Baalu Jenu

Last updated

Baalu Jenu
Baalu Jenu.jpg
Poster
Directed byBalan
Kunigal Nagabhushan
Screenplay byNagabhushan
Based on Mayangukiral Oru Maadhu
Produced byK. R. Ravichandran
Starring Aarathi
Gangadhar
Ramgopal
Rajinikanth
Udaya Chandrika
Pandari Bai
CinematographyT. M. Sundara Babu
Edited byP. K. Krishnan
Music by G. K. Venkatesh
Production
company
S G S Films
Release date
  • 10 December 1976 (1976-12-10)
Running time
131 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada

Baalu Jenu (transl. Life is honey) is a 1976 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Balan and Kunigal Nagabhushan. It is a remake of the 1976 Tamil film Mayangukiral Oru Maadhu . The film stars Aarathi, Gangadhar, Rajinikanth, Ramgopal, Udaya Chandrika and Pandari Bai. In Baalu Jenu, a married woman must try to keep a one-night stand that she had in college a secret from her husband, and thwart a persistent blackmailer intent on collecting money from her to keep quiet about it. It was released on 10 December 1976, and became a commercial success.

Contents

Plot

Geetha, a college student in Mysore, has a one-night stand with her rich boy friend Chandru. Unfortunately Chandru gets arrested on suspicion of abetting his industrialist father in smuggling and is sentenced to five years in prison. Geetha tries to find Chandru and when her efforts prove futile, consumes poison. Her hostel roommate Revathi and a doctor save her on time. After Geetha graduates, her marriage is arranged; to her surprise, the prospective groom's elder sister is the same doctor who saved her life and knows her secret. The doctor wholeheartedly recommends Geetha for her brother Ravi, a wealthy businessman. Ravi and Geetha get married and have a child.

Some years later, Geetha runs into Revathi at a sari shop. Revathi is married to Vasu, a photographer, and they too have a child. Vasu is the same photographer who had earlier blackmailed Chandru's father with pictures of him in the act of smuggling. When Revathi and Vasu visit Ravi and Geetha, Vasu takes some family photographs. While developing the pictures, Vasu recognizes Geetha's features; he recalls having clicked Geetha and Chandru during their one-night stand.

Chandru is released from prison, and to Geetha's horror, Ravi hires him as their driver. Vasu begins blackmailing Geetha and his financial demands increase. He also has altercations with Chandru. Geetha cannot cope with the mental and financial strain; she has a breakdown and is hospitalised. Chandru raids Vasu's dark room hoping to retrieve the damning negatives. In the ensuing fracas, Revathi bursts in and threatens to immolate herself and her child. Faced with the threat of losing his family before his very eyes, Vasu destroys the incriminating negatives. At the hospital, Ravi tells Geetha that he had full knowledge of the Chandru affair all along.

Cast

Production

Baalu Jenu is a remake of the 1976 Tamil film Mayangukiral Oru Maadhu . [3] [4] It was directed by Balan and Kunigal Nagabhushan, and produced by K. R. Ravichandran under S.G.S Films. Co-director Nagabhushan also wrote the screenplay. Cinematography was handled by T. M. Sundara Babu, and editing by P. K. Krishnan. [5] Rajinikanth, after watching Thengai Srinivasan's performance in the original film as a blackmailing photographer, expressed his desire to reprise that role and got it. [6] Baalu Jenu was also the first film where a character played by Rajinikanth had a major onscreen fight sequence. [7]

Themes

Film critic Naman Ramachandran noted numerous parallels between Rajinikanth's character Vasu in Baalu Jenu and his character Prasad in Moondru Mudichu (1976). He also compared it to many other earlier Rajinikanth films such as Apoorva Raagangal (1975), Munithaayi (a segment of the 1976 anthology film Katha Sangama ), Anthuleni Katha (1976) and Moondru Mudichu due to the fact that they focused on a central female character. [8]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by G. K. Venkatesh. [9] [10]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Aase Aralide" Kunigal Nagabhushan S. Janaki 3:45
2."Madhura Balu Madhura" R. N. Jayagopal K. J. Yesudas, S. Janaki4:38
3."Onde Ondu Katheya Heluve"R. N. JayagopalS. Janaki4:27
4."Samsaarada Santoshave"R. N. Jayagopal S. P. Balasubrahmanyam 4:25
Total length:17:15

Release

Baalu Jenu was released on 10 December 1976. [1] The film became a commercial success, [11] and Rajinikanth went on to play more negative roles in films. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajinikanth</span> Indian actor (born 1950)

Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam. He is widely regarded to be one of the most successful and popular actors in the history of Indian cinema. Known for his uniquely styled mannerism and one liners in films, he has a huge fan base and a cult following. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan in 2000, Padma Vibhushan in 2016, India's third and second highest civilian honours, and the highest award in the field of cinema Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the 67th National Film Awards ceremony (2019) for his contributions to Indian cinema. He has won numerous film awards including seven Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, a Nandi Award, one Filmfare Award and two Maharashtra State Film Awards.

<i>Baashha</i> 1995 film by Suresh Krissna

Baashha is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language gangster action film written and directed by Suresh Krissna. The film stars Rajinikanth, Nagma and Raghuvaran, with Janagaraj, Devan, Shashi Kumar, Vijayakumar, Anandaraj, Charan Raj, Kitty, Sathyapriya, Shenbaga and Yuvarani in supporting roles. It revolves around an auto-driver who maintains a humble exterior and avoids violence but conceals a dark past from his family.

<i>Uzhaippali</i> 1993 film by P. Vasu

Uzhaippali is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language action drama film, written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Rajinikanth and Roja. It was released on 24 June 1993, got highly positive response and became a blockbuster hit at the box office.

<i>Mannan</i> (film) 1992 film by P. Vasu

Mannan (transl. Monarch) is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Vijayashanti, Rajinikanth and Khushbu. It is a remake of the 1986 Kannada film Anuraga Aralithu Actually, the main knot of the story had already come in the Tamil movie Kanavan Manaivi, 1976 written by Kalaignanam. This movie marked the union of the reigning Lady Superstar Vijayashanti with her male counterpart Rajinikanth, and it was notable for her receiving higher pay check than the male lead due to market demand.

<i>Guru Sishyan</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by S. P. Muthuraman

Guru Sishyan is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed by S. P. Muthuraman. A remake of the Hindi film Insaf Ki Pukar (1987), it stars Rajinikanth, Prabhu, Seetha and Gautami with Pandiyan, Cho Ramaswamy, Ravichandran, Radha Ravi, Senthamarai, Vinu Chakravarthy and Manorama in supporting roles. The film is about two ex-convicts who set out to prove the innocence of their wrongfully imprisoned fellow convict.

<i>Maaveeran</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by Rajasekhar

Maaveeran is a 1986 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Rajasekhar. A remake of the 1985 Hindi film Mard, it stars Rajinikanth, Ambika and Jaishankar. The film revolves around a rude princess, who falls in love with a simpleton after initially being hostile towards him.

<i>Katha Sangama</i> (1976 film) 1975 film by Puttanna Kanagal

Katha Sangama is a 1976 Indian Kannada-language anthology film, directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on three short stories; Hangu by Giraddi Govindaraj, Athithi by Veena and Munithaayi by Eshwara Chandra. The film stars Kalyan Kumar, Rajinikanth, B. Saroja Devi and Aarathi in the lead roles. The supporting cast includes Lokanath, Vamana Rao, Shivaramaiah and Master Umesh. The film won three awards at the 1975–76 Karnataka State Film Awards, including the award for Best Actress (Aarathi).

<i>Moondru Mudichu</i> 1976 film by K. Balachander

Moondru Mudichu is a 1976 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film directed and co-written by K. Balachander. A remake of the Telugu film O Seeta Katha (1973), it stars Kamal Haasan, Sridevi and Rajinikanth. The film revolves around an 18-year-old girl and two roommates who fall in love with her.

<i>Maathu Tappada Maga</i> 1978 Indian film

Maathu Tappada Maga is a 1978 Indian Kannada-language film written and directed by Peketi Sivaram. The film stars Anant Nag, Aarathi, Sharada and Rajinikanth in his 25th film appearance. Udaykumar, K. S. Ashwath, Narasimharaju and T. N. Balakrishna feature in supporting roles.

<i>Ninaithale Inikkum</i> (1979 film) 1979 film by K. Balachander

Ninaithale Inikkum is a 1979 Indian Tamil-language film directed by K. Balachander starring Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Jaya Prada and Geetha. The story was written by Sujatha. The film was also simultaneously shot in Telugu as Andamaina Anubhavam. A large part of the film was shot in Singapore. The film was later dubbed in Hindi as Pyara Tarana.

<i>Naan Mahaan Alla</i> (1984 film) 1984 film by S. P. Muthuraman

Naan Mahaan Alla is a 1984 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by S. P. Muthuraman. The film stars Rajinikanth, Radha and M. N. Nambiar. It is a remake of the Hindi film Vishwanath (1978). The film was released on 14 January 1984, Pongal day and emerged a commercial success.

<i>Kai Kodukkum Kai</i> 1984 film by J. Mahendran

Kai Kodukkum Kai is a 1984 Indian Tamil-language film written and directed by Mahendran, starring Rajinikanth and Revathi. It is an extended version of Munithayi written by Eeswarachandra – the third segment of the 1976 Kannada anthology film Katha Sangama. Rajnikanth, who played the antagonist in Munithayi, played the lead role in this film. The film was produced by Vijayakumar and R. Vijayachandran. It was released on 15 June 1984.

<i>Polladhavan</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Muktha Srinivasan

Polladhavan is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film produced by S. Ravi, written and directed by his father Muktha Srinivasan. A remake of the 1976 Kannada film Premada Kanike, it stars Rajinikanth, Lakshmi and Sripriya. The film revolves around a wealthy merchant who keeps his daughter's nanny, an eyewitness to a murder committed by him, captive in his house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thengai Srinivasan</span> Indian actor and comedian

Thengai Srinivasan was an Indian actor who appeared in Tamil-language films and plays from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was given the prefix Thengai (coconut) after his role as a coconut-seller in the play Kal Manam. Although originally a comedian, he also performed in other genres and enacted several lead and antagonistic roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatafat Jayalaxmi</span> Indian actress

Jayalakshmi, whose popular screen name was Fatafat Jayalakshmi, was an Indian actress active mainly in Tamil and Telugu films. In Malayalam movies she was known as Supriya. She acted about 66 movies in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada within a decade of her career.

<i>Venalil Oru Mazha</i> 1979 film by Sreekumaran Thampi

Venalil Oru Mazha is a 1979 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Sreekumaran Thampi and produced by S. Kumar. The film stars Madhu, Jayan, Sukumari and Srividya in the lead roles. The film has musical score by M. S. Viswanathan. The film was a remake of the Tamil film Mullum Malarum (1978).

<i>Mayangukiral Oru Maadhu</i> 1975 film by S. P. Muthuraman

Mayangukiral Oru Maadhu is a 1975 Indian Tamil-language film directed by S. P. Muthuraman and produced by S. Baskar. The film stars Muthuraman and Sujatha, with Thengai Srinivasan, Vijayakumar and Fatafat Jayalaxmi in supporting roles. It revolves around a woman who must try to keep a one-night stand that she had in college a secret from her husband, and thwart a persistent blackmailer's intent on collecting money from her to keep quiet about it.

Belli Naaga is a 1986 Indian Kannada film, directed by N. S. Dhananjaya (Datthu) and produced by A. R. Raju. The film stars Tiger Prabhakar, Nalini, Dinesh and Sudarshan in the lead roles. The film has musical score by Satyam.

<i>Yavvanam Katesindi</i> 1976 film by Dasari Narayana Rao

Yavvanam Katesindi is a 1976 Telugu-language drama film directed by Dasari Narayana Rao and produced by Vijaya Bapineedu. The film stars Krishnam Raju, Jayachitra and Murali Mohan. The music was composed by Chakravarthy. It is a remake of 1975 Tamil film Mayangukiral Oru Maadhu. It was a super hit at the box office.

<i>Bezubaan</i> 1982 Indian film

Bezubaan (transl. Unspoken) is a 1982 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Bapu and produced by Pranlal Mehta. The film stars Shashi Kapoor, Reena Roy, Raj Kiran and Naseeruddin Shah. It is a remake of the Tamil film Mayangukiral Oru Maadhu. The film was a box office failure.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ramachandran 2014, p. 54.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ramachandran 2014, p. 55.
  3. ↑ National Film Archive of India [@NFAIOfficial] (11 December 2018). "A lobby card for #Kannada film #BaluJenu, one of the early films of #FaceOfTheWeek @rajinikanth. He played the character with negative shades. A remake of #Tamil film #MayangurikalOruMadhu, it was also remade in #Telugu as #YavanamKatesindi and in #Hindi as #Bezubaan" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 14 December 2018 – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ "Five landmark Kannada films of Rajinikanth that everyone must know about". The Times of India . 12 December 2020. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  5. ↑ "Baalu Jenu (ಬಾಳು ಜೇನು)". Chiloka. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  6. ↑ Raman, Mohan V. (20 October 2012). "He walked tall in tinsel town". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  7. ↑ Ramachandran 2014, p. 56.
  8. ↑ Ramachandran 2014, pp. 54–56.
  9. ↑ "Baalu Jenu". JioSaavn . Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  10. ↑ "Baalu Jenu Kannada Film EP Vinyl Record by G K Venkatesh". Mossymart. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "Happy Birthday Rajinikanth: Sandalwood celebs wish the Superstar on Twitter". The Times of India . 12 December 2018. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  12. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (27 January 2018). "Rajinikanth and realpolitik: In search of the Superstar's political script". Hindustan Times . Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.