Gopura Vasalile
DVD cover
Directed byPriyadarshan
Screenplay byPriyadarshan
Gokula Krishnan (Dialogues)
Story bySreenivasan
Produced byM. K. Thamizharasu[1]
StarringKarthik
Bhanupriya
CinematographyP. C. Sreeram
Edited byN. Gopalakrishnan
Music byIlaiyaraaja
Production
company
Arul Nithi Films
Release date
  • 22 March 1991 (1991-03-22)
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Gopura Vasalile (transl. At the doorstep of the gopuram) is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language romantic black comedy film directed by Priyadarshan, starring Karthik and Bhanupriya. It relies on various subplots from the Malayalam film Pavam Pavam Rajakumaran (1990) and the Hindi film Chashme Buddoor (1981).[2][3][4] The film was released on 22 March 1991.[5]

Plot

Manohar (Karthik) is a schoolteacher in a local town. He is a bachelor living along with his friends (Nassar, Junior Balaiah, Charle). Manohar has had a troubled love life, having lost his lover Kasthuri (Suchitra) in a car accident. His friends are wastrels who roam about the town, flirting with the local girls. During one such dalliance with an army officer's (V. K. Ramasamy) daughter Kalyani (Bhanupriya), they are put behind bars for a few days. Manohar also gets peeved with their uncouth behavior and reprimands them for it. Humiliated, the friends decide to wreak their revenge on Manohar. They collude with Pethaperumal (Janagaraj), a clerk in a local bank, and attempt to trick Manohar into believing that Kalyani is in love with him. A few anonymous letters later, the plan comes out successful.

In the meantime, during the course of a few accidental events, Manohar comes across to Kalyani as a brave and resourceful hero. Impressed, she seeks his hand in marriage through the help of her father. This sudden development takes his scheming friends aback. They cook up evidences to convince Manohar that Kalyani is a prostitute. The gullible Manohar believes the subterfuge and cancels the plans of marriage. Despondent after the twin love failures in his life, Manohar attempts suicide in a hotel. Thinking that he is dead, the friends flee the town to avoid police confrontations. It is finally revealed to the viewers that Manohar was rescued by the police later and had reunited with Kalyani, after the foul play was decoded. Manohar pardons the friends as they had played some role in developing a love with his wife and invites them to a banquet at his new house atop a hill.

Cast

Production

Malayalam director Priyadarshan was to have made his Tamil debut with the film Chinnamanikkuyile, which never saw a theatrical release. As a result, Gopura Vasalile became his Tamil debut.[6] It is also the first appearance of Malayalam actor Mohanlal in a Tamil film.[3][7]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.[8][9] The song "Kadhal Kavithaigal" is set to the raga Mayamalavagowla,[10] "Naadam Ezhundadadi" is set to Shree ranjani,[11][12] and "Thalattum Poongkaatru" is set to Simhendramadhyamam.[13][14]

Song Singers Lyrics
"Kadhal Kavithaigal" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra Piraisoodan
"Keladi En" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
"Naadam Ezhundadadi" S. Janaki, K. J. Yesudas
"Priyasakhi" Mano, S. Janaki Vaali
"Dhevadhai Pol" Deepan Chakravarthy, Mano, Malaysia Vasudevan, S. N. Surendar
"Thalattum Poongkaatru" S. Janaki

Reception

Sundarji of Kalki praised the acting of Karthik and Janagaraj, music and cinematography but felt the film's plot was not special and concluded many talented people of the film have faced downs in this film.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Arulnidhi the star is born!". The Times of India. 13 August 2010. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  2. ^ Rajan, Silpa (3 June 2022). "#FilmyFriday! Pavam Pavam Rajakumaran: A prank gone right". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b கண்ணன், சுரேஷ் (6 July 2022). "கோபுர வாசலிலே: நவரச நாயகன், பிரியதர்ஷன், பி.சி.ஸ்ரீராம், இளையராஜா - அப்பறம் அந்த க்ளைமாக்ஸ் ட்விஸ்ட்!". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  4. ^ Malani, Gaurav (27 December 2011). "It's raining remakes in Bollywood in 2012". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Gopura Vasalile". directorpriyadarshan.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  6. ^ "ஓஸ்கார் விருதை குறிவைக்கும் தமிழ் படம்". Virakesari (in Tamil). 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Mohanlal made his Tamil debut in Gopura Vasalile". The Times of India. 23 January 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Gopura Vaasalile Tamil Film LP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraja". Mossymart. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Gopura Vasalile (1991)". Raaga.com (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  10. ^ Sundararaman 2007, p. 134.
  11. ^ Mani, Charulatha (26 October 2012). "Six-note splendour". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  12. ^ Sundararaman 2007, p. 145.
  13. ^ Mani, Charulatha (20 January 2012). "A Raga's Journey — The passionate appeal of Simhendramadhyamam". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  14. ^ Sundararaman 2007, p. 160.
  15. ^ சுந்தர்ஜி (21 April 1991). "கோபுர வாசலிலே". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 17. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.

Bibliography

External links

Films directed by Priyadarshan
Categories