Sandhya Raagam (1989 film)
| Sandhya Raagam | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Balu Mahendra |
| Produced by | Balu Mahendra |
| Written by | Balu Mahendra (dialogue) |
| Screenplay by | Balu Mahendra |
| Story by | Akila Mahendra |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | L. Vaidyanathan |
| Cinematography | Balu Mahendra |
| Edited by | Balu Mahendra |
| Distributed by | Doordarshan |
Running time | 84 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Sandhya Raagam (English: Tune of the Twilight) is a 1989 Tamil-language drama film produced, written and directed by Balu Mahendra.[1] It stars Chokkalinga Bagavathar, Oviyar Veera Santhanam and Archana in prominent roles. Shot in black-and-white, the film was photographed and edited by Mahendra himself. At the 37th National Film Awards, it won the Award for Best Film on Family Welfare (1990).
Plot
Chokkalingam, an octagenarian, leaves his village upon the death of his wife. He migrates to Madras, where his nephew Vasu, a lower middle-class man lives along with his family. Chokkalingam becomes an additional burden for Vasu, who is not able to meet the demands of his own family.
Cast
- Chokkalinga Bhagavathar as Chokkalingam
- Archana
- Oviyar Veera Santhanam as Vasu
- Baby Rajalakshmi
Themes
The film's central theme revolves around old age.[2]
Production
The film was made on a shoestring budget. Like his previous films, Mahendra wrote the screenplay, edited and photographed the film apart from handling the direction. Ramasamy was hired as the art director while V. S. Murthy and A. S. Laxmi Narayanan looked after the audiography.[3] The film did not have any songs; L. Vaidyanathan composed the background score.
Reception
Sandhya Raagam is yet to have a theatrical release, but was regularly aired on Doordarshan.[4] The film won the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare in 1990.[3] A year later, it was screened at the International Film Festival of India.[5] In a 2007 interview to The Hindu, Mahendra said that Sandhya Raagam and Veedu were his two films "with the fewest compromises and mistakes."[6]
In 2011, Mahendra said that there was no existing negative of the film.[7][8]
Notes
- ↑ "A life in cinema". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 27 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.
- ↑ Baskaran 2013, p. 131.
- 1 2 "37th National Film Festival" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 22. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ↑ Prasanna, R. S. (13 February 2009). "The calling cards for box office success". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ "14th International Film Festival of India" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 124. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ "Tamil books reviewed at Landmark". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 10 January 2007.
- ↑ N, Venkateswaran (14 February 2014). "Balu Mahendra, who made his visuals speak, dies at 74". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ↑ "The digital picture: from reel to HD". The Hindu. 26 December 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
References
- Baskaran, Sundararaj Theodre (2013). The eye of the serpent: An introduction to Tamil cinema. Westland. ISBN 978-93-83260-74-4.
External links
- Sandhya Raagam at the Internet Movie Database
- Synopsis of Sandhya Raagam. (Picture)
