We came to see a Tamil movie.

Vishwaroopam II (Tamil, 2018)

Okay, we get it. The Tamilian diaspora has spread its tentacles to the four corners of the globe. The only problem is that the world is almost spherical and has no corners.

Everywhere one goes, much like Men at Work's 'Down Under', one is bound to see a fellow Tamilian, not just as among the blue collared strata but amongst the upper echelon of the food chain. But I sense that the moviemakers hint of a particular bias in their caste of these characters. Most, if not all of them, speak with a certain intonation and lingo specific to those in the Brahmin community! But Tamil in Afghanistan...?

We also understand that our girls, who used to be typecast as long-haired well oiled exotic beauties and hidden gems of intrigue behind their charming smile are no longer that demure and quiet one anymore. The Tamilachis have answered Bharatiyaar’s call for that modern thinking woman. They have permeated into all fields of knowledge, including defusing bombs and deep sea diving. They have learnt to groom themselves so well that they can fit into any herd. They can be mistaken for a person of Mediterranean or South American stock. Their offspring would probably be unrecognisable as the union of global citizens of all kind becomes the norm.

Yes. Tamils movies have got so big that the budget can accommodate overseas shoots, hi-tech gadgets and even underwater filming.  But, surely there can be no dearth of a good story to be told. The faithful viewers of this genre flock here for its Indianess and probably some thought-provoking Indian philosophy. The industry should not morph into another mindless larger-than-life pyrotechnic frenzy display of uninspiring waste of time. We can already see that in Hollywood.

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/riflerangeboy/

Humanity or rules: which takes precedence?

Unnal Mudiyum Thambi (உன்னால் முடியும் தம்பி, You can do it Brother, Tamil; 1988)
Direction: K. Balachander

A young Brahmin boy is busy chanting hymns under his breath as he walks to the temple lake to perform his daily abolitions. He sees a blind, hungry beggar struggling to pick up a piece of banana thrown for her. He can see that she is going to fall off the stairs, but he does not help her. He does not want to break his ritual. Another beggar who sees the whole scenario helps her but admonishes the boy for giving more importance to rituals than humanity. Herein lies the dilemma that plagued the adolescent for the rest of his life. One one hand, his father, is a dogmatic stickler of Vedantic scripture and a classical Indian music maestro who would rather die than to have the age-old Hindu traditions desecrated. One the other hand, the boy, Udayamurthi (Kamalhasan), can see so much social injustice around him that his father, a big man in the society, is turning a blind eye.

Udaya is the younger of the two sons of the maestro (Gemini Ganesan). The pressure is mounting on him to continue the family tradition as the older brother is vocally challenged. Conflicts arise as the father has set his bar too high to achieve, and Udaya is just not cut for it. His attention is in social work. To make matters worse, he falls for a firebrand same-minded girl who is from the untouchable caste.

The rest of the story is how Udaya reforms the working class people of his area. He gets the men to stop drinking and getting the kids going to school again instead of working as child labours in an illicit match factory nearby to finance their fathers' unquenchable appetite to the bottle.

This social motivational movie is a feel good one to impress upon the masses that their fate is within their control. They should not surrender everything to fate but instead, grab the bull by their horns and change things for the better. It hints that traditional rituals are selfish in that it is only to prosper one's own self for their afterlife or karmic cycle, not for the present life on earth. As to serve the needy is divine, there is no need to search far to seek the real purpose of life. It is staring right at our faces.

Keeping with the times, the 80s, when there was a renaissance of sorts to revive the richness of South Indian music, the various ragas and talas are highlighted here. The doyens, Gemini, Manorama (as Udaya's sister-in-law) and Kamal himself gave sterling performances.

The burning question remains. Are we living for the now or is our sole purpose of survival here is to accumulate points for the afterlife which is a mighty long time? Is living a hedonistic process of self-indulgence, self-gratification, being happy and self-centred? Or is a life dedicated to other fellow human beings need? We will never know in our lifetime just like the many who have tried and left their thoughts behind for us to ponder and stay ever confused and non-wiser!

God is in all of us!

Anbe Sivam (அன்பே சிவம், Love is God; 2003)


Another of Kamalhaasan starred film filled themes of communism, God, social justice, realism and atheism. This time around, it was done on a story based on Hollywood's blockbuster, 'Planes, trains and automobiles' where the Steve Martin character is stuck with an annoying fellow traveller as he is held at New York airport which was closed due to worsening blizzard.

In this film, an eccentric communist sympathiser, Nallasivam, is stuck with a capitalistic minded advertisement executive, Anbarasu, in a flood-hit airport in Orissa. Their adventures and misadventures travelling all the way from Bhubaneswar in Orissa to Chennai via various modalities of transportation aid them to understand and empathise each other, especially the scarred faced, limping and hemiparetic Nallasivam.

In this almost 3-hour long story, we get to know about Nalla's communist afflictions, his fight for increased minimum wage for workers, his tiff with an outwardly religious looking greedy entrepreneur, his failed love affair with the businessman's daughter, his brush with death and his philosophical outlook on life from an economic and theological viewpoint.

The film is filled with witty dialogue that questions the many things we take for granted in life. When cornered with death, we make decisions that we feel is morally correct. It also takes a swipe at the multinational companies which hoodwink the general public that they are there to help and serve. Their sole interest is profit and more profit.

On the other hand, the general public (the peasants) appreciates the humanistic values. This is evident from scenes of people going out their way to help out accident victims, the medical missionaries who go the extra mile to heal the sick and how the villagers seem so happy to see an accident victim who returns to thank his saviours! At the same time, Man shows his contradictory image when he is nasty to his own kind and animals whilst putting a smiley face to his visitor!

An interesting watch with intelligent dialogue and religious undertones. The conclusion drawn at the end of the flick is that the God that we are so fervent to seek out for is residing within us. The good deeds that we do for the fellow kind make us all God! Even a dog attain divine status, not by reversing the spelling but its actions. It does not have to be owned by Yudhishthira only to enter heaven! But then does a dog has free will?

Mexican painter Diego Rivera's fresco, Man at the Crossroads (top), served as an inspiration for Nallasivam's painting (bottom) to indicate the atrocities committed by Kandasamy Padayatchi. [Note the sickle over Siva's hair, Lenin's image over the lower right, the water flowing denotes 910, the minimum pay of workers]

A man should live virtuously because virtue is good, not because it pays to be virtuous. Yudhishtra's experience. 

Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods? The Euthyphro dilemma as found in Plato's dialogue in which Socrates asks Euthyphro.

Tradition so rich!

Uttama Villain (உத்தம வில்லன், 2015)

Another self over glorifying movie about Kamalhaasan. Unlike Papanasam where Kamal was in a simple role telling a simple story, he is in his usual larger than life persona here.
At the same time, I pick up the vibes of it being a satire of sorts, poking fun at the film industry. An actor is expected to be immortal donning the same role as he did from the start of his career, at the same time the age of the actresses remain the same. The apparent difference in age is comparable as father and daughter's!

Manoranjan (Kamalhaasan) is a famous movie-star who has the world has his feet as he performs age defying dance moves with his heroines. In his private life, he is different. He has an intimate relationship with his doctor and has an illegitimate child from an old girlfriend. He has an disgruntled teenage son and a fast food chomping oversized wife at home. Everything takes a turn went Manoranjan is diagnosed with inoperable advanced brain tumour. At the same time, the existence of the illegitimate child comes to fore.

Villupaattu

As his end is near, he tries to make peace with all around him, his son, his wife, his daughter from his old flame and end the feud between his father-in-law and his old director, Margadarsi (late K Balachander). Not to forget his fans, he decided to make a comedy in a traditional style depicting himself as an immortal so that they can forever remember him as such.

Theyyam worship

The making of his swansong in the film forms a big part of the movie. It is actually a bold move as it may not appeal to general cinema going public as the spoken language is quite archaic and refined. This part of the dialogue, which was crafted by Kamalhaasan, was quite witty with clever word interplay to create a laughter or two. It tries to introduce the legend of the immortal young boy of Prahlada, a Vishnu devotee who escaped death repeatedly, the legend of a wicked one-eared king and his death in the hands of Narasimha. The climax of the movie is the final dance in Villupaatu tune using traditional instruments infused with philharmonic sounds and dances as done in Thayyum worship practiced in parts of Kerala and Karnataka.

The purpose of art is not just to entertain and give that 2 hour of satiety but to reflect upon our rich ancestral traditions that risk being forgotten. Villupaatu is a traditional entertainment using bow (villu) attached to bells as the main instrument with other percussions to narrate stories which carry social messages or stories. Theyyam worship used to be done by people of lower castes as their entry to temples was denied. Theyyam is their depiction of the Mother-Goddess. And by the way, villain is a Tamil word (வில்லன்) with the same meaning even dictionaries may say that it is Middle English origin! Uttaman denotes innocence, just the opposite. The title of film may hint that unlike characters in the screen who are so clear cut, people in life may end villains through their seemingly innocent actions or inactions. Just my take....

A suspense infused family drama

Papanasam (2015)

After dabbling in many larger than life multiple roles to international appeal, Kamalhaasan has decided to quieten things a little and settle down to earth with this new film. It carries a strong story plot and points to ponder about familial bonds.

After over 20 years, we see Kamalhaasan (Suyambulingam) and Gauthami (Rani) acting together again. Of course, this time, with passage of age and agility, they are more sedate in acting as loving husband and wife with two daughters in a small village town in Tirunelveli. Suyambulingam is self made cable operator, a primary school dropout and a movie buff. He self educates himself from the things he see on his movies - legal, mystery, murder dramas and in many languages too. He is proud of his achievement and has no qualms of showing it to his more 'educated' wife and the crowd at the local eatery that he frequents. Suyambulingam, an orphan, had made a killing for himself, owning a thriving business, a house, a home, some shophouses and a piece of agricultural land. He is a lovable chap by all except a corrupt policeman, Perumal, whose incessant bullying of the uneducated is often chided upon by the protagonist.

His elder daughter goes for a nature camp. A bad hat takes images of her showering with a hidden camera and threatens to post it online in return for sexual favours. A scuffle ensues when her mother, Rani, comes to the scene. The daughter hits the perpetrator at the back of the head in self defence but it proved fatal. Unable to contact Suyambulingam, the mother and daughter decide to bury the corpse in a hole dug earlier for compost purposes.

When Suyambu returns, he is told of the turn of events. After a brief expression of emotion, he puts on his thinking cap. With all the knowledge gained from watching movies especially of murders and police procedural, he tried to clear the evidence and create a solid alibi for himself and the family. The rest of the film is a cat and mouse story of a 4th grade drop-out who outwits the parents of the perpetrator who just happen to be, of all people, the IGP!

Papanasam, is the name of the town the story is set. It is actually a remake of a Malayalam movie, Drishyam, acted by Mohanlal and Meena in the main cast. One cannot help but to compare the two movies. I actually managed to view both. Both are equally good, the main stars and the rest of the cast, i.e. The director, the same in both, managed to hold the suspense and interest of the audience by carefully mapping the story without any obvious discernible loop hole. Very rarely one would find such a story in Indian cinema.

The theme of the film is show just far a father would go to protect his family. For everyone, their flesh and blood is important. Just as much as how the IGP, also a mother, value her son in spite of him being wayward in his behaviour and perspective of life. That is life. For everyone, their views and belongings are precious. And they are selfish to protect that at all cost. That is an inborn human trait.

When cross dressing was a fad

Mrs Doubtfire (1993)


I could not help but tend to compare this movie with its copycat off-shoot, Avvai Shanmugi (1996) starring Kamalhaasan and the rib-tickling rolling on the floor witty script by Crazy Mohan.
Maybe because I had watched the latter and not the former, I found Avvai Shanmugi more of riot with gut rolling laughter. The plot in AS is more complicated. Maybe because it was a Tamil movie and nobody would watch any movie which last less than 2.5 hours (low on money worths' scale), they had to make the characters more deeply entrenched in the masala of seeing an attractive single working Indian lady!
The frequent tongue-in-cheek double speak dialogue penned by Crazy Mohan must have been the primary reason why Avvai Shanmugi reached enviable heights in modern Tamil cinema.
Mrs Doubtfire stars two great actors - Robin Williams and Sally Field. The movie won the Academy awards for Best make-up for that year but unfortunately did not impress the reviewers then as it itself was viewed as a copycat movie from Dustin Hoffman's 'Tootsie' (1982). Cross dressing was also seen in 1959's 'Some like it Hot' (Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon). Rafoo Chakker was Bollywood's adaptation of 'Some like it Hot'.

14 going 16!

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!

More attacks on social mores!

Apoorva Raagangal (Tamil, Bizarre Rhythms;1975)
Another Kamal-Rajni flick. This time it is Rajnikanth is a debutante and is introduced to Tamil films by K. Balachander who wrote this story, dialogue and directed this offering. Apparently, Balander identified Rajnikanth as a potential after seeing him perform in a non-Tamil drama. Rajni was promised a role if he could learn Tamil, and he sure did, and the rest is history!
This film, in keeping with its title of abnormal rhythm, obviously referring to the complicated effects of wide age difference relationships, also offers some, in my opinion, some of the most heart wrenching soul warming lingering Carnatic musical sounds!
Actually, P Ramlee did offer this type of story half a decade before but in a comical manner through 'Keluarga 69' with A.R. Tompel.
Bhairavi (Srividya), a classical singer, helps to nurse a gang bashed Prasanna (Kamal) to health in her abode, one thing leads to another and love blossoms. Prasanna is a self appointed violent social reformist college student who often gets into the wrong side of the law for his nefarious activities. His father Mahendra, (Sundarajan) once give in up for police custody after a Robin Hood type deed - hijacking a rice smuggling lorry! Animosity develops between father and son and Prasanna leaves home.
In a comedy court, Mahendran (Sundarajan) is spotted as the only guy crying, thinking of his son. A young busy body 18 year old Ranjini (Jayasudha), starts a conversation. Initially irritated, they eventually build a bond. Ranjini claims to be an orphan supporting herself with odd jobs. Mahendran offers a place to stay and offers to adopt her as his daughter. Ranjini, however, has other plans up her sleeves (er, saree blouse). She confesses her inner feminine feeling towards this middle aged man. After much deliberation on public perception, Mahendra finally gives in.
What Ranjini conveniently omits from her background is that she discovered by accidental eaves dropping before she left her home was that she was brought up her biological mother as an orphan for fear of bearing an illegitimate child and the retribution on her singing career. Again, no 2 marks for guessing who the singing mother is - Bairavi!
So, now you have a son who falls in love with a lady whose daughter falls for his father!
Nagesh who does a great solo comic act as a doctor (Dr Suri) is a philosophical advice rendering medical practitioner by day who leads a double life as a drunk by night. He is a family friend of Bharavi and knows the whole secret. By a chance meeting with Mahendran in his drunken stupor, he blurts the whole truth.
To add drum roll to the climax, a very sick terminally ill 'blood cancer' stricken Pandiyan (Rajnikanth) comes to the picture to say his peace to Bhairavi. He had earlier absconded from her after a good time, leaving her pregnant. 
Coincidence again, Dr Suri gives hospice care for Pandiyan.
Just when you are thinking how all this mess is going to end, the answer is given in the climatic carnartic music song with Vain Jairam's melodious voice in a poetic way. The finale shows both siblings burying the hatchet with their respective parent. As always, a tragedy always solves many unsolvable issues. Pandiyan's death makes Bhairavi a grieving widow and for reasons best known to her, thinks it is inappropriate to jump into a matrimonial bond. The movie ends with Ranjini and Bhairavi leaving Mahendran's house with Prasenna passing Bhairavi her house keys and symbolically the key chain snaps with Bhairavi's picture on the key chain in Prasenna's hand. Audience are left asking whether it was the end.
The black and white award winning film marks the congregation of some of the who's who and soon to be demigods in the Tamil mainstream cinema at that era.
Kamalhasan with a bad hair cut (?wig) mimicking Bruce Lee depicting a defiant youth, a subdued but stylish Rajnikanth  in bell-bottom pants and posing with his trademark tilt.
This film ignited an open off screen relationship between Kamal and Srividya. Srividya went on to marry somebody else but it ended in a bitter divorce. Their relationship however went on until her dying days in 2006 after her loss in the battle against breast cancer.
Even though Srividya is acting like someone in her late 30s and Kamal is in early 20s, they were aged 22 and 21 respectively during the release of the film.
I can imagine what Amma would say after watching this film, "Cheh, can't they get any other story?". I guess she cannot stomach movies that upset the Indian social mores. For her a tear evoking tear jerking melodramatic 'creating a mountain out of a mole hill' type of Sivaji hit movie will do just fine!

What's life without masala?

Avargal (They, Tamil; 1977)
It starts with Anu (Sujatha) travelling in the mail train from Mumbai to Chennai with her son after going through a bitter divorce from her husband, Ramanathan (Rajnikanth). With the rhythmic churning of the rail coaches on the track, she recollects her miserable life living with Ramanathan. Again and again, he used to insinuate, ridicule and mentally torture her regarding her first love, Parani like a dart piercing a checker-board.

We come to know, Anu, a classical dancer, had met a musician in Chennai. They separate after father gets a transfer to Mumbai. Out of sight and out of mind, the relationship fades. The ailing father gets her married to Ramanathan, a seemingly nice executive. The naive Anu opens her heart to Ramanathan of her previous liaison. Her husband did not, however, take it maturely.

A new chapter starts for Anu, as she begins her work in Chennai. She comes to get to know the of the acquaintance of Johnny, a fellow co-worker. Johnny is a widower who lost his wife in a kitchen accident. Anu moves in the same apartment complex just to find Barani, her old boyfriend living next door.

She comes to know that all her letters to Barani earlier had been intercepted by Barani's slightly deranged sister. And Barani never knew of Anu's desperation to contact him.

The lost love re-blossoms and the couple continue to plan their earlier stalled wedding plans.Things get complicated when Johnny also develops feelings for Anu, and a new boss is transferred to Anu's office - guess who? - Ramanathan.

Ramanathan's mother who meets Anu by accident in a religious function starts working incognito as a maid in her house. Ramanathan appears to have turned over a new leaf and starts showing his pathetic face. Confused, Anu decides to go back to Ramanathan and cancels her wedding with Parani. Heartbroken, Parani leaves for the US for a musical performance.

Anu's maid who does more than her regular duties is Anu's anchor, but her cover is soon blown wide open by Anu's colleague. 

After deciding to reconcile with Ramanathan, Anu moves into her Ramanathan and his mother's house. Ramanathan's mother reveals that her son is an incorrigible pathological liar with has a fancy to play and break pretty girls' heart. Having seen it all her life, she had given up on changing him. Just then, a lady comes at their doorstep with a baby on her hip requesting for her husband, Mr Ramanathan! 

Realising her mistake, Anu rushes to Barani's house to witness his engagement with his sponsor, Gayathri!

Pulling her whole past behind, together with her matrimonial tie, the Thali, that tied her down and symbolically restricted her inner desires into a donation box at a temple, she moves to Trivandrum with the help of Johnny.

And guess who decides to dedicate her life to serve as maid to wash the sins of bearing an evil son - Anu's mother in law followed her secretly on the same train.

As usual in all K. Balachander's stories, the plot is always convoluted and socially awkward. During its release in Tamil Nadu, the movie created quite a furore in a place where movies literally meant the world to its people and action in the reel world is reciprocated and followed in the real world when the main character removed her thali to give it to the temple coffers. It symbolically pushed the responsibility to God who witnessed the ceremonial event to decide on its outcome! A little melodramatic but that is what Indians like - a little masala in their films...

A 12 year old, my stepmum?

Moondru Mudichu (3 Knots, Tamil; 1976)

Before fame and ego took over the best of them, Kamalhasan and Rajnikanth used to act together in many memorable films. Of hand, comes to mind are Avargal, Aval Appadithaan and Apoorva Raagangal.

Sridevi's debut as heroine at the age of 12+
Child abuse or what?

In that vein, Moondru Mudichi showcases sterling performances by this duo and another talented actress from the south, Sridevi, a debutante then as a heroine at the age of 12+ (born 1963).

Kamalhasan and Rajnikanth are soul mates and roommates. Kamalhasan falls in love with a college student Sridevi, but the chain-smoking devious Rajni has both his eyes fixated on the lass and has no qualms expressing his desires to her behind his back.

During a boat outing, Rajni lets Kamal drown after he fell overboard in full view of Sridevi. During police interrogation, he denies knowing to swim although he was a strong swimmer.
Disappointed, she leaves town to work as a nanny to a widower with kids. As fate has it in a typical Tamil movie, Rajni is the eldest son of the widower. Rajni tries to woo Sridevi again. As revenge, Sridevi marries his father and becomes Rajni's stepmother. Rajni gives an outstanding performance as a mean chain smoking villain complete with his trademark cigarette tricks. Tit for tat continues further with the arrival of a girl whom Rajni impregnated and absconded.
Smelling a rat, his father stages a near drowning scenario, and one thing leads to another, and everything is sorted out.

As usual K. Balachander who is known to belt out stories with extraordinary socially awkward themes and he does the same here. Rarely you see a lover turning to be a stepmother! Indeed Rajni came out tops here with his meatier and challenging role. The film was shot in black and white as the director felt it brings out the artistic sense of a story!

An excellent nostalgic flick that brings old memories of RRF as the songs from this movie used to be heard over the airwaves quite so often, no thanks to Iyer of Block D! We also had a radio cartridge player with this song in our family car Austin Mini. We heard this song, again and again, all the way to Kuala Lumpur in 1977.

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson