Sivaji Ganesan Classics Donated to National Film Archive
- What: 3 vintage Tamil prints acquired
- Films: Thiruvarutchelvar, Thiruvilayadal, Thillana Mohanambal
- Donor: FTII film researcher Aparna Subramanian
- Archive: NFDC-National Film Archive of India
The National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI) has expanded its regional cinema vault with three rare 35mm release prints of Tamil classics starring Sivaji Ganesan and directed by A. P. Nagarajan. The handover brings the 1967 devotional classic Thiruvarutchelvar into the national archive for the first time in any format, closing a longstanding historical void in the country public film collection.
Rescued from Chennai and donated by FTII film researcher Aparna Subramanian, the acquisition also includes prints of Thiruvilayadal (1965) and Thillana Mohanambal (1968). Both additions furnish the Pune-based archive with a vital second surviving analogue element. For Thiruvilayadal, the new arrival provides an optically modified CinemaScope copy, giving archivists crucial flexibility to study format variations.
Decades of storage in humid tropical conditions left the reels with vertical scratches and noticeable magenta colour fading, underscoring the urgency of rescuing private film troves before they disintegrate. With secondary release elements now in hand, technical teams can carry out digitization, damage assessment, and comparative study without subjecting fragile primary preservation copies to handling risks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Sivaji Ganesan films were donated to NFAI?
The archive received 35mm prints of Thiruvarutchelvar (1967), Thiruvilayadal (1965), and Thillana Mohanambal (1968), all directed by A. P. Nagarajan.
Why is the acquisition of Thiruvarutchelvar particularly significant?
The donation provides the National Film Archive of India with its first-ever physical copy of Thiruvarutchelvar in any format, filling a major archival gap.
Why does having multiple prints of a film matter for archives?
A second print allows preservationists to conduct digitization, technical inspection, and comparative studies while safely keeping primary preservation elements protected in vault storage.
Source
Press Information Bureau Release ID 2320561, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting · 2026-10-08
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