Taxi Driver (1978 film)

Last updated

Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver 1978.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byN. S. Manian
Screenplay byN. S. Manian
Produced byT. R. Seenivasan
Starring Jaishankar
Sridevi
CinematographyN. Balakrishnan
Edited byG. Radha Krishnan
Music by M. S. Viswanathan
Production
company
Charu Chitra Films
Release date
  • 18 August 1978 (1978-08-18)
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Taxi Driver is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language film directed and written by N. S. Manian. The film stars Jaishankar, S. A. Ashokan, M. R. Radha and Sridevi. It was released on 18 August 1978, [1] [2] and emerged a success. [3]

Contents

Plot

Cast

Production

Taxi Driver is Jaishankar's 150th film as an actor. [4]

Soundtrack

The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan. [5] The song "Santhi My Holy Angel" sung by Vani Jairam and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam attained popularity. [6] [7] The song "Idhu Raja Gopura Deepam Alla" is set in the Carnatic raga known as Revati, [8] and "Sugamana Sindhanyil" is set in Bowli. [9]

All lyrics are written by Kannadasan.

Tracklist
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Sugamana Sindhanaiyil" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki  
2."Santhi My Holy Angel"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vani Jairam  
3."Ragasiyasurangathil"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, L. R. Eswari  
4."Edhu Raaja Gopura Deepam"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, M. S. Viswanathan  

Reception

Anna wrote that, despite having a cliched plot and scenes, the direction and cinematography make it a watchable film. [10] The Indian Express felt the director's good intentions about taxi drivers was marred by stories and sub-plots and that he "often vacillates and seems to concentrate on a vague love story" while calling comedy insipid and music as disappointing but praised M. R. Radha for sustaining the film. [11]

References

  1. "டாக்ஸி டிரைவர்". Anna (in Tamil). 17 August 1978. p. 4. Retrieved 4 June 2024 via Endangered Archives Programme.
  2. "Taxi Driver ( 1978 )". Cinesouth. Archived from the original on 30 August 2004. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  3. Piousji (29 July 1979). "Khaas Baat". Sunday. Vol. 7. p. 45. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023 via Internet Archive.
  4. "78ல் ஜெய்சங்கர் 13 படங்கள்; வெள்ளிக்கிழமை ஹீரோவின் சாதனை". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 1 November 2019. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  5. "Taxi Driver Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by M S Viswanathan". Mossymart. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  6. Saravanan. "Vani Jayaram — Tamil Film Songs Chronology". Vanijairam.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  7. Nayak 2019, p. 34.
  8. Sundararaman 2007, p. 132.
  9. Sundararaman 2007, p. 159.
  10. "டாக்சி டிரைவர்". Anna (in Tamil). 27 August 1978. p. 4. Retrieved 4 June 2024 via Endangered Archives Programme.
  11. B, Jayabhuvaneshwari (14 August 2025). "50 years of Rajinikanth: What Cinema Express critics thought of superstar's films over the ages". Cinema Express . Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.

Bibliography