Thai Meethu Sathiyam Explained

Thai Meethu Sathiyam
Director:R. Thyagarajan
Story:Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar
Producer:Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar
Cinematography:V. Ramamurthy
Editing:M. G. Balu Rao
Music:Shankar–Ganesh
Studio:Dhandayuthapani Films
Runtime:137 minutes
Country:India
Language:Tamil

Thai Meethu Sathiyam is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language Curry Western film directed by R. Thyagarajan and produced by Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar. The film stars Rajinikanth and Sripriya, with Mohan Babu, Prabhakar, Suruli Rajan, Sundararajan, A. V. M. Rajan, S. A. Ashokan, Nagesh, Ambareesh, Jayamalini and Sukumari in supporting roles. It focuses on a shepherd who vows to avenge his parents by killing the murderers.

The film was originally planned by Thevar in the late 1960s under the title Marupiravi with M. G. Ramachandran intended to star; however, as Ramachandran was unwell and involved in a legal case, the film was shelved. Thevar later revived the project as Thai Meethu Sathiyam, with Rajinikanth cast in the lead role as Ramachandran had retired from acting by then. It was the last film produced by Thevar to be released.

Thai Meethu Sathiyam was released on 30 October 1978, a month after Thevar's death. The film became a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres.

Plot

Babu is a shepherd with a dog named Ramu. When criminals Balu and Johnny murder his parents, he swears upon his mother that he will have revenge. Babu trains under the local zamindar, and is revealed to be naturally skilled at marksmanship. After dressing himself like a cowboy, equipping himself with the zamindar's guns and a horse, and with Ramu as his aide, he fulfils his promise by killing the criminals.

Production

In the late 1960s, Sandow M. M. A. Chinnappa Thevar had planned to produce a film starring M. G. Ramachandran, titled Marupiravi; however, Ramachandran was unwell at that time, as well as involved in a legal case, resulting in the film being shelved. Thevar later revived the film in the late 1970s with a new title, Thai Meethu Sathiyam, but as Ramachandran had retired from acting after becoming the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth was instead cast.[1] [2] The film, directed by R. Thyagarajan, was Rajinikanth's first film in the Western genre, and the plot took inspiration from several Curry Westerns starring Jaishankar. It was the last film produced by Thevar to be released; he died on 8 September when the film was still in production.[3] Cinematography was handled by V. Ramamurthy and editing by M. G. Balu Rao.[4]

Themes

Thai Meethu Sathiyam deals with one of the most recurrent themes in Tamil cinema: revenge. Like most Thyagarajan films, this has an animal playing a prominent character. The Economic Times likened the relationship between Babu and his dog Ramu to that of Wallace and Gromit.[5]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by the duo Shankar–Ganesh.[6]

Release and reception

Thai Meethu Sathiyam was released on 30 October 1978, Diwali day.[7] Ananda Vikatan rated the film 44 out of 100.[8] Despite facing competition from many other Diwali releases,[9] the film became a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres,[10] and Rajinikanth "carved out for himself a niche in vendetta roles".

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 6 December 2015 . சாண்டோ சின்னப்பா தேவர்! (18) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210920091420/https://www.dinamalar.com/supplementary_detail.asp?id=28045&cat=2&Print=1 . 20 September 2021 . 20 September 2021 . . ta.
  2. Web site: 24 November 2014 . "திரை இசைத் திலகம்" கே.வி. மகாதேவன் - 32- பிஜிஎஸ் மணியன் எழுதும் தொடர் . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210116213259/http://andhimazhai.com/news/view/kvm-32.html . 16 January 2021 . 20 September 2021 . Andhimazhai . ta.
  3. Web site: 27 June 2015 . எம்.ஜி.ஆரை நெகிழ வைத்த சாண்டோ சின்னப்ப தேவர்! (நூற்றாண்டு விழா சிறப்பு பதிவு) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190306234953/https://www.vikatan.com/news/coverstory/48636.html . 6 March 2019 . 6 March 2019 . . ta.
  4. Thai Meethu Sathiyam . motion picture . ta . Dhandayuthapani Films . 1978 . 0:00 to 2:29 . Opening credits, from.
  5. News: 15 December 2007 . Avenging cowboy in rural TN . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190307001820/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/business-of-bollywood/avenging-cowboy-in-rural-tn/articleshow/2623550.cms . 7 March 2019 . 6 March 2019 . The Economic Times.
  6. Web site: Thaimeedu Sathiyam Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by Shankar Ganesh . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211022111126/https://mossymart.com/product/thaimeedu-sathiyam-tamil-film-ep-vinyl-record-by-shankar-ganesh/ . 22 October 2021 . 22 October 2021 . Mossymart.
  7. Web site: 3 November 2019 . கமலுக்கு 'சிகப்பு ரோஜாக்கள்' - ரஜினிக்கு 'தாய் மீது சத்தியம்' - மேலும் கமலுக்கு 4; ரஜினிக்கு 2 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191103074104/https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/523272-1978-kamal-rajini.html . 3 November 2019 . 22 October 2021 . . ta.
  8. Web site: 19 November 2020 . விகடன் பொக்கிஷம்: ஒரு தீபாவளி... 11 படங்கள்! . subscription . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230815135708/https://www.vikatan.com/government-and-politics/vikatan-pokkisham-11-pictures-to-a-diwali . 15 August 2023 . 16 August 2023 . . ta.
  9. News: 14 August 2017 . மேல் நாடுகளில் இந்தியாவின் மானம் பறந்தன! . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20190306175051/http://www.dinamalarnellai.com/web/news/32949/%25E0%25AE%2592%25E0%25AE%25B0%25E0%25AF%2581-%25E0%25AE%25AA%25E0%25AF%2587%25E0%25AE%25A9%25E0%25AE%25BE%25E0%25AE%25B5%25E0%25AE%25BF%25E0%25AE%25A9%25E0%25AF%258D-%25E0%25AE%25AA%25E0%25AE%25AF%25E0%25AE%25A3%25E0%25AE%25AE%25E0%25AF%258D-%25E2%2580%2593-120-%25E2%2580%2593-%25E0%25AE%259A%25E0%25AF%2581%25E0%25AE%25A4%25E0%25AE%25BE%25E0%25AE%2599%25E0%25AF%258D%25E0%25AE%2595%25E0%25AE%25A9%25E0%25AF%258D . 6 March 2019 . 6 March 2019 . . Nellai . ta.
  10. News: 5 December 2014 . சூப்பர் ஸ்டார் ரஜினிகாந்த் வாழ்க்கை வரலாறு 19 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190306234849/http://canadauthayan.ca/oldsite/epaper/Dec05_2014/files/assets/downloads/page0024.pdf . 6 March 2019 . 6 March 2019 . Canada Uthayan . Canada . 24 . ta.