Directed by Balachandar and starring Kamal, Sumitra, Shobha and Sarathbabu, Shayot Nijmakhadu is a movie that will never get boring even if you watch it now. The scenes where Kamal and Sumitra collide are like hot poetry. Set on the lines of Kannadasan, Kampan Emanthan Devitatha Pa Amudhu.
The film is a Tamil adaptation of the Malayalam film Addimagal. Balachandar remade it in Tamil after getting formal permission. Adimagal was remade in Telugu a year before that. Rajini played the role of Sanjeev played by Kamal.
Adimalam was adapted from a story written by famous Malayalam writer Pamman. Thopil Basi wrote the screenplay. Directed by KS Sethumadavan. Malayalam superstar of the day Sathyan played the lead and Sheela played the heroine. Sarada played the role of a servant girl and Prem Nazir played the role of Poten who marries him. The film was a hit and won the National Award for Best Malayalam Film.
The 1969 film Adimamal was remade in Telugu in 1977. The print is a remake of the original without any changes. Rajini played Sathyan as the hero, Sangeetha as the heroine and Sripriya as the maid. Sada is smoking a cigarette in Sathyan Adimagal.
From the very first scene when he gets off the bus, he has a cigarette in his hand.
In the Telugu film, Rajini gets down from the bus, slaps the person who dropped his bag on the cheek and catches him with a cigarette in style. The film is full of his style.
The following year in 1978, Adima was remade in Tamil by Balachander. Kamal played the hero, Sumitra the heroine and Shobha the maid.
Balachander had made some changes in this from Adimagal. At the beginning he would have dramatized his desire by having a dream scene portraying Shobha as the queen. Similarly, Sumitra teaches Bharatanatyam.
He scolds Kamal for coming with Shu at that place. One day in his absence Kamal would take off his shirt and dance Bharatanatyam. Suddenly Sumitra comes and sees Kamal’s talent. After that his mind starts leaning towards Kamal.
This scene is not present in Adimamal. So it was not cast in Telugu film either. Since Kamal is a good dancer, Balachandar added it to the film. It was perfect for the story and the character.
Released in Telugu in 1977 as Silagama Seppandi (The Parrot Said), it was well received there and won the Andhra Pradesh Government Nandi Award for Best Film. The following year in 1978, the film Shayot Nijamaghayu was also celebrated by the fans.
If you ask Rajiniya and Kamala whose performance was better, then Sathyan’s performance in the original was natural and better. Sathyan would have handled the character with ease.
Only after him can we say Kamal and Rajini. Balachander would have made it look like his picture with his etchings.
Watching all three films will help you compare and contrast the talent of the three main directors, actors and actresses.
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