Thappu Thalangal

Thappu Thalangal (pronounced [tappu taːɭaŋɡaɭ] transl. Wrong Notes) is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language film directed by K. Balachander,[2] starring Rajinikanth and Saritha in her film debut. It was made simultaneously and released in Kannada as Thappida Thala (transl. Wrong Notes). The film was remade in Malayalam as Kazhukan. Although widely appreciated for the performances of Rajinikanth and Saritha, Thappu Thalangal was not a box office success.[3][4]

Thappu Thalangal
Theatrical release poster in Tamil
Directed byK. Balachander
Written byK. Balachander
Produced byTamil:
R. Venkataraman
Kannada:
B. A. Ramanujacharya Pandit
B M. Venkatesh
Chandulal Jain
Prasanna Kumar
Starring
CinematographyB. S. Lokanath
Edited byN. R. Kittu
Music byVijaya Bhaskar
Production
companies
Lalitha Lakshmi Combines (Kannada)
Premaalaya (Tamil)
Release dates
6 October 1978 (Kannada)
30 October 1978 (Tamil)[1]
Running time
131 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguagesKannada
Tamil

Plot

Devu, a local thug whose weapon of choice is a bicycle chain he sports casually around the neck. Devu charges ₹ 30 to slice a finger, ₹ 300 to chop a hand, ₹ 3000 for the leg, and ten times as much to dispose off the whole body. On one of his nightly rounds, Devu is pursued by a cop and seeks refuge at a sex worker house run by a hooker Sarasu. Despite her vehement protests, he stays put and leaves only at daybreak, but her persistent cough stays with him. At a theatre, Devu watches an advertisement for Glycodin Cough Syrup and proceeds to buy her a bottle. Devu and Sarasu bond over the cough syrup and philosophise late into the night, exchanging notes on their immoral lifestyles.

Devu's assault on a trade union leader delivering medicine to a critically ill worker leads to a mishap. Watching the wailings of the widow of the worker, Devu is traumatised and breaks down at Sarasu's place. In an inspired moment, he suggests they remap their lives and chart a moral course. Sarasu is attracted by the notion of giving up prostitution and leading a normal life as Devu's wife, though she wonders if they'll be able to pull it off. The couple go to great lengths to secure a job for Devu and lead a normal life, but there are too many skeletons in the closet. Devu is no longer feared for his might, and Sarasu's past clientele continue to haunt the joint. Sarasu gets a loan for Devu from his evil brother Soma, who continues to harass her on that pretext. In a particularly traumatic sequence of events, Sarasu is raped by Soma as a helpless Devu watches, pinned down by Soma's henchmen. The couple resolve to repay Soma's loan, and Devu undertakes a botched robbery attempt. Devu is imprisoned and in his absence, Sarasu has an abortion. The couple's plans for normality never attain fruition. The inevitable return to lives of vice is especially tragic and heartbreaking.

Devu's inherent goodness is contrasted with his "evil twin", a stepbrother Soma who thwarts his every attempt at morality and finally succumbs at Devu's hands. Kamalhaasan has an interesting cameo as a Hindi speaking client of Sarasu. Balachander skewers middle-class morality and takes potshots at the hypocrisy of do-gooders. In the final analysis, the film is an indictment of society at large, for not allowing lesser mortals to rejoin society and return to a life of normality.

Cast

Production

Thappu Thalangal was simultaneously filmed in Kannada as Thappida Thala.[6]

Soundtrack

All songs were written by Kannadasan in Tamil,[8] and Hunsur Krishnamurthy in Kannada and composed by Vijaya Bhaskar.[9]

Tamil tracklist
TitleSingerLength
"Azhagana Ilamangai" Vani Jairam 3:15
"Ennada Polladha" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam 3:19
"Thappu Thalangal" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam 4:43
Kannada tracklist
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Thappida Thalagalu"Hunsur KrishnamurthyS. P. Balasubrahmanyam 
2."Yaathara Vichithra Baalu" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam 
3."Olavinda Nalle" Vani Jairam 

References
  1. "10 Retro Rajini films that still work". Behindwoods. 10 August 2016. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  2. "விகடன் பொக்கிஷம்: ஒரு தீபாவளி... 11 படங்கள்!". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). 19 November 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. ராம்ஜி, வி. (1 November 2020). "எஸ்.பி.பி.யின் 'இதுக்குப் போயி அலட்டிக்கலாமா?'; பாலசந்தரின் சரியான தாளங்கள்... 'தப்புத்தாளங்கள்'!". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  4. "75ல் ஆரம்பம்; 78ல் 15 படங்கள் - ரஜினி வளர்ச்சியின் முதல் பாய்ச்சல்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 3 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  5. Narayan, Hari (20 July 2016). "Rajini's Big B-eautiful career". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  6. Ramachandran, Naman (2014) [2012]. Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-14-342111-5.
  7. Khajane, Muralidhara (24 December 2014). "K. Balachander left a mark on Kannada cinema". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  8. "Thapputhalangal Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by Vijayabhaskar". Mossymart. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  9. "Thappida Thala". JioSaavn. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
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