The Demo Site

Cast:Kamalhasan,Sripriya,Rajinikanth,Ravindran,Sivachandran,Indhira,Kutty padmini,Nalini,Saritha
Director : C.Rudhriah
Producer:Kumar Arts
Music :"Isaignani" Illiayaraja


Aval Appadithan ("That's How She Is") is a Tamil film is directed by C. Rudraiah. Acknowledged as one of the finest films made in Tamil, it starred Sripriya, Kamal Hassan and Rajnikanth, with Ilayaraja as music director. The film was noted for its very stylized film making and cutting-edge dialogues, a large portion of it in English.



Movie Info:

The film revolves around the lives of 3 people. The central character is a woman, played by Sripriya. Raised in a dysfunctional family with a wimp of a father and a philandering mother, she hurtles from one disastrous affair to another. As the movie begins, she has denegerated into a cynical, man-hating 'modern' woman. Into her life enter two radically different men. One of them is her boss (Rajnikanth), who owns the advertising agency that she works for. He is a prototype of the successful man - money-minded, opinionated, arrogant and a male chauvinist. In sharp contrast, Kamal Hassan, who has come to Chennai from Coimbatore to make a documentary on women, is an early version of the metro-sexual male. Sensitive and sincere, he believes his job has a purpose and is both shocked and amused at the cynical attitudes of the other two.

As the movie begins, Sripriya has been drafted by Rajnikanth to assist Kamal Hassan in his documentary. As Kamal and Sripriya start working together, Kamal starts understanding the complex personality of Sripriya. He recounts these over his whiskey-and-cigarette conversations with Rajnikanth, as the latter keeps warning him to not get too involved with such women. As he states famously, "Women should be enjoyed, not analysed".

Inevitably, Kamal Hassan falls for Sripriya. But Sripriya incurs the wrath of Rajnikanth. Just when it seems that she is about to lose her job, she seems to have a change of heart and starts courting Rajnikanth. Kamal Hassan is devastated to see that she has turned out to be just the sort of woman that Rajnikanth said she was - opportunistic, money-minded and fickle.

The truth finally emerges that Sripriya was merely baiting Rajnikanth to teach him a lesson, but it comes too late for Kamal Hassan, who has already married a small town girl (Saritha, in a guest role) identified by his parents. In a final discussion in Rajnikanth's car, Sripriya asks Saritha, "What do you think of women's liberation?". Saritha replies, "Oh, I don't know anything about that". Sripriya replies with a cynical "No wonder you are happy". The film ends with Sripriya standing on the road as the car carrying Rajnikanth and the married couple pulls away from her. A voice-over says, "She died today. She will be reborn tomorrow. She will die again. She will be reborn again. That's how she is".

Track Info :

01.Panneer Pushpangaley - (3.09) Kamal Hassan : Download

பாடலை கேட்க



பன்னீர் புஷ்பங்களே...
கானம் பாடு...
உன்னைப்போலே யெந்தன் உள்ளம் ஆடுது...
புது தாளம் தொட்டு...ஓ....
புது ராக மெட்டு...

ஆண் கொண்ட தாகம்
தீர்க்கின்ற தேகம்
பெண்ணென்ற ஓரினமோ...
இது யார் பாவம்...

ஆண் செய்த சட்டம்
அவர் போட்ட வட்டம்
அதர்கென்று பெண்ணினமோ...
இது யார் சாபம்...

ந்யாயங்களோ பொதுவானது...
புரியாமல் போனது....
(பன்னீர்)

பாஞ்சாலி வாழ்ந்த
பரிதாப வாழ்வை
பாராட்ட யாருமில்லை...
நிஜ வாழ்க்கையிலே...

பலபேரைச் சேரும்
பரந்தாமன் தன்னை
புகழ் பாட கேட்டதுண்டு
இந்த பூமியிலே...

ந்யாயங்களோ பொதுவானது...
புரியாமல் போனது...
பன்னீர் புஷ்பங்களே...
கானம் பாடு...



02.Uravugal Thodarkadhai - (4.27) KJJesudhas : Download

Let us start "Uravugal thodargathai". I think the film was Raja's thirteenth of his career. Please contrast this with "Machchaanai Paartheengala". We come to know the difference in the style he could produce just after a span of ten films. "Uravugal" is a well orchestrated western melody whereas the other is a folk based song though the guitar chords in the backdrop remained unnoticed.

பாடலை கேட்க



Situation:

Sripriya(S) is filled with distress as whichever male she had trusted had betrayed her. She wants a soothing partner which she 'thinks' she finds in the hero H(though KH is the real hero). She finds him to be a great piano player. The music he plays is smooth that she slowly yields herself to him. This is the theme. The song is similar to "Nalam vaazha" in the first aspect though is much stronger and explicit in expression. The H tries to console her by playing the piano. The lyrics go as follows:

"Uravugal thodargathai
Unarvugal sirugathai"

He says
"Dear lady! All these days, you had taken decisions so impusively that they had put you in short term relations. A short story is exciting but ephimeral. A novel is longer but deeper in thought and healthy for a good length reading. Why shan't we get into a relation more love oriented than lust ? Uptil now, you were riding on impulses, thus falling and peaking in your life. come with me , i give you my pulse only to make you happy forever."
He tries to tell her that his relation with her shall be different from the one she had been having with others (though in the movie it turns out to be a lie). It shall be based on the solid foundation of love and not infatuation alone.

"Un nenjiley Baaram Atharkaagavey naanum
sumai thaangiyai maaruvaen
Un kanngalin oaram etharkaagavo eeram
kanneerai naan maatruvaen"

comparing this with "Manithargal sila neram" stanza of "Nalam Vaazha" we see that in both the songs the Heroes try to console their beloved first. The difference is that in "nalam Vaazha" we see AS imparting confidence into R thus making her mentally prepared for any tough situation whereas in "Uravugal" we see H telling S that he shall take care of all her worries. Thus the former is friendly in intonation whereas the latter is more possessive and caring.

Noting that the first interlude is based on Veena with an ovetone of smoothness and sadness we come to the lines:

"Vedhanai theeralam
Verumpani vilagalaam
Vennmegamey pudhu azhagiley naamum inaiyalaam"

Now that he has conveyed his readiness to comfort her, he slowly but firmly (unlike Nalam Vaazha) proposes to her in the above said lines. The "laam" ending of the lines tend to create not uncertainty but a hypnotic effect on the heroine.

I think the second interlude is synchronous with their entering the bedroom. The violins and the flute piece are indicative of a joyous mood.

"Vaazhvenbadho Geetham
valargindratho naadham
naalondrilum aanandham

Nee kandatho thunbam
Ini vaazhvelaam inbam
suga raagamey aanandham"

Thus he invites her to coalesce with him.

"Nadhiyiley pudhuppunal kadaliley kalandhadhu
Nam sondhamo indru inaindhdhdhu inimai pirandhadhu"

Now that his art of seduction has culminated he declares his result. She has succumbed to his desire.

Source : Dhool.com

'Uravugal Thodargathai' performed with vocal harmony- Harmonize Projekt



உரவுகல் தொடர்கதை உனர்வுகல் சிருகதை
ஒரு கதை என்றும் முடியலும்,
முடிவிலும் ஒன்ரு தொடரலாம் ,இனிஎல்லாஆம் சுகமேஈஎ

உன் நெஞ்சிலே பாரம் ,
உங்காகவே நானும்,
சுமைதாங்கியாய் தாங்குவேன்,
உன் கங்கலின் ஓஎரம் எதர்ககவோ ஈரம்
கன்னீரை நான் மாற்றுவேன்
வெடனை தீரலாம்,வெரும்பனி விலகலாம்,
வென்மேகமே புது அழகிலே நானும் இனைஅயலாம்,

உரவுகல் தொடர்கதை உனர்வுகல் சிருகதை
ஒரு கதை என்றும் முடியலும்,
முடிவிலும் ஒன்ரு தொடரலாம் ,இனிஎல்லாஆம் சுகமேஈஎ


வழ்வென்பதொ கீதம் ,வலர்கின்ரதோ நாதம்
நால் ஒன்றிலும் ஆனந்தம்,
நீ கண்டதொ துன்பம்,
இனி வழ்வெல்லம் இன்பம்,
சுக ராகமே அரம்பம்ஸ்
நதியிலே புது புனல்,கடலிலே கலந்தது
நம் சொந்தமோ இன்று இனைந்தது இன்பம் பிரந்தது,

உரவுகல் தொடர்கதை உனர்வுகல் சிருகதை
ஒரு கதை என்றும் முடியலும்,
முடிவிலும் ஒன்ரு தொடரலாம் ,இனிஎல்லாஆம் சுகமேஈஎ



03.Vaalkkai Odam Sella - (3.21) SJanaki : Download


*At that time, Saravanan had posted this article by Vannanilavan on this film from Chennai Online:

Twenty years have rolled past since ‘Aval appadiththaan’ was released. Most of the technicians who worked for the movie were newcomers and for many it was their first film.

I know Rudrayah, the director and producer of ‘Aval appadiththaan’ since 1975. When we met for the first time, he was doing a course in direction and screenplay, in the Chennai Government Film Institute. And the others who worked for ‘Aval appadiththaan’, cinematographers Nallusaami, Gnanasekaran, Arunmozhi, Editor Kannan where all his Institute-mates. Babu, the Asst. Director of the movie was the classmate of Rudrayah.

It was director Jayabharati who introduced Rudrayah to me. I was working in a Tamil newspaper, Annai Nadu, then. Jayabharati and I were residing in Adambakkam then. We used to stand near the foot-over-bridge of the St. Thomas Mount Railway station for hours together and discuss and exchange our ideas on cinema, journals, literature and almost all other related subjects. Jayabharati was then the Asst. Editor of Dhinamani Kadir. He had submitted his script for the movie ‘Irandu pEr vaanathai paarkiraargaL’ then, to NFDC.

There was a preview theatre in a lane close to the Gowdiya Math in Royapettah. It was a Sunday. Jayabharati and I went there to see ‘Somana dhudi’. Rudrayah had come there too and Jayabharati introduced him to me. That’s how our friendship started. Rudrayah was residing in Lloyds Colony, Royapettah at that time.

Rudrayah came when he was doing his final year in the Film Institute. It was one of his fond and longstanding dreams to film the novel ‘Amma VandhaaL’ of T. Janakiraman. I even wrote the screenplay and dialogue for it and went to Delhi to get the permission of Janakiraman. He readily agreed for the proposal. But somehow it didn’t work out and the project didn’t get off the ground.

Rudrayah seriously went about starting his own film company immediately on completion of his course. He started a company under the name and style Kumar Arts, with the help of his sister’s husband. It started functioning from a bungalow in Alwarpet, next to the bungalow of P. Suseela, the popular playback singer. Incidentally, it was from here that the National Pictures - the company that made Parasakthi - functioned.

Ananthu (late) who was the Asst. Director of K. Balachander helped in many ways in filming ‘Aval appadiththaan’. He helped in getting the call sheets of Rajini, Kamalhasan, Sripriya and others. Though the Rudrayah wrote the story, it was Ananthu who gave an excellent shape and finer touches to it. In fact it was he who suggested the title, ‘Aval appadiththaan’.

Somasundareshwar (director Rajeshwar) who was Rudrayah’s film institute friend wrote the ‘one-line’ for ‘Aval appadiththaan’. ‘One-line’ is a very brief sketch of the structure of the story. Then Ananthu, Somasundareshwar and I started working on the scenes and dialogues. Rudrayah had the knack of assigning the right scene to the right person and getting the dialogues accordingly.

Kamal and Rajini were very busy then, since they were acting in a number of movies simultaneously. Sripriya was the number-one heroine at that time in the industry. All the three were in the peak of their careers and were extremely busy. But the readiness with which they responded and co-operated for ‘Aval appadiththaan’ is something commendable and unforgettable.

Rudrayah has a very wide knowledge on the best films of the international arena. He had strong opinions on many directors of other countries and the films that they had made. He used to discuss them with Kamal and Ananthu. Nallusaami, the cinematographer did have a taste for aesthetics and had a unique approach. He used to tell us about finer details of lighting effects in many Bergman movies.

Rudrayah and Nallusaami used to discuss the scenes to be shot for ‘Aval appadiththaan’ at least two or three days in advance. As for the dialogues, he used to tell me about the scene in detail. He would not be easily satisfied. He would ask for rewriting the lines, if he was not happy with what was written. He did not film ‘Aval appadiththaan’. He sculpted every frame. Ananthu used to visit every morning and also in the night. It was he who was responsible for the success of the characters played by Rajini and Sripriya. The shooting went on smoothly because almost all of the dialogues were ready by the time we went for the ‘take’. Even camera angles were pre-planned and there was not much difficulty in going ahead with the schedule, quickly and effortlessly.

Ilayaraja was an upcoming music director then. He used to be present right on dot at 8.00 am, on the days when he was to score music, along with Gangai Amaran. They would come to the office of Kumar Arts, together. Ilayaraja used to just roll one tune after the other from his harmonium even in those days, endlessly.

There is a song in the movie, sung by Sivachandran. ‘Panneer pushpangale’. Rudrayah gave me the cassette with the tune for the lyric and asked me to pen the lines for the tune. I tried my hand at it for one whole day. It was not my cup of tea to write lines for tunes. I could not do anything worth the while and returned the cassette to Rudrayah. Gangai Amaran then wrote the lines for the tune. Kannadasan wrote the song ‘Vaazhkai Odam sella.’

‘Aval appadiththaan’ was released on Deepavali that year. It was released in two theatres in Chennai. Kamadhenu and - I don’t remember correctly - either it was Emerald or Blue Diamond in the Safire theatre complex. I recollect vaguely that it was in the Safire theatre complex that ‘Aval appadiththaan’ was on show for more number of days than in Kamadhenu. Almost all newspapers and magazines were appreciative of the movie. But it was not a commercial hit, or at least a success, to our expectations. But, nonetheless, it has become a part of the list of select movies to remember in the history of Tamil films.

Source : Dhool.com

வாழ்க்கை ஓடம் செல்ல
ஆற்றில் நீரோட்டம் இல்லை..
யாரும் தேரில் செல்ல..
ஊரில் தேரும் இல்லை..
எங்கோ.. ஏதோ.. யாரோ..

(வாழ்க்கை)

அழகான மேடை சுகமான ராகம்
இடையினில் வேலிகள் உண்டு
ஆறாத புண்ணும் நூறான முள்ளும்
ஆடிடும் கால்களில் உண்டு
எதிலேயும் பெண்மை சுகம் காணவில்லை..
எரியாத தீபங்கள் பெண்ணா..

(வாழ்க்கை)

ஊரெங்கும் மேடை ராஜாக்கள் வேஷம்
உண்மையில் ராஜாக்கள் இல்லை
ஊரெங்கும் சோலை ரோஜாக்கள் வாசம்
உண்மையில் ரோஜாக்கள் இல்லை
உலகத்தில் பெண்மை உயர்வாகவில்லை
உதவாத புஷ்பங்கள் பெண்கள்..

(வாழ்க்கை)

பாடலை கேட்க