By the mid-1950s, a few experimental colour sequences had appeared in Tamil films. For instance, the 1952 film Mappillai featured a single song sequence in colour. But a full-length feature film? That was considered financially suicidal. Colour processing was costly, required special cameras, and theatres had to install additional carbon-arc lamps to project the film properly.
That all changed in 1956. The man who brought a rainbow to the Tamil screen was not a director or a hero, but a visionary producer and a magician of technology: . first tamil colour movie
Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum was a major commercial success. It ran for over 100 days in multiple centres—a "silver jubilee" hit. The novelty of colour, combined with MGR’s star power and the evergreen story, pulled crowds from villages and cities alike. By the mid-1950s, a few experimental colour sequences