Alaigal (film)
{{short description|1973 film by C. V. Sridhar}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Alaigal (film).jpg
| caption = Title card
| director = Sridhar
| writer = Sridhar
| producer = Sridhar
| starring = {{ubl|Vishnuvardhan|Chandrakala}}
| cinematography = U. Rajagopal
| editing = N. M. Shankar
| music = M. S. Viswanathan
| studio = Chithralaya
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1973}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Alaigal ({{Translation|Waves}}) is a 1973 Indian Tamil-language film written, produced and directed by Sridhar. The film stars Vishnuvardhan and Chandrakala. It was the first Tamil film of Vishnuvardhan.{{Cite web |last=Sri Kantha |first=Sachi |author-link=Sachi Sri Kantha |date=15 March 2021 |title=MGR Remembered – Part 60 {{!}} Tackling rivals Karunanidhi – Kamaraj and tending Sridhar |url=https://sangam.org/mgr-remembered-part-60/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328224953/https://sangam.org/mgr-remembered-part-60/ |archive-date=28 March 2021 |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=Ilankai Tamil Sangam}}{{Cite news |date=20 September 2012 |title=கன்னட நடிகர் விஷ்ணுவர்த்தன் மறைவு |language=ta |work=Dinamani |url=https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/2009/dec/31/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%9F-%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B7%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%81-125936.html |url-status=live |access-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924091842/https://www.dinamani.com/cinema/2009/dec/31/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%9F-%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B7%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%B1%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%81-125936.html |archive-date=24 September 2021}}
Plot
{{No plot|date=September 2021}}
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Vishnuvardhan as Inspector Raju
- Chandrakala as Lakshmi
- Cho
- Manorama as Nalina
- Selvakumar
- Thengai Srinivasan
- Suruli Rajan
- Rama Rao
- Typist Gopu
- Sundari Bai
- Kumudhini
- Seethalakshmi
}}
Production
After the average response to his previous film Avalukendru Or Manam (1971), Sridhar decided to make a Tamil-Telugu bilingual titled Thulasi ({{Translation|Basil}}) with A. V. M. Rajan starring in Tamil and Sobhan Babu in Telugu.{{Cite magazine |last=ஸ்ரீதர் |first=டைரக்டர் |author-link=C. V. Sridhar |date=6 September 1992 |title=தன்னம்பிக்கைக்கு ஒரு ராஜ் கபூர்! |url=https://archive.org/download/kalki1992-09-06/kalki1992-09-06.pdf |access-date=27 July 2023 |magazine=Kalki |pages=49–51 |language=Ta |via=Internet Archive}} Sridhar developed a story from the Hindi film Aadmi (1939) and the American film Waterloo Bridge (1931), retaining only the basic premise.{{Cite magazine |last=ஸ்ரீதர் |first=டைரக்டர் |author-link=C. V. Sridhar |date=13 September 1992 |title=காலத்தின் சூழ்ச்சியில் ஹீரோ-72 |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1992-09-13/page/n55/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230221044232/https://archive.org/details/kalki1992-09-13/page/n55/mode/2up |archive-date=21 February 2023 |access-date=16 December 2022 |magazine=Kalki |pages=54–55 |language=Ta |via=Internet Archive}} However, after canning {{Convert|4000|feet|m}}, he decided to drop the film, uncertain whether the audience would accept a film with anti-sentimental elements. Sridhar restarted the same film with changes in the script and cast. The title was changed to Alaigal, with Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan in the lead which marked his debut in Tamil cinema.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan, while the lyrics were written by Kannadasan.{{Cite web |title=Alaigal Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by M S Viswanathan |url=https://mossymart.com/product/alaigal-tamil-film-ep-vinyl-record-by-m-s-viswanathan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924091901/https://mossymart.com/product/alaigal-tamil-film-ep-vinyl-record-by-m-s-viswanathan/ |archive-date=24 September 2021 |access-date=24 September 2021 |website=Mossymart}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Oomai Pennai
| extra1 = S. Janaki
| length1 =
| title2 = Ponnenna Poovenna
| extra2 = P. Jayachandran
| length2 =
| title3 = Pachai Ilai
| extra3 = L. R. Eswari
| length3 =
| title4 = Vaangaiya
| extra4 = L. R. Eswari
| length4 =
}}
Reception
Kumudham called the story ordinary, criticising it for lack of originality.{{Cite magazine |date= |title=அலைகள் |url=https://postimg.cc/cKYHGBZ4 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220621052711/https://postimg.cc/cKYHGBZ4 |archive-date=21 June 2022 |access-date=21 June 2022 |magazine=Kumudham |language=ta}} Kalki praised Sridhar for directing a film with a different kind of plot without including any cinematic elements.{{Cite magazine |date=25 November 1973 |title=அலைகள் |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1973/nov/25-11-1973/p29.jpg |url-status=dead |magazine=Kalki |language=ta |page=29 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220727053404/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1973/nov/25-11-1973/p29.jpg |archive-date=27 July 2022 |access-date=28 July 2022}} However the film failed at the box office.
References
{{reflist}}