1944 Haridas

Haridas  is a 1944 Tamil language film directed by Sundar Rao Nadkarni and starring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. It holds the record of being the first film to run continuously for 110 weeks at a single theatre.

Haridas was directed by Sundar Rao Nadkarni, a Marathi film director and produced by Royal Talkies. It was based on the story of the life of a poet-saint called Haridas. The role of Haridas was played by M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, who was highest paid actor in Tamil film industry then. The film was very short (10,994 Feet) compared to other films from the same period. Featuring a number of melodious songs sung by Bhagavathar, the film was released on Deepavali Day (16 October) 1944. Classical musician N. C. Vasanthakokilam, who was often compared to M. S. Subbulakshmi as a singer, played the role of Haridas' wife. The film also marked the debut of renowned Tamil actress Pandari Bai. The comedic duo of N. S. Krishnan and T. A. Mathuram were also cast in this film. Post production work was done in central labs.

Haridas hit the theatres on Deepavali day (16 October) 1944. It was a huge success and ran for 110 consecutive weeks till Deepavali day (22 November) 1946 at the Sun Theatres in Broadway, Madras. Including different theatres it had an uninterrupted theatrical run of 133 weeks. With the profits earned from the film, the producers established a knitting company in Madurai.

Film studios in Chennai are bound by legislation, such as the Cinematography Film Rules of 1948, the Cinematography Act of 1952, and the Copyright Act of 1957.

Produced by       : Rayal Talkies 

Story Written by  : Ilangovan

Starring          : M.K.Thyagaraja Bahavathar

                    T.R.Rajalaxmi

Music BY          : Pavanasam Sivan
                    G.Ramanathan
Cinematography    : Adi Irani
                    T.Muthusamy
Editing           : Sundar Rao
Language          : Tamil