Agni Natchathiram

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Agni Natchathiram
File:Agni Natchathiram poster.jpg


Theatrical release poster

Directed by Mani Ratnam
Written by Mani Ratnam
Produced by G. Venkateswaran
Starring Prabhu
Karthik
Amala
Nirosha
Cinematography P. C. Sreeram
Edited by B. Lenin
V. T. Vijayan
Music by Ilaiyaraaja





Country India
Language Tamil



Agni Natchathiram (Template:Translation) is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language masala film that was written and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Prabhu, Karthik, Amala and newcomer Nirosha in the lead roles, with Vijayakumar, Jayachitra, Sumithra, Tara, S. N. Lakshmi and G. Umapathy in supporting roles. Its story revolves around two half-brothers who come into conflict with each other due to their claims for legitimacy as sons of a common father.

Ratnam intended Agni Natchathiram to follow Mouna Ragam (1986); he completed the script but chose to prioritise Nayakan. Although some scenes were filmed during a break from Nayakan, production on Agni Natchathiram stalled for nearly a year and resumed in late 1987 after NayakanTemplate:'s release. Agni Natchathiram was produced by Ratnam's brother G. Venkateswaran; it was filmed by P. C. Sreeram, and edited by B. Lenin and V. T. Vijayan.

Agni Natchathiram was released on 15 April 1988, the week of the Tamil New Year festival Puthandu, and became a commercial success, running in theatres across Tamil Nadu for over 200 days. The film won two Filmfare Awards South, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and five Cinema Express Awards. It became a trendsetter in Tamil cinema, set a new standard in the use of lighting, and was remade in Hindi as Vansh (1992).

Plot

In Madras, half-brothers Gautham and Ashok are the sons of senior government Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official Vishwanath. Gautham's mother is Vishwanath's first wife Susheela, and Ashok's mother is Vishwanath's second wife Kamala. Both Gautham and Ashok inappropriately express their anger towards their father to others, and display open antipathy towards each other.

Gautham, a trainee Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, meets the Commissioner's daughter Anjali and they slowly become lovers. After graduating from the police academy, Gautham is appointed Assistant Commissioner in Madras. Around the same time, Ashok meets a mysterious girl and they also form a romantic relationship. Meanwhile, Vishwanath is appointed head of an inquiry commission to investigate a nefarious factory owner called Chidambaram.

One night, Ashok and his friends run into Gautham and Anjali; one of Ashok's friends teases Gautham, who arrests Ashok's friend on an invented charge. Enraged, Ashok and his gang throw stones at Gautham's house, accidentally injuring Susheela. The next day, Gautham arrests Ashok after provoking him into attacking him. Because Vishwanath is out of town, Susheela helps Kamala bail Ashok and offers snide, unsolicited advice about raising her children to be law-abiding. Meanwhile, Chidambaram repeatedly tries to bribe Vishwanath but is rebuffed and orders an assault on Vishwanath.

On the day when Ashok's sister Mallika is meeting a prospective groom's family for a matchmaking ceremony, Vishwanath fails to arrive, causing the groom's family to question the seriousness of the marriage between Kamala and Vishwanath. Ashok is enraged; he goes to Vishwanath's house and berates him but realises his paternal grandmother has died; Gautham throws him out. Later, Ashok learns his girlfriend also comes from a broken family. The Commissioner learns of Gautham's romance with Anjali and, based on his father's behaviour, doubts his monogamy.

Mallika runs into Gautham and Anjali on a commuter train; Gautham protects her from ruffians hired by Chidambaram to harass her, and he and Anjali accompany Mallika home safely. Mallika addresses Gautham as her elder brother but before he can respond, Ashok arrives and throws him out. Another altercation occurs at a wedding. The next day, they get into a huge brawl in public. Vishwanath berates them both, lamenting his public humiliation at his sons' behaviour.

While Vishwanath is leaving his office, he is run over by a truck driven by one of Chidambaram's thugs and becomes comatose. Mutual fear brings the families closer as Susheela and Kamala wait by his bedside. Chidambaram arranges for Vishwanath's murder in the hospital. Vishwanath want to submit report the next day. When the thugs attack, Gautham and Ashok foil the murder attempt by switching to the ambulance that Vishwanath was in. The next day, the brothers take the bandaged Vishwanath into the commission's office to submit evidence of Chidambaram's crimes. Chidambaram is arrested and the brothers high five each other.

Cast

Template:Cast listing

Production

Development

After Mouna Ragam (1986), Mani Ratnam wrote the script for Agni Natchathiram, with which he intended to reach out to audiences he could not reach with Mouna Ragam. However, when Muktha Srinivasan approached Ratnam to make a film for Kamal Haasan, which eventually became Nayakan, he agreed, putting Agni Natchathiram on hold.Template:Sfn The film was produced by Ratnam's brother G. Venkateswaran, filmed by P. C. Sreeram, and edited by B. Lenin and V. T. Vijayan. Thota Tharani was the art director and Mugur Sundar was the dance choreographer.Template:Sfn

Casting and filming

Template:Quote box Agni Natchathiram is the second time after Mouna Ragam Karthik collaborated with Ratnam.Template:Sfn It is the feature-film debut of Radhika's sister Nirosha, who was not initially interested in pursuing an acting career, having previously declined an offer to act in Nayakan, but at Radhika's suggestion she joined this film.[1] Vijayakumar, who had quit films and had settled in the United States, had returned to India for a different purpose when assistant director K. Subash met and offered him a role in Agni Natchathiram. Vijayakumar initially refused but Subash remained adamant; when Ratnam narrated the script, Vijayakumar was impressed with the character and accepted the role.[2] G. Umapathy made his acting debut, playing the antagonist Chidambaram.[3]

In January 1987, after two weeks of filming for Nayakan, Ratnam resumed work on Agni Natchathiram, filming scenes with Prabhu and Amala such as the song "Ninnukkori Varnam". Ratnam, however, could not manage filming for two films at the same time so work on Agni Natchathiram was halted for nearly a year,Template:Sfn resuming only after NayakanTemplate:'s release in late 1987.Template:Sfn To make the film more commercially viable, a comedy subplot involving a middle-aged man (V. K. Ramasamy) and his chauffeur (Janagaraj) trying to cavort with an escort (Disco Shanti) without their wives' knowledge was created.[4]Template:Sfn Two backup dancers did not arrive for the filming of the dance song "Raaja Raajathi", so Sundar persuaded his son Prabhu Deva to perform the breakdance in the song.[5] Some scenes were shot at the Southern Railway Headquarters.[6] The entire climax was filmed with strobe light effects.Template:Sfn

Soundtrack

Template:Main article Ilaiyaraaja composed the music for the soundtrack of Agni Natchathiram and Vaali wrote the lyrics.[7][8] Many of the songs are set in Carnatic ragas; "Vaa Vaa Anbe Anbe" is in Shivaranjani,[9]Template:Sfn "Thoongatha Vizhigal" is in Amritavarshini,[10]Template:Sfn "Oru Poonga Vanam" is in Sudhadhanyasi,Template:Sfn and "Ninnukkori Varnam" is in Mohanam.[11]Template:Sfn For "Raaja Raajathi", Ilaiyaraaja used no string instruments and composed the opening stanza with only two notes.[12][13] Anand–Milind adapted the song as "Tap Tap Tapori" for Baaghi (1990),[14] and "Ninnukori Varnam" was sampled by musician Karthik for "Thooriga" from "Guitar Kambi Mele Nindru", an episode of Navarasa (2021).[15] For the Telugu dubbed version titled Gharsana, all the lyrics are written by Rajasri.[16]

Release

Agni Natchathiram was released on 15 April 1988, the week of Puthandu, the Tamil New Year festival.[17] It ran in theatres for over 200 days, becoming a silver jubilee film and Ratnam's most-profitable film to that point.Template:Sfn[18] The film was also dubbed in Telugu as Gharshana.[19]

Critical reception

S. Shivakumar, writing for Mid-Day, called Agni Natchathiram "Mani's [most] loosely scripted work to date" and said; "What emerges on the screen is frothy and cracks like fresh pop corn".[20] N. Krishnaswamy of The Indian Express wrote the film has "more light than heat", referring to the impact Sriram's technique had on the film, and criticised the comedy subplot.[21] Ananda Vikatan wrote Ratnam proved he could make an interesting and engaging film with just a small thread of script, and that he had imagined each scene differently and presented them interestingly, giving the film a rating of 45 out of 100.Template:Sfn Jayamanmadhan of Kalki criticised the film for Ratnam's direction and writing.[22]

Accolades

Event Award Recipient Template:Abbr
36th Filmfare Awards South Best Film – Tamil G. Venkateswaran [23]
Best Actor – Tamil Karthik Template:Sfn
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Best Film G. Venkateswaran Template:Sfn
Special Prize for Best Actor Karthik
Best Female Playback Singer K. S. Chithra
9th Cinema Express Awards Best Film – Tamil G. Venkateswaran [24]
Best Director (Special Award) Mani Ratnam
Best Actress (Special Award) AmalaTemplate:Efn
Best New Face NiroshaTemplate:Efn
Best Music Director IlaiyaraajaTemplate:Efn

Legacy

Indian film critic Baradwaj Rangan considers Agni Natchathiram a defining Tamil film for the youth of the 1980s.Template:Sfn It became a trendsetter in Tamil cinema for setting "a new standard in the use of lighting".[25] Lakshmipathy's dialogue "En pondatti oorrukku poyiruchu" ("My wife has gone to her town"),[26] often misquoted as "En pondatti oorukku poittaa", which is spoken in excitement when his wife leaves for her hometown, entered Tamil vernacular.[25] The misquotation also inspired a song of the same name in Nenjam Marappathillai (2021).[27] In 2004, Rediff.com appreciated Agni Natchathiram for its "[s]ubtlety, diffused lighting, realistic fights, plain logic, a controlled Prabhu and a livewire Kartik", calling it a "landmark movie which never got the recognition it deserved up north".[28] In 2018, Rangan called Agni Natchathiram one of the best films in the masala genre, though he noted elements such as the loosu ponnu character played by Amala and the "flashy, MTV-era cinematography" did not age well.[29] The film was remade in Hindi as Vansh (1992).Template:Sfn

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

  1. ↑ Evergreen Stars: 'Sets Of Agni Natchathiram Was More Like A Vacation'. Iflicks(9 April 2018). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  2. ↑ அக்னி நட்சத்திரம் மூலமாக விஜயகுமார் வாழ்க்கையில் திருப்பம். Maalai Malar(20 August 2017). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  3. ↑ சாதனை புரிந்த தமிழ் படங்கள் – 291 – எஸ்.கணேஷ். Dinamalar(19 April 2017). Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named VKR
  5. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  6. ↑ Madras Day 2025: When Tamil cinema and railways cross tracks in Chennai. The Hindu(18 August 2025). Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  7. ↑ Agni Natchathram (1988). Raaga.com. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  8. ↑ Agni Natchathram Tamil Film LP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraaja. Mossymart. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  9. ↑ Does absence heighten presence?. The Hindu(8 March 2017). Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  10. ↑ A Raga's Journey – Appealing Amritavarshini. The Hindu(30 March 2012). Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  11. ↑ A Raga's Journey – Magical Mohanam. The Hindu(16 September 2011). Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  12. ↑ Happy birthday Ilaiyaraaja and Mani Ratnam!. Deccan Herald(2 June 2018). Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  13. ↑ Happy Birthday Ilaiyaraaja: 10 mind-blowing facts about the music maestro. India Today(2 June 2018). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  14. ↑ #Ilaiyaraaja78: Five Bollywood chartbusters inspired by Ilaiyaraaja hits in Tamil. The Times of India(5 June 2021). Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  15. ↑ Milliblog Weeklies, Week 154 – Jul.18, 2021, Karthik. Milliblog(17 July 2021). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  16. ↑ Gharshana (1988) (1988). Raaga.com. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  17. ↑ Agni Natchathiram. The Indian Express(15 April 1988). Retrieved 17 July 2020.Template:Cbignore
  18. ↑ வெள்ளி விழா கண்ட தமிழ் திரைப்படங்கள், Selvaraj, N.. Thinnai(20 March 2017). Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Did you know Mani Ratnam's Agni Natchathiram and Gautham Menon's Kaakha Kaakha 's Telugu versions have the same title. The Times of India(17 February 2021). Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  20. ↑ Images more eloquent than words. Mid-Day(22 July 1988). Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  21. ↑ Agni Nakshatram. The Indian Express(22 April 1988). Retrieved 17 July 2020.Template:Cbignore
  22. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  23. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  24. ↑ Cinema Express readers choose Agni Nakshathiram. The Indian Express(11 March 1989). Retrieved 30 May 2020.Template:Cbignore
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Agni Natchathiram needed an unknown level of energy, recalls PC Sreeram – 30th anniversary special, KR, Manigandan. Cinestaan(17 April 2018). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  26. ↑ என் பொண்டாட்டி ஊருக்கு போய்ருச்சு! மணிரத்னத்தின் 'அக்னி நட்சத்திரம்' Throwback, Kosalairaman, Muthu Vinayagam. Hindustan Times(15 April 2023). Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  27. ↑ Nenjam Marapathillai trailer: Selvaraghavan and Yuvan Shankar Raja are back, Narayanan, Sujatha. Firstpost(9 November 2016). Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  28. ↑ Rediff recommends. Rediff.com(6 May 2004). Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  29. ↑ Every Mani Ratnam Film, Ranked, Rangan, Baradwaj. Film Companion(20 September 2018). Retrieved 30 August 2021.

Bibliography

  • The Best of Tamil Cinema, 1931 to 2010: 1977–2010{{#if:Dhananjayan|, Dhananjayan}. Galatta Media(2011)
  • Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography{{#if:Ramachandran|, Ramachandran}. Penguin Books(2014). ISBN 978-0-14-342111-5
  • Conversations with Mani Ratnam{{#if:Rangan|, Rangan}. Penguin Books(2012). ISBN 978-0-670-08520-0
  • Raga Chintamani: A Guide to Carnatic Ragas Through Tamil Film Music{{#if:Sundararaman|, Sundararaman}. Pichhamal Chintamani(2007)

Template:Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil Template:Mani Ratnam Template:Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film

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