16 Vayathinile
Encyclopedia
16 Vayathinile (At the Age of Sixteen) is a 1977 Tamil
feature film
directed
by Bharathiraja
. The film stars Kamal Haasan
, Rajinikanth and Sridevi. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilaiyaraaja
. The film marked Bharathiraja
's debut as a filmmaker/screenwriter and it met with a strong critical reception upon release.Cinematography by P.S.Nivas. It was also Rajinikanth's first color film. This is the first film which changed the melodrama of Tamil films shooting inside the studios and sets. The film was completely shot in outdoor locations and marked a new era in Tamil cinema.
Mayil's mother also passes away, leaving her only with distant cousin Chappani for support. Chappani (Kamal Haasan
), a village bumpkin, is taken advantage of and isolated by the society. He is secretly in love with Mayil, but is jealous and upset about the vet. Another important character is the village roughie Parattai (Rajinikanth) who also has an eye on Mayil. How Mayil lives and whom she chooses as her man forms the rest of the story.
.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Bharathiraja
Bharathiraja
P. Bharathiraja , is a critically acclaimed South Indian filmmaker.He displayed a story-teller's potential from an early age. Bharathiraja is known for his realistic and sensitive portrayal of village-life in his movies....
. The film stars Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
, Rajinikanth and Sridevi. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
. The film marked Bharathiraja
Bharathiraja
P. Bharathiraja , is a critically acclaimed South Indian filmmaker.He displayed a story-teller's potential from an early age. Bharathiraja is known for his realistic and sensitive portrayal of village-life in his movies....
's debut as a filmmaker/screenwriter and it met with a strong critical reception upon release.Cinematography by P.S.Nivas. It was also Rajinikanth's first color film. This is the first film which changed the melodrama of Tamil films shooting inside the studios and sets. The film was completely shot in outdoor locations and marked a new era in Tamil cinema.
Plot
This film revolves around a young, beautiful 16-year-old girl, Mayil (played by Sridevi), filled with ambitions of becoming a teacher. She is an attractive, intelligent woman living in a small society and experiences ripe love when sees the new veterinarian who has come to visit. Many are impressed by this charming young fellow who has entered the village. He seems to be a wealthy, prosperous man and soon develops a relationship with Mayil. Mayil, who is deeply in love, sacrifices her opportunity to study in the teaching college course to spend time with him. But his intentions are not pure and he dumps Mayil after exploiting her.Mayil's mother also passes away, leaving her only with distant cousin Chappani for support. Chappani (Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
), a village bumpkin, is taken advantage of and isolated by the society. He is secretly in love with Mayil, but is jealous and upset about the vet. Another important character is the village roughie Parattai (Rajinikanth) who also has an eye on Mayil. How Mayil lives and whom she chooses as her man forms the rest of the story.
Box office
The film grossed $1 million at the box office. The film ran for 240 days in Cinepriya and 100 days in five other screens. The remake rights for the film was bought for $12,000 by Rajalaxmi Art Films to remake it in Telugu as Padaharella VayasuPadaharella Vayasu
Padaharella Vayasu is a 1978 Telugu film starring Sridevi Kapoor, Chandra Mohan, and Mohan Babu. Directed by K. Raghavendra Rao, it is a remake of the Tamil hit 16 Vayathinile which starred Kamal Hassan and Sridevi Kapoor.-Plot:...
.
Awards
- S. JanakiS. JanakiS. Janaki is an Indian female playback singer. Renowned for her voice modulation abilities, she has sung in many Indian languages, most frequently in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. Throughout a career spanning more than five decades, she has won four National Film Awards and 35...
won the Silver Lotus Award for Best Playback Singer (Female) for her work in the film.