Puthiya Paravai (Eng: New Bird) is a 1964 Indian Tamil romantic thriller movie directed by Dada Mirasi. The film features Sivaji Ganesan, B. Saroja Devi, M. R. Radha and Sowcar Janaki in the lead roles, with V. K. Ramasamy, Nagesh and Manorama playing supporting roles. The plot revolves around Gopal, a businessman who falls in love with a woman named Latha, but is haunted by the death of his wife Chitra.
Puthiya Paravai is the maiden Tamil production of Sivaji Films, later renamed Sivaji Productions, and the third overall production for Sivaji Films after the Hindi films Amar Deep (1958) and Rakhi (1962). The film is a remake of the Bengali film Shesh Ankaa (1963), which is itself inspired by the British film Chase a Crooked Shadow (1958). The costumes featured in the film were tailored and brought from Singapore and England. The soundtrack album and background score were composed by M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy while the lyrics were written by Kannadasan.
Puthiya Paravai was released on 12 September 1964 to positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at the innovative filmmaking, the music and the performances from the lead actors. Puthiya Paravai was also a commercial success, and had a theatrical run of 100 days. The film was dubbed in Telugu as Singapore CID and was released on 11 September 1965. The film was re-released on 23 July 2010 at Ganesan’s family-owned theatre Shanti, and was again met with positive response.
Gopal (Sivaji Ganesan) is a rich businessman en route to India from Singapore on a cruise ship. He meets Latha (Saroja Devi), another traveller who has been accompanied by her father Ramadurai (V. K. Ramasamy). Gopal and Latha find that they like each other, so Gopal invites them to stay at his palatial mansion in Ooty, which they accept. One day, Latha discovers that Gopal gets agitated whenever he sees an onrushing train and demands the reason for it. Gopal explains that the reason behind this is his first wife.
In a flashback, after losing his mother, Gopal, in his sorrow had been wandering aimlessly at Singapore. In a nightclub, he meets a singer named Chitra (Sowcar Janaki). He gets attracted to her and they decide to marry, in the presence of Chitra’s brother Raju (S. V. Ramadoss). But he is disappointed — from the very first day of their marriage, she comes home inebriated, and despite his repeated requests, has little respect for tradition and family values. Eventually, Gopal’s father (Dada Mirasi) dies of a heart attack after seeing Chitra’s drunken behaviour on Gopal’s birthday. Gopal tries to control Chitra, but she is always irritated by his acts. At one point, she tries to leave him. Gopal begs her to change her decision, but Chitra still leaves. The next day, he hears that Chitra had died on a railway track, and this hurts him a lot. Latha sympathises with Gopal and accepts his love.
Their engagement is fixed and while the reception is being held, a young woman arrives, claiming to be Chitra, accompanied by her uncle Rangan (M. R. Radha). Gopal says the woman is an impostor, but she and her uncle produce evidence which convinces even Gopal’s police officer friend Kumar (O. A. K. Thevar). Gopal’s engagement with Latha is cancelled. Chitra and Rangan become disruptive and Gopal gets frustrated, fearing that Latha might leave him because his “wife” has turned up. Several days later, Gopal reveals the truth to everyone. In a flashback, when Chitra was ready to leave Gopal, he slapped her. Chitra, suffering from a heart condition, is unable to take the insult of his slap and dies from the shock. Gopal realises that he had inadvertently killed his wife. To avoid arrest, and safeguard the honour of his family, he manipulates the murder to appear like a suicide on a railway track and fabricates the necessary evidence to show that Chitra committed suicide. Thus, Gopal escapes from the charges of murder. Not wishing to continue living in Singapore, he leaves by a ship to India.
Upon hearing this, Latha and Ramadurai reveal themselves as police officers from Singapore investigating Chitra’s death. Rangan is the local investigating officer, while the woman impersonating Chitra is actually Rangan’s aide, Saroja. Together, they staged an entrapment in order to get the killer’s confession, because there was no other conclusive evidence. Latha confesses to a dejected Gopal that though she initially pretended to love him, his good nature impressed her and she truly loves him; she promises that she will wait for him till he returns after completing his jail term. Gopal is relieved, but is still arrested and imprisoned.
Directed by Dada Mirasi
Produced by Sivaji Ganesan
Based on Shesh Ankaa by Rajkumar Mitra
Starring Sivaji Ganesan, B. Saroja Devi, M. R. Radha, Sowcar Janaki
Music by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy
Cinematography K. S. Prasad
Production Sivaji Films
Release dates 12 September 1964
Running time 151 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
