A general after our own hearts – Thalapathy redux –

Celluloid nirvana: Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathy, primarily starring Rajinikanth and Mammootty, was pitted against Kamal Haasan’s Guna, directed by Santhana Bharathi.
| Photo Credit: The HINDU ARCHIVES

The Deepavali of 1991 dished out celluloid nirvana. Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathy, primarily starring Rajinikanth and Mammootty, was pitted against Kamal Haasan’s Guna, directed by Santhana Bharathi.

The multi-starrer that drew inspiration from the epic friendship between Duryodhana and Karna and juxtaposed within a modern ambit, was the winner at the box-office. Meanwhile, Kamal’s movie about obsessive love and childhood angst seeping into adulthood, has aged well but at that point Guna did not set the cash registers on fire.

Maybe it is serendipity at work but both these classics got an afterlife through their re-releases over the last few weeks. That Guna’s Kanmani anbodu number became an emotional hook in the Malayalam hit Manjummel Boys also drew interest towards the film.

Unique marketing initiatives

Back then when the two movies duelled for appreciation, Thalapathy had some unique marketing initiatives. The tickets were co-branded and that drew in some advertising revenue. This may look jaded now but in 1991, it was a radical move.

Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan together had the iconic Nayagan and the auteur’s venture into Rajini-territory evoked debate. To be fair, the director prevailed over the star even if the movie had a mainstream vibe, especially the song Adi rakamma kaiyathattu. Mammootty, a familiar face for the Chennai audience thanks to the stupendous run of his Malayalam flick Oru CBI Diary Kurippu, also increased the allure, and so did a wonderful Shobana.

The depth of friendship, a mother’s yearning for her lost child, romance and repentance and the gangster zone, were all part of the Thalapathy universe. If there was one deviation that Mani Ratnam effected from the Mahabharata, it was in the manner of dealing with the demise of one of the central protagonists. In his interpretation, Duryodhana survives, Karna departs and perhaps it was one compromise he made towards a fandom that wouldn’t want their star to die.

One unifying factor for Thalapathy and Guna was the music crafted by Ilaiyaraja, and in those days, the music cassettes flew off the shelves. Thalapathy’s songs, in retrospect the last collaboration between Mani Ratnam and Ilaiyaraja, remain iconic, be it Sundari kannal oru sethi or the K.J. Yesudas-S.P. Balasubrahmanyam combination for Kaatukuyilu.

Perhaps after Mullum Malarum, it was Thalapathy that dug into Rajinikanth’s acting chops. There is a scene in which the mother and her abandoned child, now a grown up man, listen to a distant train. Srividhya is all moist eyes while Rajinikanth blends an aching vulnerability and a tough exterior. It was a scene in which the actor trumped the star. And 33 years down the line, Thalapathy still endures and for those interested in trivia, it also marked Arvind Swamy’s debut.