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Ullathai Allitha

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Ullathai Allitha
Poster
Directed bySundar C
Written byK. Selva Bharathy (dialogues)
Screenplay bySundar C
Story bySundar C
Produced byN. Prabhavathy
N. Jyothi Lakshmi
N. Vishnuram
N. Raghuram
Starring
CinematographyU. K. Senthil Kumar
Edited byB. S. Vasu
Music bySirpy
Production
company
Ganga Gowri Productions
Release date
  • 15 January 1996 (1996-01-15)
Running time
148 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Ullathai Allitha (transl. Pour your heart) is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Sundar C. The film stars Karthik, Rambha and Goundamani, with Manivannan, Jai Ganesh, Senthil, and Jyothi Meena in supporting roles. It revolves around a man who escapes from his home to avoid a forced marriage, but unknowingly falls in love with the same woman.

Ullathai Allitha is heavily based on the Tamil films Sabaash Meena (1958) and Bommalattam (1968), and the Hindi film Andaz Apna Apna (1994). The film was scored by Sirpy, photographed by U. K. Senthil Kumar and edited by B. S. Vasu, with filming taking place predominantly in the Fernhills Palace, Ooty. It was released on 15 January 1996 and became a commercial success. The film was remade in Telugu as Veedevadandi Babu (1997) and in Kannada as Galate Aliyandru (2000).

Plot

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Raja is the only son of retired military colonel Chandrasekhar, who raises his son very strictly. Chandrasekhar decides to get Raja married to his friend Viswanathan's daughter Indhu. Vishwanathan is one of the richest men in Ooty and is a tea estate owner. Raja misunderstands another girl as Indhu (Chandrasekhar's nephew Shankar switched Indhu's photo with another girl) and decides to run away from Chennai to escape the forced marriage. Unknown to Chandrasekhar, Shankar plans to grab his properties by triggering Raja to leave the house.

Raja runs away and reaches Ooty, where he meets Vasu, a con artist, and despite initial setbacks both become friends. One day, Raja sees Indhu in Ooty and gets attracted towards her, not knowing that she was the girl fixed for him by his father. Raja follows Indhu and finds her home. Later Raja secures a driver job in Viswanathan's home to woo Indhu.

Raja gives his family ring to Vasu to prevent him from disclosing the truth to Viswanathan, but Viswanathan misunderstands that Vasu is Chandrasekhar's son as he wears the ring now. Viswanathan brings Vasu to his home and introduces him as Indhu's fiancé. One day, a gang tries to attack Vasu, but he is saved by Raja, which makes him understand that there is someone looking out to kill him, so Raja decides to remain in the identity of a driver to unearth the reason behind the goons trying to attack him.

Viswanathan informs Chandrasekhar that his son is found but asks him not to come immediately to see him as he dislikes his father. Meanwhile, at Ooty, Raja tries to impress Indhu, while Vasu is attracted towards Viswanathan's personal secretary Meena. Slowly, love blossoms between Indhu and Raja. Suddenly, Chandrasekhar comes to Ooty to Viswanathan's home to meet Raja. A problem erupts as Raja is in the guise of a driver. Both Raja and Vasu try to manage by roaming together for a few days so that they can convince both Viswanathan and Chandrasekhar.

Meanwhile, Shankar gets furious upon knowing that Raja is found. He befriends Kasinathan, who is Viswanathan's twin brother. However, Kasinathan is a criminal who has just been released from jail. They kidnap Viswanathan, and now, Kasinathan comes to Viswanathan's place so that he can enjoy all the properties and wealth. Doubt erupts for Raja and Vasu upon seeing Kasinathan as he spends money lavishly, compared to Viswanathan, who is very stingy.

Raja and Vasu secretly follow Kasinathan and finds the whereabouts of Viswanathan and the plan behind his kidnap. Raja is shocked to see his cousin Shankar there as he is the master brain behind all the events. A hilarious fight follows, where in the end, Shankar and Kasinathan get arrested. It is also revealed that Raja is the son of Chandrasekhar. Raja unites with Indhu, while Vasu unites with Meena.

Cast

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Production

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The story and screenplay of Ullathai Allitha were written by Sundar C, who also directed, while the dialogues were written by K. Selva Bharathy. The film was produced by N. Prabhavathi, N. Jyothi Lakshmi, N. Vishnuram and N. Raghuram.[4] Sundar said he initially planned the film as a romance film, but as he wrote the script further it became more of a comedy.[5] It is heavily based on the Tamil films Sabaash Meena (1958) and Bommalattam (1968), while borrowing scenes from the Hindi film Andaz Apna Apna (1994).[4][6] Vijay was initially offered the lead role, before Karthik was cast.[7] Roja and Ravali were the initial choices for the lead female role, before Rambha was signed on; Roja declined due to scheduling conflicts with Parambarai and Tamizh Selvan (both 1996).[8][9] Rambha was cast only two days before principal photography began.[10]

During the making of the film, there was a misunderstanding and subsequent falling out between Rambha and one of the producers.[11] For the filming of the song "Azhagiya Laila", Rambha wore different dresses for almost every scene, in addition to wigs.[12] Cinematography was handled by U. K. Senthil Kumar, and editing by B. S. Vasu.[4] The film was predominantly shot at the Fernhills Palace, Ooty.[13] According to Sundar, the film's "hide-and-seek" sequence was improvised, as the script only mentioned "Chaos in Jai Ganesh's house leading to the kidnap of Mani Vannan".[14]

Soundtrack

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The music was composed by Sirpy and lyrics were written by Palani Bharathi.[15] Sundar chose Palani Bharathi after being impressed with his work on Pudhiya Mannargal (1994).[16] All the songs from this film were plagiarised from various sources;[17] "Azhagiya Laila" is based on "Ahla Ma Feki" by Hisham Abbas, "I Love You" is based on another Abbas song "Wana Amel Eih", "Adi Anarkali" is based on "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry, "Chittu Chittu Kuruvikku" is based on the Pakistani folk song "Laung Gawacha" and "Mama Nee Mama" is based on "Kinna Sohna Tainu" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.[18][19]

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Adi Anarkali"Mano4:34
2."Azhagiya Laila"Mano4:39
3."Chittu Chittu Kuruvikku"Mano, Sujatha4:29
4."I Love You Love You"Mano, K. S. Chithra4:29
5."Mama Nee Mama"Mano, Geetha Sabesh5:21
Total length:23:32

Release

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Ullathai Allitha was released on 15 January 1996, alongside another Karthik-starrer Kizhakku Mugam, and was more successful as the latter was a failure.[20] The film achieved success after receiving good word-of-mouth reviews from audiences. After a slow start at the box office, the songs' success on television prompted audiences to visit cinemas.[21][22]

Critical reception

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Ananda Vikatan rated the film 43 out of 100. The critic noted that Sundar deserved appreciation for lifting interesting scenes and ideas from older films and integrating them well in the screenplay in his own style, and the real hero of the film was Manivannan who was surprising with his comedy acting.[23] Kalki gave the film a mixed review, but appreciated the comedy of Goundamani and Manivannan, calling them the film's real stars.[24] D. S. Ramanujam of The Hindu wrote, "A full length comedy with enjoyable scenes, thanks to the screenplay and direction of C. Sundar, keeps the viewer in good cheer in Ganga Gowri Productions, Ullathai Alli Thaa [..] the director has the uncanny knack to fit these segments in his essay and then capping them with his new funfilled ideas, like topping a giant cone icecream with choice varieties, leading to humorous confusion over identities, bunglings by silly looking assassins, abduction and amorous ways of the elders".[25]

Cancelled sequel

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A year after the success of Ullathai Allitha, Sundar had plans for making a sequel with the same cast returning. Although he prepared the storyline and script, he shelved the project after discussions with fellow actors. The sequel's story involved Raja moving to the United States to get over the supposed demise of Indhu, where he sees a lookalike of Indhu and falls in love with her.[26]

Remakes

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The film was remade in Telugu as Veedevadandi Babu (1997) and in Kannada as Galate Aliyandru (2000).[27]

Legacy

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The success of Ullathai Allitha paved way for numerous comedy films in Tamil cinema.[28][29] The film made Sundar one of the most sought directors in Tamil cinema. Rambha gained popularity through this film and became one of the leading heroines. The film also made Manivannan as one of the famous comedians.[30] Goundamani's dialogue "Yov Military, Nee Enga Ya Inga?" (transl. Hey Military, what are you doing here?) entered Tamil vernacular, often used by people when unexpectedly running into their friends.[31]

The success of the film led Sundar to collaborate with Karthik in subsequent projects – Mettukudi (1996), Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga (1999), Kannan Varuvaan (2000) and Azhagana Naatkal (2001). Azhagana Naatkal was compared by critics with Ullathai Allitha due to its similarity in sequences and characterisations.[32] Sundar himself listed Ullathai Allitha as one of the favourite films he had directed.[33] Subha J. Rao and K. Jeshi of The Hindu placed the film in league with other successful comedy films like Kadhalikka Neramillai (1964), Thillu Mullu (1981) and Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990).[34] Rambha, however, lamented that after the film's success it had become mandatory for her to wear a swimsuit in almost every film since.[35] The song "Azhagiya Laila" was reused in the 2024 Malayalam film Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil.[36]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Dhananjayan 2011, p. 183.
  2. ^ a b c Dhananjayan 2011, p. 184.
  3. ^ "Kilinjalgal to Mahaprabhu, Films That Made Veteran Comedian Senthil a Star". News18. 24 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e "ஓல்டு இஸ் கோல்டு: 'சபாஷ் மீனா'வை ஒப்பிட்டு பேசப்பட்ட படம்!". Dinamalar (in Tamil). Nellai. 20 August 2017. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Full Video - Coffee With Kadhal Audio & Trailer Launch | Sundar C, Kushboo, Jiiva, Jai, Amritha (in Tamil). Thi Cinemas. 26 September 2022. From 6:00 to 6:30. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "25 வருடங்களுக்கு முந்தை பொங்கல் திரைப்படங்கள்...!". News18 (in Tamil). 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  7. ^ Sundar C – "Vijay was the actual hero of Ullathai Allitha" – BOFTA Masterclass – BW (in Tamil). BehindwoodsTV. 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ "ரோஜாவின் 100-வது படம் பொட்டு அம்மன்". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 23 September 2018. Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Marquee News from Kodambakkam – the Tamil Tinsel-town". Minnoviyam. 11 August 1997. Archived from the original on 13 October 1999. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  10. ^ M, Narayani (29 April 2024). "Sundar C: Good comedy is not always well appreciated". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Ramba In Sunder C. Film?". Google Groups. 6 October 1998. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  12. ^ Menon, Vishal (24 July 2015). "The fading industry of fake hair". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Going down memory lane". The Times of India. 17 July 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  14. ^ Darshan, Navein (10 November 2022). "I have an idea for a sequel to Anbe Sivam, says 'Coffee With Kadhal' director Sundar C". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Ullathai Allithaa (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. 5 January 1996. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  16. ^ Saravanan, T. (20 October 2017). "In tune with the trend". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  17. ^ Nair, Manoj (1 October 2006). "Stealy Dans". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  18. ^ Srinivasan, Karthik (4 September 2018). "How Every Song In A 1996 Tamil Film Was Lifted From British, Pakistani And Egyptian Music". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  19. ^ S, Karthik. "Tamil [Other Composers]". ItwoFS. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  20. ^ "25 வருடங்களுக்கு முந்தை பொங்கல் திரைப்படங்கள்...!". News18 (in Tamil). 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Has C Sunder lost his magic touch?". Screen. 13 February 1998. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  22. ^ Menon, Vishal (18 June 2016). "'Serious films are easier to make'". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  23. ^ Dhananjayan 2011, p. 185.
  24. ^ "உள்ளத்தை அள்ளித்தா". Kalki (in Tamil). 3 March 1996. p. 49. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ^ Ramanujam, D. S. (20 January 1996). "Cinema: Coimbatore Maapplaye/Vaanmathi/Thirumbipaar/Ullathai Alli". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 December 1996. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  26. ^ Pan World படம் பண்ண Wait பண்றேன் - Sundar C Exclusive Interview | Pattampoochi | Kamal Haasan (in Tamil). Galatta Tamil | கலாட்டா தமிழ். 19 June 2022. From 1:05 to 1:43. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ "Revisiting Ullathai Allithaa: A nostalgic look-back at Karthik and Goundamani's cult-comedy". Cinema Express. 1 February 2020. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Comedy films make a comeback". The Times of India. 23 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  29. ^ "4". The Hindu. 1 March 2013. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  30. ^ Subramanian, Karthik (15 June 2013). "Master of character roles Manivannan passes away". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  31. ^ U, Saradha (15 February 2022). "Enna Koduma Saravanan Idhu: Tamil film dialogues that are part of everyday lingo". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  32. ^ Mannath, Malini. "Azhagana Naalgal". Chennai Online. Archived from the original on 19 August 2003. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  33. ^ Ashok Kumar, S. R. (7 November 2010). "Slice of the city". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  34. ^ Rao, Subha J.; Jeshi, K. (30 June 2013). "Laughter lines". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  35. ^ C. S., Swarnalatha. "Ramba". Cinematoday.itgo.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  36. ^ Srinivasan, Latha (16 May 2024). "Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil movie review: This Prithviraj Sukumaran, Basil Joseph-starrer is a total laugh riot". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.

Bibliography

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