Iruvar
Encyclopedia
Iruvar is a 1997 Tamil
film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam
, with music composed by A. R. Rahman
. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu
political icons M. G. Ramachandran
and M. Karunanidhi
, continuing the influential relationship between Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics
.
The film stars Mohanlal
and Prakash Raj
in the lead roles with Aishwarya Rai
a former Miss World
who made her screen debut through this film, while Gouthami, Tabu
, Revathi
and Nasser forms an ensemble cast
. It was subsequently dubbed in Telugu
under the title Iddaru and in Malayalam as Iruvar. The cinematography
was by Santosh Sivan
.
The film was showcased in the Masters section at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival
. The film was a critical success and won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival
and two National Film Awards
.
), a struggling actor, seeking opportunities which will give him a big break in the film industry. Under his uncle's help, Anandan is given an opportunity to audition
for the lead role in a forthcoming film. He arrives in the studio and practices his combat skills with sword props provided on the sets while waiting for the director and the crew. At this juncture, he meets Tamizhselvan (Prakash Raj
), a small time writer who enters the studio with some sarcastic poetry and this prompts both into a little debate. The debate turns into a mutual respect into each other, and impressed by Tamizhselvan's skills, Anandan requests Tamizhselvan to write dialogues for him to recite during the audition.
With the help of Tamizhselvan's dialogues, Anandan floors the director during the audition and is hired as the hero of the film. Anandan's friendship with Tamizhselvan grows as a result, and Anandan is introduced to Tamizhselvan's political party which is led by Velu Annachi (Nassar
). He grows to the party's ideology
as time passes by. Anandan then marries a village belle Pushpa (Aishwarya Rai
) while Tamizhselvan marries another village girl (Revathy) under the supervision of the party leader. When Anandan returns to Madras, he is greeted by the bad news that the production of the film has been cancelled due to financial difficulties. As Tamizhselvan jubilates at his party's victory, a depressed Anandan is forced to return to old ways of playing extras
in the movies. He even loses motivation and doesn't act some parts out well, causing further demotion in his roles. Anandan also sends Pushpa back to her village due to his financial difficulties. At one of the shootings, Anandan is greeted by his mother and uncle with the news that Pushpa has died due to a freak accident in her house. Tamizhselvan travels down to console a grief-stricken Anandan of his wife's death.
Few days later, Anandan's assistant (Delhi Ganesh
) informs him that he has been called up for an audition of the same director's new project (the director who hired him for the stalled movie). Anandan is elated and calls up Tamizhselvan, who abandons his pregnant wife while she is giving birth to rush to aid Anandan. He writes dialogues for Anandan once again and the movie starts rolling. Anandan is paired with a rising actress Ramani (Gauthami) for the film. The film receives tremendous response upon release and becomes a huge success, propelling Anandan into fame. At this time, Tamizhselvan encourages Anandan to use his popularity to help the party gain attention. While shooting for his next venture, Anandan and Ramani have some romantic brushes, which causes Ramani's uncle (Nizhalgal Ravi
), who lusts over her, to beat her up. Ramani comes to Anandan seeking refuge, and Anandan marries her. At this juncture, the party leader Velu Annachi(Nassar
) passes away. Before passing away, Velu Annachi has handed Anandan an important mantle in the party, much to the displeasure of Tamizhselvan who thinks Anandan is just a film star is not exactly passionate about the party. When Velu Annachi passes away, both Tamizhsevan and Anandan's names come to the fore as the party's new leader, and Tamizhselvan is voted the new leader. He however keeps Anandan only as a party spokesperson and doesn't provide him a ministry position. During a car trip with fellow members, Anandan's aides start breeding hatred by Anandan on Tamizhselvan, saying that Tamizhselvan purposely did not include Anandan in the cabinet
. An infuriated Anandan chases the flamers away from his car, but has doubts in his mind nevertheless. Anandan finally asks Tamizhselvan for a ministry position which Tamizhselvan ridicules, finally flaming rivalry between the two.
Tamizhselvan is later shown to have an extramarital affair with a village girl who loves literature (Tabu
), whom he first met while fighting for his party's causes before the party became successful. He marries her as his second wife subsequently. Meanwhile, Anandan, after his marriage with Ramani, calls up a new actress to audition to be his next heroine (it was a norm
for an actor to work with same actress repeatedly during those days). The actress Kalpana (Aishwarya Rai
again) resembles the late Pushpa, making Anandan uncomfortable. Ramani however insists that the actress is very talented and should be hired. Their association starts and the open nature of Kalpana's approach towards him makes Anandan more uncomfortable. Anandan finally reveals the truth about Pushpa, and this sparks off an affair between Anandan and Kalpana. In an ensuing party function held to pay tribute to Velu Annachi , Anandan creates controversy by revealing some inside truths of discomfort within the party, prompting Tamizhselvan to sack him from the party.
Anandan retaliates by forming his own party to stand in the election. His party priorities see him distancing himself from Kalpana, to whom he has promised to marry. An infuriated Kalpana walks out and starts doing social work. Anandan's star power enables him to win the election as he uses his films to spread his political propaganda. As he becomes the new chief minister, a key deputy jumps from Tamizselvan's party to Anandan's party, in the belief that Anandan's reign will see less dirty politics. This sparks off a cat and mouse game as Tamizhselvan and Anandan start devising tactics to outdo each other. This includes Anandan having to order Tamizhselvan's arrest after some riots broke out. It slowly dawns that Anandan's reign is no different than Tamizhselvan's and the deputy points out that the same corruption exists in Anandan's reign, to which Anandan says its the nature of politics. Anandan meets Kalpana again while she is doing social work
after a while, and sends his assistant (Delhi Ganesh
) to bring her back. While in the car, Kalpana, Anandan's assistant, and his driver meet with a fatal accident.
A distraught Anandan loses motivation after that as life begins to dawn upon him. Tamizhselvan, who just gets released from jail also slows down in his tactics to dethrone Anandan as age catches up with both of them. During the wedding of the daughter of one of the party members (who served under both of their reign), Anandan and Tamizhselvan meet each other and share a gracious handshake. The wedding takes place in the same place where they first met, prompting some memories and sly smiles from both of them. At the conclusion of the wedding, Anandan loses his footing and falls. The next morning, Ramani tries in vain to wake up Anandan but he had died in his sleep.
Tamizhselvan receives the news that Anandan has died. He attends the funeral but is unable to see the body as it is being dressed for the funeral parade. Realizing that people there will always assume him as an enemy of Anandan, he heads back to the place they first met and in an emotional monologue
, recites poetry mourning his friend's death which depicts the depth of their friendship. The film ends as Anandan's body is paraded across the streets, mourned by a legion of film fans and politicians, finally coming to the crematorium and being cremated
.
enjoy an enormous fan following. The dash and flair and captivating oratorical abilities of M. Karunanidhi
has attracted many millions over the 50 years of his political life. M. G. Ramachandran
enjoys a semi-divine status in Tamil Nadu with people constructing temples for him. On account of this the movie invited much criticism from both the camps. Moreover the personal lives of the lead characters (their extramarital relations, ego problems) have been portrayed with near accuracy in the film. M. G. Ramachandran
is shown as a relentless womanizer who meets his match in the wiles of J Jayalalithaa.When the movie was released, various political parties staged demonstrations to prevent theaters from showing the movie.
Still the movie is regarded as one of Mani Rathnam's best work ever. The movie enjoys enormous fan following among the Tamils in the world and has achieved cult status. DVDs of the movie are continuously in demand.
1997 Belgrade International Film Festival
1998 National Film Awards
(India
)
with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu
. It has songs ranging from pure Carnatic to Tamil folk
and jazz. Rahman blended two Carnatic rāga
s—"Naatai" and "Ghambeera Naatai"—in "Narumugaye". "Venilla Venilla", sung by veteran singer Asha Bhonsle, and "Hello Mister Edirkatchi" are based on jazz music. "Udal Mannukku" and "Unnodu Njan Irundha" were recitals sung by actor Arvind Swamy
.
The soundtrack was dubbed into Telugu with the title Iddaru and lyrics by Veturi Sundararama Murthy.
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983...
, with music composed by A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
political icons M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
and M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
, continuing the influential relationship between Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics
Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics
Tamil cinema has played a vital role in Dravidian politics in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Films have been influential in Indian politics since the days of the British Raj, when movies were used for anti-British propaganda. Nevertheless, the leaders of the Indian National Congress viewed...
.
The film stars Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
and Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
in the lead roles with Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
a former Miss World
Miss World 1994
Miss World 1994 was the 44th Miss World pageant and marked the third consecutive staging of Miss World in Sun City, South Africa. Actor Blair Underwood and supermodel Naomi Campbell served as presenters. The pageant attracted 87 contestants from around the world...
who made her screen debut through this film, while Gouthami, Tabu
Tabu
Tabu may refer to:*Tapu , a Polynesian cultural concept, from which the word taboo derives*Tabu , a 1931 award winning film*Tabu , Indian actress*Tabu Ley, Congolese musician...
, Revathi
Revathi
Revathi is an award-winning Indian actress and film director. She has acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi movies, directed several feature-length films, and has acted in and produced multiple television programs, totaling over twenty years of experience in the entertainment...
and Nasser forms an ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
. It was subsequently dubbed in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
under the title Iddaru and in Malayalam as Iruvar. The cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
was by Santosh Sivan
Santosh Sivan
Santosh Sivan is an Indian cinematographer, film director, and producer who has worked in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi cinema....
.
The film was showcased in the Masters section at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival
1997 Toronto International Film Festival
The 1997 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 4 to September 13, 1997. This festival was notable for the introduction of the Masters programme to TIFF.-Galas:* Artemisia directed by Agnès Merlet...
. The film was a critical success and won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival
FEST (Belgrade)
FEST is annual film festival held in Belgrade, Serbia since 1971. The festival is usually held in the first quarter of the year.It was the only film festival in socialist countries that attracted big Hollywood stars such as Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Robert De Niro and directors like Miloš...
and two National Film Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
.
Plot
Set in 1950s, the film begins with Anandan (MohanlalMohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
), a struggling actor, seeking opportunities which will give him a big break in the film industry. Under his uncle's help, Anandan is given an opportunity to audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
for the lead role in a forthcoming film. He arrives in the studio and practices his combat skills with sword props provided on the sets while waiting for the director and the crew. At this juncture, he meets Tamizhselvan (Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
), a small time writer who enters the studio with some sarcastic poetry and this prompts both into a little debate. The debate turns into a mutual respect into each other, and impressed by Tamizhselvan's skills, Anandan requests Tamizhselvan to write dialogues for him to recite during the audition.
With the help of Tamizhselvan's dialogues, Anandan floors the director during the audition and is hired as the hero of the film. Anandan's friendship with Tamizhselvan grows as a result, and Anandan is introduced to Tamizhselvan's political party which is led by Velu Annachi (Nassar
Nassar
Nassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar...
). He grows to the party's ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
as time passes by. Anandan then marries a village belle Pushpa (Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
) while Tamizhselvan marries another village girl (Revathy) under the supervision of the party leader. When Anandan returns to Madras, he is greeted by the bad news that the production of the film has been cancelled due to financial difficulties. As Tamizhselvan jubilates at his party's victory, a depressed Anandan is forced to return to old ways of playing extras
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
in the movies. He even loses motivation and doesn't act some parts out well, causing further demotion in his roles. Anandan also sends Pushpa back to her village due to his financial difficulties. At one of the shootings, Anandan is greeted by his mother and uncle with the news that Pushpa has died due to a freak accident in her house. Tamizhselvan travels down to console a grief-stricken Anandan of his wife's death.
Few days later, Anandan's assistant (Delhi Ganesh
Delhi Ganesh
Delhi Ganesh born in Tirunelveli as a veteran Tamil film actor, who mostly acts in supporting roles and is perhaps best known for his role in Kamal Hassan comedies and films like Nayagan and Michael Madana Kama Rajan. He has acted in more than 400 films from 1980 to present...
) informs him that he has been called up for an audition of the same director's new project (the director who hired him for the stalled movie). Anandan is elated and calls up Tamizhselvan, who abandons his pregnant wife while she is giving birth to rush to aid Anandan. He writes dialogues for Anandan once again and the movie starts rolling. Anandan is paired with a rising actress Ramani (Gauthami) for the film. The film receives tremendous response upon release and becomes a huge success, propelling Anandan into fame. At this time, Tamizhselvan encourages Anandan to use his popularity to help the party gain attention. While shooting for his next venture, Anandan and Ramani have some romantic brushes, which causes Ramani's uncle (Nizhalgal Ravi
Nizhalgal Ravi
Nizhalgal Ravi is an Indian actor who has performed in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. He started his career in 1980 with the film Nizhalgal.-Career:...
), who lusts over her, to beat her up. Ramani comes to Anandan seeking refuge, and Anandan marries her. At this juncture, the party leader Velu Annachi(Nassar
Nassar
Nassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar...
) passes away. Before passing away, Velu Annachi has handed Anandan an important mantle in the party, much to the displeasure of Tamizhselvan who thinks Anandan is just a film star is not exactly passionate about the party. When Velu Annachi passes away, both Tamizhsevan and Anandan's names come to the fore as the party's new leader, and Tamizhselvan is voted the new leader. He however keeps Anandan only as a party spokesperson and doesn't provide him a ministry position. During a car trip with fellow members, Anandan's aides start breeding hatred by Anandan on Tamizhselvan, saying that Tamizhselvan purposely did not include Anandan in the cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. An infuriated Anandan chases the flamers away from his car, but has doubts in his mind nevertheless. Anandan finally asks Tamizhselvan for a ministry position which Tamizhselvan ridicules, finally flaming rivalry between the two.
Tamizhselvan is later shown to have an extramarital affair with a village girl who loves literature (Tabu
Tabu
Tabu may refer to:*Tapu , a Polynesian cultural concept, from which the word taboo derives*Tabu , a 1931 award winning film*Tabu , Indian actress*Tabu Ley, Congolese musician...
), whom he first met while fighting for his party's causes before the party became successful. He marries her as his second wife subsequently. Meanwhile, Anandan, after his marriage with Ramani, calls up a new actress to audition to be his next heroine (it was a norm
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
for an actor to work with same actress repeatedly during those days). The actress Kalpana (Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
again) resembles the late Pushpa, making Anandan uncomfortable. Ramani however insists that the actress is very talented and should be hired. Their association starts and the open nature of Kalpana's approach towards him makes Anandan more uncomfortable. Anandan finally reveals the truth about Pushpa, and this sparks off an affair between Anandan and Kalpana. In an ensuing party function held to pay tribute to Velu Annachi , Anandan creates controversy by revealing some inside truths of discomfort within the party, prompting Tamizhselvan to sack him from the party.
Anandan retaliates by forming his own party to stand in the election. His party priorities see him distancing himself from Kalpana, to whom he has promised to marry. An infuriated Kalpana walks out and starts doing social work. Anandan's star power enables him to win the election as he uses his films to spread his political propaganda. As he becomes the new chief minister, a key deputy jumps from Tamizselvan's party to Anandan's party, in the belief that Anandan's reign will see less dirty politics. This sparks off a cat and mouse game as Tamizhselvan and Anandan start devising tactics to outdo each other. This includes Anandan having to order Tamizhselvan's arrest after some riots broke out. It slowly dawns that Anandan's reign is no different than Tamizhselvan's and the deputy points out that the same corruption exists in Anandan's reign, to which Anandan says its the nature of politics. Anandan meets Kalpana again while she is doing social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
after a while, and sends his assistant (Delhi Ganesh
Delhi Ganesh
Delhi Ganesh born in Tirunelveli as a veteran Tamil film actor, who mostly acts in supporting roles and is perhaps best known for his role in Kamal Hassan comedies and films like Nayagan and Michael Madana Kama Rajan. He has acted in more than 400 films from 1980 to present...
) to bring her back. While in the car, Kalpana, Anandan's assistant, and his driver meet with a fatal accident.
A distraught Anandan loses motivation after that as life begins to dawn upon him. Tamizhselvan, who just gets released from jail also slows down in his tactics to dethrone Anandan as age catches up with both of them. During the wedding of the daughter of one of the party members (who served under both of their reign), Anandan and Tamizhselvan meet each other and share a gracious handshake. The wedding takes place in the same place where they first met, prompting some memories and sly smiles from both of them. At the conclusion of the wedding, Anandan loses his footing and falls. The next morning, Ramani tries in vain to wake up Anandan but he had died in his sleep.
Tamizhselvan receives the news that Anandan has died. He attends the funeral but is unable to see the body as it is being dressed for the funeral parade. Realizing that people there will always assume him as an enemy of Anandan, he heads back to the place they first met and in an emotional monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
, recites poetry mourning his friend's death which depicts the depth of their friendship. The film ends as Anandan's body is paraded across the streets, mourned by a legion of film fans and politicians, finally coming to the crematorium and being cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
.
Cast
- MohanlalMohanlalMohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
as Anandan - Prakash RajPrakash RajPrakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
as Tamizhselvan - Aishwarya RaiAishwarya RaiAishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
as Pushpa/Kalpana - Gauthami as Ramani
- Tabu TabuTabu may refer to:*Tapu , a Polynesian cultural concept, from which the word taboo derives*Tabu , a 1931 award winning film*Tabu , Indian actress*Tabu Ley, Congolese musician...
as Senthamarai - RevathiRevathiRevathi is an award-winning Indian actress and film director. She has acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi movies, directed several feature-length films, and has acted in and produced multiple television programs, totaling over twenty years of experience in the entertainment...
as Maragatham - Nasser as Ayya Veluthambi(Velu Annachi )
- RajeshRajeshRajesh is a popular Nepali and Indian name. It originates from the word Raja, which means king and Eshwar, or the ultimate power. The complete word is Rajesh...
as Madhivanan - Delhi GaneshDelhi GaneshDelhi Ganesh born in Tirunelveli as a veteran Tamil film actor, who mostly acts in supporting roles and is perhaps best known for his role in Kamal Hassan comedies and films like Nayagan and Michael Madana Kama Rajan. He has acted in more than 400 films from 1980 to present...
as Nambi - Nizhalgal RaviNizhalgal RaviNizhalgal Ravi is an Indian actor who has performed in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. He started his career in 1980 with the film Nizhalgal.-Career:...
- Major Sundarrajan
- Kaka Radhakrishnan
Criticism
The movie dealt with a very sensitive subject. The two men whose lives were chronicledenjoy an enormous fan following. The dash and flair and captivating oratorical abilities of M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
has attracted many millions over the 50 years of his political life. M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
enjoys a semi-divine status in Tamil Nadu with people constructing temples for him. On account of this the movie invited much criticism from both the camps. Moreover the personal lives of the lead characters (their extramarital relations, ego problems) have been portrayed with near accuracy in the film. M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
is shown as a relentless womanizer who meets his match in the wiles of J Jayalalithaa.When the movie was released, various political parties staged demonstrations to prevent theaters from showing the movie.
Still the movie is regarded as one of Mani Rathnam's best work ever. The movie enjoys enormous fan following among the Tamils in the world and has achieved cult status. DVDs of the movie are continuously in demand.
Awards
The film won the following awards:1997 Belgrade International Film Festival
FEST (Belgrade)
FEST is annual film festival held in Belgrade, Serbia since 1971. The festival is usually held in the first quarter of the year.It was the only film festival in socialist countries that attracted big Hollywood stars such as Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Robert De Niro and directors like Miloš...
- Won - Best Film of the Festival of the Auteur Films - Iruvar - Mani Ratnam
1998 National Film Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
(India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
)
- Won - Best Supporting ActorNational Film Award for Best Supporting ActorThe National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual award that was first given in 1968. The actors to have won the most awards in this category include Nana Patekar, Atul Kulkarni, and Pankaj Kapoor, each have received two....
- Prakash RajPrakash RajPrakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to... - Won - Best CinematographyNational Film Award for Best CinematographyThe National Film Award for Best Cinematography are given annually. The only female who has won this award is Anjuli Shukla, who won the award for her debut film, Kutty Srank . The most time winners are Santosh Sivan & K.K. Mahajan - 4 awards each for best cinematography category....
- Santosh SivanSantosh SivanSantosh Sivan is an Indian cinematographer, film director, and producer who has worked in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi cinema....
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack features six songs composed by A. R. RahmanA. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu
Vairamuthu
Vairamuthu Ramaswamy Thevar is an award-winning Tamil poet and lyricist.Debuting in the film Nizhalgal with the lyrics for the song "Ponmalai Pozhudhu", he has now about 5800 songs to his credit as of January 2009. His partnership with the composers Ilaiyaraaja, and later A. R...
. It has songs ranging from pure Carnatic to Tamil folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and jazz. Rahman blended two Carnatic rāga
Carnatic raga
Carnatic rāga refers to rāgas used in Carnatic music. A Carnatic raga has several components - primordial sound , tonal system , pitch , scale, ornaments and important tones.-Janaka ragas :...
s—"Naatai" and "Ghambeera Naatai"—in "Narumugaye". "Venilla Venilla", sung by veteran singer Asha Bhonsle, and "Hello Mister Edirkatchi" are based on jazz music. "Udal Mannukku" and "Unnodu Njan Irundha" were recitals sung by actor Arvind Swamy
Arvind Swamy
Arvind Swamy is a former Indian film actor. He has acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi. Popular movies to his credit include Roja, Bombay, Minsaara Kanavu, Indira, Devaraagam, Alaipayuthey.- Early life :...
.
| Iruvar: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Track# | Song | Artist(s) | Length |
| 1 | "Viduthalai" | Hariharan Hariharan (singer) Hariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity... |
5:56 |
| 2 | "Hello Mister Edirkatchi" | Harini Harini Harini is an Indian film playback singer and classical singer, who sings mainly in Tamil films. She has also sung in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam language films, whilst working with many leading film composers. She is married to another playback singer, Tippu.-Career:Harini learnt Carnatic... , Rajagopal Rajagopal Rajagopal or Raja Gopal is a common name in India. It may refer to*Rajagopal Lagadapati is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India.*P. Rajagopal, businessman and founder of Hotel Saravana Bhavan*P. Rajagopal, Ambur MLA... |
4:12 |
| 3 | "Narumugaye" | Unnikrishnan, Bombay Jayashree | 6:20 |
| 4 | "Venilla Venilla" | Asha Bhonsle | 4:58 |
| 5 | "Ayirathil Naan Oruvan" | Mano Mano (singer) Mano is an Indian playback singer. He sings in Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi.-Biography:Mano was born in a Muslim family and his original name is Nagoor Babu; he was rechristened Mano by Ilayaraja... |
5:51 |
| 6 | "Poo Kudiyil Punnagai" | Sandhya | 5:31 |
| 7 | "Udal Mannuku" | Arvind Swamy Arvind Swamy Arvind Swamy is a former Indian film actor. He has acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi. Popular movies to his credit include Roja, Bombay, Minsaara Kanavu, Indira, Devaraagam, Alaipayuthey.- Early life :... |
2:54 |
| 8 | "Unnodu Naan Irundha" | Arvind Swamy Arvind Swamy Arvind Swamy is a former Indian film actor. He has acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi. Popular movies to his credit include Roja, Bombay, Minsaara Kanavu, Indira, Devaraagam, Alaipayuthey.- Early life :... |
2:35 |
The soundtrack was dubbed into Telugu with the title Iddaru and lyrics by Veturi Sundararama Murthy.
| Iddaru | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Track# | Song | Artist(s) | Length |
| 1 | "Kallagganthalu Kattadhoi" | Hariharan Hariharan (singer) Hariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity... |
5:56 |
| 2 | "Venilla Venilla" | Asha Bhonsle | 4:58 |
| 3 | "Odalu Mannanta" | Mano Mano (singer) Mano is an Indian playback singer. He sings in Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi.-Biography:Mano was born in a Muslim family and his original name is Nagoor Babu; he was rechristened Mano by Ilayaraja... |
2:54 |
| 4 | "Aadukondam Vrathamai" | Mano Mano (singer) Mano is an Indian playback singer. He sings in Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi.-Biography:Mano was born in a Muslim family and his original name is Nagoor Babu; he was rechristened Mano by Ilayaraja... |
5:51 |
| 5 | "Poo Nagave" | Sandhya | 5:31 |
| 6 | "Sasi Vadane" | Unnikrishnan, Bombay Jayashree | 6:20 |
| 7 | "Hello Mister Edurpakshi" | Harini Harini Harini is an Indian film playback singer and classical singer, who sings mainly in Tamil films. She has also sung in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam language films, whilst working with many leading film composers. She is married to another playback singer, Tippu.-Career:Harini learnt Carnatic... , Rajagopal Rajagopal Rajagopal or Raja Gopal is a common name in India. It may refer to*Rajagopal Lagadapati is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India.*P. Rajagopal, businessman and founder of Hotel Saravana Bhavan*P. Rajagopal, Ambur MLA... |
4:12 |
| 8 | "Unnanu Neeku Thoduga" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas... , Dominique |
2:35 |