Enga Veettu Penn (transl. The girl of our household) is a 1965 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Tapi Chanakya and produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani of Vijaya Combines Productions. A remake of the company's own Telugu film Shavukaru (1950), it features an ensemble cast that consists of M. R. Radha, S. V. Subbaiah, A. V. M. Rajan, Jaishankar, K. A. Thangavelu, Nagesh, V. Nagayya, O. A. K. Thevar and Nirmala, who became known as Vijaya Nirmala after its release. The film was released on 23 October 1965.
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Production
Enga Veetu Penn was directed by Tapi Chanakya and produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani of Vijaya Combines Productions. It was a remake of the company's own Telugu production Shavukaru (1950); co-producer Chakrapani doubled as screenwriter, making the film more modern compared to the Telugu original. Cinematography was handled by Marcus Bartley, editing by C. P. Jambulingam, and art direction by S. Krishna Rao and Kaladhar. S. V. Ranga Rao, originally part of the cast, criticised the casting of Nirmala as the female lead, feeling she looked "too frail" to play her character, and ordered the producers to replace her. Reddi cancelled shooting for the day. The next day, Nirmala was called back to the studio, and realised that Ranga Rao was replaced by S. V. Subbaiah. The final length of the film was 4,873 metres (15,988 ft).
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by K. V. Mahadevan.
Release and reception
Enga Veetu Penn was released on 23 October 1965, Diwali day. Writing in Sport and Pastime, T. M. Ramachandran called it a "damp squib", saying that "the picture attempts to sustain the interest of the viewers with its heartwarming story but the audience cannot but see a ring of familiarity around the whole theme." He applauded the performances of the cast, particularly Jaishankar and Rajan, but criticised the abundance of songs, saying that "holds up the story many a time". After the film's release, Nirmala prefixed Vijaya, the studio's name, to her screen name.