The first internationally acclaimed Tamil film, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, was released in theaters on 16 May 1959. Sivaji Ganesan’s coveted performance in a Tamil film won the Asia-Africa Best Actor Award at the 1960 Afro-Asian Film Festival. Sivaji played the lead role of an 18th-century leader fighting against the East India Company. For his performance, he received many awards and appreciation.
A funny fact about the film is that even though the British played villains in the film, the film was also released in London. The film won a Silver Jubilee in India and received a special mention at the National Film Awards. The film was released in 1959 on its third attempt. A decade before the film hit theaters, Selvam Pictures tried to bring the Kattabomman story to the big screen but it was abandoned. In 1953 Gemini Pictures attempted to revive the film and advertised a reward for those who brought rare information about Kattabomman.
The 1960 Afro-Asian Film Festival was held in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, where Veerapandiya Kattabomman won three awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Composer. It is still remembered today as the first international recognition of Tamil cinema. Sivaji Ganesan, who had returned from Cairo, was given an enthusiastic welcome by fellow celebrities including MGR. The film was screened once in the early 1980s and for the second time in 2015 across Tamil Nadu.
