KellyeZimmermann at 04:56, 3 March 2026

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{{short description|1993 film by K. Balachander}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Jaathi Malli
| image = Jaathi Malli.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[K. Balachander]]
| producer = Rajam Balachander Pushpa Kandaswamy
| writer = K. Balachander [[Ananthu (screenwriter)|Ananthu]]
| starring = [[Mukesh (actor)|Mukesh]] [[Khushbu Sundar|Khushbu]] [[Nassar (actor)|Nassar]] [[Vineeth]] [[Yuvarani]]
| music = [[M. M. Keeravani|Maragadha Mani]]
| cinematography = R. Raghunatha Reddy
| editing = Ganesh Kumar
| studio = [[Kavithalayaa Productions]]
| released = {{film date|1993|1|14|df=y}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Jaathi Malli''''' ({{translation|[[Jasminum grandiflorum|Royal jasmine]]}}) is a 1993 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film directed by [[K. Balachander]] starring [[Mukesh (actor)|Mukesh]], [[Khushbu Sundar|Khushbu]], [[Nassar (actor)|Nassar]], [[Vineeth]] and [[Yuvarani]]. The film was released on 14 January 1993, and won the [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film]].

== Plot ==
Sriranjini, a [[ghazal]] singer, visits a hill station to recover from the trauma of her mother's murder who was very close to her. She meets Kesavan, who is a taxi driver. He shares his own pain regarding his father murdering his mother and siblings in a drunken rage. Horrified by this story, Sriranjini starts thinking less of her own loss. Circumstances lead to Sriranjini living in the same house as a paying guest. Their relationship remains aloof, despite their mutual admiration.

They run into lovers Vineeth and Yuvarani who call themselves Moscow and Berlin. They are from different religions, Hinduism and Islam. It is not revealed as to who is Muslim and who is Hindu. They inform that they eloped as they wanted to defy their parents concept of marriage. The pesky lovers try to bring Sriranjini and Kesavan together. They also move into the house of Kesavan but are closer to Sriranjini who comes out of her depression regarding her mother's death.

Sriranjini later finds that Kesavan's story regarding his families fate is entirely fabricated and he hails from an affluent family. He confesses that he lied to make her understand that some people have bigger tragedies than what she saw in her life. He could not live with his family as they were having too many properties and inheritance fights and so, he decided to forfeit his inheritance entirely and lead a simple life as a taxi driver.

Later a rich North Indian man pays a lot of attention to Sriranjini and shows that he constantly listens to her music. Kesavan gets jealous of their constant chit chat in Hindi and regarding Ghazals and Sriranjini leaves the house after a fight. She finds that her patron almost keeps her in house arrest and expects her to be his mistress. Sriranjini wants to go back to Kesavan. The younger couple, Moscow and Berlin, try to help the older couple to get together.

When caught by the rioters, Moscow and Berlin ask the rioters to find their religion from their blood. The city is in strict curfew and they are injured in gunfire. They bring the older couple together before dying in each other's arms.

== Cast ==
{{cast listing|
*[[Mukesh (actor)|Mukesh]] as Kesavan<ref name="Encyclopaedia" />
*[[Khushbu Sundar|Khushbu]] as Sriranjini
*[[Vineeth]] as Moscow
*[[Yuvarani]] as Berlin
*[[Madhan Bob]] as Sathyam
*[[Vichithra]] as Savitri, Sathyam's wife
*[[Dhamu]] as Dhamu
*[[Nassar (actor)|Nassar]] as Director Pazhani Bhaskaran
* Rajesh Kumar as Reddy
*[[H. Ramakrishnan]] as Dr. Sahasranamam
*[[Delhi Ganesh]] as Vaidyanathan, Sahasranamam's brother
*[[Kavithalaya Krishnan]] as compounder at Sahasranamam's clinic
*[[Charle]] as Udhagai Murugan
*[[K. S. Jayalakshmi]] as Aanandham, Sahasranamam's wife
* Yuvashree as Rani, nurse at Sahasranamam's clinic
}}

== Production ==
Balachander approached [[T. Rajendar]] to portray a guest role in the film which he rejected.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anantharam |first=Chitra Deepa |date=27 March 2017 |title=I am the pioneer of kuthu: T Rajendherr |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/i-am-the-pioneer-of-kuthu-t-rajendar-or-tr/article17676587.ece |url-status=live |access-date=14 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112035013/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/i-am-the-pioneer-of-kuthu-t-rajendar-or-tr/article17676587.ece |archive-date=12 November 2020}}</ref> [[Khushbu Sundar|Khushbu]]'s character was named Sriranjani, after the [[Carnatic raga]] of the [[Shree ranjani|same name]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sundaram |first=Lakshmi |date=12 March 2003 |title=From Sindhu Bhairavi to Sahana |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/03/12/stories/2003031200080200.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=12 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030821151935/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/03/12/stories/2003031200080200.htm |archive-date=21 August 2003}}</ref> Part of the film's title serves as a [[double entendre]]; the full title refers to the jasmine flower, while ''jaathi'' also means caste.<ref name="Encyclopaedia" />

== Soundtrack ==
The soundtrack was composed by [[M. M. Keeravani|Maragadha Mani]]. All lyrics were written by [[Vairamuthu]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 August 2014 |title=Jaadi Malli |url=https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/jaadi-malli/17qWeZgFrQY_ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528164915/https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/jaadi-malli/17qWeZgFrQY_ |archive-date=28 May 2021 |access-date=14 August 2020 |website=[[JioSaavn]]}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singers
| title1 = Azhaithal Varuvaal
| extra1 = [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]], [[K. S. Chithra]]
| length1 = 03:30
| title2 = Hey Kuppa
| extra2 = [[M. M. Keeravani|Maragadha Mani]]
| length2 = 03:00
| title3 = Kamban Engu
| extra3 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra
| length3 = 05:04
| title4 = Manmatha Leelai
| extra4 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra
| length4 = 04:22
| title5 = Marakamudiyavillai
| extra5 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra
| length5 = 04:16
| title6 = Solladi Barathamatha I
| extra6 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
| length6 = 04:05
| title7 = Solladi Barathamatha II
| extra7 = Maragatha Mani, K. S. Chithra
| length7 = 02:13
| title8 = Samundharu
| extra8 = K. S. Chithra
| length8 = 03:32
| total_length = 30:02 
}}

== Release and reception ==
''Jaathi Malli'' was released on 14 January 1993.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 January 1993 |title=Jaathi Malli |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19930114&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=11 February 2020 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |pages=3 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Malini Mannath of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' called it "a total let down. The script just meanders with various subplots that gets linked whenever the director happens to remember each of them".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=29 January 1993 |title=A letdown |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B4plAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nJ4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1266%2C2614013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531031805/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B4plAAAAIBAJ&pg=1266%2C2614013&sjid=nJ4NAAAAIBAJ |archive-date=31 May 2021 |access-date=5 January 2019 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |pages=11 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> C. R. K. of ''[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]]'' praised Balachander for making a film against caste riots but panned the cliched climax.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=சி.ஆர்.கே. |date=7 February 1993 |title=ஜாதி மல்லி |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1993-02-07/page/n7/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230125171412/https://archive.org/details/kalki1993-02-07/page/n7/mode/2up |archive-date=25 January 2023 |access-date=23 December 2022 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |page=7 |language=Ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Though the film was not a commercial success,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sundaram |first=Nandhu |date=27 June 2018 |title=From 'Gentleman' to 'Amaravathi' : Revisiting popular films which released 25 years ago |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/gentleman-amaravathi-revisiting-popular-films-which-released-25-years-ago-83756 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228073451/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/gentleman-amaravathi-revisiting-popular-films-which-released-25-years-ago-83756 |archive-date=28 December 2020 |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=[[The News Minute]]}}</ref> it won the [[Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 July 2020 |title=மரபுகளை உடைத்த கதைசொல்லி .. காவியங்களை படைத்த கேபி பிறந்தநாள் இன்று..! |url=http://www.puthiyathalaimurai.com/newsview/73548/K--Balachander---Indian-filmmaker---Birthday---- |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810211813/http://www.puthiyathalaimurai.com/newsview/73548/K--Balachander---Indian-filmmaker---Birthday---- |archive-date=10 August 2020 |access-date=24 June 2021 |website=[[Puthiya Thalaimurai]] |language=ta}}</ref>

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="Encyclopaedia">{{Cite book |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] and [[Oxford University Press]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-563579-5 |last1=Rajadhyaksha |first1=Ashish |pages=507–508 |orig-date=1994 |last2=Willemen |first2=Paul |author-link=Ashish Rajadhyaksha |author-link2=Paul Willemen}}</ref>
</references>

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}

{{K. Balachander}}
{{Kavithalaya Productions}}
{{TamilNaduStateFilmAwardBestFilm}}

[[Category:1993 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1993 films]]
[[Category:1993 Indian films]]
[[Category:Films about singers]]
[[Category:Films about terrorism in India]]
[[Category:Films about the caste system in India]]
[[Category:Films directed by K. Balachander]]
[[Category:Films scored by M. M. Keeravani]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by K. Balachander]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]

Jaathi Malli - Revision history

KellyeZimmermann at 04:56, 3 March 2026