"Sikkal" Shanmugasundaram (Sundaram), a Nadaswaram player

Sivaji Ganesan

Sikkil Shanmughasundaram

Shivaji Ganesan

Mohanambal (Mohana), a Bharatnatyam dancer

Padmini

"Jil Jil" Ramamani

Manorama

Muthurakku, a Thavil player in Sundaram's troupe

T. S. Balaiah

Thangarathnam, the brother of Sundaram and Nadaswaram player

A. V. M. Rajan

Muthurakku

S. Balaiah

Nattuvanar Muthukumara Swamy

K. A. Thangavelu

Thangarathnam

A.V.M. Rajan

Maharaja of Madhanpur

M.N. Nambiar

Maragatham

Ambika Sukumaran

Ashalata Devi

Ambika

Sundaram's Nadaswaram teacher

Chittor V. Nagaiah

Vadivambal, Mohana's mother

C. K. Saraswathi

Sakthivel, another Thavil player in Sundaram's troupe

K. Sarangkapani

"Savadal" Vaithi, a cunning man who plans to ruin Sundaram a

Nagesh

"Singapuram Minor" Chellathurai, a landlord and womaniser

K. Balaji

Vethalai Petti, Mohana's mother's maid

M. Saroja

an Ottu player in Sundaram's troupe

A. Karunanithi

Singaram's wife

Udaya Chandrika

Varathan, a Mridangam player in Mohana's troupe

T. R. Ramachandran

a Saint living in Thiruvarur

S. V. Sahasranamam

Nagalingam, a landlord

E. R. Sahadevan

Mary

M. Bhanumathi

Thaalam player in Sundaram's troupe

P. D. Sambandam

Sundaram's Nadaswaram teacher

Chittoor V. Nagayya

Veena player in Mohana's troupe

Shanmugasundari

Sakthivel

K. Sarangapani

a nurse

M. L. Bhanumathi

Sudalai

A. Karunanidhi

Kadambavanam

Senthamarai

S. Rama Rao

Kallapart Natarajan