''Aval Appadithan'' () is a 1978 Indian
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
-language
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
C. Rudraiah in his directorial debut, and co-written by him with
Somasundareshwar. The film was produced by Rudhraiya in association with the
M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute. It stars
Sripriya
Sripriya is an Indian actress, film director and politician from Tamil Nadu. She has acted in over 300 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi languages.
She has also directed films in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu languages, includin ...
,
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...
and
Rajinikanth
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...
, while
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...
composed the film's music. The plot revolves around Manju (Sripriya) and the difficulties she faces in her life, due to her romantic relationships, resulting in her developing an aggressive and cynical nature towards men.
''Aval Appadithan'' was released on 30 October 1978, on
Diwali
Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
day. Although the film received positive critical reception, it was not a box office success at the time of its release. However, the film began to develop an audience after directors
Bharathiraja
Bharathiraja (born 17 July 1941) is an Indian film director and actor who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with ''16 Vayathinile'', he is known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of rural life in his films. ...
and
Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen (''Beng.'' মৃণাল সেন; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Bengali, and few Hindi and Telugu language films. Regarded as one of the finest Ind ...
commented positively about it. The film was noted for its stylish filmmaking, screenplay, and dialogue, a large portion of it being in English.
''Aval Appadithan'' was the first film made by a graduate of the M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute. It received the second prize for
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
at the 1978
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...
, while Nallusamy and M. N. Gnanashekharan won the
Best Cinematographer award. Additionally, Sripriya received a
Special Award
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
for the Best Actress of 1978. In 2013,
News18
Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (formerly SGA Finance and Management Service and Network18 Fincap Limited) commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned b ...
included the film in its list, "The 100 greatest Indian films of all time".
Plot
Manju was raised in a
dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often child neglect or abuse and sometimes even all of the above on the part of individual parents occur continuously and regularly, leading other members to accommodate suc ...
that consisted of a timid father and a philandering mother; she hurtles from one disastrous affair to another, leading to her degenerating into a cynical woman. Into her life enter two radically different men. One of them is her boss, Thyagu, who owns the advertising agency she works for. He is a stereotype of the successful man: money-minded, opinionated, arrogant, and a male chauvinist. In sharp contrast is Arun, who has come to
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
from
Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
to make a documentary on women. Sensitive and sincere, he believes his job has a purpose and is both shocked and amused at the cynical attitudes of Manju and Thyagu.
Manju has been drafted by Thyagu to assist Arun in his documentary. As Arun and Manju start working together, Arun begins to understand Manju's complex personality. She tells Arun about her unfortunate past relationships: How she was molested by her uncle, the ending of her first relationship in college when her lover left her by marrying another woman for the sake of employment, and how her second love, Mano, a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
priest's son, used her to satisfy his needs and lust, calling her "sister" in front of her parents. These incidents have led to her present attitude towards men. Arun later shares these conversations with Thyagu, who warns him to steer clear of such women.
Inevitably, Arun falls for Manju. However Manju incurs Thyagu's wrath when he overhears her reprimanding her office staff for commenting on her character. When Thyagu also comments about her, she resigns from her job. When he learns of this, Arun requests Thyagu to re-employ her. Thyagu simply laughs and says that she is already back, after which Manju seems to have a change of heart and starts courting Thyagu. Arun is devastated to see that she has turned out to be just the sort of woman that Thyagu earlier said she was opportunistic, money-minded, and fickle. When he asks her about her contradicting stands in life, she responds by saying that is the way she is and will be.
The truth finally emerges that Manju was merely baiting Thyagu to teach him a lesson. When Thyagu starts believing that Manju has fallen for him, he attempts to take advantage of her at a party banquet, but she rebukes and slaps him, after which Thyagu runs away in fright. However, this revelation comes too late for her, as Arun, who is disillusioned with her behaviour, has already married a small town girl. When Manju tells her aunt about the attempt to humiliate Thyagu and its ramifications, her aunt tells Manju that she deserved it for leaving behind a golden opportunity to start a new life. In a final discussion in Thyagu's car, Manju asks Arun's wife, "What do you think of women's liberation?". Arun's wife replies that she does not know. Manju cynically replies that this is why she (the wife) is happy. After Manju leaves, the car carrying Thyagu and the married couple pulls away from her. A voice-over says that Manju died today, but will be reborn tomorrow, only for the cycle to repeat, and that is how she is.
Cast
*
Sripriya
Sripriya is an Indian actress, film director and politician from Tamil Nadu. She has acted in over 300 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi languages.
She has also directed films in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu languages, includin ...
as Manju
*
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...
as Arun
*
Rajinikanth
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...
as Thyagu
*
Sivachandran
Narayanan, better known by his stage name Sivachandran, is an Indian actor, director, and writer who was active in Tamil cinema mostly in the 1980s.
Career
Sivachandran was originally offered to act in ''Kizhakke Pogum Rail'' (1978), but decli ...
as Mano
*
Saritha
Saritha is an Indian actress who has acted in more than 500 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu languages. She was one of the popular and critically acclaimed lead actresses during the 1980s. She also appeared in a television serial, ' ...
as Arun's wife
Production
Development
C. Rudraiah was introduced to
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...
by writer
Ananthu. The three shared an interest in the works of
Robert Bresson
Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director.
Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson contributed notably to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, Ellipsis (narrative device), ellipses, and s ...
,
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran ...
,
Roman Polanski
Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...
, and
Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...
. Godard and Bresson were part of the
French New Wave
French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...
, which focused on films based on social ideas, some of which were
iconoclastic
Iconoclasm (from Ancient Greek, Greek: grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, wikt:κλάω, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών + wi ...
in nature.
Rudhraiya, Haasan, and Ananthu wanted to experiment with their ideas in Tamil. This was Rudhraiya's first film as director; quite radical in his approach, he wanted to change the conventions of Tamil cinema at that time.
Somasundareshwar was writing a script dealing with women's liberation at that time, and it was decided that his script would be used for the film; the result was ''Aval Appadithan''.
It was the first film made by a graduate of the M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute.
The initial script by Somasundareshwar consisted of two pages.
''Aval Appadithan'' was the debut film for both Nallusamy and M. N. Gnanashekaran, who jointly handled the film's cinematography. Vanna Nilavan co-wrote the screenplay with Somasundareshwar and Rudhraiya. The film was co-produced by Rudhraiya, in association with the students of the M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute. Sripriya, who played Manju, was initially unsure about acting in the film due to her busy schedule at that time, and only agreed to do it on Haasan's insistence. According to Somasundareshwar, the characterisation of Manju was inspired from a woman he met and who had similar radical beliefs.
Rajinikanth
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...
, who played Thyagu, was convinced by Rudhraiya to join ''Aval Appadithaan''.
Filming
Throughout the film, the cinematography made extensive use of shadows and close up shots to emphasise the moods of the characters. Jump cuts were frequently used as well. Overall, 8,230 metres of
film negative
In photography, a negative is an image, usually on a strip or sheet of transparent plastic film, in which the lightest areas of the photographed subject appear darkest and the darkest areas appear lightest. This reversed order occurs because th ...
was used to make the film, and the team incurred a cost of 20,000 for exterior shooting equipment. The scenes where Arun interviewed women for his documentary were real scenes, improvised with women they would meet at colleges and bus stops, and shot using the live-recording method. The film uses a sharp contrast of black and white colours to lend a surreal atmosphere to it, and none of the actors used make-up.
Filming proceeded smoothly as almost all of the dialogues were ready by the time team went for filming the scenes. The camera angles were pre-planned as well.
Haasan shot the film in his spare time, as he was involved in over 20 other films as an actor during the production of ''Aval Appadithan''. Before a shot, Haasan discussed the scene with Ananthu and Rudhraiya on how Godard would have done it. The film was shot in two-hour sessions over a period of four-five months. The opening scene where Haasan looks into the camera and says "Konjam left-la ukaarunga" (Sit a little to the left, please) was meant as a sign to the audience to support
gender equality
Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...
.
According to the Tamil newspaper ''
Dinamalar
''Dinamalar'' is an Indian Tamil daily newspaper. It was founded in 1951 by T. V. Ramasubba Iyer. ''Dinamalar'' has an average circulation of 942,812 (ABC Jan-June 2016)
History
Dinamalar was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer on 6 September 195 ...
'', ''Aval Appadithan'' was shot in 20 days.
Themes and influences
''Aval Appadithan'' explores a number of themes such as women's liberation, sex and the chauvinistic attitude of males.
Its central theme is on women and their plight in society, as exemplified by Manju and her relationships. Born to a timid father and a mother with loose moral values, she is also subsequently affected by two people she becomes romantically involved with. One, her college mate, left her to marry someone else for the sake of a job; and the second is Mano, the son of a Christian priest, who used her to satisfy his lust and then trivialised their relationship by calling her "sister" in front of her parents. These relationships result in her becoming wary of men and developing an aggressive nature towards them. Conversations related to matters like the status of women in contemporary (1978) times and the nature of humankind are frequently seen in the film.
Feminist writer
C. S. Lakshmi wrote in her essay "A Good Woman, A Very Good Woman", that Manju's characterisation was "brought out entirely verbally by her". Lakshmi believes the film to be constantly resorting to "existing myths about women and relationships: that a wayward mother destroys her children; that a woman who speaks the 'truth' is always alone; that men are scared of her; that the woman who is different is confused, not sure of herself and is only seeking love from a man but does not know it herself." She further asserts that the film's only positive aspect is "it does not expose the body of women in the way it is customary" and that Manju could have avoided her unfortunate set of circumstances "if only she had a 'proper' mother".
Artist
Jeeva compared ''Aval Appadithan'' to other films whose central theme was women, such as ''
Charulata
''Charulata'' (Spelt as ''Cārulatā''; ) is a 1964 Indian drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray. Based upon the novel ''Nastanirh'' by Rabindranath Tagore, it stars Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee and Sailen Mukherjee. The ...
'' (1964), ''
Aval Oru Thodar Kathai
''Aval Oru Thodar Kathai'' () is a 1974 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. Balachander. The story revolves around a working middle-class woman, who sacrifices her desires to support her large family. The lead role was played by S ...
'' (1974), and ''
Panchagni
''Panchagni'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language crime drama film directed by Hariharan and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The story is loosely inspired from the life of naxalite K. Ajitha who was part of the naxalite movement in Kerala ...
'' (1986), while also labelling them as "classics that put the spotlight on women."
Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, in their book ''Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema'', say the film was also inspired by the 1972 film, ''
Dhakam''. They also note that ''Aval Appadithan'' uses a "fluid narrative style" and music to mix flashbacks with vox-pop and "glossy pictorialism". The film is an exception on stereotypes of women, as shown by paralleling an independent woman, Manju, and a pious traditional woman: Manju gets into problems while Arun's wife is happy. The last lines of the film where Manju asks "what do you think of 'women's liberation'", Arun's wife answers, "I don't know", to which Manju says "that is why you are happy", send the message that one will inevitably get into trouble if one exhibits assertive behaviour.
Kamal Haasan's character, Arun, is an early version of a
metrosexual
''Metrosexual'' is a portmanteau of '' metropolitan'' and ''sexual'' coined in 1994, describing a man of ambiguous sexuality, (especially one living in an urban, post-industrial, capitalist culture) who is especially meticulous about his groomin ...
male sensitive and sincere. Rajinikanth's character, Thyagu, is the exact opposite of Arun money-minded, arrogant, and a womaniser. This is evident when Thyagu says to Arun: "Women should be enjoyed, not analysed." According to Rajinikanth, Thyagu was very much similar to him in real life — he too smokes and drinks. According to film critic
Naman Ramachandran
Naman Ramachandran is an Indian critic and journalist. He is the author of '' Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography'' (Penguin, 2012) and '' Lights Camera Masala: Making Movies in Mumbai'' ( IBH, 2006). He writes for ''Variety'', ''Sight & Sound'' ...
, Thyagu was, by far, Rajinikanth's most entertaining character up to that point in his career; his character was a self-confessed chauvinist who believed that men and women can never be equal, and that women are merely objects to be used for men's pleasure. When Arun calls Thyagu "a prejudiced ass", Thyagu responds by saying, "I am a male ass," with the dialogue being in English. His opinion of Sripriya's character, Manju, is seen when he says (also in English), "She is a self pitying sex-starved bitch!"
Music
''Aval Appadithan'' soundtrack and score were composed by
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...
. The soundtrack was released under the label of
EMI Records
EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...
. Although Ilaiyaraaja was busy, he agreed to compose for ''Aval Appadithan'' at the insistence of Rudhraiya and Haasan.
After the recording session of "Ninaivo Oru Paravai" from ''
Sigappu Rojakkal
''Sigappu Rojakkal'' () is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film co-written and directed by Bharathirajaa. The film starring Kamal Haasan and Sridevi, with Goundamani, Bhagyaraj and Vadivukkarasi in supporting roles. It revol ...
'' (1978), Ilaiyaraaja asked Haasan to record "Panneer Pushpangale" that same afternoon. During the recording session, Ilaiyaraaja suggested that Haasan tone down the opening notes; when Haasan sang perfectly as per his suggestion, Ilaiyaraaja accepted Haasan's next rendition of the song.
Ilaiyaraaja wanted Vanna Nilavan to write the lyrics for "Uravugal Thodarkathai", but since Vanna Nilavan had difficulties in writing the lyrics, he opted out. He was subsequently replaced with Gangai Amaran.
The song was reused in the film ''
Megha'' (2014). It poignantly captures the vulnerable moments in the life of a woman, while "Panneer Pushpangale" and "Vaazhkai Odam Chella" have a "philosophical touch."
According to Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai, author of the article ''The 1970s Tamil cinema and the post-classical turn'', the songs were used "to punctuate the interiority of the characters rather than as a spectacle or as a device to move the plot forward." In June 2013, A. Muthusamy of Honey Bee Music enhanced the songs from their original version on the film's soundtrack album to
5.1 surround sound.
Release and reception
''Aval Appadithan'' was released on 30 October 1978,
on
Diwali
Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
day. It was released in only two theatres in Madras: Kamadhenu, and either Emerald or Blue Diamond in the
Safire Theatre complex
The Safire Theatre complex was India's first largest multi-theatre complex located in the southern city of Chennai that functioned from 1964 to 1994. The theatre complex was located on Mount Road (now Anna Salai) and consisted of three screeni ...
.
The film did not initially receive a big response from the public, and was not a box office success upon its release. However, after the directors
Bharathiraja
Bharathiraja (born 17 July 1941) is an Indian film director and actor who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with ''16 Vayathinile'', he is known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of rural life in his films. ...
and
Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen (''Beng.'' মৃণাল সেন; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was an Indian film director, and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Bengali, and few Hindi and Telugu language films. Regarded as one of the finest Ind ...
wrote positive comments on it, the latter remarking, "The film was far ahead of its times", people began to watch the film and appreciate it, leading ''Aval Appadithan'' to develop a
cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. In November 2014, Haasan defended the financial failure of the film, "''Aval Appadithan'' was a
guerilla
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tact ...
attack on the industry by insiders like me. It slipped through their fingers, so to speak. With all the attention that films get these days, I doubt we can get away with such a film any more."
The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
Critics appreciated the live-recording method of shooting the sequences where Haasan's character, Arun, interviews women for his documentary. On 19 November 1978, the magazine ''
Ananda Vikatan
''Ananda Vikatan'' is a Tamil-language weekly magazine published from Chennai, India.
History and profile
''Ananda Vikatan'' was started by Late Pudhoor Vaidyanadhaiyar in February 1926 as a monthly publication. The issue for December 1927 wa ...
'' criticised the gaps in the film, particularly the abundance of English dialogue, the excessive focus on naturalism, and lower standard of technical work (especially the cinematography). Despite these perceived flaws, the magazine still appreciated the film, stating that the actors immersed themselves into their characters, leading to them not really acting before the camera but living the characters.
Accolades
The film was awarded the Second Prize for
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
at the 1978
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards were given for excellence in Tamil cinema in India. They were given annually to honour the best talents and provide encouragement and incentive to the South Indian film industry by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The aw ...
. At the same ceremony, Nallusamy and M. N. Gnanashekharan won the award for
Best Cinematographer, and Sripriya received a
Special Award
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
for Best Actress of the year.
Legacy
''Aval Appadithan'' is one of only two films ever directed by Rudhraiya; the other was ''
Gramathu Athiyayam
''Gramathu Athiyayam'' () is a 1980 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language film directed by C. Rudraiah. The film stars Nandakumar, Sundar and Swarnalatha. It was released on 19 September 1980.
Plot
Cast
*Chandrahasan
*Nandakumar
*Krishnak ...
'' (1980).
''Aval Appadithan'' was noted for its stylish filmmaking, screenplay and dialogue, a large portion of it being in English. The dialogues were sharp and were considered almost vulgar. It also broke the style of filmmaking followed up until that time. Sripriya included it in her list of favourite films she had worked in. Rudhraiya's daughter, Ganga, noted that ''Aval Appadithan'' help her face life in the real world.
In May 2007, K. Balamurugan of
Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
included ''Aval Appadithan'' in his list of "Rajni's Tamil Top 10", saying, "It was what we would call parallel cinema these days.". In July 2007, S. R. Ashok Kumar of ''The Hindu'' asked eight Tamil film directors to list their all-time favourite Tamil films; two of them –
Balu Mahendra
Balanathan Benjamin Mahendran (19 May 1939 13 February 2014), commonly known as Balu Mahendra, was a Sri Lankan-born Indian cinematographer, director, screenwriter and film editor who worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. Widely regarded as ...
and
Ameer – named ''Aval Appadithan''. D. Karthikeyan of ''The Hindu'' wrote in December 2009 that ''Aval Appadithan'' would "remain etched in every film lover's memory by showing the best of Rajnikanth's acting skills." S. Shiva Kumar of ''The Hindu'' included the film on his December 2010 list of "Electrifying Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan films" with ''
Moondru Mudichu
''Moondru Mudichu'' () is a 1976 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film directed and co-written by K. Balachander. A remake of the Telugu film ''O Seeta Katha'' (1973), it stars Kamal Haasan, Sridevi and Rajinikanth. The film revolves a ...
'' (1976), ''
Avargal
''Avargal'' () is a 1977 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by K. Balachander. The film stars Sujatha, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Ravikumar. A triangular love story, it revolves around a woman who is caught be ...
'' (1977) and ''
16 Vayathinile'' (1977).
Thiagarajan Kumararaja
Thiagarajan Kumararaja is an Indian film director and screenwriter. He made his feature film debut with the critically acclaimed neo-noir gangster film '' Aaranya Kaandam'' (2011), which earned him the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of ...
named ''Aval Appadithan'' as an inspiration for his film ''
Aaranya Kaandam
''Aaranya Kaandam'' (; English title: ''Anima and Persona'') is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language crime thriller film written and directed by newcomer Thiagarajan Kumararaja. It is supposedly the first neo-noir film in Tamil cinema. The story takes ...
'' (2011). In April 2013,
News18
Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (formerly SGA Finance and Management Service and Network18 Fincap Limited) commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned b ...
included the film in its list, "The 100 greatest Indian films of all time". As of July 2013, Sruti Harihara Subramanian, founder and trustee of The Cinema Resource Centre (TCRC), has preserved many promotional stills and photographs of the film's production.
In November 2013, ''The New Indian Express'' included the film in its list, "Kamal Haasan's most underrated films". Writing for ''The Hindu'' in 2014,
Baradwaj Rangan
Baradwaj Rangan is an Indian film critic, writer, and formerly the deputy editor of ''The Hindu''. He later became a senior editor of Film Companion. Rangan won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2006. Before joining ''The Hindu'' ...
commented and remarked on how "different" the film was by saying: "''Aval Appadithan'' was different. The shadowy black-and-white cinematography was different. The dialogues, which were more about revealing character than advancing plot, were different. The frank handling of sex and profanity ('she is a self-pitying, sex-starved bitch!') was different. The documentary-like detours were different. The painfully sensitive, feminist hero was different. Rudraiah was different."
In ''
Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam
''Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam'' (; also referred to as ''KTVI'') is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language independent satirical drama film written and directed by R. Parthiepan and produced by K. Chandramohan and independent producer, Haresh Vi ...
'' (2014), the hero's writing team discusses the theme of ''Aval Appadithan'' to get ideas for their film's story, until they realise that the film was a failure at the time of its release.
Indo-Asian News Service
Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. Their main offices are located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The se ...
, in their review of Sripriya's directorial venture ''
Malini 22 Palayamkottai
''Malini 22 Palayamkottai'' is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language thriller drama film directed by Sripriya. It stars Nithya Menen in the title role while Krish J. Sathaar and Naresh (actor), Naresh play supporting roles. A remake of the Malayalam film ...
'' (2014), a film about a rape victim, stated, "Sripriya, who was once a successful actress, played a rape victim in Tamil drama ''Aval Appadithan''. It's probably because of that role and the effect it had left on her, she handles this subject with great care and understanding that most of her peers would lack." In January 2015, Somasundareshwar said, "I was told that if ''Aval Appadithan'' were made today, it would be a blockbuster. I don’t agree, for it’s still taboo for a woman to talk about her sexual encounters. The profile of the audience should change."
In July 2016, ''The Hindu'' included ''Aval Appadithan'' in its list of "roles that defined Rajinikanth the actor".
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{{Good article
1970s Tamil-language films
1978 directorial debut films
1978 drama films
1978 films
Films about women in India
Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja
Films with screenplays by K. Rajeshwar
Indian black-and-white films
Indian drama films
Indian feminist films