Arangetram (Tamil, Début;1973)
This K.Balachander directed social drama was a box office hit when it was released. Of course, it hit a nerve again with the Brahmins (again).
It is a tear jerking story with the usual taboos and traditions held closed to every thread wearing Brahmin. Spiced up with the demand of modern living where the needs of the children go beyond providing meals and continuing the family trade of performing religious rites for peanuts hoping that the Gods will provide just like how He takes care of the trees and the animals in the jungle, he blasted a money spinning publicity award winning winner.
As if Rama Shastry's household does not have enough mouths to feed (a wife and 8 children), his widowed sister moves in with her teenage daughter. The eldest daughter, Lalitha (Pramila), is a happy go lucky gal, running around the village. The second child, a son, Thiagu (a young Kamalhasan) is a book worm who aim to be a doctor. Then there is another sister who sings and another and another...
Another chord of sadness befalls the family who is already threading in sea of poverty - another daughter attains menarche, hence marriageable age! The head of the family, Shastry, holding steadfast to his traditional ways of doing rites hardly brings any money to the household. Love advances from a fellow, Thangavelu (Sivakumar), is nipped in the bud, admonishing Lalitha for accepting a gift from a young boy. The final straw came when one of the children started begging food from the beggar! Lalitha decides to take charge, taking over the role of the head of the family - she starts working.
Slowly, the kitchen stove starts smoking again. Thiagu manages pre-university studies and the singing sister takes singing lessons, all with Lalitha's contributions.
In the pretext of securing a medical seat for Thiagu, Lalitha is raped. It coincide with her friend's bharatnatyam dance début (Arangetram), hence the name. Soon afterwards, Lalitha gets a promotion to Hyderabad. Here again, her boss takes advantage of her when she requests for her month pay to be advanced. To keep the increasing demands from home and being the good daughter that she is, she dwells into the flesh business.
The Shastry household is blossoming. Love blossoms for Thiagu and the singer sister.
Lalitha returns home for her sister's marriage. Hold behold, the bridegroom-to-be used to her customer! They managed to make a deal to keep it under wraps and he promised not to visit any brothels any more. Thangavelu appears in the village again after crossing swords earlier with his father to enlist in the Army. He was presumed dead but Lalitha, keeps mum, as she had met him in her tour of duty! Wow! They make us believe that Hyderabad is such a small town that everybody who goes to Hyderabad manages to see Lalitha!
Pretty soon the truth is out in the open for everyone to criticize and demonise her. Suddenly, all the sweat that she toiled for the family is insignificant as all the family members ride the moral tree. She is chased out of household and the religious rites as for the dead is performed by Shahstri.
Lalitha is ushered into Thangavelu's family as his wife but soon after the wedding the turn of events proved too much for her to stomach. She becomes a raving lunatic.
A movie to watch to be thankful of our ancestors for to taking us out of such a country. Of course, times have changed and this is just a dramatization of events remotely similar to this. Well, here, we just blame everything on the ruling party.
This K.Balachander directed social drama was a box office hit when it was released. Of course, it hit a nerve again with the Brahmins (again).It is a tear jerking story with the usual taboos and traditions held closed to every thread wearing Brahmin. Spiced up with the demand of modern living where the needs of the children go beyond providing meals and continuing the family trade of performing religious rites for peanuts hoping that the Gods will provide just like how He takes care of the trees and the animals in the jungle, he blasted a money spinning publicity award winning winner.
As if Rama Shastry's household does not have enough mouths to feed (a wife and 8 children), his widowed sister moves in with her teenage daughter. The eldest daughter, Lalitha (Pramila), is a happy go lucky gal, running around the village. The second child, a son, Thiagu (a young Kamalhasan) is a book worm who aim to be a doctor. Then there is another sister who sings and another and another...
Another chord of sadness befalls the family who is already threading in sea of poverty - another daughter attains menarche, hence marriageable age! The head of the family, Shastry, holding steadfast to his traditional ways of doing rites hardly brings any money to the household. Love advances from a fellow, Thangavelu (Sivakumar), is nipped in the bud, admonishing Lalitha for accepting a gift from a young boy. The final straw came when one of the children started begging food from the beggar! Lalitha decides to take charge, taking over the role of the head of the family - she starts working.
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During happier times, everybody wants
a piece of her - her handbag, her
jewellery, her money, her gift....
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In the pretext of securing a medical seat for Thiagu, Lalitha is raped. It coincide with her friend's bharatnatyam dance début (Arangetram), hence the name. Soon afterwards, Lalitha gets a promotion to Hyderabad. Here again, her boss takes advantage of her when she requests for her month pay to be advanced. To keep the increasing demands from home and being the good daughter that she is, she dwells into the flesh business.
The Shastry household is blossoming. Love blossoms for Thiagu and the singer sister.
Lalitha returns home for her sister's marriage. Hold behold, the bridegroom-to-be used to her customer! They managed to make a deal to keep it under wraps and he promised not to visit any brothels any more. Thangavelu appears in the village again after crossing swords earlier with his father to enlist in the Army. He was presumed dead but Lalitha, keeps mum, as she had met him in her tour of duty! Wow! They make us believe that Hyderabad is such a small town that everybody who goes to Hyderabad manages to see Lalitha!
Pretty soon the truth is out in the open for everyone to criticize and demonise her. Suddenly, all the sweat that she toiled for the family is insignificant as all the family members ride the moral tree. She is chased out of household and the religious rites as for the dead is performed by Shahstri.
Lalitha is ushered into Thangavelu's family as his wife but soon after the wedding the turn of events proved too much for her to stomach. She becomes a raving lunatic.
A movie to watch to be thankful of our ancestors for to taking us out of such a country. Of course, times have changed and this is just a dramatization of events remotely similar to this. Well, here, we just blame everything on the ruling party.
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