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Sirai

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Sirai
DVD cover
Directed byR. C. Sakthi
Screenplay byR. C. Sakthi
Based onSirai
by Anuradha Ramanan
Produced byMohan
Starring
CinematographyVishwam–Nataraj
Edited byG. Radhakrishnan
Music byM. S. Viswanathan
Production
company
Anandhi Films
Distributed byAnandhi Films
Release date
  • 22 November 1984 (1984-11-22)
Running time
143 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Sirai (transl. Prison; also spelt Chirai) is a 1984 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by R. C. Sakthi. The film stars Lakshmi and Rajesh, with Pandiyan, Ilavarasi, Prasanna, S. S. Chandran, V. Gopalakrishnan and Isari Velan in supporting roles. It follows a Brahmin woman who, after being raped by an alcoholic man, is disowned by her husband. After being encouraged by a police constable, she moves in with the rapist and develops an attachment for him.

Sirai is based on Anuradha Ramanan's 1980 short story of the same name. The film was produced by Mohan of Anandhi Films, photographed by the duo Vishwam–Nataraj, and edited by G. Radhakrishnan. It shot on actual locales, with minimal use of sets, although shooting also took place at Vauhini Studios.

Sirai was released on 22 November 1984. Despite receiving criticism from Brahmin organisations who demanded it be banned, the film received critical acclaim, particularly for Lakshmi's performance, and became a commercial success, with a theatrical run of over 100 days.

Plot

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Anthony is a wealthy landlord, a drunkard who has no values in life and indulges in several atrocities. The village chief Ondriyam and the police inspector are his supporters. Irudhayasami, an honest and soon-to-retire senior police constable, arrests a man who attempted to rape a woman, but due to Anthony's clout, the accused is exonerated. Irudhayasami curses that one day Anthony would repent for his sins.

Raghupathi and Bhagirathi, a Brahmin couple, move into the village and settle in the house next to Anthony's. Anthony lusts after Bhagirathi and one night when Raghupathi is not home, a drunk Anthony rapes Bhagirathi. When Raghupathi notices Anthony walking away from his home and Bhagirathi crying, he disowns her as she is maligned. When she refuses, he leaves the home after locking it without informing her and does not return. Left outside the locked house, Bhagirathi searches for him but fails. When no one supports her in the village and she is helpless and alone, Irudhayasami advises her to move into Anthony's house as he is the root cause of all her troubles.

Bhagirathi goes to Anthony's house and declares that he should take responsibility for her as he is the cause of her hardship and confines herself to a room in his house, warning him that he should not enter it at any cost in the name of Mother Mary. She states that as she is unable to punish him for his sin, she is punishing herself by being in his home and living in a room like a prison. His punishment is watching her suffer before his eyes for the sin he committed.

Anthony's servant Marudhu takes care of Bhagirathi's needs. Soon, Anthony realises his mistakes and his attitude and behaviour change. He helps his worker Muthu marry his lover Jilla, daughter of Ondriyam, by gifting his lands to him. Anthony helps Bhagirathi's father financially to get her three sisters married on the same day. Gradually, he advises everyone to hand over his financial matters to Bhagirathi and people start gossiping about their relationship. He stops drinking, smoking, womanising, and his house is converted into a proper living place. Though Bhagirathi is happy that he is a changed person, she frequently reminds him of his sins which caused harm to many.

One day, Anthony suffers a paralytic attack and becomes bedridden. He regrets all his sins, particularly to Bhagirathi, who now takes care of him. She even nurses him in the absence of his servant. Anthony requests Marudhu to locate Raghupathi and bring him. Raghupathi is found and agrees to come the next day. On the same night, Anthony becomes weak. He requests Bhagirathi to sing the song which she sang when she was happily married and which tempted him to molest her. Listening to her song, Anthony dies. When Anthony's coffin leaves, Bhagirathi realises how he took care of her and cries that she has no one to take care of her now.

Raghupathi comes after the coffin has left and in a selfish tone asks Bhagirathi to join him the next day. She refuses and tells him that a couple should be together in good and bad times. When she needed him the most, he deserted her; though Anthony molested her for his momentary pleasure, he regretted his mistake and took great care of her, treating her with respect till his end. So she would be proud to be Anthony's widow rather than the wife of a self-centered husband who did not take care of his life partner. She removes her tali, the symbol of their marriage, and continues to live in Anthony's house.

Cast

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Production

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Sirai was a short story written by Anuradha Ramanan and published in 1980.[3] The story, which was published in the Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, won a gold medal for the best short story.[4] When Anandhi Films approached R. C. Sakthi to direct a film for them, he suggested to adapt the short story for the screen, and they agreed despite initial hesitance.[5] Sakthi wrote the film adaptation's screenplay, while Mohan of Anandhi produced the film.[1] Cinematography was handled by the duo Vishwam–Nataraj,[6] and editing by G. Radhakrishnan.[2] A subplot was created, involving a farm-worker wooing a politician's daughter.[1] Most of the film was shot on actual locales, with minimal use of sets,[7] although shooting also took place at Vauhini Studios.[8] It was made as a CinemaScope film.[9] Sakthi revealed he chose Rajesh for the character of Anthony as he felt his physique suited the character very well.[10]

Themes

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Sirai, like many of Sakthi's films, is a women-centric film.[11] Journalist Kumuthan Maderya, writing for PopMatters, described it as following the stockholm syndrome trope, and as an early "Beauty and the Beast"-type story in Tamil cinema.[12] In the book Women in Films: An Incisive Study Into the Issues and Trends (2000), R. Kannan wrote that Sirai "boldly attempted to express the view that by merely tying Tali (Mangalasutra) a man cannot become a husband." He also felt it was the inverse of most Tamil films which used to exalt the tali sentiment.[13]

Soundtrack

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The soundtrack was composed by M. S. Viswanathan.[14][15] The film marked lyricist Piraisoodan's cinematic debut.[16][17] The song "Naan Paadikkonde Iruppen" is set in the Carnatic raga known as Shyama.[18][19]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Naan Paadikkonde Iruppen"PulamaipithanVani Jairam4:34
2."Paathukko"MuthulingamS. Janaki4:44
3."Rasathi Rosapoo Vektam Eno Innum"PiraisoodanK. J. Yesudas, Vani Jairam4:17
4."Vidhi Enum Karangalil"PulamaipithanM. S. Viswanathan4:28
Total length:18:03

Release

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Sirai was released on 22 November 1984.[2] The film received an "A" (adults only) certificate from the Censor Board after 10 cuts.[20] Distributors objected to the climax; they told Sakthi they would buy the film if he change the climax into one where Bhagirathi reunites with her husband or commits suicide, but Sakthi adamantly refused. 60 preview shows took place, but no distributor was willing to buy the film. As a result, Anandhi Films had to distribute the film themselves.[5][21] Although criticised by Brahmin organisations who demanded for it to be banned,[6][22] the film received critical acclaim (particularly for Lakshmi's performance)[12] and became a commercial success, with a 100-day theatrical run.[5][23] It was released on DVD in 2002 by Pyramid Films.[24]

Reception

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In their issue dated 23 December 1984, Ananda Vikatan published the reviews of readers rather than their own. The review board wrote that the screenplay was more engaging and intense than the short story, praised the performance of Lakshmi but criticised the item number featuring Anuradha, and rated the film 56 out of 100.[25] On 6 January 1985, Jayamanmadhan of Kalki wrote that while the film as a whole could not be appreciated, individual aspects could, such as the bold theme.[26]

Film historian S. Theodore Baskaran, in his 1996 book The eye of the serpent, felt that much of the film's impact was diluted by elements like the cabaret dance, duets and a fight sequence along with clichéd devices like using obesity for comic effect, all of which he described as the "trappings of a run-of-the-mill commercial movie".[27] Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema by Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen concurred, feeling they were inserted for "box-office reasons".[1] Baskaran said that the passage of years that Bhagirathi spends in Anthony's house had not been depicted "visually at all", but described Lakshmi's performance as the "high point" of the film.[7] Rajadhyaksha and Willemen stated that Lakshmi gave an "accomplished repeat performance of a rape victim" after Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (1977).[1]

Impact

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Sirai was one of the earliest Tamil films to explore the relationship between the rapist and the victim.[12] It also emerged a "landmark" in Rajesh's career.[28] Critic Baradwaj Rangan compared Pudhea Paadhai (1989) to Sirai as "both revolve around a rapist who is reformed by the rape survivor".[29] Maderya felt that both the films "advance an atavistic moral solution to the problem of rape."[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 464.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Dhananjayan 2011, p. 88.
  3. ^ Sunder Rajan 1994, p. 61.
  4. ^ "Anuradha Ramanan dead". The Hindu. 17 May 2010. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Majordasan. "Potpourri of tidbits about Tamil cinema – Director R. C. Sakthi". Kalyanamalai. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b Baskaran 1996, p. 159.
  7. ^ a b Baskaran 1996, p. 160.
  8. ^ சுரா (27 February 2015). "அஞ்சலி: ஆர்.சி.சக்தி | பெண்களை வாழ வைப்பவன் நான்!" [Obituary: R. C. Sakthi | I'm the one who makes women live!]. Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  9. ^ "Did You Know?". The Times of India. Chennai. 18 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  10. ^ ப்ரியன் (3 February 1985). "சிறை தந்த சிறந்த நடிகர்" (PDF). Kalki (in Tamil). pp. 24–27. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ Mannath, Malini (18 June 1993). "Thought-provoking". The Indian Express. p. 6. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via Google News Archive.
  12. ^ a b c d Maderya, Kumuthan (9 May 2017). "Performing Bestiality: Beauties and Beasts in Tamil Cinema". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  13. ^ Kannan 2000, p. 25.
  14. ^ "Sirai". JioSaavn. 22 November 1984. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  15. ^ "Sirai Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by M S Viswanathan". Macsendisk. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  16. ^ Naig, Udhav (15 July 2015). "A darling of lyricists". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  17. ^ "தமிழுக்கு அமுதென்று பேர்! – கவிஞர் முத்துலிங்கம்". Dinamani (in Tamil). 20 May 2018. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  18. ^ Sundararaman 2007, p. 146.
  19. ^ Vamanan (15 July 2015). "The world was his music". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  20. ^ "Chirai (35 mm.) (Colour) (India)". The Gazette of India. 2 April 1988. p. 963. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  21. ^ "பிளாஷ்பேக்: 60 முறை பிரிவியூஷோ திரையிடப்பட்ட சிறை" [Flashback: Sirai, the film which had 60 preview shows]. Dinamalar (in Tamil). 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  22. ^ Dhananjayan 2011, p. 89.
  23. ^ "Writer Anuradha Ramanan dies". The Times of India. 17 May 2010. p. 5. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  24. ^ "Sirai (1984)". Penn Libraries. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  25. ^ "சிறை" [Sirai]. Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). 23 December 1984. Archived from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  26. ^ ஜெயமன்மதன் (6 January 1985). "சிறை". Kalki (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  27. ^ Baskaran 1996, pp. 159–160.
  28. ^ Ashok Kumar, S. R. (18 March 2005). "Veteran on a rewind". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  29. ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (24 June 2016). "Crime does pay". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.

Bibliography

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