16 Vayathinilae (16 வயதினிலே, At the Age of 16, Tamil, 1977)
This movie is considered a watershed in the Tamil film industry. It marked the superstardom of its three main actors, and it also opened the floodgates for outdoor shooting and 'art' life-like stories revolving around life in the villages. Slowly, the use of makeup diminished.
It was alright for the main characters to look unappealing, dark and oily faced!
After establishing herself as a child star, this 14year old starlet Sri Devi, acts as a 16-year village lass. After this flick, Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan hardly performed together in a full-length feature film anymore as they became too big a star on their accord. This village themed flick became a precursor for the innumerable Tamil films of the similar genre that followed where unrefined colloquial language was the order of the day. Many copycat movies followed some bordered on testing the intelligence of the viewers with its thinly thought plot and ridiculous Neanderthalean practices of remote villages (if ever such methods still exist)!
The dialogue also started becoming very straight to the point with surgical blade sharp precision without the usual innuendos and symbolisms that the Indian movies are famous for. Little kids too were talking about things way above what little kids were supposed to know. As the conversation became more life-like, I became less of a chaperone for Amma and her movie buddy, Rajamah. Anyway, as my public examinations were imminent, the thought of spending more than 2.5hours of a day idly staring at a white screen was unimaginable. And the chance never came until many years later.
Thanks to Aiyer, our friendly neighbour across our flat for the daily dose of the loud music of new Tamil songs, songs from this 1977 keep vibrating our eardrums like an ear-worm or a leach that just refuses to let off the skin! Once you hear the songs from the movie, like an avalanche, the nostalgia of RRF and the memories of staying in a 1-room flat come pouring in.
16 Vayathinele tells the trials and tribulations of a young 16-year-old intelligent girl, Mayil (Sridevi) who is love-smitten and thinks with her heart rather than her head. The society in which she grows in actually encourages the sexuality in her. One such tradition is the coming of age ceremony when a pubertal girl is enlightened with matters of sex and marriage. Another ceremony depicted in this movie is a 'Holi' like the celebration where maiden girls are allowed and encouraged to pour turmeric-laced water over the guy they fancy! So when this pretty lass is lovestruck by the newly transferred bored veterinarian, she is naturally careless with protecting her reputation. Hence, she is labelled as a loose character by village folks and primarily by the new kid-of-the block bad dude, Rajnikanth, who plays the role of a loafing card playing a baddie, Paratthai. A mentally challenged orphan, Sappani (Kamal Haasan) comes to the rescue when Mayil herself loses her only parent who succumbs to a heart attack precipitated by vicious bad mouthing razor-sharped tongue of the villagers.
The union of Mayil and Sappani is ridiculed. As Paratthai attempts to rape Mayil, as a punishment for insulting him, Sappani drops a boulder on Parrathai to fatally wound him. Sappani goes to prison. The movie ends with Mayil waiting anxiously at the railway station for Sappani's return....
Bharathi Raja, the debutante director, made his mark through this film by bringing forth the pure chemistry that developed between the three main characters.
*all the songs from the movie carry a special meaning to us kids, even though we never watched the film!
Senvanti Poo Mudika Sinnatha (http://youtu.be/Lzu2pOcCsek)
It was a special code for my sis to blackmail the youngest about her dark secret - of breaking the 'Fanta' drink.
Senthoora Poove (http://youtu.be/qfXAvRve-tk)
This melodious S. Janaki's award-winning song will lullaby you to the good old days of RRF, every time! Of the neighbour's gramophone record blaring in the middle of the day!
Aatu Kutti Muttai Ittu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXVPl2aLQbc)
This loud song with the song of braying of a donkey was quite an irritant when you are trying to cramp in the concept of Form 5 physics!
Manjalkkulichu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaGfCOpb3xc)
Another irritant!
This movie is considered a watershed in the Tamil film industry. It marked the superstardom of its three main actors, and it also opened the floodgates for outdoor shooting and 'art' life-like stories revolving around life in the villages. Slowly, the use of makeup diminished.
It was alright for the main characters to look unappealing, dark and oily faced!
After establishing herself as a child star, this 14year old starlet Sri Devi, acts as a 16-year village lass. After this flick, Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan hardly performed together in a full-length feature film anymore as they became too big a star on their accord. This village themed flick became a precursor for the innumerable Tamil films of the similar genre that followed where unrefined colloquial language was the order of the day. Many copycat movies followed some bordered on testing the intelligence of the viewers with its thinly thought plot and ridiculous Neanderthalean practices of remote villages (if ever such methods still exist)!
Thanks to Aiyer, our friendly neighbour across our flat for the daily dose of the loud music of new Tamil songs, songs from this 1977 keep vibrating our eardrums like an ear-worm or a leach that just refuses to let off the skin! Once you hear the songs from the movie, like an avalanche, the nostalgia of RRF and the memories of staying in a 1-room flat come pouring in.
The union of Mayil and Sappani is ridiculed. As Paratthai attempts to rape Mayil, as a punishment for insulting him, Sappani drops a boulder on Parrathai to fatally wound him. Sappani goes to prison. The movie ends with Mayil waiting anxiously at the railway station for Sappani's return....
Bharathi Raja, the debutante director, made his mark through this film by bringing forth the pure chemistry that developed between the three main characters.
*all the songs from the movie carry a special meaning to us kids, even though we never watched the film!
Senvanti Poo Mudika Sinnatha (http://youtu.be/Lzu2pOcCsek)
It was a special code for my sis to blackmail the youngest about her dark secret - of breaking the 'Fanta' drink.
Senthoora Poove (http://youtu.be/qfXAvRve-tk)
This melodious S. Janaki's award-winning song will lullaby you to the good old days of RRF, every time! Of the neighbour's gramophone record blaring in the middle of the day!
Aatu Kutti Muttai Ittu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXVPl2aLQbc)
This loud song with the song of braying of a donkey was quite an irritant when you are trying to cramp in the concept of Form 5 physics!
Manjalkkulichu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaGfCOpb3xc)
Another irritant!
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