Synopsis
Kannagi is a 1942 Indian Tamil-language epic film directed by R.S. Mani. The film is based on the ancient first-century A.D. Jain epic Silapathikaram and stars P.U. Chinnappa as Kovalan, his wife P. Kannamba as Kannagi, and N.S. Saroja as Madhavi.
The plot follows Kovalan's initial attraction to the beautiful but dissolute dancer Madhavi, which threatens to lead him astray. Kannagi intervenes twice: first preventing him from succumbing to debauchery and later selling her golden anklet to alleviate their financial woes.
However, due to the exceptional artistry of the anklet, it is stolen by a neighboring king who wrongly accuses Kovalan. The film depicts Kovalan facing a death sentence at the chopping block, where Kannagi ultimately comes to his defense once more, proving his innocence before the king and queen.
As India's first feature-length sound Tamil film, Kannagi holds significant historical importance in Indian cinema based on its epic source material. The second film based on this epic, Poompuhar, was released later in 1964.
