (Nagesh) become rich.

She also narrates in another episode that the Lord made his consort, Goddess Parvathi, be born as a fisher woman due to a misunderstanding and then he himself takes the form of a fisherman and marries her. She recites another time when the Lord took the form of a woodcutter and seller and taught a lesson to the great singer, Hemanatha Bhagavathar (Balaiah), that Pride even with the Greatest Talent is no good. The film is considered an epic and even after many years is still a blockbuster. It has and is still having many reruns in top theaters. The roles of Muthuraman, Nagesh and Balaiah, though short, are portrayed aptly with vigor and expertise.

    * The Dharumi scene played by Nagesh is memorable and the dialogues in that part of the movie are a feast.
    * Some of the songs featured in this movie are:
          o "Isai Tamil Nee Seitha Arum Saadhanai"...sung by TR Mahalingam himself who stars in the movie as a devotee
          o "Oru Naal Pothuma"...sung by Balaiah in film (voice by BalaMuraliKrishna)
          o "Paattum Naanae, Baavamum Naanae"...sung by Shivaji (Voice by TM SoundaraRajan)
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