View source for Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (1977 film)

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal
| image          = Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (1977 film).jpg
| caption        = DVD cover
| director       = [[A. Bhimsingh]]
| writer         = [[Jayakanthan]]
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (novel)|Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal]]''|Jayakanthan}}
| producer       = B. Hrudayanath
| starring       = {{ubl|
* [[Lakshmi (actress)|Lakshmi]]
* [[Srikanth (actor, born 1940)|Srikanth]]
}}
| cinematography = G. Vittal Rao
| editing        = A. Paul Duraisingam
| music          = [[M. S. Viswanathan]]
| studio         = A. B. S. Productions
| released       = {{film date|df=yes|1977|4|1}}
| runtime        = 130 minutes{{sfn|Rajadhyaksha|Willemen|1998|p=429}}
| country        = India
| language       = Tamil
}}
'''''Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal''''' ({{Translation|''Some people at some moments''}}) is a 1977 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[romantic drama film]] directed by [[A. Bhimsingh]] and written by [[Jayakanthan]]. Based on Jayakanthan's novel of the [[Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (novel)|same name]], it stars [[Lakshmi (actress)|Lakshmi]] and [[Srikanth (actor, born 1940)|Srikanth]], with [[Nagesh|C. K. Nagesh]], [[Y. G. Parthasarathy]], [[Neelu|R. Neelakantan]], [[Sukumari]] and [[M. S. Sundari Bai|S. Sundari Bai]] in supporting roles. The film revolves around a girl from an orthodox family whose life changes after a sexual assault.
''Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal'' was released on 1 April 1977 and became a commercial success. Lakshmi won the [[National Film Award for Best Actress]], the film's only win at the [[24th National Film Awards]].
== Plot ==
On a rainy night, Ganga, a college girl from an orthodox [[Tamil Brahmin]] family in [[Srirangam]], is sexually assaulted by a stranger after he offers her a ride in his car. She returns home dazed from the experience and when asked by her mother Kanagam about what happened, she confesses. Kanagam creates a ruckus; all the neighbours and relatives learn of it.
Ganga's brother, the family's [[Breadwinner model|breadwinner]], disowns and evicts her from the house. At the request of Kanagam, Ganga's maternal uncle Vengu takes her with him to [[Chennai|Madras]], and Ganga continues her education there. After graduating, she gets employed in a private firm and grows to take the top managerial position. Exploiting her blemished status, Vengu, who was once her guardian, makes sexual advances towards her several times, forcing Ganga to make Kanagam stay with her to keep herself protected from Vengu.
R. K. Viswanatha Sarma, a writer who witnessed Ganga entering the car on that rainy night, writes a story in a magazine in which the lead character, a girl, is molested by a stranger; after she returns home, her mother conceals the truth, cleanses her through a bath and the girl is able to live normally. Ganga reads the story and recommends it to Kanagam, which makes her feel guilty about the ruckus she had created.
Ganga, though successful at her workplace, remains withdrawn and aloof in life. When she rejects Vengu's advances, he challenges her to locate the stranger who had sex with her and live with him if she has the guts. Accepting the challenge, she takes Viswanatha Sarma's help, and locates Prabhakar alias Prabhu who offered her a ride on that rainy night. Prabhu is already married and has an adolescent daughter. He does not initially recognise Ganga as it was a [[one-night stand]]. When he recollects the experience, he feels upset that Ganga is still not settled in life. Prabhu says he thought she was a consenting partner and did not realise he was imposing himself on her.
Ganga and Prabhu's subsequent meetings result in friendship; their friendship matures into love. The new relationship is, however, unacceptable to both families; unable to transcend the society's norms, Prabhu advises her to marry someone else. When all attempts to convince Prabhu fail, Ganga is forced to part ways with him; she chooses to live with Prabhu's memories.
== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Lakshmi (actress)|Lakshmi]] as Ganga{{sfn|Baskaran|1996|pp=149-150}}
* [[Srikanth (actor, born 1940)|Srikanth]] as Prabhakar<ref name="movie" />
* [[Nagesh|C. K. Nagesh]] as R. K. Viswanatha Sarma{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|p=238}}
* [[Y. G. Parthasarathy]] as Vengu Mama<ref name="movie" />
* [[Neelu|R. Neelakantan]] as Ganesan<ref name="movie" />
* [[Sukumari]] as "Anni" (Ganesan's wife)<ref name="movie" />
* [[M. S. Sundari Bai|S. Sundari Bai]] as Kanagam<ref name="movie" />
* [[Rajasulochana]] as Padma<ref name="movie" />
* Jayageetha as Manju<ref name="movie" />
* Bhuvanadevi as Immanuel<ref name="movie" />
}}
== Production ==
''Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal'' is based on the novel of the [[Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal (novel)|same name]], by [[Jayakanthan]] which was a detailed version of his short story ''Agnipravesam''. [[A. Bhimsingh]] decided to adapt the novel into a feature film. Jayakanthan wrote the screenplay for the film discarding the traditional commercial elements.{{Sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|page=239}} [[R. Muthuraman]] and [[J. Jayalalithaa]] initially gave their dates to act in the film, but Jayakanthan wanted [[Lakshmi (actress)|Lakshmi]] and [[Srikanth (actor, born 1940)|Srikanth]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=ஜெயந்தன் |first=ஆர்.சி. |date=22 October 2021 |title=அஞ்சலி: ஸ்ரீகாந்த்- முழுமை பெற்ற கலைஞன்! |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/supplements/hindu-talkies/729108-actor-srikanth.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107072421/https://www.hindutamil.in/news/supplements/hindu-talkies/729108-actor-srikanth.html |archive-date=7 November 2021 |access-date=18 January 2022 |work=[[Hindu Tamil Thisai]] |language=ta}}</ref> Since the film took considerable days of time to complete, Lakshmi did not cooperate during the time and she did not dub entirely for the film; instead another actress who appeared as an [[Anglo-Indian people|Anglo-Indian]] woman in the film had dubbed her voice.{{Sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|page=239}}
== Soundtrack ==
The soundtrack was composed by [[M. S. Viswanathan]]. There are only two songs in the film: "Veru Idam Thedi" and "Kandathai Sollugiren Ungal".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rangan |first=Baradwaj |author-link=Baradwaj Rangan |date=27 March 2005 |title=Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal |url=https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2005/03/27/sila-nerangalil-sila-manidhargal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814234933/https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2005/03/27/sila-nerangalil-sila-manidhargal/ |archive-date=14 August 2020 |access-date=11 September 2020 |website=Baradwaj Rangan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Thyagam / Vazhkai Alaigal / Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal |url=https://avdigital.in/products/thyagam-vazhkai-alaigal-sila-nerangalil-sila-manithargal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120064514/https://avdigital.in/products/thyagam-vazhkai-alaigal-sila-nerangalil-sila-manithargal |archive-date=20 November 2021 |access-date=20 November 2021 |website=AVDigital}}</ref>
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Kandathai Sollugiren Ungal
| lyrics1 = [[Jayakanthan]]
| extra1 = [[M. S. Viswanathan]]
| length1 = 3:17
| title2 = Veru Idam Thedi
| lyrics2 = Jayakanthan
| extra2 = [[Vani Jairam]]
| length2 = 3:16
| total_length = 6:33
}}
== Release and reception ==
''Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal'' was released on 1 April 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ராம்ஜி |first=வி. |date=1 April 2019 |title=சில நேரங்களில் சில மனிதர்கள்' – அப்பவே அப்படி கதை |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/161725-.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902065905/https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/161725-.html |archive-date=2 September 2019 |access-date=2 September 2019 |website=[[Hindu Tamil Thisai]] |language=ta}}</ref> In a review dated 17 April 1977, ''[[Ananda Vikatan]]'' was positive towards the film, particularly Lakshmi's performance. The critic also called the film an example of adapting a novel beautifully without changing its essence.{{Sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|p=239}} Kanthan of ''[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]]'' lauded Lakshmi's performance, the relatively less use of dialogues compared to other Tamil films, the absence of unnecessary sets, Vittal Rao's cinematography and Jayakanthan's dialogues.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=காந்தன் |date=1 May 1977 |title=சில நேரங்களில் சில மனிதர்கள் |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1977/may/01-05-1977/p63.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220728081432/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1977/may/01-05-1977/p63.jpg |archive-date=28 July 2022 |access-date=28 July 2022 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |page=63 |language=ta}}</ref> The film became a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|p=239}} At the [[24th National Film Awards]], Lakshmi won the [[National Film Award for Best Actress]], the film's only win at the ceremony.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5sgQAQAAMAAJ&q=Best+Actress+%22Sila+Nerangalil+Sila%22 |title=The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who |publisher=[[The Times Group|Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd]] |year=1978 |pages=319}}</ref>
== Legacy ==
Historian [[G. Dhananjayan]] considered ''Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal'' an important film in Tamil cinema for being "a searing criticism at the way marriage, sex and women were treated by society".{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2014|p=239}} The film, has, however been frequently criticised by another historian [[S. Theodore Baskaran]] for relying heavily on dialogues over visuals, including the characters reciting every dialogue in the novel verbatim. He accused the film of perpetuating this flaw of Tamil cinema.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baskaran |first=S. Theodore |author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran |date=20 October 2002 |title=A language of visuals |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/a-language-of-visuals/article28518298.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120054542/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/a-language-of-visuals/article28518298.ece |archive-date=20 November 2021 |access-date=20 November 2021 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Baskaran |first=S. Theodore |author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran |date=15 May 2015 |title=His film world |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/obituary/his-film-world/article7150605.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802202613/https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/obituary/his-film-world/article7150605.ece |archive-date=2 August 2020 |access-date=20 November 2021 |work=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Baskaran|1996|p=150}}
== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="movie">{{Cite AV media |title=Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal |type=motion picture |language=ta |publisher=A.B.S. Productions |year=1977 |time=11:48 |time-caption=Credits, from}}</ref>
}}
== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last=Baskaran |first=S. Theodore |author-link=S. Theodore Baskaran |title=The Eye of the Serpent: An Introduction to Tamil Cinema |publisher=East West Books |year=1996 |location=Chennai |oclc=243920437}}
* {{Cite book |last=Dhananjayan |first=G. |author-link=G. Dhananjayan |title=Pride of Tamil Cinema: 1931–2013 |title-link=Pride of Tamil Cinema |publisher=Blue Ocean Publishers |year=2014 |oclc=898765509}}
* {{Cite book |last=Rajadhyaksha |first=Ashish |author-link=Ashish Rajadhyaksha |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema |last2=Willemen |first2=Paul |author-link2=Paul Willemen |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] and [[Oxford University Press]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-563579-5 |orig-date=1994}}
== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0157039}}
{{A. Bhimsingh}}
[[Category:1970s Indian films]]
[[Category:1970s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1977 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Adaptations of works by Jayakanthan]]
[[Category:Films based on Tamil novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by A. Bhimsingh]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Actress National Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films scored by M. S. Viswanathan]]
[[Category:Indian romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]