Iyarkai

''Iyarkai'' (, ) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film that was written and directed by S. P. Jananathan in his directorial debut. The film stars Shaam and Radhika. Arun Vijay—who at the time was known as Arun Kumar—and Bollywood actor Seema Biswas play supporting roles. The film's story is set against the backdrop of a lost ship in the port town of Rameswaram, and revolves around a young woman and two men who love her.

''Iyarkai'' marks the Tamil debuts of Radhika and Biswas. It is loosely based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1848 short story "White Nights". The film was produced by V. R. Kumar, A. E. Gunasekaran, and G. Natarajan, and it was made on a low budget. The soundtrack was composed by Vidyasagar.

''Iyarkai'' was released on 21 November 2003. Although the film was not very successful at the box office, it won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil at the 51st National Film Awards in 2004, and N. K. Ekambaram won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Cinematographer.

Plot

Marudhu, a Tamil man, is an orphaned ship mechanic and sailor who works on international cargo ships. After many years, he returns to Tamil Nadu, India, when his ship arrives at Rameshwaram port, where it remains for ninety days for repair and reloading. Marudhu wants to give up his sailing life and settle down in Tamil Nadu with the money he has saved. He develops a liking for Nancy, who sells fruits and other items to sailors on ships at the port. Nancy, however, is in love with Mukundan, the captain of a ship that docked three years before. Though Nancy had earlier proposed to Mukundan, he declined because he was 17. Mukundan told Nancy to wait for him or marry someone else at her will. Before leaving, he promised Nancy he would return in a year but failed to do so. Three years later, Nancy is still awaiting Mukundan's return.

Marudhu befriends Nancy and helps her search for Mukundan but when he reveals he loves Nancy, she distances herself from him. They reconcile and become friends. Mukundan cannot be found and they see the captain's junior, who is now the first officer of another ship, and tells them Mukundan's ship was destroyed in an explosion. Marudhu's ship is scheduled to leave on Christmas night. All of them try to persuade Nancy to forget about Mukundan and marry Marudhu. After considering the idea, of Christmas Eve night she agrees to the marriage and arrangements are made for the wedding next day. Mukundan returns, surprises Nancy and Marudhu, and finds him kissing her hand. Mukundan decides he is the best man for her. Nancy must choose between Mukundan or Marudhu, and finally selects the former. Marudhu leaves India aboard his ship, vowing never to return to Tamil Nadu again in favor of seeking more journeys.

Cast

* Shaam as Marudhu
* Arun as Mukundan (special appearance)
* Radhika as Nancy
* Seema Biswas as Mercy
* Pasupathy as a priest

Production

Development

S. P. Jananathan began work on ''Iyarkai'' in 2001. The story is based on Jananathan's friend's uncle, who right after getting married, went alone on a boat voyage in the Mediterranean Sea and got lost while his wife awaited his return. Jananathan told the story to Ramkumar Ganesan, whose cousin V. R. Kumar became the producer after liking the story. The film was titled ''Iyarkai'' () because the conflict between man and nature causes a woman to wait for her past lover to return.

Casting and filming

Suriya turned the offer to play the lead role, saying he was not interested in doing romantic films. He was later replaced with Shaam, with whom Jananathan worked with as an assistant editor in '' 12B'' (2001). He was cast in the role of a sailor who knew everything about life except love. Since the film was shot in a coastal hamlet, Shaam interacted with the locals to imitate their mannerisms. Kannada actress Radhika debuted in Tamil cinema with this film; the media referred to her as "Kutti" Radhika to differentiate her from the Tamil actress of the same name. Radhika played Nancy, a strong, independent women who chooses the man with whom she wants a relationship. Her character was based on Jananathan's friend's uncle's wife. Arun Kumar was chosen to play the ship captain, a character based on the life of Jananathan's friend's uncle. He turned down the role because it was only a cameo, though later changed his mind after Jananathan explained its importance. Bollywood actor Seema Biswas was cast as Nancy's sister-in-law, marking her Tamil film debut. Although he was advised not to, Pasupathy accepted the role of a priest. The film was shot at the Andaman Islands, Rameshwaram, Tiruchendur and Tuticorin. Art directors Sabu Cyril and Selvam erected a lighthouse set for the film.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Vidyasagar and lyrics written by Vairamuthu. The first song Vidyasagar composed for the film, "Kaadhal Vandhaal" was well received upon release.

Release and reception

''Iyarkai'' was scheduled to be released on 24 October 2003 coinciding with the Deepavali festival but was delayed to 7 November 2003. It enjoyed little success in the Tamil Nadu box office due to the lack of publicity and the film's delay. The film did not lose money because it was produced on a low budget.

Malathi Ranagarajan of ''The Hindu'' praised the cinematographer and art directors, stating; "Together with Sabu Cyril-Selvan's art, K. Ekambaram's lens paints a bewitching picture on screen". She also praised the performances of Shaam, Kutty Radhika, and Arun Kumar. Visual Dasan of ''Kalki'' appreciated the montage shots of the cinematographer and Kutty Radhika's performance but said Seema Biswas was underused.

R. Rangaraj of ''Chennai Online'' gave the film a positive review and wrote: "The debutant director, S P Jhananathan, has handled the build-up to the climax and the climax scenes too effectively. The end is rather stunning and unexpected for a Tamil movie". He also said the film's box office prospects could be low due to the lack of commercial elements.

Accolades

Upon release, Ekambaram sent ''Iyarkai'' to the National Awards committee and it won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for 2003, competing with '' Virumaandi'' and '' Pithamagan'' as that year's submissions. Jananathan wanted to return the award, but he did not do so.

Sequel and legacy

Jananathan had prepared a script for a sequel, but the film never entered production. He also provided the script for the yet-to-release film ''Agilan'', which is set on an harbour similar to this film.

Notes

References

External links

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{{White Nights

2000s Tamil-language films
2003 directorial debut films
2003 films
2003 romantic drama films
Best Tamil Feature Film National Film Award winners
Films based on White Nights
Films directed by S. P. Jananathan
Films scored by Vidyasagar
Films set on ships
Indian romantic drama films