“It was during the early years after my marriage, Uthiripookkal directed by Mahendran was shot at the river bank of Vellipalayam. Though I did not know who the actors were then, I enjoyed watching the film shoot” recalls Sakunthala, who is now a widow clad in her white sari.
River Bhavani, which runs through the villages Vellipalayam and Paalapatti, a little away from Mettupalayam in Coimbatore, might still remember the scenes of the 1979 landmark Tamil movie Uthiripookkal (Scattered flowers) directed by the late legendary filmmaker J. Mahendran. As the river runs through the movie every now and then with its natural link to the storyline, one can be sure that Mahendran has made the river, too, a character.
“It was during the early years after my marriage, Uthiripookkal was shot at the river bank of Vellipalayam. Though I did not know who the actors were then, I enjoyed watching the film shoot” recalls Sakunthala, who is now a widow clad in her white sari.
The film made an indelible impression on the minds of the villagers with the memorable moving role of actress Ashwini as Lakshmi in the film.
“Look, that was the house, where Ashwini was bed-ridden with her illness” Sakunthala points at a tile-roofed house in the village.
The tragic scene of Ashwini’s (Lakshmi) death in Uthiripookkal on her sick bed made Sakunthala feel as if the actress herself was ill and really died in that house! It is no wonder that any viewer would be moved to tears if they watch the tragic scene with the background score of ‘Azhagiya Kanne Uravugal Neeye …’ by Ilayaraja.
“When I chose Ashwini to don the role of Lakshmi in Uthiripookkal, many disapproved of my choice. Because they did not know the different roles she would be doing in the movie” recalls Mahendran in his book Cinemavum Naanum.
Mahendran, who employed visuals and music to accompany the dialogues in Uthiripookkal, made the film a breakthrough in commercial Tamil cinema of those days.
The villagers, with their innocent looks, often walk behind the characters in several scenes of Uthiripookkal. Of them, Kalisamy and Rajendran made their appearances in the film, when they were just around seven years old.
“Perhaps, Mahendran sir wanted a boy with shaven head for a scene, in which, senior Tamil actor Samikannu dons the role of a barber. And it was a coincidence that I had just got my head shaved following my mother’s demise. Though it has been over forty years now, I still remember how Mahendran sir beckoned me to sit for the scene. You can still find me on the scene, sitting on the pyol as a boy with the shaven head” recalls Kalisamy, an agricultural labourer, who is 50 years old now.
Rajendran, who was also a boy then, remembers the scene of Samikannu massaging his head with water for a haircut.
“Whenever Uthiripookkal was telecast on TV channels, I never fail to show the scene of my appearance to my family members. But, I was shocked to know that Mahendran sir was no more” worried Rajendran, who is now an agriculturist in Vellipalayam.
The title card of Uthiripookkal still thanks the people of Vellipalayam and Palapatti.
“Mahendran sir also provided us with free tickets for Uthiripookkal. I have a dim memory of watching the film at Sivaranjani theatre in Mettupalayam” Rajendran reminisces.
“It was during the early years after my marriage, Uthiripookkal was shot at the river bank of Vellipalayam. Though I did not know who the actors were then, I enjoyed watching the film shoot” recalls Sakunthala, who is now a widow clad in her white sari.
The film made an indelible impression on the minds of the villagers with the memorable moving role of actress Ashwini as Lakshmi in the film.
“Look, that was the house, where Ashwini was bed-ridden with her illness” Sakunthala points at a tile-roofed house in the village.
The tragic scene of Ashwini’s (Lakshmi) death in Uthiripookkal on her sick bed made Sakunthala feel as if the actress herself was ill and really died in that house! It is no wonder that any viewer would be moved to tears if they watch the tragic scene with the background score of ‘Azhagiya Kanne Uravugal Neeye …’ by Ilayaraja.
“When I chose Ashwini to don the role of Lakshmi in Uthiripookkal, many disapproved of my choice. Because they did not know the different roles she would be doing in the movie” recalls Mahendran in his book Cinemavum Naanum.
Mahendran, who employed visuals and music to accompany the dialogues in Uthiripookkal, made the film a breakthrough in commercial Tamil cinema of those days.
The villagers, with their innocent looks, often walk behind the characters in several scenes of Uthiripookkal. Of them, Kalisamy and Rajendran made their appearances in the film, when they were just around seven years old.
“Perhaps, Mahendran sir wanted a boy with shaven head for a scene, in which, senior Tamil actor Samikannu dons the role of a barber. And it was a coincidence that I had just got my head shaved following my mother’s demise. Though it has been over forty years now, I still remember how Mahendran sir beckoned me to sit for the scene. You can still find me on the scene, sitting on the pyol as a boy with the shaven head” recalls Kalisamy, an agricultural labourer, who is 50 years old now.
Rajendran, who was also a boy then, remembers the scene of Samikannu massaging his head with water for a haircut.
“Whenever Uthiripookkal was telecast on TV channels, I never fail to show the scene of my appearance to my family members. But, I was shocked to know that Mahendran sir was no more” worried Rajendran, who is now an agriculturist in Vellipalayam.
The title card of Uthiripookkal still thanks the people of Vellipalayam and Palapatti.
“Mahendran sir also provided us with free tickets for Uthiripookkal. I have a dim memory of watching the film at Sivaranjani theatre in Mettupalayam” Rajendran reminisces.