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Arangetram
Poster
Directed by	K. Balachander
Written by	K. Balachander
Produced by	N. Selvaraj J. Duraisamy V. Govindarajan
Starring	Prameela
Cinematography	B. S. Lokanath
Edited by	N. R. Kittu
Music by	V. Kumar
Production company	Kalakendra Films
Release date	9 February 1973 (1973-02-09)
Running time	152 minutes
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Arangetram (pronounced [aɾaŋɡeːʈram] transl. Debut performance) is a 1973 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by K. Balachander. The film stars Prameela, leading an ensemble cast that includes S. V. Subbaiah, Sivakumar, Sasikumar, Kamal Haasan, M. N. Rajam, Sundari Bai and Senthamarai. It revolves around a young woman who takes to prostitution to support her conservative but poor family.

Arangetram marked Kamal Haasan's first adult role, while Prameela, Jayachitra and Jayasudha made their acting debut in Tamil with this film. V. Kumar composed the music for the film, which was the last Balachander film he worked on. Cinematography was handled by B. S. Lokanath, and editing by N. R. Kittu.

Arangetram was released on 9 February 1973. Though it had carried hard hitting messages and very bold scenes and was controversial at the time of its release, the film became a commercial success. In 1974 it was remade in Telugu as Jeevitha Rangam (1974), and in Hindi as Aaina by Balachander himself.

Plot

Ramu Shastrigal is a poor Brahmin living with his wife Visalam and their eight children. His rigid principles and obstinate behaviour become obstacles to his family's progress. His spendthrift sister Janaki lands in his house with her daughter, adding to their woes and penury. Lalitha, the eldest daughter of Ramu Shastrigal, is enthusiastic to work but her father does not permit it. She bonds with the family's neighbour Nadesa Udaiyaar and his son Thangavelu. Thangavelu sympathises with Lalitha's condition and fondly presents a saree to her, which she accepts. However, Ramu Shastrigal insists that it should be thrown out and complains about this to Udaiyaar, who then berates Thangavelu for his act. Thangavelu expresses his love for Lalitha and his desire to marry her; when Udaiyaar refuses to permit it, he leaves the house. Thangavelu's sudden exit depresses Lalitha.

Ramu Shastrigal's family suffers due to poverty; on many nights, they go to bed hungry. When Lalitha's hungry brother shares a meal with a beggar, she decides to disobey her father and with Udaiyaar's help, obtains employment. Her income supplements the family and their standard of living improves. Her brother Thyagu aspires to become a doctor; Lalitha runs from pillar to post to get him a seat in a medical college. When she meets a man for facilitating his admission in a medical college in Madras, he exploits her desperation and rapes her. Lalitha keeps quiet about this incident and goes back to work. She shifts to Hyderabad, where she gets promoted with a higher salary. Immediately after taking up the new assignment, she asks her employer for a salary advance to be sent to Thyagu for his admission fee; realising her vulnerability, he demands her carnal company. She yields and he gives her the money. Demands from her family increase and to earn more money, she takes to prostitution. While her family lives prosperously, Lalitha suffers silently.

One day, Thangavelu lands in Lalitha's house looking for a prostitute. Both are shocked to see each other; Thangavelu, who was believed to have died after leaving home, is upset that Lalitha has fallen so low and leaves. As years pass, Lalitha's siblings progress; Thyagu becomes a doctor, sister Mangalam becomes a singer; younger sister Devi falls in love with Pasupathy, son of a landlord, and their marriage is fixed. Lalitha returns home after a long time and is warmly received. But she feels depressed and frustrated to know that her mother is again in the family way and criticises her parents' lack of responsibility. On the day of Devi's wedding, Lalitha is shocked to see that Pasupathy, her client in Hyderabad, is the groom. She fears he would cancel the wedding knowing that the bride is her sister, but he performs the wedding rituals mechanically and looks withdrawn. Lalitha and Pasupathy meet privately, decide to forget past incidents and move on. When Udaiyaar is about to perform the thevasam for his son, Lalitha intervenes and reveals that Thangavelu is alive, but does not explain the circumstances under which they met.

Thyagu falls in love with Bhama, a Tehsildar’s daughter, and their engagement is arranged. When Ramu Shastrigal and Visalam go to Udaiyaar's house to invite him for the engagement, they meet Thangavelu, who has returned home and ask him where he met Lalitha. He remains silent, but after they leave, tells his father how and where he met Lalitha. Lalitha's parents overhear this and are shocked; Ramu Shastrigal and Thyagu disown Lalitha. The Tehsildar agrees to continue the wedding only if Lalitha is sent out of home, and she is mercilessly thrown out by Thyagu and Ramu Shastrigal. Udaiyaar, who understands her sacrifices, takes her to his home. To give her the dignity she deserves, he requests Thangavelu to marry her, which he accepts. The wedding of Thangavelu and Lalitha takes alongside Thyagu's wedding with Bhama. Though Lalitha is grateful to Udaiyaar and Thangavelu for their magnanimity, the trauma she has undergone results in her becoming insane.

Cast

• Prameela as Lalitha
• S. V. Subbaiah as Ramu Shastrigal
• Sivakumar as Thangavel
• Sasikumar as Pasupathy
• Kamal Haasan as Thyagu
• M. N. Rajam as Visalam
• Sundari Bai as Janaki
• Senthamarai as Natesan Udaiyaar
• Oru Viral Krishna Rao as Jayaraman
• Neelu as a music teacher
• Chitra as Meenu
• Girija as Girija
• Jayachitra as Mangalam
• Jayasudha as Devi
• Baby Tulasi
• Jaishankar as himself (special appearance)
• Lakshmi as herself (special appearance)

Production

After showing her as a prostitute for most of the movie, I couldn't give her a happy ending. In those days – the early seventies – the society was very traditional. I didn't want to alienate my audience, so I tried to strike a balance between what I wanted to convey and what I thought my audience would accept.

After the release of Velli Vizha (1972), director K. Balachander felt that films must highlight ideas that help society, and he had to dare to shoot stories that others would be reluctant to touch; this laid the foundation for Arangetram. T. S. B. K. Moulee said in an interview in 2014 that Balachander, who used to watch Moulee's plays, wanted him to write the comedy subplot for the film as he liked Moulee's style of writing. However, Moulee felt the film did not warrant a comedy subplot as it would "dilute its seriousness" and did not work on the film. The film marked Kamal Haasan's first adult role, while Prameela, Jayachitra and Jayasudha made their acting debut in Tamil with this film. The film was produced by N. Selvaraj, J. Duraisamy and V. Govindarajan under Kalakendra Films. Cinematography was handled by B. S. Lokanath, and editing by N. R. Kittu.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by V. Kumar, with lyrics by Kannadasan. The song "Mappillai Ragasiyam" is set in Charukesi raga.

Release and reception

Arangetram was released on 9 February 1973. It was the first film to be released at the then newly opened Vettri Theatres. Reviewing for the magazine Film World, T. G. Vaidyanathan wrote, "Arangetram marks a new beginning, a fresh approach and is a veritable oasis in the dreary desert wastes of Tamil Cinema." Though the film carried hard hitting messages and bold scenes and was controversial at the time of its release, it became a critical and commercial success. The film was featured as part of the Tamil Nadu government's information campaign promoting family planning.

Remakes

In 1974, the film was remade in Telugu as Jeevitha Rangam, and in Hindi as Aaina by Balachander himself.

References

1. ^ Dhananjayan 2011, p. 256.
2. ^ ராம்ஜி, வி. (9 July 2019). "அரங்கேற்றம் - அப்பவே அப்படி கதை!". Kamadenu (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
3. ^ Dhananjayan 2011, p. 257.
4. Actress Tulasi ( Tulasi Shivamani ) Exclusive Interview | Real Talk With Anji#128 | Film Tree (in Telugu). Film Tree. 16 October 2022. Event occurs at 4:05. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
5. Rangan, Baradwaj (10 September 2006). "Interview: K Balachander". Baradwaj Rangan. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
6. "புரட்சிகரமான கதை - வசனம்: பரபரப்பை உண்டாக்கிய "அரங்கேற்றம்'". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 27 April 2021. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
7. Saravanan, T. (12 June 2014). "Mouli and the moolah". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
8. Jha, Subhash K. (25 May 2001). "Artiste with endless dreams". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
9. "Kamal, as we know him". Rediff.com. 8 November 2000. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
10. "Balachandar's Artists Introduced". Kavithalayaa. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
11. Dhananjayan 2011, p. 258.
12. "Arangettram Tamil Film EP Vinyl record by V Kumar". Macsendisk. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
13. Mani, Charulatha (3 February 2012). "A Raga's Journey — The charm of Charukesi". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 September 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
14. Riaz K Ahmed (2 February 2019). ". #46YearsOfVettri #46YearsOfArangetram 🎉🎉Congratulations @VettriTheatres 🎊🎊On Completing 46 Successfully Amazing Years, I Remember Enjoying Most of My Favourite Films There! #Arangetram Should've Been A Great Start For Your Successful Journey Of 46 Years😊👌" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
15. Vaidyanathan, T. G. (August 1973). "Balachander ushers in a new age in Tamil cinema". Film World. Vol. 9. pp. 62–64. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
16. "Achamillai, Achamillai (I Do Not Fear)". Manushi. No. 24. 1984. p. 46. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
17. Seshachalam, Bhagyalakshmi (9 March 2018). "Arangetram (1974) – A Slap In The Face Of TamBrahm Orthodoxy". Moneylife. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
18. Ramachandran 2014, p. 26.
19. Jacob, Preminda (2008). Celluloid Deities: The Visual Culture of Cinema and Politics in South India. Lexington Books. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-7391-3130-5. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
20. Srinivasan, S. (11 July 2011). "K. Balachander: The Middle-Class Maestro". Forbes India. Archived from the original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.

Bibliography

• Dhananjayan, G. (2011). The Best of Tamil Cinema, 1931 to 2010: 1931–1976. Galatta Media. OCLC 733724281.
• Ramachandran, Naman (2014) . Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography. New Delhi: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-81-8475-796-5.

External links

• Arangetram at IMDb 

• 1973 films
• 1970s feminist films
• 1970s Indian films
• 1970s Tamil-language films
• 1973 drama films
• Films about poverty in India
• Films about prostitution in India
• Films about women in India
• Films directed by K. Balachander
• Films scored by V. Kumar
• Films with screenplays by K. Balachander
• Indian black-and-white films
• Indian drama films
• Indian feminist films
• Tamil films remade in other languages
• Tamil-language Indian films