Deiva Magan(1969)
Deiva Magan is a 1969 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by A. C. Tirulokchander. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan in a triple role as Shankar and his twin sons Kannan and Vijay, alongside Jayalalithaa. The story follows a scarred man who attempts to reconnect with his estranged family after being abandoned at birth. The film was a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres. It won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Third Best Film and Best Actor for Ganesan. Deiva Magan was India's first South Indian submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 31 December 1969
- Director
- A. C. Tirulokchandar
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 3h 8m
- Rating
- 8.3/10
Storyline
A wealthy businessman with a scarred face orders his newborn son killed to spare him a life of shame. The baby survives and grows up in an ashram, unaware of his family. Years later, the scarred son returns to find his parents, but his father rejects him again. He must now decide whether to save the brother who took his place.
“The son they rejected became their savior.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Deiva Magan
Cast reunions in this film: M. S. Viswanathan & Sivaji Ganesan (110 films together), Nagesh & M. S. Viswanathan (108 films together), M. S. Viswanathan & Major Sundarrajan (54 films together), M. N. Nambiar & M. S. Viswanathan (46 films together), M. S. Viswanathan & Jayalalitha (46 films together), and Nagesh & Major Sundarrajan (43 films together).
Trivia
- The film was a remake of the 1967 Hindi movie 'Milan', which itself was based on the Bengali novel 'Uttarayan' by Ashutosh Mukherjee.
- This was the first Tamil film where actor Sivaji Ganesan played dual roles as both father and son, a feat he repeated in many later movies.
- The iconic scar makeup for the character was created using special effects available at the time, which was considered quite advanced for 1960s Tamil cinema.
- The film's music was composed by M.S. Viswanathan, and the song 'Aayiram Nilave Vaa' became a huge hit, still remembered for its melody and lyrics.
- Director A.C. Tirulokchandar was known for social dramas, and this film was noted for its emotional depth and strong family values theme.
- The movie was a major box office success and ran for over 100 days in many theaters across Tamil Nadu.
- Actress Jayalalithaa, who played the female lead, was reportedly very selective about her roles and chose this film for its strong emotional content.