Thaai Mookaambikai
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Thaai Mookaambikai
| image = Thaai Mookaambikai.jpg
| caption = DVD cover
| director = K. Shankar
| screenplay = K. Shankar
| story = S. Jegadeesan
| producer = Sivaprasad
| starring = K. R. Vijaya
Jaishankar
Sivakumar
Sujatha
| cinematography = Kanchi Meenakshisundaram
| editing = K. Shankar
K. R. Krishnan
V. Jayabal
| music = Ilaiyaraaja
| studio = Sivashankar Creations
| released = {{Film date|1982|7|9|df=y}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Thaai Mookaambikai is a 1982 Indian Tamil-language devotional film directed by K. Shankar, starring K. R. Vijaya, Jaishankar, Sivakumar, Sujatha and other leading actors. The film was released on 9 July 1982.
Plot
A devotional story revolves around a musician who dedicates his life to singing praises of Thai Moogambigai at her temple.
Cast
{{cast listing|
- K. R. Vijaya as Raakayi / Mookayi / Thaai Mookambigai
- Sivakumar as Senthil, Raakayi's elder son
- Saritha as Vellayamma, Raakayi's daughter
- Karthik as Muthu, Raakayi's younger son
- Major Sundarrajan as Ganesa Bhattar
- Sujatha as Poorani, Bhattar's wife
- Jai Shankar as Kannappan
- Thengai Srinivasan as Dharmakartha, Village President
- Poornima Bhagyaraj as Durga
- M. N. Nambiar as Durga's Father
- Manorama as Ranjani
- Oru Viral Krishna Rao as Kaambothi
- C. K. Saraswathi as Kalyani
- Nizhalgal Ravi as Sarangan, Ranjani's son
- Jai Ganesh as Mani, Bhattar's Son
- V. Gopalakrishnan as Inspector Gopi
- Gundu Kalyanam
- Gandhimathi
- M. Balamuralikrishna as Singer
- M. S. Viswanathan as Singer
- Sirkazhi Govindarajan as Singer
}}
Soundtrack
Music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Vaali.{{Cite web |title=Thai Mookambikai Tamil Film LP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraja |url=https://mossymart.com/product/thai-mookambikai-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraja/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029071427/https://mossymart.com/product/thai-mookambikai-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraja/ |archive-date=29 October 2021 |access-date=29 October 2021 |website=Mossymart}}{{Cite web |title=Thaai Mookaambikai (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/thaai-mookaambikai-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1603026002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230330054514/https://music.apple.com/us/album/thaai-mookaambikai-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1603026002 |archive-date=30 March 2023 |access-date=30 March 2023 |website=Apple Music}} The song "Janani Janani" is set in Kalyani raga,{{sfn|Sundararaman|2007|p=134}}{{Cite news |last=Mani |first=Charulatha |author-link=Charulatha Mani |date=14 October 2011 |title=A Raga's Journey: Kinetic Kalyani |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/a-ragas-journey-kinetic-kalyani/article2537329.ece |url-status=live |access-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020184028/https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/a-ragas-journey-kinetic-kalyani/article2537329.ece |archive-date=20 October 2020}} "Isai Arasi" is set in Sallabam, also known as Surya,{{sfn|Sundararaman|2007|p=133}}{{Cite news |last=Mani |first=Charulatha |author-link=Charulatha Mani |date=8 November 2013 |title=Of love and longing |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/of-love-and-longing/article5329771.ece |url-status=dead |access-date=30 March 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140924062825/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/of-love-and-longing/article5329771.ece |archive-date=24 September 2014}} and the title track is set in Vasantha Sri.{{Sfn|Sundararaman|2007|p=161}} Ilaiyaraaja mentioned that he "was running out of time" while composing the tune for "Janani Janani". He explained that he was "under hectic pressure from the film producer, who had planned to perform the ‘puja’ for the film the next day with the song". The initial tune that Ilaiyaraaja composed did not suit the character Adi Shankara. He said with a chance to have a glimpse of the portrait of Shankara, he was inspired to compose the tune which was similar to Bhaja Govindam.{{Cite news |date=18 December 2009 |title=Paramacharya directed me to work on Tiruvasagam symphony: Ilayaraja |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/Paramacharya-directed-me-to-work-on-Tiruvasagam-symphony-Ilayaraja/article16853927.ece |url-status=live |access-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001173014/https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/Paramacharya-directed-me-to-work-on-Tiruvasagam-symphony-Ilayaraja/article16853927.ece |archive-date=1 October 2020}} "Janani Janani" was initially to be sung by K. J. Yesudas, but Ilaiyaraaja sang the album version due to Yesudas' other commitments; his version was also selected to be used as the film version.{{Cite news |last=Darshan |first=Navein |date=1 June 2019 |title=Birds of a feather |work=The New Indian Express |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2019/jun/01/birds-of-a-feather-1984490.html |url-status=live |access-date=30 March 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230330053238/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2019/jun/01/birds-of-a-feather-1984490.html |archive-date=30 March 2023}}
| class="wikitable"
! Song !! Singers | |
| Isai Arasi Ennalum | P. Susheela, S. Janaki, M. S. Rajeswari |
| Janani Janani | Ilaiyaraaja, Deepan Chakravarthy |
| Malai Naadu | S. P. Sailaja |
| Pasikk Sorum Illai | P. Jayachandran |
| Seenathu Pattumeni | P. Susheela, Malaysia Vasudevan |
| Thaaye Moogambikaiye | M. Balamuralikrishna, M. S. Viswanathan, Sirkazhi Govindarajan, S. Janaki |
Release and reception
Thaai Mookaambikai was released on 9 July 1982.{{Cite web |title=தாய் மூகாம்பிகை / Thaai Mookaambikai (1982) |url=https://screen4screen.com/movies/thaai-mookaambikai |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119114343/https://screen4screen.com/movies/thaai-mookaambikai |archive-date=19 November 2023 |access-date=29 October 2021 |website=Screen 4 Screen}} Thiraignani of Kalki felt the audience who expected to watch the history of goddess Mookambika and the stories of their devotees will feel disappointed panning certain subplots. He however praised Jagadeesan's dialogues and Karthik's performance and concluded the film's director K. Shankar is responsible for the crime of not seeing completion in Darshan.{{Cite magazine |date=25 July 1982 |title=தாய் மூகாம்பிகை |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1982-07-25/page/n59/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230330042006/https://archive.org/details/kalki1982-07-25/page/n59/mode/2up |archive-date=30 March 2023 |access-date=30 March 2023 |magazine=Kalki |page=59 |language=ta |via=Internet Archive}}
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{Cite book |last=Sundararaman |title=Raga Chintamani: A Guide to Carnatic Ragas Through Tamil Film Music |publisher=Pichhamal Chintamani |year=2007 |edition=2nd |oclc=295034757 |orig-date=2005}}