Naan Yen Pirandhen, The Remake Of Bratuku Teruvu, Completes 51 Years

The 1972 Tamil-language film Naan Yen Pirandhen clocked 51 years on June 9. Helmed by M Krishnan Nair, the film starred MG Ramachandran in the lead role. But after its release, Naan Yen Pirandhen failed to strike a chord with the masses. Despite being the only full-length family film starring MG Ramachandran, the film proved to be a box office disaster. Nothing, from the storyline to the feel-good songs, and up-to-the-mark performances by the cast, could save Naan Yen Pirandhen from drowning in doom.

But, are you aware that the Naan Yen Pirandhen was the remake of the 1953 Telugu-language drama Bratuku Teruvu? Contrary to Naan Yen Pirandhen, Bratuku Teruvu surpassed the expectations of the audience, turning out to be a commercial success. It has stood the test of time. Even today, the film is fondly remembered by movie enthusiasts as one of the best Tamil dramas.

Bratuku Teruvu was directed by PS Ramakrishna Rao and was headlined by Akkineni Nageshwara Rao and Savitri in lead roles. The film revolved around Mohan who is the sole breadwinner of a large family. To earn a better living and help his poverty-stricken family, he is compelled to leave for the city in search of work. He finally lands a job at a Zamindar’s house. But, when the Zamindar lays a condition that only bachelors are employed by him, Mohan conceals that he has a large family. Things do not go as planned when the Zamindar’s daughter, Meena, played by veteran actress Savitri falls in love with Mohan.

Apart from Nageshwara Rao and Savitri, Bratuku Teruvu also starred Sriranjani, SV Ranga Rao, Relangi, and Suryakantam in crucial roles. After the success of Bratuku Teruvu, the film was remade into Tamil, titled Naan Yen Pirandhen. Naan Yen Pirandhen had a similar plot to Bratuku Teruvu, where MG Ramachandran played the role of Kannan while actress Kanchana essayed the character of his love interest Radha.

Iconic musical-duo Shankar-Ganesh crooned the music for Naan Yen Pirandhen. It was also the first time that Shankar-Ganesh composed the music for an MG Ramachandran film. Even with such a star-studded cast and technical crew, Naan Yen Pirandhen ran in the theatres for just ten weeks, unable to complete the 100-day run.