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From: bb on: Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:51 pm
Song of the Day: idhayam idhayam from vidukathai.
http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/974.html
Listen
- Saravanan writes:
‘idhayam idhayam iNaigiRathE’ from vidukathai (1997/Kavithalaya)
Sung by Krishnaraj & Chithra
Lyrics by Agathiyan
Music by Deva
* * * *
Putting aside the disappointment of ‘madhumathi’ (1993/ Anbalaya Films) and showing promise in the modest success of ‘vaanmathi’ (1996/ Sivasakthi Movie Makers), Director Agathiyan was riding on an unprecedented high soon thereafter. In ‘kaadhal kOttai’ (Sivasakthi Movie Makers), he told the tale of a love that blossoms through mail, without the lovers even meeting each other. In ‘gOkulathil seethai’ (Lakshmi Movie Makers) Agathiyan presented an interesting account of a wayward youth brought to the right path by the patient, persistent efforts of the heroine. Runaway hits of 1996, both movies had interesting storylines narrated with rare sensitivity, their appeal enhanced manifold by the proceedings flowing to a riveting climax. And Agathiyan made history when he became the first Tamil to win the National Award for Best Director for his work in ‘kaadhal kOttai’.
The critical commendation and commercial success enjoyed by ‘kaadhal kOttai’ and ‘gOkulathil seethai’ prompted K. Balachander to invite Agathiyan to make a film for Kavithalaya. The movie that Agathiyan set about making this time was ‘vidukathai’.
Of more than twice her years,
Seam’d with an ancient swordcut on the cheek,
And bruised and bronzed,
She lifted up her eyes
And loved him, with that love which was her doom…
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson (Idylls of the King)
This time around, Agathiyan crafted a tale of a 17 year-old girl and a 41 year-old man falling in love and then coming to terms with their marriage. Aanandi is a bubbly college student, fearless and forthright in her convictions. Her father, psychiatrist Ramanathan brings up his motherless daughter to be bold and self-reliant. Aanandi spurns with blunt maturity the diffident advances of an enamoured college mate. And when her father succumbs to a heart ailment, she shows precocious sagacity in dealing with the loss, at least outwardly.
Neelakantan, a middle-aged ex-army clerk is the new tenant in an outer wing of Aanandi’s house. He is a bachelor, and feeling left behind by time, he has divested himself of any matrimonial plans. Though he seems to have accepted his single state with indifference, his agony at his wasted youth reveals itself in an alcoholic outburst. The mischievous Aanandi perceives that Neelakantan has not outgrown the normal cravings of a male. The two lonely souls find their moorings in mutual compassion and understanding, and drawn to each other, they reach the bridge of love that will see them safely across the chasm of the enormous difference in their ages. It is the candid Aanandi who expresses her desire to get married to him. And after initial denial, Neelakantan reciprocates her love, and they get married.
After an idyllic honeymoon and the initial euphoria of marital bliss, they settle down to a life together. However, Neelakantan’s feelings of doubt, inadequacy and self-reproach lead to problems that threaten to wreck their marriage. How Aanandi manages to coax him out of his complexes forms the engrossing climax. When love prevails, all has to end well. Their marriage is for keeps.
Agathiyan extracted brilliant performances from Prakashraj and Neena. With the story revolving around the two characters, Agathiyan needed only a handful of supporting artistes and here mention must be made of an outstanding cameo by Janakaraj as Neena’s father, Agathiyan painted on his canvas a life vibrant in all its idiosyncrasies and complexities. How the inner strength of Aanandi comes to the fore when Neelakantan wallows in his weaknesses is put forth strikingly in sequences that form the defining moments of the narrative. When in the end Neelakantan sobs unashamedly in the comforting arms of Aanandi and finds his uncertainties dissolving in his tears, Agathiyan leaves us with moist eyes as well, for the movie is a rare cathartic experience.
Sadly, ‘vidukathai’, a Diwali release of 1997, did not find any takers and came a cropper at the hustings. I still recall that Diwali- ‘ratshagan’ (for ARR and Sushmita), ‘thEdinEn vandhadhu’ (for the comedy and Mantra) and ‘janakiraman’ (for mostly Ramba) were the movies that we friends rushed to see, and only after watching them in quick succession, did we deign to see ‘aahaa’, and that too only because it was released in Prarthana. Though I wanted to watch ‘vidukathai’ after reading the reviews, not one of my friends was willing to indulge me by his company. We did watch ‘poRkaalam’ in due course, but finally when I made my way all by myself to Nagesh Theater to watch ‘vidukathai’, it had already been consigned to the cans. It was only recently that I chanced upon a VCD of the movie in an obscure shop here, and seeing it, I realized what I had missed. But then perhaps, it was all for the good, for I doubt if I could have appreciated the cunning subtleties and heartwarming highpoints of the movie 10 years earlier.
And as for Agathiyan, he could never rise from the ruins of ‘vidukathai’. Many of the producers who had booked him prior to ‘vidukathai’ demanded their advances back in the aftermath of this startling failure. ‘kaadhal kavithai’, released towards the end of 1998, was a final nail in the coffin. His Hindi remake of ‘kaadhal kOttai’, titled ‘sirf tum’ (1999/ Narsimha Enterprises) elicited good reviews, but did not do well commercially. Subsequent ventures such as ‘ramakrishna’ (2004/Sivasakthi Movie Makers) and ‘selvam’ (2005/ Kalaivani Movie Makers), the latter produced by Agathiyan himself, showed the director as a feeble shadow of his creative genius. Even the recent ‘nenjaththai kiLLaadhE’ (Blue Waters Movie Makers) has turned out a damp squib. His TV stint was better though and hopefully Agathiyan will come back with a bang in the silver screen soon. He has the potential in him, for sure. Meanwhile, his daughters Vijayalakshmi (heroine of ‘Chennai 28’ and ‘anjaathE’) and Karthika who appears in makkaL TV are doing well for themselves.
* * * *
Deva, who was ensconced comfortably as Tamil cinema’s busiest composer all through the 90s, always came up with worthy compositions for Agathiyan’s movies. ‘vidukathai’ had 5 songs- hello hello (Sujatha & Sabesh), maNi maadathu manjaL nilaa (Unnikrishnan), kidaichirukku kidaichirukku (Krishnaraj & Anuradha Sriram), meenkashi kaiyil uLLa kiLiyE (Chithra & Kalpana) and the SOTD idhayam idhayam iNaikiRadhE.
Goa is the Eden where our Adam and Eve seek out their honeymoon. Neelakantan and Aanandi spend the days strolling all over the verdant pathways and sandy beaches, and the nights in the intimacy of conjugal ecstasy. They are on a voyage of discovery, discovery of themselves and of each other. Shy overtures, sidelong glances, half uttered endearments progress to frank conversations, bold appraisals, heady partying, candle-light dinners, mischievous foreplay, the works…. Beverley Nichols said Marriage is a book of which the first chapter is written in poetry and the remaining chapters in prose.’ But Agathiyan begs to differ- he avers that while this meeting of the two hearts is new poetry indeed, each succeeding day will bring in poetry afresh for this special couple- no prosaic prose for them! The much maligned Deva crafts a tune that is sheer poetry in itself, hark at the gentle flow of the tune mingling so delectably with a waft of the joys of a Goan carnival in the second interlude when the pair party aboard a ferry. Chithra entices as always, while the underrated Krishnaraj is scintillatingly soulful.
Tags: Deva, Chitra
http://www.dhool.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7812
