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Dear Mohan,
It is Paadhukappu. Directed by Bheemsingh, it was the last of NT- Bheemsingh combination. Came in 1970 (27.11.1970). Based on a Hindi film, the movie was totally heroine oriented and NT was almost like a guest artist. Coupled with the fact, it came just after 4 weeks of the release of Engirundho Vandhaal and Sorgam, which were doing roaring businees. All these factors affected Padhukappu in its BO performance.
Regards
Thanks Murali sir. The story was quite interesting, though was not able to watch it till the end. :(
[tscii]
Here we go. Long time back I promised a review of Ethiroli, in my quest to highlight some of the underrated flicks of NT’s. I apologise for the delay. Due to some kind of laziness I provide link to Raghavendra’s site for the cast, crew and synopsis of the film.
Here is my take on this underrated little gem.
Ethiroli (1970)
Directed by K. Balachander
Written by K. Balachander (Screenplay. Dialogue), N. Baskaran (Dialogue), KVR Acharya.
Co-starring:. K.R Vijaya, VS. Raghavan, Nagesh, Balaiyah, SS. Rajendran, Siva Kumar and Letchumi.
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Before we go on to my review, let’s take a look at this.
The Seven Commandments
1.Don’t lie
2.Don’t keep with bad companies
3.Don’t lose your temper
4.Don’t fail your duties
5.Don’t steal
6.Don’t vent your fury towards god
7.Don’t commit murder.
In case you are wondering, let me clear the confusion. This is not part of THE Ten Commandments brought down to men by Charlton…I mean, Moses. These are commandments set and practised by Shankaran, a hotshot lawyer, played by NT.
For his only daughter’s birthday, he presents her with a blackboard with these commandments inscribed in it. He tells her that these are rules he set for himself and she should do the same for the betterment of his life.
A highly educational, morally powerful birthday gift from a loving dad to a bright daughter. And it also marks the beginning of his own failing from a principled man, to one that grapples with conscience as he breaks up to six of those rules.
On one desperate moment, NT finds himself in need of cash and in that time a test comes in form of a suitcase (more of a box) filled with money and jewellery. He need to pay on behalf of his client a sum of Rs. 80,000 that he lost to some cheats. The court and the lawyer community know this and some even links it to the upcoming wedding of his sister, Letchumi.
With a stray suitcase in hand, it was a helpful gesture on his part, to find the identity of the suitcase owner that he. Three locks and he needed a hammer to break it open. To find
out whom the owner is. That’s all.
Before he can swing the hammer, to his vision, he sees the judgement gavel! If only he had thrown it away. No, he proceeds to break the locks open and there you have it, jewellery and money.
That moment onwards, the hotshot lawyer becomes a half-possessed uncertain individual. His facial muscles becomes taut. His lips tight. His eyes in half squint, unbelieving and yet, yielding to the power that is offered to him at when he is at the peak of his weakness.
His wife, K.R. Vijaya, pleads to leave it alone. Not to touch it. Not to have anything to do with it but to give it to the rightful owner, which the viewers by now knows, is Balaiyah. NT agrees, but further taunting of his surrounding, prompts him to turn his attention back to the money.
In the bedroom the husband and wife argues and quarrels about it. NT has an idea, why not roll two paper chits, with one allowing a dip in the newfound fund and another against it. He writes two chits, rolls them and hands to his wife. The tension is unbearable. Wife picks one and the chit allowed them to use the cash. NT does the gleeful chuckle through the teeth that only he can, at the moment of slight victory in times of despair.
Suddenly, she becomes suspicious, she opens the other chit thinking that he could have written the same. First time in her life she suspected her husband. But no, the chit is the one that is against.
Yes, just get the Rs. 80,000 out and pay it back every month and give it back to the owner. Simple, no? No.
What follows is a series of worst events that puts NT’s adherence to his policies to struggle. There appears a blackmailer (Major Sunderajan) who knows about the money, and then his own brother, SSR was soon to be Balaiyah’s son-in-law. Yes, by now NT knows whose money it was.
One by one, he starts to break the rules. One by one, he becomes less and less of a man, as witnessed in a few scenes in the bedroom. Usually, bedroom scenes between husband and wife used to be intimate and often sexual (not explicit, but I am talking about love here) nature. But here, the climax of the suspense, the tension, the lead characters responding to their grievances, responding to their unspeakable little crime.
I had never seen bedroom scenes like this in my life, where the heat is not on the sex, but on the bristling and colliding sparks of two consciences. Two wonderful human beings pointing out and dressing each others’ wounds.
My salute to director K. Balachander for making such a great suspense thriller out of a family-subjected plot centring around what could have been another morality play. He was experimenting a lot with camera angles at that time, and it worked beautifully. He learned a few things from the Hollywoods film noir (40s-50s) on the use of obscure angle and shadow.
For example, during the inevitable breaking of locks scene. The half possessed NT is often shown from low angle, giving him almost monstrous presence. And when KR. Vijaya questions his move, he is shows through the railings, and inside the shadows of the rails falls almost jail-like.
That he left NT to be himself, rather than to be dictated by K.B himself, is a gesture we should respect. In most KB outputs (except the ones with senior and well-known stars) we get the feeling that the actors are mimicking him. It is not so here. If not for the camerawork and great dialogues, you would not think of K. Balachander giving the direction here.
Next the cast. K.R. Vijaya is great, not overdoing her part as the moral authority to NT’s actions (considering it was NT who drew those rules to live by). Supporting actors are apt, Balayah playing himself, almost; Nagesh in, sometimes, needless comedy track; OAK Thevar as inspector; Major Sunderajan as taxi driver and the blackmailer; and others.
Of course, there was the great NT table turner, V.S. Raghavan who was a great match for NT in films like Nenjirukkum Varai and Savale Samali. I especially loved both of them facing off in Savale Samali. Such great chemistry. Here we get a little bit of that, considering that VSR is both friend and rival of NTs. Too bad, the story is such that you don’t get much more bickering between these two.
Now, I have two grouses. One, the inclusion of SS. Rajendran. I never can accept him as a good actor. He is great in delivering lines that are meant for the 50s. He does not fit in the 60s onwards. Plus, I hated it when he got some of those darned good songs that I thought was meant for NT. His role here could have been played by anyone, and, to me, any role SSR had done 60s onwards, could have been done better by Muthuraman.
Second grouse, KV. Mahadevan. I am surprised that he was chosen for this project considering that K.B was working a lot with V. Kumar, I believe. KVM or Mamaa, as he is known in the industry, is knows for his melodic songs that are strongly rooted in the classical carnatic music. He is mostly known also for taking lyricists writing and turning it into song, as he often did with Kannadhasan.
I love most of his songs, but I never could dig his background scores. MSV, forgive this pun, scores highly in the background music. So, I’d usually tolerate KVM’s background stuff and wait for his wonderful songs. Unfortunately, and not helped by the fact that NT never gets a song here, the songs are either average or forgettable. One song could have stood out: Kungguma Chimizhil. Yes, we get the Yen Kelvikku Enna Bathil scenario here. The song goes to Sivakumar. Sheesh!
Now comes the best part of the movie: NT himself. What can I say? Heck, I can say a lot. Firstly, I am not sure how much he listened to K.B, but as an actor dedicated to serving the story first than the whims and fancies of the director, NT excels here.
As an ordinary guy, a family guy, with a respectable job, with a respectable image in the community, suddenly facing a breakdown because he succumbed to the moment of weaknesses, NT outperforms his previous achievements in that particular character vernacular .
This is where I had argued time and time again, when it comes to later generations of actors. Can they make it? To play effectively a family man, an ordinary man, who struggles with crisis! In this movie, NT give encyclopaedic and almost panoramic view of personal acting class in session. The tics, the flips, the use of facial muscle, the variation of laughs, chuckles, snickers, and, most importantly, the use of that pair or eyes.
Here I would like to bring your attention to the credit sequence. He hardly speaks here. True to the film title, the courtroom (as with the later courtroom scenes albeit a few) rings with echo. He never speaks. Everything was done with his eyes. You have to see it to understand it. I cannot imagine KB accomplishing it with his usual stock of actors. Here, NT stands tall. Acting. With just his eyes. He breaks it with, “That’s all your honour”, and wins the case. Try that now and you will be accused of copying NT.
I could go on and on, but I’d rather prefer to hear it from my fellow NT fans, especially my hub guru, Murali sar.
Thank you for your time and attention. I shall respond if you have any queries, failing which, Murali sar, Brother Joe, sister Saradha, my oorkaaran NOV and others will do on my behalf (you will, right?).
Mohan sir & Murali sir.
I did not watch the movie in Raj digital, but two days back song from it was telecasted by thiru Adhavan in Mega TV's 'Amudha Gaanam' programme...., and it remebered about the past.
"PAADHUKAAPPU" the movie which was expected more by fans and public because it was coming from the great combination of NT & Bhimsingh. All were expected by thinking of the famous 'paa' series movies of 60s, which were turned the taste of audience and which were focussed the different talents of NT.
but no need to hide, it was a big disappointment for fans and public audience, as there were no scope for NT to shine, as Murali sir rightly said 'just like a guest (one among the others)', mainly focussing Jayalalitha's charector throughout the movie from 'title' to 'vaNakkam' (remember this movie is the next to 'engirundhO vandhaaL', another masterpiece of JJ. so she also expected about its success).
intersting thing is Major is the main villain and Nambiar as nallavan. When requesting 'paadugaappu' from this three, Jayalalitha telling different stories to NT, Nambiar and Major. When the true story was telling by her in the court, we will get angry on thinking the name 'Bhimsingh'. Howmany rapes...? howmany murders...? (they are extreme in that period).
therefore, fans did not get shock on its failure.... and within 48 days it was followed by 'iru dhuruvam' for pongal 1971, with double page advertisement in centre page of Dhinathandhi.
in that period, some 'very expected movies' met failure....
** 'Edhiroli' - another 'koondukiLi', yes the one and only movie with NT - KB combination, which came in between 'vietnaam veedu' and ' Raman ethanai Ramanadi' but failed to achive.
** 'Paadhukaappu' - with NT - Bhimbhai combo, expected by thinking 'paa's of 60s. (before this, another 'paa'laadai also failed).
** 'Iru Dhuruvam' - by P.S.Veerappaa after long time. So, fans and public remembered his earlier movies of 'aalayamani' and 'aandavan kattaLai' with NT, but got just a fair hit by crossing 50 days in several centres. (but 'ganga jamuna' was super hit in Hindi).
** "Prabtham' - this is also one of the expected film because of Savithri directed NT, but failed.
but at the same time, movies which were not expected much before release, became big hits like Raman ethanai Ramanadi, EngirundhO VandhaaL, Sorkkam, Kulama Gunama, Sumadhi en Sundhari etc.
in Padhukaappu, same like others, MSV also gave disappointment for us by non-memorable songs. (we cant tell because of movie failure, songs were not hit. Iru dhuruvam's 'thEru paarkka vandhirukkum' song and all songs of Prabtham were super duper hits at that time).
the only songs coming to our memory are....
'muthu maNi naagammaa' by LRE for JJ
'orunaaL ninaitha kaariyam nadakkum' by TMS & PS for NT & JJ.
'nambaL ki pyari' by chandrababu in 'thookuthookki' drama.
the main plus point of the movie 'paadhukaappu' is the wonderful CINEMATOGRAPHY.
groucho070.....
wonderful coverage about one of the underrated movies 'Edhiroli'.
(but comparing to many hit movies of NT, it should get a big hit..... but nobody can read the mind of public)
you have nicely covered all the sides of the movie....
your openion about SSR is same of mine, he is very week in face expressions, comparing to many heroes like Jai, Ravichandran, AVMR, Sivakumar & Muthuuraman.
this is another movie, in which NT has NO songs.
fabulous writing... keet it up.
Mohan sir,Quote:
Originally Posted by rangan_08
when writing about 'Paadhukaappu', I forgot to mention this.
Paadhugappu is not Geva colour. It is pakkaa 'Eastman Colour'.
(Raj gigital channel might have telecasted a very faded print of this movie. The faded print of EC will always look more reddish).
Infact, Geva color season was over before 60 itself. I think the following were in Geva color.
'Alibabavum 40 thirudargaLum' (full movie)
'Ambikapathi' (only 2 songs)
'NadOdi mannan' (last part where SD comes)
then 'Veerapandiya Kattabomman' and ' Konjum Salangai' were produced in Technic colour (processed in London).
When Eastman colour season started from Karnan, PadagOtti, Kaadhalikka nEramillai etc..., all movies came in EC only and Geva color became out of fasion.
Dear Karthik sir,
Thanks for the additional information about Padhukappu. Your memory power is amazing. I too was wondering about the Geva issue, but yes, as you told, that could be due to poor telecast.
Groucho070, Congrats! very good write-up on Ethiroli. I had seen it long back, so unable to recollect the scenes. But I still remember the opening scene which you have mentioned. It's one scene which proved the talents of both NT & KB in their own fields.
Dear Mr_Karthik and Rangan. Thanks for the encouragement.
I am waiting to see other fellow fans to throw in some background story to this film. I believe we discussed it way back, but it would nice for newer hubbers to learn as well.
For example, the question: Why KB directed only one with NT? And why did he do Ethiroli, when he was enjoying success with other actors?
Groucho, I saw the film last year and wrote this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by NOV
Rakesh,
What should I say? This is the best review written by you. Probably you have reserved the best for this combo of the masters. You have gone into the nook and corner of the movie and had come out with interesting observations. (eg) camera angles etc. To put it shortly you have made me to long for watching the movie again. Should check Moserbaer whether DVD had come. they were having only VCD earlier.
Mohan,
Don't worry. Better to see in DVD because Raj digital Plus always edits the movie to suit the timings.
Karthik,
Seem to be in fine form. In Paadalgal Palavitham thread, if it was heroine listing, here the movie listing. Good work by you to reminfd people about Iru Dhruvam and Praptham.
Yesterday after a long time watched Jaya TV and Mega TV (Thenkinnam and Amudha Ganam). Rare songs in the sense the songs that are not shown often were telecast. Like
En Raajavin Roja Mugam - Sivakaamiyin Selvan
Alangaram Kalayaadha - Rojavin Raja.
Ponnaasai Kondorkku - Muradan Muthu
Yaarada Manidhan Inge - Lakshmi Kalyanam
Nenjathile Nee Netru Vandhai - Shanthi.
What a variety! In addition watched Thillaana comedy scenes in Podhigai and part of Uthhama Puthiran in Kadhai Kadhaiyaam Kaaranamam again in Podhigai. A NT special night.
Mohan,
Remember you were once asking about Thavapudhalvan title. You mentioned titles showing NT's name without the title Nadigar Thilagam. Just now watching Thavapudhalvan and checked the tiltle. It is
நடிகர் திலகம்
சிவாஜி கணேசன்
அளிக்கும்
before the name of the movie and afterwards it is
நடிகர் திலகம்
சிவாஜி கணேசன்
Regards