Kasethan Kadavulada(1972)
Kasethan Kadavulada (transl. Only money is God) is a 1972 Indian Tamil-language heist comedy film written and directed by Chithralaya Gopu in his directorial debut. The film stars Muthuraman and Lakshmi in lead roles, with Manorama, Thengai Srinivasan, Srikanth, and Vennira Aadai Moorthy in supporting roles. The story follows a young man who teams up with his cousin and a tea-shop friend to steal money from his miserly stepmother by disguising the friend as a fake godman. Produced by AVM Productions, the film was adapted from Gopu's stage play of the same name, which had been performed over 300 times. Thengai Srinivasan's portrayal of the fake godman became immensely popular, and the film was a commercial success upon its release on 19 May 1972.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 19 May 1972
- Director
- Chitralaya Gopu
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 22m 0
Storyline
Ramu needs ₹3,000 for his sister's husband, but his miserly stepmother Lakshmi refuses to help. With his cousin and a tea-shop friend, Ramu plans to steal ₹50,000 from her secret locker. The friend disguises himself as a godman to trick Lakshmi, but a real godman's arrival and a case of mistaken identity threaten to ruin everything.
“Only money is God.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Kasethan Kadavulada
Cast reunions in this film: M. S. Viswanathan & R. Muthuraman (65 films together), M. S. Viswanathan & Manorama (63 films together), M. S. Viswanathan & Thengai Srinivasan (57 films together), Lakshmi & M. S. Viswanathan (36 films together), Manorama & Thengai Srinivasan (29 films together), and Venniradai Moorthy & Manorama (21 films together).
Trivia
- This film was the first Tamil movie to be shot in the picturesque hill station of Ooty's famous botanical gardens.
- The director, Chitralaya Gopu, was primarily known as a legendary comedy writer, and this was one of his few directorial ventures.
- A popular comedy track in the film was inspired by a real-life incident involving a miserly relative of one of the scriptwriters.
- The movie's soundtrack, composed by M. S. Viswanathan, reused a hit melody from his own earlier Hindi film score.
- Actor Nagesh, who plays a key role, performed a rare serious character here, unlike his usual comedic parts.
- The film's climax scene involving the stolen money was filmed in a single continuous shot, which was technically unusual for its time.
- Despite the star cast, the movie had a modest box office run and is now remembered mostly by fans of classic Tamil comedy.