MATCHSTICK TO MOVIE MOGUL

MATCHSTICK TO MOVIE MOGUL 

TIMES OF INDIA  CHENNAI EDITION 11.12.2024

How S M Nayagam from Thanjavur became the ‘father of Sinhala Talkies’

Meenakshi Devaraj Matchstick maker, soap manufacturer, prawn exporter, gemstone trader and finally, the ‘father of Sinhala Talkies’ — though S M Nayagam managed to make a mark in several industries, the story of the man from Thanjavur remains largely untold. It all began in the 19th century, when Sundaram Pillai and Veerama, traders from Thanjavur in what was then the Madras Presidency, decided to move to Kotahena, a suburb of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Veerama returned to Thanjavur and gave birth to a son, Madhura Nayagam (meaning leader), on Sept 24, 1906, then returned to Sri Lanka, where he was raised. 

Madhura, who later changed his name to S M Nayagam, began his career as a clerk at Ford Cargo Corporation, until he noticed that the matchstick industry was taking off. Nayagam then travelled from Sri Lanka to Kumbakonam to learn wooden matchstick-making, returned with the skill and taught his wife, Deivanai, and sisters, Rajalakshmi and Jagathambal, to make them. He would ask them to produce as many sticks as they could in their free time, and after work, Nayagam would take over and handle the chemical dipping, bundling, packaging and sales of his ‘Swasthika Matchsticks’. He was among the pioneers in Sri Lanka’s matchstick industry. Inspired by the Swadeshi movement — Nayagam established a local manufacturing unit, Swadeshi Industrial Works, in 1941, in Kandana, where he lived. He produced soaps, for which he sourced sandalwood from Mysore, and later expanded to include various herbal soaps, such as neem. These products were even exported to places like America in the early 20th century. Nayagam travelled the world to gather ideas from successful business ventures and introduced several new industries to Sri Lanka, including the manufacturing of glasses, aluminium and plastics. Soon, his relatives in Thanjavur established their own businesses under the name Swadeshi. 

As the Indian entertainment industry began to flourish, Nayagam’s attention shifted toward cinema. In 1939, he established the studio Chitra Kala Movietone at Thirunagar in Madurai, where many South Indian films were produced. The studio was equipped with all the modern facilities of its time. Alongside the studio, Nayagam also founded a production company and began making Tamil films. His first Tamil film, ‘Kumaraguru’, was released in 1946. In 1947, he released ‘Thainadu’ (meaning ‘Motherland’), a patriotic film, timed to coincide with India’s independence. Until the early 1940s, only English or Indian language films were screened in Sri Lanka. One day, while casually speaking with his Sinhala friends, Nayagam learned of their desire to watch a movie in their own mother tongue. A shrewd businessman, Nayagam immediately recognised the opportunity behind the demand for a Sinhala talkie. He quickly set to work on producing the first one. Nayagam noticed the success of Tamil dramas and plays being adapted into hit films and believed this concept could work in Sinhala as well. He adapted the popular Sinhala play ‘Kadawunu Poronduwa’ (meaning ‘Broken Promise’) into a movie. The entire shooting of this first Sinhala talkie took place at Nayagam’s studio in Madurai. He brought a team from Sri Lanka to Madras, taking great care of them, even arranging for a medical team to attend to any health needs during production. Nayagam released Kadawunu Poronduwa on Jan 21, 1947. It was a massive hit, earning Nayagam the title of the ‘Father of Sinhala Talkies’. Nayagam continued producing Sinhala films, bringing many technicians and artists from South India, such as A S Nagara jan and A B Raj, to establish the early Sinhala film industry. One of the major successes from Nayagam’s production house was ‘Mathalan’ (1955). A remake of the Tamil blockbuster ‘Mangamma Sabatham’ (produced by AVM), ‘Mathalan’ was made entirely in Madras Vahini Studio due to the need for lavish sets. It ran in theatres for years, breaking all box-office records. 

On May 30, 1950, Nayagam established Sri Murugan Navakala studio in Kandana, at a cost of ₹3 lakh. The inauguration of his studio was celebrated with a festive welcome in Sri Lanka. It also attracted many south Indian technicians. Nayagam’s home in Kandana became a gathering spot for prominent figures from the Tamil film industry, including Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, Nagesh, Major Sundarrajan and the Travancore Sisters (Lalitha, Padmini, and Ragini). One of Nayagam’s unfulfilled dreams was to create a film based on the Jataka  tales, a Buddhist story set in Madras. He even announced this ambitious project at a press conference at Madras Woodlands. Nayagam, a pioneer in nearly five industries in Sri Lanka, died on Feb 4, 1978, at the age of 72. 

Following his death, many of his family members were forced to relocate to various parts of the world due to the riots in Sri Lanka during the 1980s. The family was deeply moved when they saw the remnants of Nayagam’s Chitra Kala Studio in Madurai. The site where the studio once operated has since been transformed into a housing colony, with the name Chitrakala still attached. A portion of the building, bearing the word Chitrakala, remains to this day as a tribute to the man from Thanjavur who took Sri Lanka by storm. 

(The writer is a researcher on Tamil culture) Email your feedback with name and address to southpole.toi@timesofindia.com GANDHI, GODS AND GLOBAL EXPANSIONS ➤ Nayagam was a voracious reader with a deep love for his mother tongue Tamil ➤ His grandsons Rajeev and Sanjeev recall how he carefully preserved letters from Mahatma Gandhi ➤ He was a devout follower of Lord Murugan of Thiruparankundram. His office was adorned in red velvet and featured a statue of Lord Murugan at its centre. Nayagam combined business trips to Tamil Nadu with visits to Murugan temples ➤ Nayagam was also involved in prawn export and gemstone trade. His enterprises were so successful that he expanded internationally with units in places such as Hong Kong ➤ Nayagam’s niece, Shaantha Jayaraj, is working to compile information about his life