The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) has acquired three 35mm Tamil cinema classics starring legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan and directed by A. P. Nagarajan through a donation from Aparna Subramanian, Film Research Officer at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). The acquisition includes Thiruvarutchelvar (1967), Thillana Mohanambal (1968) and Thiruvilayadal (1965), with Thiruvarutchelvar representing NFAI's first-ever copy of this title in any format.
The donation adds a second surviving release print of both Thillana Mohanambal and Thiruvilayadal, significantly strengthening archival protection for these important works of Tamil cinema. The availability of multiple surviving elements provides NFAI with greater flexibility in managing preservation and use, allowing one element to remain protected while the other supports activities such as reference, technical assessment, digitization, and comparative examination.
All three newly acquired prints show magenta color fading and vertical projector scratches, reflecting the effects of decades of use and storage in tropical and unfavorable conditions. The donated print of Thiruvilayadal appears to be an optically modified version in the CinemaScope format. The recovery process began with leads received in August 2026, with Thillana Mohanambal located in Chennai and collected with the assistance of FTII alumnus Sai Sanjay before transportation to Pune. The three prints were collectively collected from Chennai on 13 September 2026 and subsequently handed over to NFAI.
This acquisition supports NFDC-NFAI's ongoing efforts to identify, collect, and preserve surviving film elements, ensuring these important works remain available for future generations as part of India's cinematic heritage. The prints will support future preservation, research, digitization, and access initiatives. This content may not be financially relevant.