Chandralekha (1995 film)

Last updated

Chandralekha
Chandralekha (1995 film).jpg
Title card
Directed by Nambirajan
Written byNambirajan
Produced byN. Sreedevi
Starring Vijay
Vanitha Vijayakumar
Sindhu
CinematographyK. S. Selvaraj
Edited byR. Bhaskaran
Music by Ilaiyaraaja
Production
company
Shri Sairam Arts (P) Ltd.
Release date
  • 23 October 1995 (1995-10-23)
Running time
136 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Chandralekha is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film, directed by Nambirajan. Starring Vijay and Vanitha Vijayakumar in her debut, the film revolves around an orthodox Brahmin girl falling in love with a Muslim boy, Rahim, but their families do not accept it. The lovers try to elope and are caught by militants in the forest.

Contents

Chandralekha was released on 23 October 1995, [1] during Diwali, and performed poorly at the box office, even though the songs were a hit.

Plot

Chandralekha, an orthodox Brahmin girl, had led a sheltered life within the confines of her community. Rahim, on the other hand, was a free-spirited and Muslim boy. Their paths crossed one fateful day when they both happened to visit a local bookstore, drawn to the power of literature. They struck up a conversation, sharing their thoughts and dreams, and a deep connection began to form between them.

Unknown to Chandralekha and Rahim, Salima, a childhood friend of Rahim, had harbored strong feelings for him since they were young. Salima had always envisioned a future with Rahim and was devastated to discover his growing affection for Chandralekha. Consumed by jealousy and unable to accept his choice, she confided in her older brother, Jamal, seeking his help to secure Rahim's love for herself.

Meanwhile, Mustafa, Rahim's elder brother, and Jamal devise a plan to engage Salima and Rahim without Rahim's consent. Believing that Rahim would eventually come around and accept the arrangement, they thought it was the best way to preserve family honor and keep the social fabric intact. They failed to realize the depth of Rahim and Chandralekha's love for each other.

As their families discovered the blossoming relationship between Rahim and Chandralekha, they vehemently opposed it. Bound by the traditions and religious beliefs of their respective communities, they refused to accept a union that crossed societal boundaries. Faced with strong resistance and familial pressure, Rahim and Chandralekha decided to escape the clutches of their families and seek a life of freedom and love.

Their plan to elope took them deep into the forests, hoping to find solace and refuge in the wilderness. However, their dreams of a peaceful existence were shattered when they encountered a group of militants operating in the area. The militants captured them, intending to use their predicament as leverage against their families.

Back in the village, Salima's heartbreak over Rahim's choice drove her to the brink of madness. The pain of losing the man she had loved all her life, coupled with the betrayal she felt from her brother's involvement in the scheme, pushed her fragile mind to the edge of sanity.

In a dramatic turn of events, the police were tipped off about the militants' presence in the forest. They launched a rescue operation to save Rahim and Chandralekha from their captors, ensuring their safe return to the village. The encounter with danger and the subsequent rescue left Rahim and Chandralekha with a renewed appreciation for life and the strength of their bond.

During this time, Mustafa underwent a profound transformation. Witnessing the lengths to which Rahim and Chandralekha had gone for their love, he realized the injustice and heartache that had been inflicted upon them. With a change of heart, he approached both families, urging them to accept the union and put an end to the cycle of pain and suffering.

However, Jamal's anguish over his sister's deteriorating mental state proved too much for him to bear. Overwhelmed by his despair, he sought retribution for what he saw as the cause of Salima's suffering. In a fit of rage and madness, Jamal confronted Rahim and Chandralekha at the railway station, where they had sought refuge, and tragically ended their lives.

Witnessing this horrific act, the policemen who were present immediately reacted and shot Jamal, putting an end to the violence. The village was left in shock and grief, unable to comprehend the series of tragic events that had unfolded before them.

In the final moments of her life, Chandralekha made a heartfelt wish that her and Rahim's bodies be buried together a testament to their eternal love and the bond they shared. The villagers, moved by the intensity of their love story, granted her final request, laying them to rest side by side, forever united in death.

The tragedy that unfolded within the village left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of its inhabitants. It served as a stark reminder of the consequences of intolerance, the power of love, and the importance of understanding and acceptance across cultural and religious divides. The memory of Chandralekha and Rahim's love story will forever be etched in the village's collective consciousness, inspiring future generations to strive for a more inclusive and compassionate world.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Delhi, Agra, Kulu Manali, and Talakonam. [3]

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. [4]

SongSingersLyricsLength
"Adikkadi Thudikum" Swarnalatha Kamakodiyan 5:28
"Adi Aathadi" K. S. Chithra Panchu Arunachalam 5:03
"Allah Un Aanai" P. Unnikrishnan, Preethi Uttamsingh Vaali 6:02
"Anal thanil vaadidum" Bhavatharini Kamakodiyan6:00
"Arumbum Thalire" Arunmozhi, GeethaVaali4:49
"Arumbum Thalire II"P. Unnikrishnan0:47
"Sangili" Mano, K. S. ChithraMuthulingam5:35
"Tharai Varamal"P. Unnikrishnan, Geetha, Arunmozhi Vaali1:48
"Vanji Ponnu"K. S. ChithraPanchu Arunachalam5:19

Reception

Thulasi of Kalki wrote that the director seems to have thought he was dealing with a huge thing. The story is about love beyond religion. In this one thing, the man has felt too happy but left all the other things together with the fort, the wall, and the trench. [5] D. S. Ramanujam of The Hindu wrote that the director "banks mostly on Vijay [...] to produce the results with his youthful looks and fighting abilities," although Vanitha "does not put sufficient efforts in to acting the role of a heroine". [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Pandavar Bhoomi</i> 2001 film by Cheran

Pandavar Bhoomi is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language drama film, written and directed by Cheran. The film stars Arun Vijay, Shamitha and Rajkiran. While Vinu Chakravarthy and Mukesh Tiwari played the antagonists, Chandrasekhar, Ranjith, Manorama and Charle played supporting roles. The film, released on 21 September 2001, won the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil (Cheran), and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Second Best Film.

<i>Jodi</i> (1999 film) 1999 Indian film

Jodi (transl. Couple) is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Praveenkanth and produced by Sunanda Murali Manohar. The film stars Prashanth and Simran, with Vijayakumar, Nassar and Srividya in supporting roles. The soundtrack is composed by A. R. Rahman, featuring music reused from his own earlier soundtrack for the Hindi film Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, except for the song Oru Poiyavathu. Due to Rahman's unavailability, Praveen signed Sabesh–Murali to quickly compose the background score. The film was released on 9 September 1999, and became commercially successful. It was remade in Kannada in 2006 as Sajni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijayakumar (Tamil actor)</span> Indian actor (born 1943)

Panchaksharam Rangasamy Pillai, known professionally as Vijayakumar, is an Indian actor who works in Tamil cinema. He started his film career in the Tamil film Sri Valli (1961) as a child actor and started playing a lead role from the movie Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974) then he worked in Madhura Geetham (1977) and Azhage Unnai Aarathikkiren (1979). He has also acted in Telugu and Malayalam movies. He also worked in television serials like Thangam, Vamsam, Talambralu, Nandini and Rasaathi. His son is actor Arun Vijay.

<i>Poovellam Kettuppar</i> 1999 Indian film

Poovellam Kettuppar is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy musical film written and directed by Vasanth. It stars Suriya and Jyothika. Vijayakumar, Nassar, Vadivelu and Ambika appear in supporting roles. The film was released on 6 August 1999.

<i>Periyanna</i> 1999 Indian film

Periyanna is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar, starring Suriya, Meena and Manasa with Vijayakanth in an extended cameo role as the title character. The soundtrack for this film was composed by debutant music director Bharani. The film released on 14 April 1999.

<i>Kaadhal Mannan</i> 1998 Indian film

Kaadhal Mannan is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Saran. The film stars Ajith Kumar and newcomer Maanu in the lead roles. It also saw veteran music composer M. S. Viswanathan make his debut in a supporting role, whilst Vivek, Karan and Girish Karnad also played other roles. The film was released on 6 March 1998 and became a commercial success.

<i>Endrendrum Kadhal</i> 1999 Indian film

Endrendrum Kadhal is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written, directed and co-produced by Manoj Bhatnagar. The film stars Vijay and Rambha with Raghuvaran, Nizhalgal Ravi, Bhanupriya, Radha Ravi, Charle, and Dhamu in other pivotal roles. Veteran actor M. N. Nambiar also played a supporting role, while S. A. Rajkumar composed the film's music. The film was released on 5 March 1999, and became a box office hit.

<i>Nilaave Vaa</i> 1998 film

Nilaave Vaa is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by A. Venkatesh and produced by K. T. Kunjumon. The film stars Vijay and Suvalakshmi, while Sanghavi, Raghuvaran and Manivannan play other supporting roles. The film was released on 14 August 1998 and was a decent hit at the box office.

<i>Anthimanthaarai</i> 1996 Indian film

Anthimanthaarai is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language historical drama film directed by Bharathiraja. The film stars Vijayakumar and Jayasudha. It is produced by Chandraleela Bharathiraja and Thilaka Ganesh. The film won the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Tamil. The music for the film is scored by A. R. Rahman, marking his third collaboration with Bharathiraja after Kizhakku Cheemayile and Karuthamma.

<i>Kizhakku Vaasal</i> 1990 film by R. V. Udayakumar

Kizhakku Vaasal is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed and co-written by R. V. Udayakumar. The film stars Karthik, Revathi and Khushbu. It was released on 12 July 1990 and ran for over 175 days in theatres. In 1992, the film was remade in Hindi as Mere Sajana Saath Nibhana and in Kannada as Sindhoora Thilaka. In 1995, it was remade in Telugu as Chilakapachcha Kaapuram despite already being dubbed in Telugu as Thoorpu Sindhooram.

<i>Natpukkaga</i> 1998 Indian film

Natpukkaga is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Ravikumar, starring R. Sarathkumar in dual roles as a father and son, Simran, Vijayakumar and Sujatha. It became a blockbuster upon release. The film won two Filmfare Awards South and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, both ceremonies conferring Best Film and Best Actor (Sarathkumar). It was remade in Telugu by Ravikumar as Sneham Kosam (1999) and in Kannada as Diggajaru (2001). It is Sarath Kumar's 75th film.

<i>Pooveli</i> 1998 film directed by Selva

Pooveli is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Selva, who also co-wrote the screenplay. An unofficial remake of A Walk in the Clouds (1995), the film stars Karthik, Abbas, Kausalya and Heera Rajagopal. It was released on 5 December 1998. The film was remade in Telugu as Alludugaaru Vachcharu (1999) with Kausalya, Abbas and Heera reprising their roles.

<i>Kakkai Siraginilae</i> 2000 Indian film

Kakkai Siraginilae is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by P. Vasu. Parthiban and Preetha Vijayakumar star, whilst Manasa, K. Viswanath, Lakshmi, Visu, and Vadivelu play supporting roles. Actress Vanitha Vijayakumar worked as the assistant director for this film. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja with editing by P. Mohanraj and cinematography by R. Raghunatha Reddy. The film was released on 10 March 2000.

Ponnu Veetukkaran is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Sathyaraj and Preetha Vijayakumar, while Vijay Adhiraj, Goundamani, Vijayakumar and Radharavi play supporting roles. It was released on 15 January 1999.

<i>Malabar Police</i> 1999 Indian film

Malabar Police is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language crime comedy film written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Sathyaraj in a dual role, Abbas, Khushbu and Mumtaj. It revolves around an eloping couple witnessing a murder, and evading an attack by the murderer. A CBI officer investigates the murder, and suspects it is connected to the rivalry between two businessmen.

<i>Dharma</i> (1998 film) 1998 Indian film

Dharma (transl. Righteousness) is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Keyaar. The film stars Vijayakanth and Preetha Vijayakumar. A remake of the 1997 Hindi film Ziddi, it was released on 9 July 1998.

<i>Kolangal</i> (1995 film) 1995 Indian film

Kolangal is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by I. V. Sasi. The film stars Jayaram and Khushbu. It was released on 15 September 1995. This was Sasi's final Tamil as a director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanitha Vijayakumar</span> Indian actress

Vanitha Vijayakumar is an Indian actress who has appeared predominantly in Tamil films and television shows.

Manikkam is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Surya Prakash in his debut and produced by T. Siva. The film stars Rajkiran and Vanitha Vijayakumar, while Vinu Chakravarthy and Gandhimathi play supporting roles. It was released on 7 September 1996.

References

  1. "Chandralekha ( 1995 )". Cinesouth. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  2. "Vanitha on being Vijay's heroine". IndiaGlitz. 28 September 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  3. Kummar, S. R. Ashok (20 October 1995). "Big screen bonanza". The Hindu . p. 41. Archived from the original on 22 December 1996. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  4. "Chandralekha (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1995)". Raaga.com . Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  5. துளசி (3 December 1995). "சந்திரலேகா". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 64. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023 via Internet Archive.
  6. Ramanujam, D. S. (3 November 1995). "Cinema: Muthu/Chandralekha/Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge". The Hindu . p. 26. Archived from the original on 22 December 1996. Retrieved 1 March 2024.