Padayappa

Last updated

Padayappa
Padayappa.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by K. S. Ravikumar
Written byK. S. Ravikumar
Produced byK. Sathya Narayana
M. V. Krishna Rao
H. Vittal Prasad
P. L. Thenappan
Starring Sivaji Ganesan
Rajinikanth
Ramya Krishnan
Soundarya
CinematographyS. Murthy
Prasad
Edited byK. Thanigachalam
Music by A. R. Rahman
Production
company
Arunachala Cine Creations
Release date
  • 10 April 1999 (1999-04-10)
Running time
181 minutes [1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Padayappa is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It stars Rajinikanth in the titular lead, with Sivaji Ganesan in his penultimate release, Ramya Krishnan and Soundarya sharing other lead roles, while Lakshmi, Radha Ravi, Nassar, Abbas and Preetha play supporting roles. The soundtrack album and background score were composed by A. R. Rahman. The plot revolves around the title character and his family being targeted in a generations-long revenge by his cousin Neelambari, a narcissistic woman who was left humiliated after Padayappa rejected her love proposal as he was in love with her good-natured home worker Vasundhara.

Contents

Principal photography for the film began in October 1998. Padayappa was released on 10 April 1999 on the eve of Tamil New Year's Day. This was the first Tamil film to be released worldwide with 210 prints and 700,000 audio cassettes. It became Tamil cinema's highest-grossing film at that point. Ramya Krishnan's performance was praised, winning her a Filmfare Award under the Best Actress category. The film also won five Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

Plot

Padayappa is a mechanical engineer who returns to his village to attend his sister's engagement to Suryaprakash, the son of their maternal uncle Rajarathnam. His father, Dharmalingam is the respected village chieftain. During his stay, he comes across Vasundhara, his uncle's maid, and falls in love with her. Suryaprakash's sister, Neelambari, also falls in love with Padayappa, making Vasundhara scared to admit her feelings. Dharmalingam's younger brother Ramalingam demands a share in the family property because he wants wealth and respect like his brother, but Padayappa's father refuses to divide the property and instead gives the entire property and wealth to his brother. The family leaves their home the same evening to go to Padayappa's home in Madras, but unable to bear the shock, Padayappa's father dies just as they leave. Within days, Suryaprakash marries Ramalingam's daughter Meena without the villagers' knowledge, craving their newfound wealth and status. Padayappa's mother, Savitri is insulted by Rajarathnam, but she blesses the couple and leaves.

While Padayappa sets to clean his land for agriculture, Ramalingam's spy finds small rocks, and he discovers that a hill on that property is solid granite, which is very valuable. He tries to get that granite hill by giving the family property back to Padayappa, but after many obstacles, Padayappa's mother cancels the deal. Ramalingam tries to force them to sign over, and reveals the reason for the deal. Padayappa bashes his men and leaves with his family. He starts the granite business, becoming wealthy and taking over the chieftain position of his father while his family settles in a new mansion and regains their respect. Padayappa's sister marries one of the chief engineers who work in Padayappa's company.

Neelambari learns about Padayappa's love for Vasundhara and is furious; she tries to harm herself. Her parents beg Padayappa's mother to allow Neelambari to marry him. However, to everyone's surprise, Padayappa's mother proposes marriage to Vasundhara; she was aware of Padayappa's love for Vasundhara, and wanted to get revenge on her brother for humiliating her. Unable to bear the humiliation, Padayappa's maternal uncle commits suicide the same night. Neelambari vows to get revenge, but fails twice, and Padayappa marries Vasundhara. Suryaprakash brings Neelambari to his home, but she locks herself in her room, and refuses to come out, watching Padayappa's wedding video on repeat.

18 years later, Neelambari is still staying in her room, while Suryaprakash becomes the home minister. Padayappa's uncle is in financial straits, and he and his family are in danger of being evicted from their home. Suryaprakash refuses to help because it would endanger his position. Padayappa comes to their rescue, saving his uncle and his family. He becomes indebted to him and seeks Padayappa's pardon for his misdeeds. Padayappa forgives him.

Neelambari plans her revenge on Padayappa, now a father of two daughters. Suryaprakash also has a son, Chandraprakash alias Chandru, who studies at the same college as Padayappa's elder daughter, Anitha. Neelambari advises Chandru to make Anitha fall in love with him. At the same time, Padayappa plans to get Anitha married to his sister's son. Neelambari, having made Chandru pretend to fall in love with Anitha, plans to humiliate Padayappa by making Anitha say that she does not wish to marry a groom of her parents' choice, and that she is in love with someone else. At the marriage ceremony, after Anitha does what Neelambari told her to do, Padayappa then makes an oath to unite Anitha with her lover by the next Muhurta . Padayappa discovers that Chandru really did fall in love with Anitha, even though he was only initially pretending to do so on Neelambari's orders. When Padayappa takes Chandru and Anitha to the temple to get married, Neelambari and Suryaprakash give chase to stop them. During the chase, Suryaprakash is killed in a car accident.

Armed with a machine gun, Neelambari reaches the temple where Chandru and Anitha are married, and tries to kill Padayappa. Instead, Padayappa saves her life by preventing a bull from attacking her, while at the same time dodging the bullets she fires at him. Furious at being defeated again, Neelambari commits suicide, promising to take revenge on Padayappa in her next birth, but Padayappa is certain it will never work. He prays for her to find peace.

Cast

Production

Development

In September 1998, Rajinikanth announced his next project, titled Padayappa, with K. S. Ravikumar as director. It also marks Ravikumar’s second collaboration with Rajinikanth after Muthu . [14] The story of this film was taken in part from the historical Tamil novel, Ponniyin Selvan , by Kalki Krishnamurthy. [15] Ravikumar had simultaneously discussed another script with Rajinikanth titled Hara, but the actor preferred to do Padayappa first. [9] The title Padayappa is an adoption of Aarupadayappa — a sobriquet for Murugan and his six abodes. [16]

The film was produced by K. Sathya Narayana, M. V. Krishna Rao, and H. Vittal Prasad under their production banner, Arunachala Cine Creations, [17] along with P. L. Thenappan as co-producer. [18] Lalitha Mani was the choreographer for the song sequences. [19] Jyothi Krishna, son of producer A. M. Rathnam, was involved in the development of the film's script. [20]

Casting

Today's audience expects novelty from film makers and stars. The success of [Neelambari] in Padayappa is an example of this. Action and reaction are the key factors for an artiste's success.

 – Ramya Krishnan, in an interview with The Hindu in July 1999. [21]

Rajinikanth was cast as the title character, a city-based engineer who returns to his ancestral village. [14] Padayappa's cousin Neelambari is based on Nandini, a vengeful woman in Ponniyin Selvan. [15] [9] Meena and Nagma were earlier considered for the role, [9] but Ramya Krishnan was ultimately cast. [22] She said she accepted the role because "it was opposite a superstar and that too the character was a negative one, no one was ready to do it, but I did it. I didn't have any second thoughts." [23] According to Aishwarya Rai, she was also considered for the role; [24] [25] however, Ravikumar denied the claim. [9]

Simran was considered for the role of Vasundhara, before the role went to Soundarya, [26] who had earlier worked with Rajinikanth in Arunachalam (1997). [21] Ravikumar revealed that the makers could not sign Simran due to her busy schedule and Meena was also considered for Vasundhara's role. [9] Shalini was touted to play the role of Padayappa's sister, [16] but the role eventually went to Sithara. [27] Ramesh Kanna was chosen to play Murugesan after Rajinikanth was impressed with his performance in Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen (1998). Apart from acting, Kanna also worked as the film's co-director. [10]

The characterisation of the older Padayappa – bearded, with sunglasses – is based on Rajinikanth's look as the character Manik Baashha in Baashha (1995). [6] [28] Vijayakumar was the initial choice for Padayappa's father before Sivaji Ganesan was cast; [9] Padayappa was his penultimate release before Pooparika Varugirom (1999). [29] His character's appearance, with a mutton-chop moustache, is based on a similar role he played in Thevar Magan (1992). [14]

Filming

The scene where Padayappa pulls down a swing for him to sit on was based on a sequence in the Indian epic Ramayana, where Hanuman makes a chair for himself to sit on. Padayappa Swing Scene.jpg
The scene where Padayappa pulls down a swing for him to sit on was based on a sequence in the Indian epic Ramayana , where Hanuman makes a chair for himself to sit on.

Principal photography began at the Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam on 1 October 1998. [14] [17] The climax scene was one of the first to be shot, [31] and was filmed in one take using two cameras. Around 2,000 extras were used for the scene. [21] The car that was used in the scene which introduces Neelambari was a Toyota Sera, which belonged to Ravikumar. [9] Ravikumar used the newly purchased car in the film at Rajinikanth's insistence. [32] Filming also took place in Mysore. [33] The Vadapalani-based shop, D. V. Nehru wigs, supplied the wigs that were sported by Ganesan. [34] In a 2016 interview with The Hindu , Ravikumar mentioned that the scene where Padayappa uses his shawl to pull down a swing from the ceiling on which he sits after not being given a chair to sit by Neelambari, was inspired by a sequence in the Indian epic Ramayana , where Hanuman makes a seat using his tail after Ravana does not provide him a chair to sit. [30]

"Kikku Yerudhey" was the last song sequence to be shot. For the sequence, Rajinikanth required Ravikumar to sport an outfit similar to Rajinikanth's, and enact a small part in the song. Rajinikanth also selected the part of the song where Ravikumar would make his appearance. After reluctantly agreeing to do the part, the sequence where they both appear together was filmed. Rajinikanth said he felt the shot did not look right, and re-takes for Ravikumar's sequence were done. After the re-takes were completed, Rajinikanth admitted that the first sequence was fine. When Ravikumar asked the cameraman why he had not told him earlier, the cameraman replied by saying that Rajinikanth wanted Ravikumar to do seven takes, to teach him a lesson for all the takes that Ravikumar had required of Rajinikanth. [35]

Themes

Writing for PopMatters , Ranjani Krishnakumar noted that Padayappa underlined Rajinikanth's political manoeuvres, evident when his character's lover sings "Kaadhal therdhalil kattil sinnathil vetri petru nee vaazgha" (In the election of love, with the symbol of bed, may you win and flourish). [36] P. C. Balasubramanianram and N. Ramakrishnan, in their book, Grand Brand Rajini, said, "Padayappa, in one way, stands testimony to Rajini's life itself." [37]

Music

The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Vairamuthu. The soundtrack was released through Star Music. [38] Strips of herbal rejuvenator capsules were sold along with the film's music cassettes. [39] Before the film's release, Rahman asked Ravikumar if the soundtrack could be released in August 1999. Ravikumar informed Rahman that he had already discussed a release date with the press, and that Rahman would be blamed for any delay. To make the deadline, Rahman did a live re-recording of both the soundtrack and score to finish them on time. [40]

The credits for the song "Vetri Kodi Kattu", sung by Palakkad Sreeram, initially went to Malaysia Vasudevan, who publicly stated that the credits for the song should have been attributed to Sreeram. Rahman requested the company who manufactured the audio cassettes to make the change. [41] The song "Minsara Kanna" is based on the Vasantha raga, [42] while "Vetri Kodi Kattu" is based on the Keeravani raga. [43] "Minsara Kanna" established Srinivas as a leading singer in the film industry. [44]

Srikanth Srinivasa of the Deccan Herald wrote, "The music by [Rahman], to Vairamuthu's lyrics, sounds good while the movie is on, though whether without the presence of [Rajinikanth] they would have, is another thing." [45] S. Shiva Kumar of The Times of India was more critical of the soundtrack, and called it "lacklustre". [46]

Release

Padayappa was released theatrically on 10 April 1999 on the eve of Tamil New Year's Day. [15] It was the first Tamil film to be released worldwide with over 200 prints, and 700,000 audio cassettes. [47] [48] The film's rights in Japan were sold for US$50,000, which was the highest an Indian film fetched for commercial release in 1999. [49] [50] Co-producer Thenappan registered the film posters as a Class 34 trademark in 1998, to be used for trademarking such items as beedis, cigarettes, cheroots and tobacco, making it the first instance of brand extension in the Tamil film industry. [51] The pre-release business of the film's overseas rights amounted to ₹ 3 crore (equivalent to ₹13 croreorUS$1.5 million in 2023). [52] According to an estimate by trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai, the value of the theatrical and satellite rights for Padayappa was approximately ₹2 crore (equivalent to ₹8.6 croreorUS$1.0 million in 2023). [53]

Reception

Critical response

Ananda Vikatan , in its original review of the film dated 25 April 1999, wrote that the original stamp of Rajinikanth style could be seen in the film several times, adding that Ramya Krishnan had matched Rajinikanth and created a royal path separately, and concluded that the film was exclusively made for Rajinikanth's fans, giving it a rating of 41 out of 100. [54] Srikanth Srinivasa of Deccan Herald gave the film a positive verdict, claiming that the "positive energy generated by this film is simply astounding", and labelling Rajinikanth's role as "terrific". [45] Ganesh Nadar of Rediff also gave a positive review, praising Ramya Krishnan's performance in the film, and said that she "does a fantastic job", concluding, "... if you are a Rajni fan, this film is vintage stuff." [28] K. P. S. of Kalki called the screenplay confusing and dragged, and the film has too many sub plots within short time but praised the performances of Rajinikanth and Ramya Krishnan. [55]

D. S. Ramanujam of The Hindu wrote, "SET TO please and enthral his fans, Arunachala Cine Creations Padaiappa is loaded with scenes and dialogue that will tremendously boost Rajinikanth's image. Experienced director K. S. Ravikumar goes beyond the accepted limits of cinematic allowances to make the venture of a Bade Appa, so will be the verdict of Rajini's fans" while praising the acting of cast, set design, cinematography, humour and music. [56] S. Shiva Kumar of The Times of India was critical of the film's allusions to the actor's political career, stating that the film was "more style than substance". [46] Sify praised Ramya Krishnan's performance but criticised Rajinikanth, stating that he had nothing to do but "be the Superman and spew dialogues". The reviewer concluded, "Technically the film has nothing much to offer." [7]

Box office

Padayappa was a major box office success; according to The Tribune , it was the highest grossing Tamil film at that point. [57] The film had a theatrical run of 100 days in 86 theatre centres, [18] and was dubbed into Telugu under the title Narasimha. [58] The dubbed version was also a commercially successful venture, and had a theatrical run of 50 days in 49 theatres. [51]

Criticism from animal rights activists

Nikhil Talreja, an animal activist, criticised one scene from the film which shows a bull charging at Vasundhara who is wearing a red sari. He accused the filmmakers of propagating the regressive myth that bulls charge at anything coloured red; [59] the creatures are actually red–green colour blind. [60] Talreja also criticised another scene propagating a similarly regressive myth, that snakes drink milk. He said, "Snakes are not mammals. They are reptiles [...] For snakes, this is biologically impossible. Snakes in general can open three times the actual size of their mouth and consume prey directly. They just don't drink milk." [61]

Accolades

CeremonyCategoryNominee(s)Ref.
Dinakaran Cinema AwardsBest PicturePadayappa [62]
Best Character Role Female Ramya Krishnan
Best Stunt Director Kanal Kannan
46th Filmfare Awards South Best Actress – Tamil Ramya Krishnan [21]
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Best Film (first prize) K. S. Ravikumar [63]
Best Actor Rajinikanth
Best Actress (Special Prize) Ramya Krishnan
Best Male Playback Singer Srinivas
Best Make-up Artist R. Sundaramoorthy

Cancelled sequel

Padayappa's final cut initially lasted for 19 reels, which was considered too lengthy. Rather than cut the film, Rajinikanth suggested to Ravikumar to allot two intervals. [64] He screened the uncut film for actor Kamal Haasan, who told him not to go for two intervals. Haasan suggested Padayappa be edited in a way that would not disturb the storyline, so Ravikumar and the editor Thanigachalam managed to bring the film down to 14 reels. [9] When Kumudam 's reporter Kannan learnt about the scenes which had been cut, he asked Rajinikanth to release them as Padayappa's sequel. Rajinikanth immediately spoke to Ravikumar about the possibility, but was informed that those reels had been destroyed. [65]

Legacy

With the success of Padayappa, Ramya Krishnan, who up to that point in time had only performed glamorous roles, [21] showed her versatility as an actress. [66] The character Neelambari reappears in Baba (2002), where she spots Baba (Rajinikanth) but sees him in her mind's eye in his Padayappa attire; she asks him the time. Her brother drags her away, and berates her for still not overcoming Padayappa. Ramya Krishnan and Nasser reprised their roles in this film. [67] The success of Padayappa led to a film being named after one of its songs, Minsara Kanna (1999), also directed by Ravikumar where actress Khushbu appears in a negative role similar to Ramya Krishnan's in Padayappa; [68] another song from the film, Vetri Kodi Kattu , became the name of a 2000 film directed by Cheran. [69]

Ramya Krishnan played the role of Malini in the film Arumugam (2009), in which her character was similar to Neelambari. [70] [71] Her character in the television serial, Kalasam, was also named Neelambari. [72] Actress Priyamani, in an interview with Prathibha Joy of The Times of India, stated her character in the Kannada film Ambareesha (2014), is similar to Neelambari. [73] In Chetan Bhagat's novel, 2 States: The Story of My Marriage (2009), when Krish Malhotra, the protagonist, travels to Nungambakkam by auto rickshaw, the driver stops to worship a poster of Padayappa. [74] The famous line in the film, "Idhu Anbala Serntha Koottam" (This crowd was formed out of love) was used in "The Punch Song", a song from the film, Aaha Kalyanam (2014). [75]

Some of the quotes from the film that became popular were: "En Vazhi Thani Vazhi." (My way is a unique way); [66] "Poda Aandavane Nammapakkam Irukan’’ (God is on our side); [76] "Adhigama Aasaipadra Aambalaiyum, Adhigama Kobapadra Pombalaiyum, Nalla Vazhndhadha Sarithirame Kidaiyathu" (There is no history of a man who desires too much or a woman who gets too angry living well), "Kashtapadama Edhuvum Kidaikkathu. Kashtapadama Kidaikirathu Ennikkum Nilakkathu" (One can gain nothing without working hard for it. That which is gained without hard work will not last forever); [77] the English dialogue "Anger is the cause of all miseries. One should know how to control it, otherwise life will become miserable", [78] and Neelambari's dialogue "Vayasanalum un style um azhagum inum unna vitu pogala" (Even though you have grown older, your style and beauty has not left you). [79] [80] One of Rajinikanth's dialogues — "En Vazhi Thani Vazhi" — was used as the title of a 2015 film directed by Shaji Kailas. [81] It was also used as the title of a 2010 book on branding by Sridhar Ramanujam. [82]

Scenes and dialogues from the film were parodied in various other films such as Thirupathi Ezhumalai Venkatesa (1999), [83] En Purushan Kuzhandhai Maadhiri (2001), [84] Annai Kaligambal (2003), [85] Sivaji: The Boss (2007). [86] Vel (2007), [87] Siva Manasula Sakthi (2009), [88] Malai Malai (2009), [89] Vanakkam Chennai (2013), [90] and All in All Azhagu Raja (2013). [91] Padayappa was also parodied in the Star Vijay comedy series Lollu Sabha , in an episode appropriately named Vadayappa. [92]

To celebrate the 39th anniversary of Rajinikanth in the film industry, Digitally Inspired Media, a Chennai-based digital agency, made 39 posters of some of his films, in which Padayappa was included. The posters feature one "punch" line from the film, a representative image, and the year of the film's release. [93] On Rajinikanth's 64th birthday, an agency named Minimal Kollywood Posters designed posters of Rajinikanth's films, in which the Minion characters from the Despicable Me franchise are dressed as Rajinikanth. [94] The digital art was hand drawn on a digital pad by Gautham Raj. [94] One of the posters depicted a minion sitting on a swing and dressed like Rajinikanth's character in Padayappa, reminiscent of the swing scene. [94] In the 2022 film Naai Sekar , many of the animal characters are named after Rajinikanth films, including a labrador dog named Padayappa. [95]

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 internationally and has 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 many film awards including seven Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, a Nandi Award and one Filmfare Award.

<i>Chandramukhi</i> 2005 film by P. Vasu

Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language psychological horror comedy film written and directed by P. Vasu. It is a remake of Vasu's Kannada film Apthamitra (2004) which itself is based on the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu (1993).The film stars Rajinikanth, Prabhu and Jyothika along with an ensemble supporting cast, including Vadivelu, Nayanthara, Nassar and Sheela. It revolves around a woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder that affects a family, and a psychiatrist who intends to solve the case while risking his life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramya Krishnan</span> Indian actress (born 1970)

Ramya Krishnan, also credited as Ramya Krishna, is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films. Ramya has won four Filmfare Awards, three Nandi Awards, and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize.

<i>Sivaji: The Boss</i> 2007 Indian Tamil film by S. Shankar

Sivaji: The Boss is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language masala film co-written and directed by S. Shankar and produced by AVM Productions. The film stars Rajinikanth in the main lead role alongside Shriya Saran, Vivek and Suman. In the film, a software systems architect returns to India from US to provide free medical treatment and education, but has to face hurdles from the system and an influential political leader.

<i>Muthu</i> (film) 1995 film by K. S. Ravikumar

Muthu (transl. Pearl) is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar, and produced by Kavithalayaa Productions. The film stars Rajinikanth and Meena, with Sarath Babu, Radha Ravi, Senthil, Vadivelu, Jayabharathi, Subhashri and Ponnambalam all acting in supporting roles. It is a remake of the Malayalam film Thenmavin Kombath (1994). The film revolves around a zamindar and his worker falling in love with the same woman who, unknown to the zamindar, loves the worker exclusively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. S. Ravikumar</span> Indian film director and actor

K. S. Ravikumar is an Indian film director, film producer, screenwriter and actor who primarily works in Tamil cinema and few Telugu films. He is one of the most commercially successful directors of indian cinema.

<i>Baba</i> (2002 film) 2003 film by Suresh Krissna

Baba is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language supernatural action film written and produced by Rajinikanth under his banner Lotus International, directed by Suresh Krissna, with cinematography by Chota K. Naidu. Along with Rajinikanth in the title role and Manisha Koirala in the female lead, the film features an ensemble supporting cast. Amrish Puri makes his appearance in a Tamil film for the second and final time after Thalapathi (1991). The original songs and background score were composed by A. R. Rahman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajinikanth filmography</span>

Rajinikanth is an Indian actor, film producer, screenwriter and also a playback singer who has appeared predominantly in Tamil cinema. He began his film career by playing antagonistic and supporting roles before graduating to a lead actor. After starring in numerous commercially successful films throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he has continued to hold a matinée idol status in the popular culture of Tamil Nadu. Writing for Slate, Grady Hendrix called him the "biggest movie star you've probably never heard of." Rajinikanth has also worked in other Indian film industries such as Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

<i>Uruvangal Maralam</i> 1983 Indian film

Uruvangal Maralam is a 1983 Indian Tamil-language drama film written, produced and directed by S. V. Ramanan who also composed the film's soundtrack. The film stars Y. G. Mahendran and Suhasini, with Sivaji Ganesan, Jaishankar, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth playing different forms of God in guest appearances. Based on the 1977 American film Oh, God!, it was released on 14 January 1983.

<i>Giri</i> (film) 2004 Indian film

Giri is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed and co-written by Sundar C, starring Arjun Sarja, Ramya and Reema Sen, with Devayani, Vadivelu, and Prakash Raj among others enacting supporting roles. The film was released on 1 October 2004 and become a profitable venture at the box office and was remade in Kannada in 2020 as Shivarjuna starring Arjun's nephew Chiranjeevi Sarja. This film is also noted to be actress Khushbu's productional debut in her production company house Avni Cinemax. The film was dubbed into Telugu under the same name.

<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>Paattali</i> 1999 Indian film

Paattali (transl. Proletariat) is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar from a story by Chinni Krishna. It stars R. Sarathkumar in the main lead role alongside Ramya Krishnan and Devayani. The music is composed by S. A. Rajkumar. Paattali released on 17 December 1999, and became a commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V. K. Ramasamy (actor)</span> Indian actor, comedian and film producer

Virudhunagar Kanthan Ramasamy better known as VKR was an Indian actor, comedian and film producer who was known for his versatility in various character roles, he played in Tamil films from 1947 to 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. P. Muthuraman</span> Indian film director

S. P. Muthuraman, also referred to as SPM, is an Indian film director who works in the Tamil film industry. He has directed 72 films in Tamil. He was one of the most successful commercial directors in Tamil cinema. Initially he worked mainly with R. Muthuraman, Jaishankar, Sivaji Ganesan and went on to direct successful films with Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

<i>En Vazhi Thani Vazhi</i> (1988 film) 1988 Indian film

En Vazhi Thani Vazhi is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language film directed by V. Azhagappan, starring Raghuvaran, supported by Geetha, Nishanthi and S. S. Chandran. The film became more popular after actor Rajinikanth used the punch line En Vazhi Thani Vazhi in his 1999 film Padayappa. It was released on 15 December 1988.

<i>Lingaa</i> 2014 film by K. S. Ravikumar

Lingaa is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar and produced by Rockline Venkatesh under Rockline Entertainments. It stars Rajinikanth, Anushka Shetty, Sonakshi Sinha and Jagapathi Babu, while Santhanam and Karunakaran play supporting roles. The music was composed by A. R. Rahman, while cinematography and editing were handled by R. Rathnavelu and Samjith Mohammed. In the film, Lingaa, a petty thief, arrives at Solaiyur to save the village's dam and temple, which was built by his grandfather Raja Lingeswaran.

<i>Padayappa</i> (soundtrack) 1999 soundtrack album by A. R. Rahman

Padayappa is the soundtrack album of the 1999 Indian Tamil drama film of the same name written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film's original soundtrack and score were composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics written by Vairamuthu and was released through the audio label Star Music. The soundtrack of the Telugu dubbed version titled Narasimha was released through Saregama.

<i>Kalasam</i> (TV series) 2008 Indian TV series or programme

Kalasam is a soap opera that aired Monday to Friday on Sun TV from 14 July 2008 to 26 June 2009 totaling 234 episodes.

<i>Velaiilla Pattadhari 2</i> 2017 film by Soundarya Rajinikanth

Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 is a 2017 Indian Tamil action comedy film directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth. It is a sequel to the 2014 film Velaiilla Pattadhari and has Dhanush, Amala Paul, Vivek, Hrishikesh, Saranya Ponvannan, and Samuthirakani reprising their roles, while Kajol plays an antagonistic role, marking her return to Tamil cinema after 20 years, with her last film being Minsara Kanavu (1997). Ritu Varma was recast as Anita, earlier played by Surbhi, which marks her debut in Tamil cinema. Some of Dhanush's scenes were partially reshot in Telugu. Its music was composed by Sean Roldan.

<i>Jailer</i> (2023 Tamil film) Film by Nelson Dilipkumar

Jailer is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures. The film stars Rajinikanth in the lead role, alongside Vinayakan, Ramya Krishnan, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vasanth Ravi, Mirnaa Menon, Yogi Babu and Sunil in supporting roles. Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar and Jackie Shroff play guest appearances. It revolves around "Tiger" Muthuvel Pandian, a retired jailer, seeking to apprehend an eccentric idol smuggler Varman.

References

  1. ↑ "Padayappa". British Board of Film Classification . Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 Rajendran, Sowmya (23 March 2019). "20 years of 'Padayappa': Why the Rajinikanth film still remains a favourite". The News Minute . Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "A supervillain for a superstar". Cinema Express . 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  4. ↑ Nadar, Ganesh (8 June 2007). "Manivannan on Rajnikanth". Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "ரஜினி மவுசு இதுவரைக்கும் குறையலை!". Dinamalar (in Tamil). 3 May 2020. Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  6. 1 2 Ramachandran 2014, p. 174.
  7. 1 2 "Padaiappa". Sify . 10 August 2001. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  8. ↑ Rajkumar (3 October 2020). "படையப்பா படத்தில் ரஜினியின் இரண்டாம் மகளாக நடித்தவர் யார் தெரியமா ?". behindtalkies.com (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Suganth, M. (10 April 2019). "Movie Milestone: 20 years of Rajinikanth's Padayappa". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  10. 1 2 "நான் எழுதிய வசனத்தைப் பேச மறுத்த ரஜினி! ரமேஷ் கண்ணா எழுதும் 'திரையிடாத நினைவுகள் #2'". Nakkheeran (in Tamil). 13 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Actor Kovai Senthil passes away in Coimbatore". The Times of India . 10 September 2018. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  12. ↑ "சினிமாவில் 28 ஆண்டுகளை நிறைவு செய்த மகேந்திரன்... குவியும் வாழ்த்துக்கள்". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 9 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Robo Shankar's wife Priyanka reveals the reason behind the actor's weight loss". 22 March 2023. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024– via The Times of India.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Ramachandran 2014, p. 172.
  15. 1 2 3 Ramachandran 2014, p. 175.
  16. 1 2 Rajitha (3 November 1998). "The sis image". Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  17. 1 2 Sandya. "Tamil Movie News". Ananda Vikatan, Kumudam, Cinema Express. Indolink. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. 1 2 Anon (18 July 1999). "Padayappa". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  19. ↑ Kumar, S. R. Ashok (28 November 2008). "My first break – Lalitha Mani". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  20. ↑ Kamath, Sudhish (28 December 2003). "Filmmaker with a difference". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 Narasimhan, M. L. (2 July 1999). "Glamour girl to star performer". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 9 March 2001. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  22. ↑ "My dream is to work with Kamal Hasan". Go4I. 5 June 2000. Archived from the original on 5 March 2001. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  23. ↑ Kavirayani, Suresh (17 July 2015). "Rajamouli's story gave me goosebumps: Ramya Krishna". Deccan Chronicle . Archived from the original on 18 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  24. ↑ "Aishwarya Rai's Exclusive Interview". Dinakaran . 28 August 1999. Archived from the original on 14 August 2003. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  25. ↑ "Rajni, Sivaji two of a kind, says Dasari". The Hindu . 2 October 2005. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  26. ↑ Rajitha (28 August 1998). "Rajni returns!". Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  27. ↑ Rangarajan, Malathi (9 January 2009). "Two worlds, one goal". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  28. 1 2 Nadar, Ganesh (28 April 1999). "Rajni does it again". Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  29. ↑ Ganesan & Narayana Swamy 2007, p. 244.
  30. 1 2 Srinivasan, Sudhir (13 August 2016). "Cinema is just business". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  31. ↑ "Did You Know?". The Times of India . 8 April 2011. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  32. ↑ "It was KS Ravikumar's car in Padayappa". The Times of India . 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  33. ↑ "Rajini starts work on Lingaa". The Hindu . 3 May 2014. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  34. ↑ Kannadasan, Akila (1 July 2013). "Look what's receding". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  35. ↑ Ramachandran 2012, p. 38.
  36. ↑ Krishnakumar, Ranjani (24 April 2017). "Tamil Film 'Mannan' Presses the Limits of Using Violence on a Female Nemesis". PopMatters . Archived from the original on 6 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  37. ↑ Balasubramanianram & Ramakrishnan 2012, p. 112.
  38. ↑ "Padayppa (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. 15 January 1999. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  39. ↑ Rajitha (7 June 1999). "Pep pills with Padayappa". Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  40. ↑ Mathai 2009, p. 181.
  41. ↑ Pradeep, K (8 September 2007). "Musical notes". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  42. ↑ Mani, Charulatha (6 January 2012). "A Raga's Journey – Hopeful, festive, vibrant Vasantha". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  43. ↑ Mani, Charulatha (26 April 2013). "Harmonious symmetry". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  44. ↑ Aishwarya, S. (3 September 2007). "Medicos chill out as Srinivas sings". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  45. 1 2 Srinivasa, Srikanth (18 April 1999). "Reviews – Padayappa (Tamil)". Deccan Herald . Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  46. 1 2 Kumar, S. Shiva (25 April 1999). "Cinema – Padayappa". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  47. ↑ Balasubramanian, V (13 May 1999). "Cos' fancy for Rajinikant". The Economic Times . Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  48. ↑ Balasubramanian, V (14 May 1999). "Rajnikant's charisma adds punch to corporate bottomlines – mind it". The Economic Times . Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  49. ↑ Vasudevan 2011, p. 336.
  50. ↑ "Rajni-starrer bowls over". The New Indian Express . Indo-Asian News Service. 30 June 1999. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  51. 1 2 Dhananjayan 2011, p. 205.
  52. ↑ Govardan, D. (31 March 2002). "Bump and grind to a global tune". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  53. ↑ Pillai, Sreedhar (9 April 2016). "Kollywood conquers the country". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  54. ↑ "சினிமா விமர்சனம்: படையப்பா" [Movie Review: Padayappa]. Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). 25 April 1999.
  55. ↑ கே.பி.எஸ். (25 April 1999). "படையப்பா". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 16. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2022– via Internet Archive.
  56. ↑ Ramanujam, D. S. (16 April 1999). "Film Review: Padaiappa". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2001. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  57. ↑ Chatterjee, Saibal (4 September 2005). "The Rajni phenomenon". The Tribune . Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  58. ↑ "'Baashha' to 'Kabali': Highest grossing films of Rajinikanth". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  59. ↑ Sekhar, Arunkumar (28 February 2018). "Busted: Red-carding a myth". Cinema Express . Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  60. ↑ Ashwin (17 June 2015). "Do Bulls Hate Red Color?". Science ABC. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  61. ↑ Sekhar, Arunkumar (17 January 2018). "Busted: Milking a myth". Cinema Express . Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  62. ↑ "Awards: "Dinakaran Cinema Awards"--1999". Dinakaran . Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  63. ↑ "Tamilnadu Government Announces Cinema State Awards −1999". Dinakaran . Archived from the original on 10 February 2001. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  64. ↑ சி. எம். (21 March 1999). "'டிரிம்' ஆகிறார் படையப்பா" [Padayappa gets trimmed]. Kalki (in Tamil). p. 96. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023– via Internet Archive.
  65. ↑ "The reason why Padayappa part 2 was dropped!". SS Music . 9 November 2013. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  66. 1 2 "Rajinikanth's punchnama". The Hindu . Indo-Asian News Service. 13 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  67. ↑ Ramachandran 2014, p. 187.
  68. ↑ Rajitha (26 July 1999). "Ramya on a roll". Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  69. ↑ Rajitha (21 June 2000). "Cheran movie shrouded in mystery". Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  70. ↑ Reddy, T. Krithika (10 September 2009). "Look, I'm Back!". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  71. ↑ Rangarajan, Malathi (2 October 2009). "True to formula – Arumugam". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  72. ↑ Rangarajan, Malathi (15 August 2008). "The arc lights beckon again". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  73. ↑ Joy, Prathibha (19 November 2014). "Priya Mani reveals that she's in a relationship!". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  74. ↑ Bhagat 2009, p. 94.
  75. ↑ Lakshmi, V. (18 January 2014). "After punch dialogues, it's punch song in Kollywood". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  76. ↑ Nasreen, Raisa (24 April 2014). "11 life transforming quotes from Superstar Rajinikanth". Bookmyshow. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  77. ↑ Kannath, Sruthi (8 August 2011). "Message through punchlines!". The New Indian Express . Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  78. ↑ Ramachandran 2014, p. 173.
  79. ↑ "Rajinikanth turns 67: From being a 'Sruthi Betham' to becoming a Superstar". The Indian Express . 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  80. ↑ "Petta movie review: Rajinikanth of the 90s returns, riding this Karthik Subbaraj time machine". Hindustan Times. 10 January 2019. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  81. ↑ "South follows Bollywood: Popular dialogues, songs inspire film titles". Hindustan Times . Indo-Asian News Service. 2 November 2014. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  82. ↑ Suganth, M. (3 October 2010). "Branding guru and columnist Ramanujam Sridhar will be releasing his third book, Enn vazhi Thani Vazhi, tomorrow evening at The Spring Hotel in Chennai". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  83. ↑ Thirupathi Ezhumalai Venkatesa (motion picture) (in Tamil). Sri Thenandal Films. From 10:06 to 10:34.
  84. ↑ En Purushan Kuzhandhai Maadhiri Comedy. AP International. 7 November 2013. Event occurs at 17:24. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2014– via YouTube.
  85. ↑ Annai Kaligambal (motion picture) (in Tamil). Sri Thenandal Films. 2003. Event occurs at 1:42:49.
  86. ↑ Sivaji: The Boss (motion picture) (in Tamil). AVM Productions. From 27:50 to 27:56.
  87. ↑ Vel (motion picture) (in Tamil). Sree Rajakaalaiamman Medias. 2007. From 17:28 to 17:57.
  88. ↑ Siva Manasula Sakthi (motion picture) (in Tamil). Vikatan Televistas. 2009. From 56:05 to 56:53.
  89. ↑ Malai Malai (motion picture) (in Tamil). Feather Touch Entertainments. 2009. From 2:06:12 to 2:06:21.
  90. ↑ Vanakkam Chennai (motion picture) (in Tamil). Red Giant Movies. 2013. Event occurs at 4:05.
  91. ↑ All in All Azhagu Raja (motion picture) (in Tamil). Studio Green. From 2:04:06 to 2:04:36.
  92. ↑ "Vadayappa". Lollu Sabha. Chennai. 18 August 2004. Star Vijay. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  93. ↑ Lazarus, Susanne Myrtle (25 August 2014). "Rajinikanth posters out on the Internet!". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  94. 1 2 3 Prasad, Shiva (15 December 2014). "Superstar Rajinikanth as Minions – Padayappa (1999)". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  95. ↑ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (13 January 2022). "Naai Sekar Review: This painfully unfunny film leaves you dog-tired". Cinema Express . Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.

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.