Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum Explained

Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum
Director:I. V. Sasi
Cinematography:Ramachandra Babu
Editing:K. Narayanan
Music:G. Devarajan
Studio:Supriya Creations[1]
Released: (Malayalam)
8 June 1979 (Tamil)
Runtime:142 minutes[2]
Country:India

Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum is a 1979 Indian fantasy film directed by I. V. Sasi, based on Aladdin's story from One Thousand and One Nights.[3] The film stars Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Jayabharathi and Sripriya, with Gemini Ganesan, Savitri and S. A. Ashokan in supporting roles. It was simultaneously filmed in Malayalam and Tamil languages, the latter as Allaudinaum Arputha Vilakkum which was released on 8 June 1979, two months after the Malayalam version which came on 14 April 1979.

Plot

Kamaruddin, the commander of the armed forces of Baghdad, has a desire for princess Roshni, the heiress to the kingdom, as her husband will rule the land after the Caliph's death. Roshni, however, loves street urchin Alavuddin, and he reciprocates. Alavuddin's childhood friend Jameela loves him, but it is a one-sided affair. Alavuddin and Kamaruddin fight a duel for winning over Roshni. Alavuddin triumphs, but his joy is short-lived as the courtier Mir Qasim, who wants Roshni for himself, kidnaps her and spirits her away. Alavuddin and Kamaruddin join forces and with help from a genie, rescue Roshni. On the way back, Kamaruddin is trapped in quicksand, but is rescued by Jameela. They unite.

Cast

Character Actors in Language
TamilMalayalam
Alavuddin! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"Kamal Haasan
Kamaruddin! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" Rajinikanth
Princess Roshni! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" Jayabharathi
JameelaSripriya
The genie! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" S. A. Ashokan[4]
Grand Sorcerer R. S. ManoharJose Prakash
Fathima Savitri[5] Meena Joseph
AbdullaT. K. BagavathiT. P. Madhavan
Sainaba Lalithasree
Aboobakkar Jose
Aboobakkar's FatherV. S. RaghavanSankaradi
AyishaummaSukumari
King of BaghdadP. S. VeerappaThikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
Commander Mir Qasim! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" Gemini Ganesan
Minister Muhammed Hussain V. K. RamasamyAdoor Bhasi
Royal Priest Hakkim Moulavi Sahib S. V. SahasranamamBahadoor
Fasul Jamal! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" Ravikumar
Kunal ! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" Sreelatha Namboothiri
Yusaf, Arm fighter with Alavuddin! colspan="2"style="text-align:center;" Cochin Haneefa
Additionally, Bollywood actresses Helen, Bindu and Jayshree T. portray cabaret dancers.

Production

Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum, directed by I. V. Sasi, was based on the story of Aladdin from One Thousand and One Nights, and had Kamal Haasan playing the title character, named Alavuddin here. Rajinikanth was cast as Kamaruddin, a character not present in the original story but created for the film.[6] It was his first film in the Malayalam language and the fantasy genre. The film was simultaneously shot in Tamil as Allaudinaum Arputha Vilakkum,[7] marking Sasi's directorial debut in Tamil cinema.[8] This version was the second Tamil adaptation of the story of Aladdin, after a 1957 film with the same name.[9] Ramachandra Babu worked as cinematographer, and the film was made in CinemaScope.[10] According to him, Rajinikanth would often turn violent on the sets: "[He] was always under the influence of liquor and could turn violent any moment. Even Kamal was wary of doing fight sequences with [him]". The film was to have been the first CinemaScope film in Malayalam, but production delays led to Thacholi Ambu (1978) becoming so.[11]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of both versions was composed by G. Devarajan. The lyrics for the Malayalam version were written by Yusufali Kechery,[12] [13] while the lyrics for the Tamil version were written by Vaali and Kannadasan.[14]

The movie was dubbed into Telugu as Allauddin Adbutha Deepam

Release and reception

Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum was released on 14 April 1979, and Allaudinaum Arputha Vilakkum on 8 June 1979.[15] The film performed well at the box office for the first two weeks, but slumped in the third.[16] Reviewing the Tamil version for Kalki, Kausikan panned the film for completely ruining the story of Aladdin and also panned the poor casting choices and clownish portrayal of the genie. He added that Gemini Ganesan was underutilised and felt Rajinikanth's character was added just for fights while calling the story and dialogues as poor.[17]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. 16 February 1980 . Allauddinum Arputha Vilakkum (Tamil) (Colour) Cinemascope Feature. . live . https://archive.today/20231030063559/https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.1980.419/page/n35/mode/2up . 30 October 2023 . 30 October 2023 . . 1003 . Internet Archive.
  2. Web site: IX – PROCHE- ET MOYEN-ORIENT MUSULMAN . https://archive.today/20200709101712/http://www.hervedumont.ch/page.php?id=fr10&idv=2&idc=700 . 9 July 2020 . 9 July 2020 . Le site d'Hervé Dumont . fr.
  3. News: 4 July 2008 . Alavuddinum Arpudha Vilakkum . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180214112208/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3ALowLevelEntityToPrintGifMSIE_PASTISSUES2&Type=text%2Fhtml&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOICH%2F2008%2F07%2F04&ChunkNum=0&ID=Ar03600 . 14 February 2018 . 14 February 2018 . The Times of India.
  4. Web site: Narayanan . Sujatha . 25 October 2017 . IV Sasi made stars out of actors, without losing craft: A look back at some of his most notable work . live . https://archive.today/20180127082014/http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/iv-sasi-made-stars-out-of-actors-without-losing-craft-a-look-back-at-some-of-his-most-notable-work-4171753.html . 27 January 2018 . 27 January 2018 . Firstpost.
  5. News: 10 March 2017 . செல்லுலாய்ட் பெண்கள் . Celluloid Girls . live . https://archive.today/20180920152200/http://www.dinakaran.com/ladies_Detail.asp?Nid=5022 . 20 September 2018 . 20 September 2018 . . ta.
  6. News: 12 May 2017 . பிளாஷ்பேக்: ரஜினி, கமலை பிரித்த படம் . Flashback: The film that split Kamal and Rajini! . live . https://archive.today/20180327100456/http://cinema.dinamalar.com/tamil-news/59176/cinema/Kollywood/Flashback-:-Rajini---Kamal-split-in-a-movie.htm . 27 March 2018 . 27 March 2018 . . ta.
  7. News: 12 December 2013 . சூப்பர் ஸ்டார் ரஜினியின் துளிகள்.... . Super Star Rajinikanth's drops.... . live . https://archive.today/20171115153723/http://cinema.dinakaran.com/cine-news-details.aspx?id=11966&id1=3 . 15 November 2017 . 18 November 2017 . . ta.
  8. News: 24 October 2017 . பிரபல இயக்குனர் ஐ.வி.சசி உடல்நலக்குறைவால் காலமானார் . Veteran director IV Sasi dies of illness . dead . https://archive.today/20180327141903/https://www.maalaimalar.com/News/TopNews/2017/10/24140943/1124732/Veteran-director-IV-Sasi-Passed-away.vpf . 27 March 2018 . 23 March 2018 . . ta.
  9. News: 10 June 2017 . வெள்ளைக்காரர்களே நடிக்க வேண்டுமா? ஹாலிவுட்டில் நீடிக்கும் சர்ச்சை . Should only white people act? A lasting controversy in Hollywood . dead . https://archive.today/20180327103336/http://www.puthiyathalaimurai.com/news/special-news/21720-an-indian-as-the-lead-in-guy-ritchie-s-aladdin-movie.html . 27 March 2018 . 28 March 2018 . . ta.
  10. Web site: Babu . Ramachandra . Ramachandra Babu . 4 June 2013 . 40th Anniversary of First Cinemascope Film in South India . live . https://archive.today/20180418042903/http://ramachandrababu.blogspot.nl/2013/06/40-th-anniversary-of-first-cinemascope.html . 18 April 2018 . 18 April 2018 . Ramachandra Babu.
  11. News: Ayyappan . R . 25 October 2017 . Greatest crowd pleaser . live . https://archive.today/20171219151710/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/mollywood/251017/greatest-crowd-pleaser.html . 19 December 2017 . 19 December 2017 . Deccan Chronicle.
  12. Web site: Alavudheenum Albhutha Vilakkum Malayam Film EP Vinyl Record G Devarajan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211107100800/https://macsendisk.com/product/alavudheenum-albhutha-vilakkum-malayam-film-ep-vinyl-record-g-devarajan/ . 7 November 2021 . 7 November 2021 . Macsendisk.
  13. Web site: Alavudheenum Albhutha Vilakkum (1979) . dead . https://archive.today/20180127074545/https://www.raaga.com/malayalam/album/Alavudheenum-Albhutha-Vilakkum-songs-M0002534 . 27 January 2018 . 27 January 2018 . Raaga.com.
  14. Web site: Alavudeenum Arputha Vilakum . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190605042935/http://www.tamilsongslyrics123.com/listlyrics/396 . 5 June 2019 . 4 June 2021 . Songs4all.
  15. Book: இன்பா, மு.ஞா.செ. . ஜெமினி மந்திர சொல் . Kathadi Publications . 2020 . 285 . ta.
  16. News: Piousji . 26 August 1979 . Khaas Baat . live . https://archive.today/20230312155301/https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.15523/page/n53/mode/2up . 12 March 2023 . 23 March 2023 . Sunday . 51 . Internet Archive.
  17. கௌசிகன் . 1 July 1979 . அலாவுதீனும் அற்புத விளக்கும் . live . https://archive.today/20240410130141/https://archive.org/details/kalki1979-07-01/page/n45/mode/2up? . 10 April 2024 . 10 April 2024 . . 44 . Ta . Internet Archive.