Vaali (film)

Last updated

Vaali
Vaali poster.JPG
Directed by S. J. Surya
Produced byS. S. Chakravarthy
Written byS. J. Surya
Starring Ajith Kumar
Simran
Jyothika
Music by Deva
Cinematography Jeeva
Additional Cinematography:
M. S. Prabhu
Ravi Varman
Edited by B. Lenin
V. T. Vijayan
Production
company
Nic Arts
Release date
‹See TfM›
  • 30 April 1999 (1999-04-30)
Running time
158 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Vaali is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film written and directed by S. J. Surya making his directorial debut and was produced by S. S. Chakravarthy under production company Nic Arts. The film stars Ajith Kumar in a double role with Simran and Jyothika in the lead roles. Vivek, Sujitha, and Pandu in supporting roles. A modern-day fictional adaptation of the legend of Vali from the Ramayana , it tells the story of Deva and Shiva, two identical twin brothers, with Deva being deaf-mute. When Shiva marries his sweetheart Priya, Deva becomes obsessed with and lusts for Priya. [1] [2]

Contents

Surya who was assisting Vasanth in Aasai (1995) approached Ajith Kumar to do a film under his direction if he had a good script. [3] Simran was selected as the lead actress after attempts to sign Keerthi Reddy and Roja had failed. The soundtrack was composed by Deva and lyrics were written by Vairamuthu with songs like "Oh Sona" and "April Madhathil" becoming popular. The cinematography was handled by Jeeva while the editing was done by the duo of B. Lenin and V. T. Vijayan.

The film was released on 30 April 1999 to positive reviews from critics for direction of S. J. Suryah along with the performances of Ajith Kumar and Simran. The film became a commercial success at box-office. Ajith Kumar earned his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor with this film.

Plot

Deva and Shiva (both played by Ajith Kumar) are twins. Deva, the elder, is deaf and mute; but he is a genius, an expert at lip-reading, and the head of a successful advertising company. Shiva loves and trusts his brother. Priya (Simran) wants to marry someone who is an ex-smoker, ex-drunkard, and who got ditched by a girl but is pining for her. Learning this, Shiva, with the help of his friend Vicky (Vivek), invents an old romance between him and Sona (Jyothika), and finds his way into Priya's heart.

Meanwhile, Deva chances upon Priya and lusts for her. His obsession continues even after his brother marries the girl of his dreams, and he devises various means of getting close to Priya and keeping Shiva and her separated. Some of the methods Deva uses to woo Priya are masochistic (wounding his hand by the running car engine to stop the couple's first night) and psychotic (trying to kill his brother in so many ways).

While Shiva is away on work as a substitute for his injured brother, Priya has to take care of Deva. Priya soon realises the not-so-honorable intentions Deva has towards her, but Shiva refuses to believe her and has full faith in his brother. He even goes as far as to take Priya to a psychiatrist. To get away from it all, Shiva and Priya go on a long-delayed honeymoon, but Deva shows up there, too. Shiva watches Deva kissing Priya's photo and realizes that she was right all along. Deva beats Shiva mercilessly, packs the unconscious Shiva in a gunny bag, and throws him in a lorry.

Deva disguises himself as Shiva and tries to seduce Priya. Priya comes to know that he is Deva and escapes from him before shooting him with her revolver. Deva falls in the pool, and when Shiva comes, she narrates the whole incident to him. Suddenly, Deva comes back to life, but Shiva immediately kills him with the revolver. Deva's soul talks about his inability to express his feeling as he was mute. His grave with many flowers grown on it is shown.

Cast

Production

S. J. Surya had worked as an assistant director in Vasanth's Aasai which featured Ajith Kumar as well as working with him during the making of Ullaasam . Ajith Kumar asked Suryaah to prepare a good script and promised he would give him a chance to make his directorial debut. Subsequently, the pair approached S. S. Chakravarthy, a producer, to make a film. [4] Keerthi Reddy was announced to be the lead actress in the film in December 1997, though she was replaced by Simran before filming began. [5] It had also been reported that Roja would play another role, although this proved to be untrue. [6] Meena also was approached to play the female lead but she could not allocate the dates. Jyothika, sister of actress Nagma, made her debut in the film as an imaginary character, Sona, narrated by Ajith Kumar's character. [7]

About the making of the film, Ajith Kumar mentioned that Vaali "was very close to my heart and I gave it everything I had", revealing that he had initially received a lot of bad publicity and scepticism for doing a dual role too early in his career. [8]

Release

Vaali received A certificate from Central Board of Film Certification. The Deccan Herald described it as "definitely worth seeing" saying it "has something for all tastes — a pleasant love angle, some suspense, complex psychological nuances, good acting, pleasing songs" while praising Ajith Kumar's performance. [9] The reviewer from Indolink.com labelled the film as "a classic in its own right", praising the performances of Ajith Kumar and Simran while describing Suryaah as "a new young director to the cine field who can make Tamil Cinema be proud once again". [10] The New Indian Express labelled Simran's portrayal as "outstanding" while mentioning Surya does a "fairly good job and succeeds". [11] Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan dated 16 May 1999 appreciated the film by giving 45 marks and mentioned "Director SJ Suryah established his stamp of film-making in his very first film by taking up a straight line story with an engaging screenplay and realistic dialogues. Ajith Kumar has done a fantastic job in dual role and Simran also proved that she can act". [12] New Straits Times praised Simran's mind blowing performance. [13] The Hindu wrote "RICH PRODUCTION values, fine performances by Ajit Kumar (playing the dual role of brothers) and Simran, bold and powerful dialogue by S. J. Surya, who has directed the movie based on his story and screenplay, are the major contributing factors in NIC Arts’ “Vaalee”." [14]

The film ran for 270 days in Tamilnadu [15] and 100 days in Kerala. [16] The film became a huge commercial success and provided a major breakthrough for both Ajith Kumar and Simran's career. [17] [18]

Dubbed versions & remakes

The film was later dubbed into Telugu and Hindi with the same name. The film was remade in Kannada as Vaalee by S. Mahendar starring Sudeep in the lead role. Vaali was remade into Hindi as Sheesha where the wife has a same-face sister. [19]

Awards and honours

YearAwardAward CategoryArtistResult
1999 Filmfare Awards South Best Actor Ajith Kumar Won [20]
1999 Filmfare Awards South Best Female Debut Jyothika Won [21]
1999 Filmfare Awards South Best Actress Simran Nominated
1999 Cinema Express Awards Best Actor Ajith Kumar Won [22]
1999 Cinema Express Awards Best Actress Simran Won [23]
1999 Cinema Express Awards Best Music Director Deva Won
1999 Cinema Express Awards Best Comedian Vivek Won
1999 Dinakaran Film Awards Dinakaran Film Awards for Best Actor Ajith Kumar Won [24]
1999 Dinakaran Film Awards Dinakaran Film Awards for Best Actress Simran Won [25]
1999 Dinakaran Film Awards Dinakaran Film Awards for Best Debut Actress Jyothika Won [26]

Soundtrack

Vaali
Soundtrack album by
Released18 April 1999
Recorded1999
Genre soundtrack
Length29:31
Language Tamil
Label Pyramid Saimira
Sa Re Ga Ma
Sony Music
Nic Audio
Universal Music
Sony Music
Divo
Bayshore
Producer Deva
Deva chronology
Unnaruge Naan Irundhal
(1999)
Vaali
(1999)
Appu
(2000)

The soundtrack was composed by Deva and lyrics were written by Vairamuthu. [12] The song "Sona Sona" is based on "Susanna" by VOF de Kunst, and "Where Do I Begin?", the theme to Love Story composed by Francis Lai. [27]

Track list
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Sona Sona" Hariharan, Ajith Kumar, Febi Mani 6:03
2."Gee Priya" SP Balasubramanyam, Swarnalatha 5:28
3."Nilavai Konduva" Unni Krishnan, Anuradha Sriram 6:05
4."Vaanil Kaayuthae" Mano, Anuradha Sriram 6:27
5."April Maathathil" Unni Krishnan, Harini 5:28
Total length:29:31
Track list (Telugu)
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Sona Sona" Bhuvana Chandra Hariharan, Srinivasa Murthy, Savitha Reddy 6:04
2."Holalla Holalla" Bhuvana Chandra SP Balasubramanyam, Swarnalatha 5:31
3."Ningine Dinchna"Siva Ganesh Unni Krishnan, Anuradha Sriram 6:04
4."Vayyaraala Aa Vennela"Siva Ganesh Mano, Anuradha Sriram 6:23
5."April Maasamlo" Bhuvana Chandra Unni Krishnan, Harini 5:28
Total length:29:27


All lyrics are written by PK Mishra.

Track list (Hindi)
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Oh Sona Oh Sona" Hariharan, Sakti Singh, Namrata Sawney5:32
2."Koyi Haseena"Babul Supriya, Sadhana Sargam 5:32
3."Dilbar Mujkho" Udit Narayan, Sapna Awasthi5:58
4."Man Mein Chhupi" Vinod Rathod, Bela Shinde6:27
5."Jaanam Jaanam" Udit Narayan, Anuradha Paudwal 5:31
6."Dilbar Mujkho II" Udit Narayan, Anuradha Sriram 5:58
7."Man Mein Chhupi II"Vinod Rathod, Anuradha Sriram 6:27

Related Research Articles

Simran (actress)

Simran Bagga, known mononymously as Simran, is an Indian film actress, producer, classical dancer, model and television personality. She has predominantly appeared in Tamil and Telugu-language films, as well as in few films in Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada. She is well noted for her dancing and acting skills in the Indian film industry. In her long movie career, she has won three Filmfare Awards South, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress, three Cinema Express Awards, two Kalaimamani Awards, several regional awards and nominations.

Ajith Kumar Film actor and motor car racer from India

Ajith Kumar is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Referred to by fans and media as "Thala" (Leader). To date, Ajith has starred in over 50 films. Among his awards include four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. In addition to his acting, he is also a motor car racer and participated in the MRF Racing series (2010).

<i>Amarkalam</i> 1999 film directed by Saran

Amarkalam is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language action romance film written and directed by Saran and produced by V. Sudhir Kumar for the banner Venkateswaralayam. The film featured Ajith Kumar, making it his 25th film and Shalini in the lead roles with Raghuvaran, Raadhika and Nassar in other pivotal roles. The film opened in August 1999 to positive reviews from critics and became a blockbuster at the box office. The film was dubbed in Telugu as Adbutham. It was also remade in Telugu as Leela Mahal Center and in Kannada as Asura.

<i>Mugavaree</i> 2000 film by V. Z. Durai

Mugavaree is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film written and directed by V. Z. Durai and produced by S. S. Chakravarthy. The film features Ajith Kumar in the lead role as a struggling musician with Jyothika, with Raghuvaran, Vivek, Manivannan, and K. Vishwanath playing supporting roles. It was Ajith Kumar's first film of the new 2000s millennium. The music is composed by Deva, song lyrics were written by Vairamuthu, whilst the film featured award-winning cinematography by P. C. Sriram.

<i>Aalwar</i> 2007 film directed by Chella

Aalwar is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Chella and produced by Mohan Natarajan. The film featured Ajith Kumar, Asin and Keerthi Chawla in lead roles. Lal, Vivek, Shwetha Bandekar and Aditya Srivastava appearing in other pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack is by Srikanth Deva while the cinematography was by G. Ramesh. The film received negative reviews among critics and audience.

<i>Nerrukku Ner</i> 1997 film directed by Vasanth

Nerrukku Ner is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language action comedy thriller film written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film features Vijay, Suriya, Simran and Kausalya in lead roles. Raghuvaran, Shanthi Krishna, Baby Jennifer, Karan, Vivek, Manivannan and Prakash Raj form the ensemble cast, while Deva and K. V. Anand handled the film's soundtrack and cinematography respectively. It was dubbed into Telugu as Mukha Mukhi.

New is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language fantasy comedy film directed, written and produced by S. J. Surya, who also features in the lead role alongside Simran. Kiran Rathod and Devayani play supporting roles, while A. R. Rahman composes the music. New is about an 8-year-old boy who is turned into a 28-year-old man by a scientist. New was simultaneously shot in Telugu as Naani with Mahesh Babu. The movie's plot is adapted from the 1988 Hollywood Tom Hanks starrer Big.

S. J. Surya

S. Justin Selvaraj, known by his stage name S. J. Surya is an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, music composer and producer who has worked in the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film industries. He sought to become an actor but ended up directing, assisting Vasanth and Sabapathy.

Uyirodu Uyiraga is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Sushma Ahuja starring Ajith Kumar and Richa Ahuja in the main roles. The film which told the tale of a couple's struggle to deal with terminal illness, had a successful music soundtrack composed by Vidyasagar. The film was released on 21 November 1998.

<i>Uyirile Kalanthathu</i>

Uyirile Kalanthathu is a 2000, Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Jaya which stars Suriya, Jyothika and Raghuvaran in the lead roles, with Sivakumar and Radhika in supporting roles. The film opened in September 2000, to mixed reviews from critics. The film was dubbed into Hindi as Surya Bhai MBBS (2007) and in Telugu as Poratam.

<i>Kaadhal Mannan</i>

Kaadhal Mannan is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Saran, which features Ajith Kumar and Maanu in the lead roles. The film also saw 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 in March 1998 to positive reviews.

<i>Aasai</i> 1995 film directed by Vasanth

Aasai is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film, written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Ajith Kumar and debutant Suvaluxmi, while Prakash Raj, Rohini, Poornam Vishwanathan, Nizhalgal Ravi, and Vadivelu play supporting roles. Jeeva was the cinematographer, while Deva composed the music. Upon release, the film received positive reviews and went on to become a commercial success at the box office. The film was remade in Hindi as Pyaar Zindagi Hai.

<i>Kadhalukku Mariyadhai</i> 1997 film directed by Fazil

Kadhalukku Mariyadhai is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film directed by Fazil. It is a remake of Fazil's own Malayalam film Aniathipravu (1997). The film stars Vijay and Shalini in the lead roles portrayed by Kunchacko Boban and Shalini herself in the original, with Sivakumar, Srividya, Manivannan, Charle, and Radha Ravi playing supporting roles. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja with cinematography by Anandakuttan.

<i>V. I. P.</i> (1997 film)

V. I. P. is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Sabapathy Dekshinamurthy. The film features Prabhu Deva, Abbas, Rambha and newcomer Simran in the lead roles, while Rami Reddy, Anupam Kher and Manivannan play other pivotal roles. Ranjit Barot composed the music, while Arthur A. Wilson handled the cinematography. The film was released on 4 July 1997. The film was dubbed in Telugu under the same name.

<i>Minsara Kanna</i> 1999 film by K. S. Ravikumar

Minsara Kanna is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar (Ravi). The film features Vijay and Monica Castelino in the lead roles, while an ensemble supporting cast includes Kushboo, Rambha, Manivannan, Mansoor Ali Khan, R. Sundarrajan, Karan and Kovai Sarala. The film's title was derived from the song of the same name in Padayappa, which was also directed by Ravi.

<i>Kushi</i> (2000 film)

Kushi is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by S. J. Surya and produced by A. M. Rathnam. The film featured Vijay and Jyothika in the leading roles, while Mumtaj, Vivek and Vijayakumar play other supporting roles. The film had cinematography by Jeeva, while music was composed by Deva. The film was released in May 2000 and spawned several remakes. In Telugu, the film was released as Kushi, in Hindi as Khushi, and in Kannada as Eno Onthara. Jyothika went on to win the Filmfare Best Actress Award in Tamil for her performance in the film.

Time is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Geetha Krishna. The film features Prabhu Deva, Simran and Radhika Chaudhry in the lead roles. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Ilaiyaraaja.

Ajith Kumar filmography List of films in which Ajith Kumar has appeared

Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. Apart from a small role in the 1990 Tamil film En Veedu En Kanavar, his professional career began three years later with his debut as a lead actor in Tamil cinema with Amaravathi (1993). Despite being a moderate success, the film helped him obtain more modelling assignments. He followed it up the same year with Prema Pusthakam, his only Telugu film till date. After Amaravathi's release, Ajith opted against acting, and instead tried pursuing a career in auto racing. While training for an amateur race, he injured his back and underwent three major surgeries, leaving him bed-ridden for a year-and-a-half. After recovering from the injury, he played supporting roles in Paasamalargal (1994) and Pavithra (1994). The following year, he had his breakthrough with the romantic thriller Aasai. His performance earned him critical acclaim and established him as an up-and-coming actor in Tamil cinema. He was next seen as the main lead in Agathiyan's epistolary Kadhal Kottai (1996), a critical and commercial success. In 1997 he had five releases, all of which were commercial failures.

Ezhil is an Indian director who works in the Tamil film industry. He has won 2 Tamil Nadu state award. He made his debut with the 1999 romantic blockbuster Thulladha Manamum Thullum starring Vijay and Simran. His success streak continued with Pennin Manathai Thottu, Poovellam Un Vasam and Deepavali. He made a comeback in 2012 after a brief sabbatical with the Sivakarthikeyan starred film Manam Kothi Paravai which opened to moderate reviews from critics, but was a commercial hit. Suseenthiran and Karu Pazhaniappan were his assistants.

<i>Vaalee</i> (film) 2001 film

Vaalee is a 2001 Indian Kannada romantic thriller film directed by S. Mahendar featuring Sudeep in a double role and Poonam Singar in the lead roles. The film features background score and soundtrack composed by Rajesh Ramanath and lyrics by K. Kalyan. The film released on 19 October 2001. This film is remake of the Tamil movie Vaali (1999).

References

  1. "rediff.com, Movies: Ajith comes a full circle". m.rediff.com.
  2. "When Tamil films did away with annan-thambi paasam". Sify.
  3. "Ajith noted Surya's grit during the sh sh Aasai".
  4. Jeevi (12 June 2001). "Interview with SJ Surya". Idlebrain . Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  5. "1997–98 Kodambakkam babies Page". Indolink Tamil. 3 March 2016. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  6. "Star Tracks". Chandrag.tripod.com. 24 May 1998. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  7. Malani, Sandeep (6 July 1999). "Pot Pourri". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  8. "Ajith comes a full circle". Rediff.com. 23 March 2000. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  9. "Vaali (Tamil)". Deccan Herald. 31 May 1999. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  10. "Vaali: Movie Review". Indolink Tamil. 30 August 2011. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011.
  11. "Twin Trouble". The New Indian Express. 30 May 1999. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  12. 1 2 Dhananjayan 2011, p. 209.
  13. "New Straits Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  14. https://web.archive.org/web/20111003174702/http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/art.nsf/(docid)/19AFF656632D842765256941003DC8C4?OpenDocument
  15. "Tamil movies : From Rs.390 to Rs.3.5 Crores. Ajith Kumar's journey of hardship, from nowhere to stardom!!". www.behindwoods.com. 1 May 2006. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  16. "Rediff On The NeT, Movies: Gossip from the southern film industry". m.rediff.com.
  17. "An interview with Ajith Kumar". Rediff. 6 July 1999. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  18. "Gossip from the southern film industry". Rediff. 14 June 2000. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  19. "19 years of Ajith's Vaali -Things you din't know about the blockbuster". Suryan FM . 14 April 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  20. "The Hindu : Star-spangled show on cards". Hinduonnet.com. 15 April 2000. Archived from the original on 15 July 2006.
  21. "Best Debutants down the years..." filmfare.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  22. "Cinema Express Awards 1999". Cinematoday2.itgo.com. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  23. "Cinema Express Awards 1999". Cinematoday2.itgo.com. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  24. "Dinakaran Cinema Awards - 1999". Dinakaran. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  25. "Dinakaran Cinema Awards - 1999". Dinakaran. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  26. "Dinakaran Cinema Awards - 1999". Dinakaran. Archived from the original on 25 June 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  27. Tamil Copycat Songs. Ananda Vikatan. 19 May 2013. From 3:02 to 3:40.

Bibliography