Yaar Nee? (Who are you? யார் நீ?, Tamil; 1966)This is one of the early Tamil psychological thrillers which is actually a remake of a Hindi film (Woh Kaun Thi 1964 - Who is She?). The 1966 offering is filled with many melodious tunes belted to the tune of its original movie. Both versions are so strikingly similar that they even use the same character names and settings.
By no means, this film is a pioneer in the field of psychological thrillers. Of hand, I remember Sivaji's 1964 gem 'Puthiya Paravai'.
Unlike most Tamil films of that era when it was customary to have a potpourri of songs, a few love sentimental tunes, a traditional dance, a cabaret or modern dance usually belted by LR Eswari. Here, however, many songs were sentimental ones presented by hauntingly intoxicating voices of P. Susheela and L.R. Eswari. They were mostly lyrics sang to their Hindustani music compositions of the mesmerising composer Madhan. I think one of the song versions in the Tamil one is original, composed by Vedha.
The storyline is entirely predictable as the motive may have been hinted quite early in the show, but the suspense is in guessing who is the culprit orchestrating all the drama! A lawyer visits the hero at his workplace to announce that a distant relative had left a fortune for him, but the will says that the recipient has to be of sound mind.
A dedicated doctor, Dr Anand (Jayshankar), gives a lift to a lady in white saree on a rainy day. She stops at a cemetery and points at an abandoned bungalow as her abode. He sees her again as a 'corpse' when the good doctor attends to an emergency house-call. After his pretty girlfriend dies in suspicious circumstances, a morose Dr Anand succumbs to his mother's constant nagging to marry. Hold behold, his new bride, Sandhya (Jayalalitha) is a splitting image of the 'apparition' he has seen all this while. Their married life does not take place as it should. Dr Anand feels that his wife is a ghost!
The wife is sent off but the train that she travelled in is involved in an accident, and her whereabouts are unknown. Glimpses of a lady resembling Sandhya keep appearing here and there periodically, upsetting the doctor and affecting Dr Anand's duties.
The main suspects that could be privy to this enigma include Dr Anand's boss who has a pretty daughter whom he wants to marry off to the dashing young doctor. Then there is a character who is Dr Anand's childhood who keeps appearing and disappearing with his high-flying job. At one time, we are made to think that Dr Anand might be committed as a lunatic!
You keep wondering how the loose ends of the story were going to be tied up in the end, but it was solved in an authentic Indian movie fashion with twins, devious friend, inheritance and all.
It is quite unfortunate for Jayshankar to start his acting career at a time when the Tamil silver screen was ruled by the doyens of that time - MGR for the swashbuckling theme of movies, Sivaji for character roles and Gemini for lover boy image. Lucky for him, in 1967, a unique genre was created for him - ala James Bond kind special agent in CID Shankar. Jayalalitha gives an impressive show as a demure wife and a female 'ghost'.
A dedicated doctor, Dr Anand (Jayshankar), gives a lift to a lady in white saree on a rainy day. She stops at a cemetery and points at an abandoned bungalow as her abode. He sees her again as a 'corpse' when the good doctor attends to an emergency house-call. After his pretty girlfriend dies in suspicious circumstances, a morose Dr Anand succumbs to his mother's constant nagging to marry. Hold behold, his new bride, Sandhya (Jayalalitha) is a splitting image of the 'apparition' he has seen all this while. Their married life does not take place as it should. Dr Anand feels that his wife is a ghost!
The main suspects that could be privy to this enigma include Dr Anand's boss who has a pretty daughter whom he wants to marry off to the dashing young doctor. Then there is a character who is Dr Anand's childhood who keeps appearing and disappearing with his high-flying job. At one time, we are made to think that Dr Anand might be committed as a lunatic!
You keep wondering how the loose ends of the story were going to be tied up in the end, but it was solved in an authentic Indian movie fashion with twins, devious friend, inheritance and all.
It is quite unfortunate for Jayshankar to start his acting career at a time when the Tamil silver screen was ruled by the doyens of that time - MGR for the swashbuckling theme of movies, Sivaji for character roles and Gemini for lover boy image. Lucky for him, in 1967, a unique genre was created for him - ala James Bond kind special agent in CID Shankar. Jayalalitha gives an impressive show as a demure wife and a female 'ghost'.
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