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Thillu Mullu

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Thillu Mullu
Theatrical release poster
Directed byK. Balachander
Screenplay byVisu
Based onGol Maal
Produced by
  • P. R. Govindarajan
  • J. Duraisamy
StarringRajinikanth
CinematographyB. S. Lokanath
Edited byN. R. Kittu
Music byM. S. Viswanathan
Production
company
Kalakendra Movies
Release date
  • 1 May 1981 (1981-05-01)
Running time
136 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Thillu Mullu (transl. Hanky-panky) is a 1981 Indian Tamil-language comedy film directed by K. Balachander and written by Visu. A remake of the 1979 Hindi film Gol Maal, it stars Rajinikanth, with Thengai Srinivasan, Nagesh, Poornam Viswanathan, Sowcar Janaki, Madhavi and Viji Chandrasekhar in supporting roles. The film is about Chandran, who lies to his boss to get a leave but gets caught. To save his job, he is forced to pretend to his boss that he has a twin brother.

Thillu Mullu was released on 1 May 1981. Critics particularly praised Rajinikanth's performance, as he was known for doing mainly action films up until that point in his career. A remake of the same name, directed by Badri, was released in 2013.

Plot

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Aiyampettai Arivudainambi Kaliyaperumal Chandran is a graduate in search of his first job. He and his sister Uma have no relatives or acquaintances except their doctor/family friend. The doctor advises him to attend an interview for a job at his friend Sriramachandramurthy's import-export company, Sarojini Traders. Sriramachandramurthy is a man of traditional values. He is a sports fan but thinks lowly of youngsters involved in sports. He dislikes men without moustaches as he believes such men are characterless.

Chandran has a moustache; the doctor advises Chandran to take care of the other problems by acting in a manner Sriramachandramurthy appreciates: namely wearing a Nehru jacket for a usual dress given the poverty in the country, always telling his name in full, giving importance to his moustache, behaving decently, showing a lack of interest in sports and drama considering that they do not promote any wellbeing to the home or the country, respecting one's parents, and detesting the concept of having someone else recommend a person for jobs instead of recommending for oneself. He impresses Sriramachandramurthy who hires him immediately.

One day, Chandran takes leave by pretending that his mother, who actually died many years ago, has taken ill and goes to watch a football match. Sriramachandramurthy, who attends the match as well, sees him there. The next day, Sriramachandramurthy queries Chandran about what he witnessed. To escape from the ire of his boss and being fired from his first job, he decides to lie. Remembering the plot of a film his friend, actor Nagesh is shooting, Chandran convinces Sriramachandramurthy that he had seen his moustache-less identical twin Indran at the stadium. Sriramachandramurthy buys his argument and feels bad about accusing him. He makes amends by hiring "Indran" to teach his daughter Sarojini music.

Chandran is forced to lead a dual life: as a sincere hardworking employee under his real name, and as Sarojini's music teacher Indran; subsequently, Sarojini and "Indran" fall in love. A boy named Kattabomman who works at Sriramachandramurthy's house knows about Chandran's secret and blackmails him regularly. Things take an unexpected turn when Sriramachandramurthy asks Chandran to meet his mother. Chandran, with Nagesh's help, requests a wealthy socialite, Meenakshi Duraiswamy, to pose as Chandran's widowed mother. Chandran ultimately tells Sarojini the truth. Sarojini's friend tells him to tell Sriramachandramurthy as well, but he is reluctant to do so. Chandran goes to Sriramachandramurthy with Sarojini, but when Chandran refuses to give Kattabomman ₹5,000 (equivalent to ₹100,000 or US$1,200 in 2023), Kattabomman tells Sriramachandramurthy about Chandran's false moustache, giving away the secret. Sriramachandramurthy exposes Chandran but ends up thinking that Indran impersonated Chandran to marry Sarojini. He then chases Chandran, whom he thinks is Indran, across the city via car to kill him. Due to his rash driving, he seemingly cripples Uma during the chase.

Sriramachandramurthy is sued by lawyer Charuhasan on Indran's behalf for injuring Uma. Sriramachandramurthy is, for the most part, scared during the lawyer's monologue, but eventually realises that he is being fooled again — this time by Charuhasan, who is actually an actor hired by Chandran, while Uma was not actually crippled in the chase. At this point, all the main characters approach Sriramachandramurthy and tell him the truth. A visibly confused and shaken Sriramachandramurthy locks himself in a room, and comes out with his moustache shaved off, feeling that he does not need something which caused so much trouble. Sriramachandramurthy then laments to a picture of Muruga about his foolishness. As he does so, the picture of Muruga changes into that of Ganesha; the voice of Ganesha apologises to him as he was also involved in fooling him.

Cast

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Uncredited

Production

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In June 1980, it was announced that Rajinikanth and Madhavi would star in the Tamil remake of the Hindi film Gol Maal, with K. Balachander directing.[6] The film, which would later be titled Thillu Mullu, was Rajinikanth's first full-length comedy film.[7] He initially doubted whether he would be able to pull off a comedy film, and instead suggested that Balachander consider an established comedian like Nagesh; Balachander refused since he wanted a hero, not a comedian, and Balachander assured that he would guide him through the process.[3] Rajinikanth hoped that people, who considered him to be made for "rough roles", would change their perspective after seeing the film;[8] he accepted the film due to Balachander's suggestion that he should do try to break the stereotyped action hero mould for which he was known at the time.[9] Rajinikanth was initially reluctant to shave his moustache to portray his character, given the success he had with it but ultimately did so, making Thillu Mullu the first film which featured him without one.[1] It was also Rajinikanth and Balachander's last film together.[10]

Thengai Srinivasan was recruited to play Sriramachandramurthy. Balachander recalled, "Normally I try to get all actors to modulate the dialogue in a particular manner but for this character I wanted Thengai to do it in his style, so instead of teaching him, I asked him how he would like to do the scene and then developed on it. I wanted him to play it as a character and not as a comedian for I felt that the humour would come out on its own through his unique body language and dialogue delivery".[11] Nagesh appeared as himself.[12] Viji Chandrasekhar made her acting debut with this film, playing the sister of Chandran.[13] The character is a skater, and Balachander cast her as such after noticing her carrying roller skates.[14] At Balachander's insistence,[15] Kamal Haasan made a cameo appearance as Charuhasan, an actor posing as a lawyer in the climax of the film.[16] During the film's shooting, Rajinikanth met his future wife Latha, then a student of Ethiraj College for Women, who went to interview him for her college magazine.[17] Some scenes were also shot at Janaki's house at Cenotaph Road.[11][18]

The screenplay was written by Visu, with Ananthu assisting.[5] B. S. Lokanath and N. R. Kittu were recruited as cinematographer and editor respectively. The film was produced by P. R. Govindarajan and J. Duraisamy under Kalakendra Movies.[19]

Themes

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Film critic Naman Ramachandran identifies one scene where Chandran pulls a prank on the doctor who then remarks that whatever else he accomplishes in life he will always be a good actor, as a "meta" moment.[20] He also identified the name of Haasan's character Charuhasan as a reference to Haasan's real-life brother, and the scene where Charuhasan incites several legal points actually incorporate the titles of many hit films of Haasan.[1] R. Balu, teacher at Hindu Theological Higher Secondary School claimed the plot of Thillu Mullu and Golmaal was taken from his stage play Casual Leave.[21]

Soundtrack

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The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan, with lyrics by Kannadasan.[22][23] The song "Raagangal Pathinaaru" is set in the Carnatic raga known as Abheri.[24][25]

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Raagangal Pathinaaru"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:27
2."Thillu Mullu"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:40
3."Thangangale Thambigale"Malaysia Vasudevan4:24
4."Andhi Neram"Vani Jairam4:27
Total length:17:58

Release and reception

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Thillu Mullu was released on 1 May 1981,[2] and received positive reviews.[26] The review board of Ananda Vikatan, in a review dated 24 May 1981, gave the film a B rating, equal to 45 out of 100.[27] Kutty Krishnan of Kalki praised Balachander for making a clean comedy film while also praising the performances of cast and technical crew and added that the film manages to sustain the interest of audiences.[28] Tribune stated in 1982, "It is not often that Producer/Director K. Balachandar launches out on films in lighter vein, and this film is one such all revealing exception, of his deft touch in this field too."[29]

Legacy

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On the centenary of Indian cinema in April 2013, Forbes India included the performances of Rajinikanth and Thengai Sreenivasan in the film on its list, "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".[30] On 1 July 2013, coinciding with International Joke Day, actors and writers of comedy were asked to name their favourite film. Comedian and film critic Bosskey named Thillu Mullu as his favourite comedy film, stating: "Thengaai Srinivasan is my all-time favourite. [..] and the interview scene in Thillu Mullu can enliven any boring day".[31]

Remake

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Further information: Thillu Mullu (2013 film)

Thillu Mullu was remade in 2013 with the same title, directed by Badri.[32] It featured re-worked versions of the title song and "Raagangal Pathinaaru".[33] In an interview with IndiaGlitz in 2016, Visu expressed dissatisfaction with the remake.[34]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Ramachandran 2014, p. 106.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Ramji, V. (7 July 2018). "தில்லுமுல்லு - அப்பவே அப்படி கதை!". Kamadenu (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b Ramachandran 2014, p. 105.
  4. ^ காயத்ரி, வெ வித்யா (27 December 2023). "நிறைவேறாத கடைசி ஆசை; `தில்லு முல்லு' பட நடிகர் மரணம்!". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Sundaram, Nandhu (1 May 2022). "41 years of Thillu Mullu: This hilarious Rajinikanth film still entertains". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  6. ^ Piousji (29 June 1980). "Khaas Baat". Sunday. p. 47. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ Sampath, Janani (27 August 2013). "The common man's film maker". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  8. ^ Piousji (21 September 1980). "Khaas Baat". Sunday. p. 39. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  9. ^ "Return of Rajinikanth". Hindustan Times. 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  10. ^ Kumar, S. Shiva (15 June 2018). "After 'Kaala' release, a look at the underside of Rajini's stardom". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  11. ^ a b Raman, Mohan V. (20 October 2012). "He walked tall in tinsel town". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  12. ^ "Power Star in Nagesh's role!". The Times of India. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  13. ^ Venkadesan, S (13 August 2012). "Viji hopes for a dream run in films". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  14. ^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (28 October 2016). "Once upon a film set..." The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  15. ^ "The fire still burns bright". Bangalore Mirror. 7 July 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  16. ^ Srivatsan (15 September 2016). "Rajinikanth's cameo in Neruppu Da: 5 actors whose cameos made more noise than films". India Today. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  17. ^ "காதலுக்கு அஸ்திவாரம் போட்ட 'தில்லுமுல்லு' படம் வெற்றி: நகைச்சுவையில் கொடிகட்டிப் பறந்தார்". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  18. ^ Krissna & Rangarajan 2012, p. 11.
  19. ^ Thillu Mullu (motion picture) (in Tamil). Kalakendra Movies. 1981. Opening credits, from 1:30 to 6:43.
  20. ^ Ramachandran 2014, pp. 105–106.
  21. ^ "கோல்மாலில் ஒரு கோல்மால்?". Kalki (in Tamil). 11 November 1979. p. 49. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ "Thillu Mullu (1981)". Raaga.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Thillu Mullu Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by M S Viswanathan". Mossymart. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  24. ^ Sundararaman 2007, p. 155.
  25. ^ Sundar, Anusha (15 July 2015). "Mellisai Silenced." Music Aloud. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  26. ^ Seshagiri, Sangeetha (12 December 2013). "Most Popular Roles of Superstar Rajinikanth". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  27. ^ Vikatan Review Board (24 May 1981). "தில்லு முல்லு". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  28. ^ கிருஷ்ணன், குட்டி (17 May 1981). "தில்லு முல்லு". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 43. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Thillu Mullu (Tamil)". Tribune. Vol. 26, no. 29–40. Ceylon News Service. 8 May 1982. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  30. ^ Prasad, Shishir; Ramnath, N. S.; Mitter, Sohini (27 April 2013). "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema". Forbes India. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  31. ^ Rao, Subha J (1 July 2013). "Laughter lines". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  32. ^ Raghavan, Nikhil (1 June 2013). "Classic gets a new twist". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  33. ^ Naig, Udhav (20 April 2013). "Old meets new". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  34. ^ "Director Visu Interview : Censor asked me to make 87 cuts for my film". IndiaGlitz. 5 July 2016. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.

Bibliography

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