84.69.182.103 at 10:46, 19 August 2021

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{{short description|1977 film by Balu Mahendra}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Kokila
| image = Kokila 1977.jpg
| caption = Poster of the film
| director = [[Balu Mahendra]]
| producer = T. Motcham Fernando
| writer = Balu Mahendra
| starring = {{unbulleted list|[[Kamal Haasan]]|[[Mohan (actor)|Mohan]]|[[Shoba]]|[[Roja Ramani]]}}
| music = [[Salil Chaudhary]]
| cinematography = [[Balu Mahendra]]
| editing = Umesh Kulkarni
| studio = Commercial Films
| distributor = G.N. Films
| released = {{film date|1977|10|7|df=y}}
| runtime = 140 minutes
| country = India
| language = Kannada
}}

'''''Kokila''''' is a 1977 Indian [[Kannada]]-language [[romance film]] starring [[Kamal Haasan]], [[Shoba]] playing the [[title character]] along with [[Roja Ramani]] and [[Mohan (actor)|Mohan]] in other prominent roles. The film marked the directorial debut of [[Balu Mahendra]], who was a cinematographer working predominantly in [[Cinema of South India|South Indian films]] then. The film was successful upon release in [[Karnataka]] and its neighbouring states, becoming the first Kannada film to be screened for 100 days in Madras (now [[Chennai]]). ''Kokila'' was remade into [[Malayalam]] as ''[[Oomakkuyil]]'' and in [[Hindi]] as ''[[Aur Ek Prem Kahani]]'' both by Mahendra himself in 1983 and 1996. Mahendra won the [[National Film Award for Best Cinematography]] and [[Karnataka State Film Award for Best Screenplay]].

== Plot ==
Kokila (Shoba), a medical college student lives with her father, an engineer and her mother in a home in Bangalore. A house maid (Roja Ramani) who is very close to the family also lives with them. As Kokila's father travels a lot and his wife suffering from health problems, they decide to keep a paying guest. Vijayakumar (Kamal Haasan), a bank executive comes and lives in the household as a paying guest. Kokila and Vijayakumar fall in love and plan to get married with the consent of her parents. In the meanwhile, suddenly one night Vijayakumar and the house maid are alone in the home. They both end up making love, and Kokila after her return remains unaware about this incident, though the maid is well aware of Kokila's affair with Vijay. Vijay, however, forgets the maid and continues to live with his normal love for Kokila. Suddenly, one day while Kokila is away on a college tour, Vijay gets to know that the maid is pregnant. Baskar suggests the maid that the child be aborted. The dejected maid leaves the house. When Kokila returns from the tour realise both Vijay and the maid missing. She is informed by her mother that Vijay has vacated the room, and makes several unsuccessful attempts to find the whereabouts of Vijay. After a three years, Kokila meets Vijay accidentally, in a village where she is posted as a doctor. At the point in time, she gets to know that Vijay and her maid got married and have a child named "Kokila".

== Cast ==
* [[Kamal Haasan]] as Vijayakumar
* [[Mohan (actor)|Mohan]] as Baskar
* [[Shoba]] as Kokila
* [[Roja Ramani]] as Chenni

== Production ==
''Kokila'' was the directorial debut of [[Balu Mahendra]],<ref name="Kokila Mohan">{{Cite news |date=14 February 2014 |title=Kokila was Balu's first as director |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/kokila-was-balus-first-as-director/article5687412.ece |url-status=live |access-date=14 September 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170914140017/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/kokila-was-balus-first-as-director/article5687412.ece |archive-date=14 September 2017}}</ref> who was one of the leading cinematographers in [[South Indian cinema]] at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Warrier |first=Shobha |date=4 March 2003 |title=''Julie Ganapathy'' was a big risk |url=http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2003/mar/04balu.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222832/http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2003/mar/04balu.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=11 May 2013 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref> The film also marked the debut of [[Mohan (actor)|Mohan]], who would go on to establish himself as a successful actor in the [[Tamil cinema]]. People from five different industries worked in the film; Kamal Haasan and Balu Mahendra (Tamil), Roja Ramani (Telugu), Mohan (Kannada), Shoba (Malayalam) and Salil Choudhry (Bengali). None of them except Mohan knew the Kannada language.<ref name="daily_thanthi">{{Cite news |date=4 September 2008 |title=வரலாற்றுச்சுவடுகள் – திரைப்பட வரலாறு 1002 – கமலுடன் 4 மொழிகளில் நடித்த ரோஜாரமணி |language=Tamil |work=[[Dina Thanthi]]}}</ref> Despite not knowing Kannada at that time, Kamal dubbed in his own voice.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=964008884393328640 |user=rgvenkateshgnfi |title=The specialty is @ikamalhaasan #Kamal ji spoke Telugu & Tamil and in my film #Kokila in Kannada no dubbing it was original voice of #KH 2/3 |date=14 February 2018 |access-date=28 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328170126/https://twitter.com/rgvenkateshgnfi/status/964008884393328640 |archive-date=28 March 2018 |url-status=live |first=R. G. |last=Venkatesh}}</ref> Mohan was a student of "Benaka", a drama troupe run by Kannada director [[B. V. Karanth]]. Mohan was acting in a play named ''Sidhathe'' alongside [[G. V. Iyer]] and [[Girish Karnad]] and he was asked to send his photograph to Mahendra who was in search of new actors for his directorial venture. Subsequently, Mohan was offered a role in the film where he played Kamal's friend.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ashok Kumar |first=S. R. |date=28 December 2007 |title=Mr. Simple is back |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.hindu.com/cp/2007/12/28/stories/2007122850200400.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=11 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109231714/http://www.hindu.com/cp/2007/12/28/stories/2007122850200400.htm |archive-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> According to Kamal, the film was made in Kannada, rather than Tamil, because during that time, "it was felt that the Tamil audience would not accept 'different' films".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Swaminathan |first=Roopa |title=Kamalahasan, the consummate actor |publisher=[[Rupa & Co.]] |year=2003 |pages=21}}</ref> Balu Mahendra shot a few sequences at Hotel Paraag and a huge rock in [[Cubbon Park]] in [[Bangalore]]. He shot the rock in various angles and used it in the film.<ref name="Kokila Mohan" /> The final length of the film was {{Convert|3954.78|metres|feet}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 June 1978 |title=Weekly Gazette of India, 1978-06-24, Weekly |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.csl_weekly.1978-06-24.O-1111-1978-0025-48514/page/n29/mode/2up?q=Kokila |access-date=29 June 2021 |publisher=[[The Gazette of India]] |pages=1269}}</ref>

== Music ==
The [[soundtrack album]] and background score for ''Kokila'' were composed by [[Salil Chowdhury]] with lyrics by [[Chi. Udayashankar]].

In the song "Sanje Thangaali Mai Sokalu" is based on the Malayalam song "Raappadi Paadunna" which Salil Chowdhury had composed for the Malayalam film [[Vishukkani]], and also Bengali version "Aj Noy Gun Gun Gunjan" sung by [[Lata Mangeshkar]]. Both all versions release in same year 1977.

{{Track listing
| headline = Track list
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Sanje Thangaali Mai Sokalu
| lyrics1 =
| extra1 = [[S. Janaki]]
| length1 =
| title2 = Gum Gum Endu Dumbigalu Haradi
| lyrics2 =
| extra2 = [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]], [[Vani Jairam]]
| length2 =
}}

== Reception ==
''Kokila'' was released in theatres on 7 October 1977.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 October 2019 |title='பாட்டுராஜா' மோகன் - 42 |work=[[The Hindu (Tamil)|The Hindu Tamil]] |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/519116-actor-mohan.html |url-status=live |access-date=18 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018061244/https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/519116-actor-mohan.html |archive-date=18 October 2019}}</ref> The film was screened at the [[International Film Festival of India]] then known as "Filmotsav78" in Madras (now [[Chennai]]).<ref name="daily_thanthi1">{{Cite news |date=2 October 2008 |title=வரலாற்றுச்சுவடுகள் – திரைப்பட வரலாறு 1022 – கமல்ஹாசனுக்கு நடிகர் ராஜ்குமார் புகழாரம் |language=ta |work=[[Dina Thanthi]]}}</ref> ''Kokila'' was a box-office success not only in [[Karnataka]], but also in the neighbouring state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. In 1980, it became the first Kannada film to have a 100-day run in Chennai.<ref name="daily_thanthi1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 February 2014 |title=The Best Films of Balu Mahendra |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/slide-show-1-the-best-films-of-balu-mahendra-south/20140213.htm |publisher=Rediff.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205121819/http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/slide-show-1-the-best-films-of-balu-mahendra-south/20140213.htm |archive-date=5 February 2017 |access-date=29 June 2021}}</ref> The film was released in its original language without being dubbed to Tamil, three years after the release, and ran for more than 140 days in Chennai, a record for a Kannada film in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="daily_thanthi1" /> Mohan became popularly known as "''Kokila'' Mohan" after the film's success.<ref name="Kokila Mohan" /> Mahendra later remade the film in [[Malayalam]] as ''[[Oomakkuyil]]'' (1983) and in [[Hindi]] as ''[[Aur Ek Prem Kahani]]'' (1996).<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 May 2018 |title=Ilayaraja's 'Thumbi vaa' is hummed in 7 different ways! |work=[[Malayala Manorama|Manorama]] |url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/music/2018/05/09/ilayaraja-timeless-thumbi-vaa-song-is-hummed-in-seven-different-ways.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 January 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190107102847/https://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/music/2018/05/09/ilayaraja-timeless-thumbi-vaa-song-is-hummed-in-seven-different-ways.html |archive-date=7 January 2019}}</ref> In 2008, film critic and cartoonist [[Madhan (writer)|Madhan]] said, "When I saw the movie, I was stunned. It was such a beautiful movie, up there in the league of [[François Truffaut|Truffaut]] and his ''[[The 400 Blows]]''."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Madhan |author-link=Madhan (writer) |date=29 February 2008 |title=Why I like... Kokila |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/why-i-like-kokila/article3022590.ece |url-status=live |access-date=28 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328164913/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/why-i-like-kokila/article3022590.ece |archive-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

== Accolades ==
* 1978 – [[National Film Award for Best Cinematography]] (Black-and-white motion picture) at the [[25th National Film Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=25th National Film Awards |url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/25th_nff_1977.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119143000/http://dff.nic.in/2011/25th_nff_1977.pdf |archive-date=19 January 2017 |access-date=13 May 2013 |publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]}}</ref>
* 1978 – [[Karnataka State Film Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] from the [[Government of Karnataka]] for [[Balu Mahendra]]<ref name="Kokila Mohan" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0235522}}

{{Balu Mahendra}}

[[Category:1970s Kannada-language films]]
[[Category:1970s romance films]]
[[Category:1977 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1977 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Balu Mahendra]]
[[Category:Films scored by Salil Chowdhury]]
[[Category:Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography National Film Award]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian romance films]]
[[Category:Kannada films remade in other languages]]

Kokila 1977 film - Revision history

84.69.182.103 at 10:46, 19 August 2021