Novel cinema in Kollywood - III

When the super stardom was re-emerging the second level neo-film makers took to the novels. And the female authors were on top. Sivasankari was the leader. Her 1980 novel Oru Singam Muyalagirathu was made as Avan Aval Athu by Muktha Seenivasan to success. The plot of the novel was so radical and still touched 100 days. It was about surrogate motherhood. Now Muktha Seenivasan is remaking this film for 2010. Six of Sivasankari novels have been filmed in Tamil. Kanneer Pookal, 47 Natkal, Avan were noticed for their integrity and social commitment. Sirai, Oru Malarin Payanam, Kootu Pulukal are some of Anuradha Ramanan novels.

Vaasanthi’s novels were most used in Malayalam. The cult film ‘Koodevide’ that saw debut of Suhasini in Malayalam was a film adaptation of Vaasanthi’s Tamil novel Moongil Pookkal. Another film ‘Innalaey’ was adapted from the novel ‘Jananam’ by Vaasanthi. Ironically both were re-made in Tamil later.

Innalaey was made as ‘Yaaro Ezhuthiya Kavidhai’ directed by none other than Sridhar.‘Ore Ratham’ which introduced current deputy CM Stalin as a hero was a novel by Karunanidhi. The national award winning ‘Marupakkam’ was one of the most faithful adaptations of a novel. It was adaptation of Uchi Veyil by Indira Partha Sarathy.

After the early nineties nor many people were interested as the commercial considerations were sacred. As Tamil cinema was in a transition period around this time no body thought to be different.

Now after a lull of almost two decades there is a spurt in novels becoming films. Most of the young directors f today are voracious readers and have spent some part of their life in writing for media before become directors.The novel cinema trend was revived by Thangar Bachan who filmed his own novel Vellai Maadu as Azhagi and reopened the door for literature to ride on cinema. He again took Nanjil Nadan’s ‘Thalai Keel Vigithangal’ novel for his second film ‘Solla Marantha Kathai’. Now more and more directors are drawing inspirations from novel of contemporary writers. Thangar Bachan’s 'Onpathu Rupai Nottu' is his own novel again.

Many of the upcoming films of young directors are adaptations of novels. Arya produced ‘Padithurai’ is a famous novel ‘Ettu Thikkum Madhayaanai’ by Nanjil Nadan. After Angadi Theru, Vasanthabalan has chosen the novel Kaval Kottam by Venkatesan, Samy's next film 'Sindhu Samaveli' is a novel written by Jayamohan ten years ago. Sahitya Academy Award winning novel of Neela. Padmanaban 'Thalaimuraigal' will soon be a film by V. Gautham. Thangar Bachaan's next ‘Kalavaadiya Poluthugal'starring Prabhudeva-bhoomika-Satyaraj is fine adaptation of the novel written by Nanjil Naadan. Even the biggest film of this decade Rajinikanth – Shankar’s ‘Endhiran’ is sad to be an adaptation of Sujatha’s sci-fi fiction ‘En Iniya Iyanthira’.

With the gap fast reducing between cinema and literature our readers will still feel many of their favourite novels have not been tried yet. The first among that will be the epical Ponniyin Selvan. Even the two masters of cinema who could have done justice to the magnum opus could not achieve their dream of filming Ponniyin Selvan. Who could be valiant Vallavaraiyan Vandiyadevan? Who could be the fascinating Kundavai Pirattiyar? Who do you think can do that now?