Anthimanthaarai () (transl. Mirabilis jalapa) is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language historical drama film directed by Bharathiraja. The film stars Vijayakumar and Jayasudha.[1] It is produced by Chandraleela Bharathiraja and Thilaka Ganesh. The film won the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Tamil. The music for the film is scored by A. R. Rahman, marking his third collaboration with Bharathiraja after Kizhakku Cheemayile and Karuthamma.
| Anthimanthaarai | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Bharathiraja |
| Screenplay by | Bharathiraja |
| Story by | R. Selvaraj |
| Produced by | Chandraleela Bharathiraja Thilaka Ganesh |
| Starring | Vijayakumar Jayasudha Sanghavi |
| Cinematography | C. Dhanapal |
| Edited by | K. Pazhanivel |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
Production company | Megaa Movies |
Release date |
|
Running time | 131 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
The film had a brief run lasting for a week in major cinemas and fared poorly at the box office despite its accolades and critical acclaim.[2]
Plot
editThis article needs an improved plot summary. (July 2023) |
An aged man Kandaswamy Iyer at his retirement pursues a relationship that he could not experience when younger. He was once a freedom fighter and activist, but as time passes by, his efforts become gradually forgotten. Towards the end of his life, he grapples to financially support himself and loses his respect and identity in society. His desires to lead a peaceful retirement with his companion Thangam is tragically taken away from him by the ungrateful and ignorant community.
Cast
edit- Vijayakumar as Kandaswamy Iyer[3]
- Jayasudha as Thangam[3]
- Sanghavi as Kandaswamy's wife[3]
- Chandrasekhar as the watchman[3]
- Sudhangan as Kandaswamy's nephew[3]
- Kottiswar
- Veera Raghavan
- Kamala Kamesh
- Ra. Sankaran
- Mallaiah
Production
editRadhika was initially supposed to star in the film but her busy schedule meant that the role went to Jayasudha.[4]
Soundtrack
editThe soundtrack of the film was composed by A. R. Rahman[5] and was a promotional audio since the film featured just a few snatches of these songs in the background. It has 4 songs including a Carnatic song written in Sanskrit and 3 instrumental themes. The lyrics were written by Vairamuthu.
| Song | Singer(s) |
|---|---|
| Bharathiraja's Voice I | Bharathiraja |
| "Sakiyae Nee" | Unnikrishnan |
| Theme Music I | Instrumental |
| Bharathiraja's Voice II | Bharathiraja |
| "Oru Naal Oru Pozhudu" | Swarnalatha |
| Theme Music II | Instrumental |
| "Pullai Thinkum" | Sumangali |
| Music Bit I | Instrumental |
| Music Bit II | Instrumental |
Reception
editKalki called Anthimanthaarai a film lacking trademark elements of Bharathiraja and praised him for narrating the plot within two hours by lessening the dialogues and expressing with small movements and montage shots.[6] D. S. Ramanujam of The Hindu wrote, "The tragic tale of a freedom fighter, a firm believer in old values, gets the deft and poignant Bharathiraaja touches, heightening the value of the character in Mega Movies, Anthimantharai".[3] Anthimanthaarai won the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Tamil.[7] According to Vijayakumar, he was a strong contender for the Best Actor award, but lost by a single vote.[8]
References
edit- ^ "நடிகர் விஜயகுமார் பிறந்த நாள் ஸ்பெஷல்: அனைத்து பரிமாணங்களிலும் ரசிக்க வைத்த கலைஞர்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 29 August 2020. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ Gaekwad, Manish (6 January 2017). "You've heard the AR Rahman song? Now listen to the background score". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Ramanujam, D. S. (7 June 1996). "Anthimantharai". The Hindu. p. 33. Archived from the original on 20 December 1996. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "'We don't create intelligent characters' - Jayasudha". Nilacharal. Archived from the original on 5 November 2006. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Anthimanthaarai – Andha Naal – Ullathai Allitha". IsaiShop. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ "அந்திமந்தாரை". Kalki (in Tamil). 14 April 1996. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "43rd National Film Festival" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ Ashok Kumar, S.R. (8 December 2005). "For Vijayakumar, work is always worship". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 December 2005. Retrieved 18 October 2022.