Marupakkam

Last updated

Marupakkam
Marupakkam (The Other Side).JPG
Theatrical release poster
Directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan
Screenplay byK. S. Sethumadhavan
Based onUchi Veyyil
by Indira Parthasarathy
Starring Sivakumar
Radha
Jayabharathi
CinematographyD. Vasanth Kumar
Edited byG. Venkitaraman
Music by L. Vaidyanathan
Production
companies
Release date
  • 6 March 1992 (1992-03-06)(theatrical)
Running time
85 minutes [1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Budget₹12 lakh

Marupakkam (English: The Other Side) is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. An adaptation of the Tamil novella Uchi Veyyil by Indira Parthasarathy, the film stars Sivakumar, Radha, and Jayabharathi. Its music is composed by L. Vaidyanathan.

Contents

At the 38th National Film Awards, Marupakkam won three National Film Awards, including the Golden Lotus Award for Best Film, making it the first Tamil film to win in that category. The film was featured at the International Film Festival of India in 2003 as part of a retrospective tribute to Sethumadhavan.

Plot

Ambi, who lives in Delhi with his Christian wife Sweetie, arrives at Kumbakonam to meet his father Vembu Iyer who recently suffered a stroke and was paralysed after getting a message that Ambi separated from his wife. Ambi, feeling guilty, comes to see his father. A few weeks earlier, Ambi, who married Sweetie, came with her to meet his orthodox Brahmin parents Vembu and Janaki. Vembu insulted Sweetie and, unable to accept it, she decided to return immediately to Delhi and forced Ambi to leave with her. At Delhi, they continued quarrelling over it and finally separated. When Vembu got the news, he was upset and suffered a stroke. In the present, the doctor recognises that there is another side to Vembu's life. His son's separation from his wife reminded him of his separation from his beloved first wife Avayam. Slowly, Ambi understands that his father is longing to see has erstwhile wife, because though paralysed, Vembu keeps tapping his fingers as steps for a dance. Vembu now recollects his past.

Vembu and Avayam loved each other and got married against the wishes of Vembu's mother. While Vembu sang well, Avayam sang and danced well. Both kept enjoying their singing and dancing, which was not liked by Vembu's mother whose husband abandoned her for a dancer many years back. Avayam's continued interest in singing and dancing angered her, and she accused Avayam of behaving like a prostitute. When Avayam protested, Vembu slapped her and threw her out of his house for opposing his mother, whom he respected dearly. Avayam walked out and filed for divorce. In court, Vembu accused her of moral turpitude to justify the divorce petition, which hurt Avayam deeply and they got separated. Though separated, Vembu felt guilty of wrongly accusing Avayam.

Ambi's friend Murthy proposes that Ambi should bring Avayam so that his father can see her once before he dies. However, Janaki refuses. When Vembu's situation deteriorates. the doctor and others feel that his hours are numbered and is awaiting his death. However, Vembu hangs on to life. Murthy learns that Avayam Is now a famous dancer named Chitralekha and goes to meet her. In the meanwhile, knowing Vembu's grave condition, Sweetie returns home in traditional attire and seeks forgiveness from Janaki and Vembu. Janaki is happy that her daughter-in-law is back and Vembu is also happy, but still not satisfied. That is when Murthy brings Avayam. Looking at Avayam, Vembu is excited and feels relieved that she has forgiven him. Avayam holds Vembu's hand tightly, which was tapping all along awaiting her return.

Cast

Production

Development

As a fan of Indira Parthasarathy's stories, Malayalam filmmaker K. S. Sethumadhavan approached him with a desire to adapt his novel Vendhu Tanindha Kaadugal for the screen; Parthasarathy however suggested the novella Uchi Veyil, and Sethumadhavan, who had read the story before, read it again and agreed to make it into a film. [4] The title Uchi Veyil could not be retained due to a different film with the same name already having released in 1990, so Marupakkam was chosen. [5] The film was produced by the National Film Development Corporation of India and Doordarshan, [6] Sethumadhavan, in addition to directing, also wrote the screenplay. Cinematography was handled by D. Vasanth Kumar, and editing by G. Venkitaraman, while the background music was composed by L. Vaidyanathan. [1]

Casting and filming

When offered the role of Vembu Iyer by Sethumadhavan, Sivakumar, who had read the source material, readily accepted as he thought it would be a challenging role. He consulted dentists in deciding for his make-up. [7] Though the story is primarily set in Kumbakonam, the film was shot in Madras. [5] Made on a shoestring budget of ₹12 lakh (worth ₹2.7 crore in 2021 prices), [8] filming was completed in 14 days. [9]

Accolades

Marupakkam won three awards at the 38th National Film Awards which took place in 1991: Golden Lotus Award for Best Film, Silver Lotus Award for Best Screenplay (Sethumadhavan), and Silver Lotus Award for Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Jayabharathi). [1] [10] It was the first Tamil film to win the Best Film award. [11] Sivakumar was a strong contender for the National Film Award for Best Actor, but lost to Amitabh Bachchan for Agneepath . [2] [12] Sethumadhavan won the Film Fans Association Award for Best Director, and Sivakumar won for Best Character Actor. [13] The film was featured at the International Film Festival of India in 2003 as part of a retrospective tribute to Sethumadhavan. [14]

Reception

Marupakkam was theatrically released on 6 March 1992. [6] N. Krishnaswamy of The Indian Express wrote the following week, "Sethumadhavan's narration is designed to be impressive. Based on Indira Parthasarathy's novella, the script of Marupakkam tries to be offbeat by withholding information and by cutting back and forth time." [15] The Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan , in a review dated 15 March 1992, applauded Marupakkam as a sharply focused film on the subject without any diversion with good editing, superb acting, re-recording at the right places and nice presentation. The reviewer said only Sethumadhavan could translate a simple but meaningful story by Indira Parthasarathy into an amazing film like this, and felt more such films like this must come in Tamil cinema. [16] Another Tamil magazine, Kumudam , called it a "masterpiece" from Sivakumar, and said his career could be divided into two eras: "pre-Marupakkan and post-Marupakkam". [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Sindhu Bhairavi</i> (film) 1985 Indian film

Sindhu Bhairavi is a 1985 Indian Tamil-language musical drama film written and directed by K. Balachander. The film stars Sivakumar, Suhasini and Sulakshana. It revolves around the three lead characters: a Carnatic singer J. K. Balaganapathi (JKB), his wife Bhairavi, and his girlfriend Sindhu. At the peak of his career, JKB gets addicted to alcohol following complications with his affair, and his career goes into a downward spiral.

K. S. Sethumadhavan was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked predominantly in Malayalam cinema. He also directed films in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

<i>Avvai Shanmugi</i> 1996 film by K. S. Ravikumar

Avvai Shanmugi is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language comedy film directed by K. S. Ravikumar and co-written by Crazy Mohan. The film stars Kamal Haasan and Meena, with Gemini Ganesan, Nagesh, Heera, Manivannan, Nassar, Delhi Ganesh and Ann in supporting roles. It is an unofficial remake of the American film Mrs Doubtfire (1993). The film revolves around a divorcé who disguises as a nanny to be close to his daughter, whose custody is only with his ex-wife.

R. Parthasarathy, commonly known as Indira Parthasarathy or Ee. Paa., is an Indian author and playwright who writes in Tamil. He has published 16 novels, 10 plays, anthologies of short stories, and essays. He is best known for his plays, "Aurangzeb", "Nandan Kathai" and "Ramanujar".

<i>Kadhal Kottai</i> 1996 Indian film

Kadhal Kottai is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language romance film directed by Agathiyan. It stars Ajith Kumar and Devayani, with Heera, Thalaivasal Vijay, and Karan in supporting roles.

<i>Nammavar</i> 1994 film by K. S. Sethumadhavan

Nammavar is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan and produced by B. Venkatarama Reddy. The film stars Kamal Haasan and Gautami, while Nagesh, Senthil, Kovai Sarala, Srividya and Karan play supporting roles. It follows a history lecturer of a college and how he tries to reform the downtrodden college by his initiatives and its consequences.

<i>Apoorva Sagodharargal</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao

Apoorva Sagodharargal is a 1989 Indian Tamil-language masala film directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The film features an ensemble cast including Kamal Haasan, Jaishankar, Nagesh, Gautami, Rupini, Manorama, Srividya, Janagaraj, Moulee, Delhi Ganesh and Nassar. The plot centers on the twins Raju and Appu, who were separated during childhood, and Appu's quest for revenge against the criminals who killed his father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. Dhananjayan</span> Indian film producer

G. Dhananjayan (GD) is an Indian film producer, distributor, columnist, author of four books on Indian films and founder-director BOFTA Film Institute. He has produced films in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi languages, including Sankat City (2009), Kanden Kadhalai (2009), Mugamoodi (2012), Anjaan (2014) and Irudhi Suttru (2016), Kaatrin_Mozhi (2018), Kabadadaari (2021), Kodiyil Oruvan (2021) and many other films. He has won two National Film Awards.

<i>Annakili</i> 1976 film by Devaraj Mohan

Annakili is a 1976 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film, directed by Devaraj–Mohan and written by Panchu Arunachalam from a story by R. Selvaraj. The film stars Sivakumar and Sujatha with S. V. Subbaiah, Srikanth, Thengai Srinivasan and Fatafat Jayalaxmi in supporting roles. It was produced by S. P. Thamizharasi under the production banner SPT Films. The film's soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, who made his debut in film. A. Somasundaram and Kandasamy handled cinematography and editing respectively.

<i>Rosappu Ravikkaikari</i> 1979 film by Devaraj–Mohan

Rosappu Ravikkaikari is a 1979 Indian Tamil-language historical romance film directed by Devaraj–Mohan. A remake of the 1978 Kannada film Parasangada Gendethimma, itself based on Srikrishna Alanahalli's novella of the same name, the film stars Sivakumar, Deepa and Sivachandran, with Vinu Chakravarthy and Nagarathnamma in supporting roles. Set in British-ruled India, it revolves around a modern woman who cannot tolerate her rustic husband and her mother-in-law, and engages in an extramarital affair.

<i>Pasi</i> (film) 1979 Indian film

Pasi ( transl. Hunger) is a 1979 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Durai. It stars Shoba, Vijayan and Delhi Ganesh. The film, released on 21 December 1979, won two awards each at the National Film Awards, the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and the Filmfare Awards South. It was remade in Hindi by Durai as Pet Pyaar Aur Paap.

<i>Padikkadha Medhai</i> 1960 film by A. Bhimsingh

Padikkadha Medhai is a 1960 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed and co-written by A. Bhimsingh. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, S. V. Ranga Rao, Kannamba and Sowcar Janaki. It is a remake of the 1953 Bengali film Jog Biyog, itself based on the novel of the same name by Ashapurna Devi. The film was released on 25 June 1960 and became a commercial success. It was remade in Telugu as Aatma Bandhuvu (1962), with Ranga Rao and Kannamba reprising their roles, and in Hindi by Bhimsingh as Mehrban (1967).

<i>Pudhu Vasantham</i> 1990 film by Vikraman

Pudhu Vasantham is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language musical drama film, written and directed by Vikraman. The film stars Murali, Anand Babu, Raja, Charle and Sithara. It revolves around a woman who, due to circumstances, ends up cohabitating with four men in a platonic friendship.

<i>Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum</i> 1983 film by Sreedhar Rajan

Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum is a 1983 Indian Tamil-language film directed by debutant Sreedhar Rajan. Produced by R. Venkatraman, the film won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director at the 30th National Film Awards in 1983. The film was based on Indira Parthasarathy's novel Kuruthipunal which won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1977. It stars newcomer Vijaymohan and Poornima Jayaram, with Jaishankar, Rajesh, N. Viswanathan and Raveendran in pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Ilaiyaraaja while cinematography was handled by Soumendu Roy.

<i>Uyarndha Manithan</i> 1968 film by Krishnan–Panju

Uyarndha Manithan is a 1968 Indian Tamil-language drama film written by Javar Seetharaman and directed by Krishnan–Panju. The film was produced by A. V. Meiyappan, M. Saravanan, M. Kumaran and M. Murugan under AVM Productions. It stars Sivaji Ganesan and Sowcar Janaki, while S. A. Ashokan, Major Sundarrajan, Vanisri and Sivakumar play pivotal roles. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by M. S. Viswanathan, while the lyrics for the songs were written by Vaali.

<i>Annai</i> (1962 film) 1962 film

Annai (transl. Mother) is a 1962 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Krishnan–Panju. The film stars P. Bhanumathi and Sowcar Janaki, with S. V. Ranga Rao, J. P. Chandrababu and P. Raja playing supporting roles. The plot revolves around the theme that the love of a foster mother can be even stronger than that of a biological mother.

Jayabharathi is an Indian film director and screenwriter who has worked on Tamil films. Regarded as one of the pioneers of alternate cinema in the Tamil film industry, Jayabharathi has directed nine films across five decades.

<i>Veguli Penn</i> 1971 Indian film

Veguli Penn is a 1971 Indian Tamil-language mystery drama film directed and co-written by S. S. Devadoss. The film stars Gemini Ganesh and Devika, with R. Muthuraman, Nagesh, V. K. Ramasamy, V. Nirmala, Radhika, K. Balaji and S. Varalakshmi in supporting roles. It revolves around a woman who becomes pregnant, and the mystery surrounding the father of her child.

<i>Parvaiyin Marupakkam</i> 1982 Indian film

Parvaiyin Marupakkam is a 1982 Indian Tamil-language thriller film directed by K. M. Balakrishnan, starring Vijayakanth. The film explores the concept of hypnotism, and has an ensemble cast including M. N. Nambiar, Sripriya, Sivachandran and Silk Smitha. Parthiban and Rohini in the early stage of their career, did supporting roles in this film. It was released on 19 February 1982.

Uchi Veyil is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Jayabharathi.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "38th National Film Festival 1991". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bali, Karan (30 November 2017). "Marupakkam". Upperstall.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Dhananjayan 2014, p. 316.
  4. ↑ "Quest for change... and an urge to accept challenge". The Indian Express . 18 May 1991. pp. 19, 22. Retrieved 9 August 2020– via Google News Archive.
  5. 1 2 "The Kumbakonam flavour is very much there". The Indian Express . 18 May 1991. pp. 19, 22. Retrieved 9 August 2020– via Google News Archive.
  6. 1 2 "Marupakkam (The Other Side)". The Indian Express . 6 March 1992. p. 4. Retrieved 26 April 2018– via Google News Archive.
  7. ↑ "Disappointed but not dejected". The Indian Express . 18 May 1991. p. 22. Retrieved 9 August 2020– via Google News Archive.
  8. ↑ "சிவகுமார் நடித்த தேசிய விருது பெற்ற படம் – மறுபக்கம்" [Sivakumar acted in a National Award winning film – The Other Side]. Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 17 February 2019. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  9. 1 2 Dhananjayan 2014, p. 317.
  10. ↑ "The other side". The Indian Express . 18 May 1991. p. 19. Retrieved 9 August 2020– via Google News Archive.
  11. ↑ Baskaran 2013, p. 164.
  12. ↑ "கடைசி நேரத்தில் சிவகுமாருக்கு கைநழுவிய தேசிய விருது" [Sivakumar missed his National Award at the last minute]. Dinamalar (in Tamil). 31 March 2017. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "Kamal adjudged best actor for role in Guna". The Indian Express . 22 June 1992. p. 3. Retrieved 12 September 2023– via Google News Archive.
  14. ↑ "Tribute paid to Veteram film maker Sethumadhavan". Zee News . 10 October 2003. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  15. ↑ Krishnaswamy, N. (13 March 1992). "Marupakkam". The Indian Express . p. 7. Retrieved 26 April 2018– via Google News Archive.
  16. ↑ Vikatan Review Board (15 March 1992). "மறுபக்கம்". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil).

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.