Shanti Nilayam

Peaceful House) is a 1969 Indian Tamil-language musical drama film, directed by G. S. Mani in his debut.

The film stars Gemini Ganesan and Kanchana, with Nagesh, Vijaya Lalitha, Pandari Bai, K. Balaji and V. S. Raghavan in supporting roles.

It is based on the 1965 American film The Sound of Music and the 1847 novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

Baskar, a rich estate owner, lives in Shanthi Nilayam with his older brother Sekar's children (four daughters and a son) and is finding it difficult to bring them up as they are very naughty and the hired governess runs away every time.

Strange things happen in the house: Pappamma, the servant maid laughs and walks at midnight with a candle, Balu visits Baskar regularly for money.

One day, Malathi sees Balu with bloodstains and demands an explanation from Baskar who promises to reveal everything soon.

Baskar accepts and reveals that he indeed married Janaki, a mad woman and explains the circumstances of the marriage.

Balu blackmails Baskar's father to marry his sister to Bhaskar and give a part of the wealth to her.

Kavitha falls down unconscious and Malathi stops and returns home along with Dr. Vijayan, who arrives there.

Although Vasan liked the screenplay, he felt that the film would not cater to rural audiences, so it was rewritten to be closer to the Charlotte Brontë novel Jane Eyre (1847).

Camera techniques were used in the song "Bhoomiyil Iruppadhu" to show that a helium balloon was flying, while in reality it was not.

[6][7] S. P. Balasubrahmanyam made his debut in Tamil cinema with this film by singing the song "Iyarkai Ennum",[8] even though Adimai Penn (which he signed after Shanti Nilayam) was released first.

[10] The Indian Express said the film "succeeds extraordinarily in so far as it adapts (or copies) The Sound of Music.

They also praised the music and said Ganesan was "very stiff" in romantic scenes and Kanchana was "ravishing" despite her role not being well written.