Annakili
{{short description|1976 film by Devaraj Mohan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Annakili
| image = Annakili poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Devaraj–Mohan
| screenplay = Panchu Arunachalam
| story = R. Selvaraj
| producer = P. Thamizharasi
| cinematography = A. Somasundaram
| editing = B. Kandasamy
| music = Ilaiyaraaja
| studio = S. P. T. Films
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1976|05|14}}
| runtime = 134 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Annakili is a 1976 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film, directed by Devaraj–Mohan and written by Panchu Arunachalam from a story by R. Selvaraj. The film stars Sivakumar and Sujatha with S. V. Subbaiah, Srikanth, Thengai Srinivasan and Fatafat Jayalaxmi in supporting roles. It was produced by S. P. Thamizharasi under the production banner SPT Films. The film's soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, who made his debut in film. A. Somasundaram and Kandasamy handled cinematography and editing respectively.
A black-and-white film, Annakil was released on 14 May 1976, and became a commercial success. It attained cult status in Tamil cinema. The film won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil, and was screened at the Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India in 1978. It was remade in Telugu as Rama Chilaka (1978).{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
Plot
{{More plot|date=April 2024}}
In Thengumarada, a village in the region of Sathyamangalam, a young woman named Annakili falls in love with Thyagarajan, the newly arrived local teacher. But as he has to support his mother and sister financially, Thyagarajan marries another girl, Annakili's friend Sumathi, daughter of a wealthy landowner. Azhagappan, a womaniser, director of the local cinema theatre, then wants to marry Annakili but she refuses. In retaliation and in order to blackmail Annakili into marrying him, he later kidnaps Thyagarajan's young son and spreads rumours about Annakili among the villagers. Annakili manages to save the child from the cinema building that has caught fire during her struggle with Azhagappan. She escapes with the child, and dies in Thyagarajan's arms.
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Sivakumar as Thyagarajan{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=11 June 2016 |title=Annakili (1976) |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Annakili-1976/article14416628.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012040152/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Annakili-1976/article14416628.ece |archive-date=12 October 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |work=The Hindu}}
- Sujatha as Annakili
- S. V. Subbaiah as Vadivel Ambal{{Sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|page=236}}
- Srikanth as Magudapathy{{Sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|page=236}}
- Thengai Srinivasan as Azhagappan{{Sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|page=236}}
- Vennira Aadai Moorthy as Azhagappan's right hand man{{Cite web |last=Sundaram |first=Nandhu |date=11 May 2019 |title=43 years of 'Annakili': Devaraj-Mohan's film is still a riveting watch |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/43-years-annakili-devaraj-mohan-s-film-still-riveting-watch-101638 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108000148/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/43-years-annakili-devaraj-mohan-s-film-still-riveting-watch-101638 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |access-date=17 September 2020 |website=The News Minute}}
- Senthamarai as Madasamy{{Sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|page=236}}
- Fatafat Jayalaxmi as Sumathi
- Manimala as Thyagarajan's sister
- M. N. Rajam
- S. N. Lakshmi as Thyagarajan's mother
}}
Production
When Ilaiyaraaja met Panchu Arunachalam, the latter asked if the former had composed any songs; Ilaiyaraaja casually sang a bunch of songs, one of which was "Annakkili Unnai Theduthe".{{Cite web |last=Rangan |first=Baradwaj |author-link=Baradwaj Rangan |date=16 August 2018 |title=Southern Lights: The Man Who Made (And Named) Ilayaraja |url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/opinion/tamil-opinion/southern-lights-the-man-who-made-and-named-ilayaraja/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927142643/https://www.filmcompanion.in/opinion/tamil-opinion/southern-lights-the-man-who-made-and-named-ilayaraja/ |archive-date=27 September 2022 |access-date=11 December 2023 |website=Film Companion}} An impressed Panchu Arunachalam decided to write a screenplay based on these songs and on the story Marathuvechi written by R. Selvaraj to accommodate these songs;{{Cite web |last=அருணாசலம் |first=பஞ்சு |date=9 June 2016 |title=திரைத்தொண்டர் – 11 |url=https://cinema.vikatan.com/kollywood/120057-thiraiththondar-panchu-arunachalam |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319153126/https://cinema.vikatan.com/kollywood/120057-thiraiththondar-panchu-arunachalam |archive-date=19 March 2023 |access-date=19 March 2023 |website=Ananda Vikatan |language=ta}} the film would be titled Annakili.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFA_dMjru60 |title=The DEFINITIVE Ilaiyaraaja interview by Sudhir Srinivasan {{!}} Isai Celebrates Isai |date=26 May 2019 |last=Srinivasan |first=Sudhir |language=ta |publisher=Cinema Express |at=Event occurs at 14:31 |access-date=24 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324045614/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFA_dMjru60 |archive-date=24 March 2023 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite web |last=சிவகுமார் |author-link=Sivakumar |date=16 April 2021 |title=திரைப்படச்சோலை 23: அன்னக்கிளி |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/blogs/659588-thiraippada-solai.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504085320/https://www.hindutamil.in/news/blogs/659588-thiraippada-solai.html |archive-date=4 May 2021 |access-date=4 March 2023 |website=Hindu Tamil Thisai |language=ta}} While scouting for various locations, it was Sivakumar who finally zeroed in and suggested a village Thengumarahada situated at Nilgiris district which had only 10 homes and mostly has huts where they primarily shot the film except for the climax which was shot in Chennai and Salem Ratna Studios.{{Cite web |last=அருணாசலம் |first=பஞ்சு |author-link=Panchu Arunachalam |date=16 June 2016 |title=திரைத்தொண்டர் – 12 |url=https://cinema.vikatan.com/kollywood/120266-thiraiththondar-panchu-arunachalam |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319153113/https://cinema.vikatan.com/kollywood/120266-thiraiththondar-panchu-arunachalam |archive-date=19 March 2023 |access-date=19 March 2023 |website=Ananda Vikatan |language=ta}} The filming was completed within a month. The film was made on a shoestring budget under ₹4 lakh (worth ₹4.7 crore in 2021 prices) The climax, featuring a theatre being set on fire, was inspired by the 1942 film Kannagi.{{sfn|Baskaran|1996|p=147}}
Soundtrack
{{Main|Annakili (soundtrack){{!}}Annakili (soundtrack)}}
The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, who made his debut as composer with this film, and the lyrics were written by Panchu Arunachalam.{{Cite web |title=Annakili Tamil EP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraaja |url=https://banumass.com/shop/annakili-tamil-ep-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraaja-record-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927215855/https://banumass.com/shop/annakili-tamil-ep-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraaja-record-2/ |archive-date=27 September 2022 |access-date=19 March 2023 |website=Banumass}} Ilaiyaraaja used the techniques of modern film music orchestration, fusing Indian and Western classical music with Tamil folk.{{Sfn|Greene|2001|pages=171–172}} The soundtrack became hugely popular and its success established Ilaiyaraaja as a leading composer in Tamil cinema.{{Cite web |date=28 April 2016 |title=இளையராஜா இசை அமைத்த முதல் படம் அன்னக்கிளி மாபெரும் வெற்றி |url=https://www.maalaimalar.com/cinema/cinehistory/2016/04/28230136/1008960/Cine-history-Ilayaraja-musical-compositions-first.vpf?infinitescroll=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319153054/https://www.maalaimalar.com/cinema/cinehistory/2016/04/28230136/1008960/Cine-history-Ilayaraja-musical-compositions-first.vpf?infinitescroll=1 |archive-date=19 March 2023 |access-date=19 March 2023 |website=Maalai Malar |language=ta}} "Machanai Paartheengala"—which Ilaiyaraaja composed and sung at a marriage before the film's release—eventually became a huge success.{{Sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|page=237}}
Release and reception
Annakili was released on 14 May 1976.{{Cite web |last=Rangan |first=Baradwaj |author-link=Baradwaj Rangan |date=21 May 2016 |title=A king and his times |url=https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2016/05/21/10874/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806020142/https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2016/05/21/10874/ |archive-date=6 August 2020 |access-date=8 August 2016 |website=Baradwaj Rangan}} Many distributors refused to buy the film as they felt it looked like an art film, which led Arunachalam to sell the film to new distributors at a lower price. Ananda Vikatan, in a review dated 30 May 1976, was positive towards the film, particularly the performances of Sujatha, Sivakumar and Srikanth, but felt it would have been better in colour.{{Cite magazine |date=30 May 1976 |title=சினிமா விமர்சனம்: அன்னக்கிளி |url=https://awardakodukkaranga.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/annakili.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402120923/https://awardakodukkaranga.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/annakili.jpg |archive-date=2 April 2017 |access-date=2 April 2017 |magazine=Ananda Vikatan |language=ta}} According to Sivakumar, the response for first two shows were poor, it picked up only on the third day due to positive word-of-mouth. According to an article in the magazine Link, the film "took Tamil audiences by storm".{{Cite magazine |date=1980 |title=Tamil cinema—it's evolution |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sm1DAAAAYAAJ&q=annakili |access-date=9 April 2024 |magazine=Link |publisher=United India Periodicals |page=38 |language=en |archive-date=19 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619101000/https://books.google.com/books?id=sm1DAAAAYAAJ&q=annakili |url-status=live }} The film ran successfully for 25 weeks and celebrated silver jubilee and it ran for 205 days in Irudhaya Theatre at Kovai. It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil,{{Cite book |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015069813841&view=1up&seq=486 |title=The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who |publisher=Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd |year=1984 |pages=234}}{{cbignore}} and also received {{INRConvert|1|l|year=1976}} subsidy from the government of Tamil Nadu.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|p=237}}
Legacy
Annakili attained cult status in Tamil cinema.{{Cite news |date=11 June 2016 |title=Ilayaraja's debut film Annakkili was a super hit |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Annakili-1976/article14416628.ece |access-date=8 March 2024 |work=The Hindu|archive-date=12 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012040152/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Annakili-1976/article14416628.ece |url-status=live }} Writing for The News Minute, Nandhu Sundaram noted that the film, "Made during the first wave of feminism in Tamil cinema heralded by directors Bharathiraaja, K Balachander, Balu Mahendra and Mahendran, Annakili came as a powerful crash course in gender equality".
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{Cite book |last=Baskaran |first=S. Theodore |author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran |title=The Eye of the Serpent: An Introduction to Tamil Cinema |publisher=East West Books |year=1996 |location=Chennai |oclc=243920437}}
- {{Cite book |last=Dhananjayan |first=G. |author-link=G. Dhananjayan |title=Pride of Tamil Cinema: 1931–2013 |title-link=Pride of Tamil Cinema |publisher=Blue Ocean Publishers |year=2014 |oclc=898765509}}
- {{Cite journal |last=Greene |first=P. D. |year=2001 |title=Authoring the Folk: the crafting of a rural popular music in south India |journal=Journal of Intercultural Studies |edition=2nd |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=161–172 |doi=10.1080/07256860120069585 |s2cid=143604516}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0273429}}
{{Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil}}
Category:1970s Tamil-language films
Category:1976 romantic drama films
Category:Films directed by Devaraj–Mohan
Category:Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja
Category:Films with screenplays by Panchu Arunachalam
Category:Indian black-and-white films
Category:Indian romantic drama films