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Pithamagan

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Pithamagan
Film poster
Directed byBala
Screenplay byBala
Based onNandavanathil Oru Aandi
by Jayakanthan
Produced byV. A. Durai
StarringVikram
Suriya
Laila
Sangeetha
CinematographyBalasubramaniem
Edited bySuresh Urs
Music byIlaiyaraaja
Distributed byEvergreen Movies International
Release date
24 October 2003
Running time
158 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Pithamagan (transl. God's Son) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Bala. The film stars Vikram, Suriya and Laila in the lead roles. Produced by V. A. Durai, the film has cinematography by Balasubramaniem, lyrics are by Vaali, Pazhani Bharathi and Na. Muthukumar, dance has been choreographed by Brindha, editing by Suresh Urs, fights by Stun Siva and art direction by A. C. Pillai.[1] The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilayaraaja. The film plot is based on Jayakanthan's Nandhavanathil Oru Andi, the story of an undertaker.[2] Upon release, the film met with critical acclaim and Vikram won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his role as Chithan. Owing to the success, the film was dubbed into Telugu and released as Sivaputrudu (The son of Siva) on 2 April 2004.[3] The film was also remade in Kannada as Anatharu (2007). It was also dubbed in Hindi as same title by B4U Movies.

Plot

An anonymous woman dies while giving birth in a graveyard. Her child, Chithan, is found and raised by the caretaker of the graveyard. Chithan grows up among corpses with minimal human contact and is perhaps more feral than autistic. He growls like a wolf, runs like a gorilla, has the unkempt appearance of an orangutan, but seems to understand loyalty and is (despite his circumstance) a social animal. He ventures into a town in search of food and gets into trouble as he does not understand the concept of money. He is rescued by Gomathi, a petty ganja seller. She sees his ability to be loyal and enrolls him into the service of her employer, a large scale ganja producer. Chithan is caught during a drug raid and is arrested.

Sakthi is a conman with a silver tongue. He gets into trouble when he cons a woman named Manju into losing all her personal effects in a game of dice. Sakthi gets sent to jail thanks to Manju's detective work. He meets Chithan in prison and starts protecting him out of sympathy and pity. Chithan starts to reciprocate to Sakthi's kindness with the only way he knows: by being as loyal as a dog.

Sakthi serves his term and then butts heads with the ganja producer to get Chithan out of jail. Chithan gets out but commits a crime when he obeys his master's instruction to burn the body of a murder victim. Sakthi, realising that Chithan is being used as accessory in crimes that he cannot comprehend, prevents Chithan from going back to working in the ganja fields. At the same time, a budding romance starts between Sakthi and Manju. Chithan too starts to see a shared spirit in Gomathi.

The police catches a wind of the murder and arrests Chithan. Sakthi gets Chithan to side with the police and goes against the ganja producer. The ganja producer later attacks and kills Sakthi and dumps his body in the middle of the road - all of this when Chithan is not around. Chithan does not understand that Sakthi is dead and zones out to outer space when everyone surrounds him. Gomathi, Manju, and the others are crying. Gomathi sees Chithan's confusion as indifference and angrily drives him away from Sakthi's body.

Chithan slowly starts to understand that Shakthi is dead as he sees him on the funeral pyre. His realization is complete when he wakes up in the morning next to the burnt remains of Shakthi's corpse. He experiences emotions that he has never experienced before: fury, agony, betrayal, and emotional pain that he has never felt. His body bears the scars of a million bruises, and his violence has always been self-defense and the defense of his masters. This realization of the meaning of death and the pain of losing a loved one breaks the feral chains that had wound up on his psyche.

Chithan then sets out like a man intent on destroying the world. He sets fire to the ganja fields, lets the ganja producer experience the pain of his loss, and then sets upon destroying him physically. He drives him through the street, taking his time by breaking a few bones at a time until he is done toying with him. He then kills the ganja producer and offers his body as a tribute to Manju, who now has lost her will to live.

Gomathi realizes what Chithan has been through and tries to get him to stay. However, Chithan turns back to the world of the graveyard among the corpses that cannot hurt him anymore.

Cast

Production

After Nandha, Bala announced his next project Pithamagan with Vikram and Suriya, heroes of his previous films who received popularity after struggle. For Gomathy's role, Bala selected Simran and confirmed her for the role by printing her name in invitations,but she was hurry to finish all her commitments due to her wedding plans and she accepted to give only 3 days call sheet to make special appearance initially which was offered to Reemma Sen. After that Vijayashanti, Malavika and Gayatri Jayaraman were considered but at last Rasika was selected for the role and also changed her name back to Sangeetha.[5][6]

Most part of the Film was shot in a town called Bodinayakanur in Theni District. Bodinayakanur, which is surrounded by Western Ghats Hills and also known as the Cardamom Capital of India.

Soundtrack

Pithamagan
Soundtrack album by
Ilaiyaraaja
Released2003
Recorded2003
GenreFilm soundtrack
Length32:26 / 30:16
LanguageTamil / Telugu
LabelFive Star Audio
ProducerIlaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja chronology
Solla Marandha Kadhai
(2002) 		Pithamagan
(2003) 		Sambhu
(2003)

The soundtrack album was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The lyrics were penned by Vaali, Palani Bharathi, Na. Muthukumar and Mu. Metha. The song "Piraiye Piraiye" is set in Pantuvarali raga.[7]

Track list

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Adadaa Aghangaara Arakka Kaigalil"Mu. MethaK.J. Yesudas04:38
2."Aruna Runaam" Savitha Reddy for Simran & Old Songs Medley06:39
3."Elangaathu Veesudhey"Palani BharathiSriram Parthasarathy, Shreya Ghoshal06:10
4."Elangaathu Veesudhey" (solo)Palani BharathiSriram Parthasarathy06:10
5."Kodi Yethi Vaippom"Na. MuthukumarBhavatharini, Shanmugasundari, Periya Karuppa Thevar, Ragavendar04:08
6."Piraiye Piraiye"VaaliMadhu Balakrishnan04:41
7."Yaaradhu Yaaradhu"Na. MuthukumarIlaiyaraaja 
Total length:32:26

Telugu track list

All lyrics are written by Vanamali

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Adigo Avineethi"Vijay Yesudas, chorus04:38
2."Priyatama Ninne" (Old Songs Medley)Murali, Lalitha Sagari, chorus06:39
3."Chirugali Veechane"R. P. Patnaik, Sunitha Upadrashta06:10
4."Chirugali Veechane" (solo)R. P. Patnaik06:10
5."Evaridi Evaridi"Vijay Yesudas01:58
6."Okate Jananam"Vijay Yesudas04:41
Total length:30:16

Release

The film was released on 24 October 2003, coinciding with Deepavali. The film released alongside Vijay's Thirumalai, Ajith's Anjaneya and Arjun's Ottran.[1]

Critical reception

The film received unanimous critical acclaim particularly for Vikram and Surya's performances. Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu praised Vikram as "Without any dialogue to support him he carves a niche for himself in the viewer's mind with his expressions and excellent body language" and Suriya as "Who would have thought that this young man, pitted against the serious Chithan, would prove so perfect a foil?" going on to declare the movie as "..a symphony on celluloid".[8] Balaji Balasubramaniam of Thiraipadam.com reviewed as "With unique characterization, tremendous performances and a smooth screenplay, the movie offers a satisfying experience to the discerning viewer..." and noted "Vikram pretty much lives the role of the undertaker. With dry and streaked hair, dirty teeth and torn clothes, he looks the part and though he doesn't utter a word, he conveys everything through his expressions and body language".[9] A reviewer at Sify.com noted, "..it is the expert performance of the lead actors that elevate the film above the commonplace".[10]

Film critic Baradwaj Rangan remarked, "Bala's ingeniousness is evident everywhere .... And he gets tremendous support from his leads...It all adds up to a first-rate film that excoriates as much as it entertains".[11] Ilaiyaraja also received praise for his musical score, "Ilaiyaraja adds unmeasurable strength to many of the scenes with his background music".[9] "The captivating numbers vouch for the fact that the Raja reigns supreme".[8]

Awards

The film has won the following awards since its release:

National Film Awards 2003

Filmfare Awards South

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

CineMAA Awards

  • Won – South India's Best Actor – Vikram[12]

Remakes

The film was remade in Kannada as Anatharu with Upendra and Darshan in the lead and released on 14 September 2007. Repeating the success of the original, the film received favourable reviews and applause for Upendra's performance.[13]

The film is also to be remade in Hindi. Director Satish Kaushik has bought the remake rights of the film.[14] Incidentally, Satish had earlier directed Salman Khan in Tere Naam, the Hindi remake of the Bala-Vikram film Sethu. Once again, Satish has approached Salman Khan to reprise Vikram's role.[15][16] However the project failed to materialise.

Legacy

Karunas who acted in the film did a spoof on Vikram's character in a film called Ennavo Pudichirukku (2004).[17] Surya's character as petty thief from Maayavi (2005) was compared with character from Pithamagan.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b S. R. Ashok Kumar (24 October 2003). "Variety fare for Deepavali". The Hindu.
  2. ^ "If I didn't come to movies, I would have died – Director Bala". 11 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Siva Putrudu". idlebrain.com.
  4. ^ "Suriya: Tamil stars play themselves on screen". The Times of India. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  5. ^ "Sangita on a high". 24 December 2003. Archived from the original on 24 December 2003.
  6. ^ "Sangeetha becomes Rasika".
  7. ^ Mani, Charulatha (30 September 2011). "A Raga's Journey — Poignant Pantuvarali". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  8. ^ a b "The Hindu : Pithamagan". The Hindu. 31 October 2003.
  9. ^ a b "Pithamagan – Tamil Movie Review". thiraipadam.com.
  10. ^ "Pithamagan – Sify Review".
  11. ^ Baradwaj Rangan (8 November 2003). "Review: Pithamagan".
  12. ^ "Telugu CineMaa Awards 2003". Idlebrain.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "Pithamagan is B-town bound". The Times of India. 11 October 2011.
  15. ^ "Satish wants Salman for 'Pithamagan' Hindi remake". ibnlive.com. 30 May 2013.
  16. ^ "'Pithamagan' Hindi remake – Salman Khan plays Vikram role". 18 May 2012.
  17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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