Marmadesam
Encyclopedia
Marmadesam meaning "Mysterious Land" in Tamil, is a television series directed by Naga
. The series was telecasted between 1997 and 2001 and was a huge success.
occurrences. While the stories are purely fictitious, they explore some extant beliefs and real-life traditions.
The main stories are:
prevalent in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Starring Chetan
, Devadarshini
, Master Lokesh, Mohan V. Ram
, Poovilangu Mohan
, Ponvannan
, Muthusubramanian and Sivakavitha, the series was a huge commercial success and triggered imitations and supernatural thrillers by other television directors.
Each episode was made of two parts - the first ten minutes of each 30-minute episode set in the year 1977 was connected to the next twenty minutes set in the present day. While the first part revolved around the events of the Anaimudi Naicker household as seen through the eyes of the young Rajendran (played by Master Lokesh), the second part was mainly concerned with the customs, beliefs and traditions of the village and events unfolding in the Anaimudi Naicker household as seen through the eyes of the sceptical medical student Reena (Devadarshini
) and her superstitious mentor (Mohan V. Ram
). The story begins with Reena's arrival in the village in the company of her colleague, Ratna, daughter of the village headman, Anaimudi Naicker, who seeks sanction from her village's guardian deity Karuppu Sami
to marry her lover Arvind.
In Ratna's village, Reena and her boss learn about the cult of Karuppu Sami, the guardian deity and how Karuppu Sami punishes people who transgress his rules. While Reena's boss instantly believes in the legend, Reena, herself is sceptical about it. Eventually, they witness some mysterious and gruesome deaths including those of Ratna and Arvind who marry against Karuppu Sami's wishes. Simultaneously, the story of the Anaimudi Naicker's mother, the evil moneylender Pechi who indulges in usury
is told in flashback through the eyes of Naicker's son and Ratna's older brother, the extremely soft and timid Rajendran who is obsessed with myths of Karuppu Sami. Pechi murders one of her opponents and is eventually killed herself, the first in a string of mysterious deaths attributed to Karuppu Sami. A few days later, strange events and sightings take place in the Anaimudi Naicker household, prompting Anaimudi Naicker's family to conclude that the house was haunted by Pechi's ghost and move out.
Reena, anxious to know the identity of Karuppu Sami, investigates the murders and discovers that the haunting was a sham perpetuated by the village schoolteacher (played by Poovilangu Mohan
) who held a grudge against the Naicker's family and orchestrated the haunting to drive them out of the house. But the schoolteacher vehemently denies that he had anything to do with the mysterious murders. Reena, then suspects the priest of the Karuppu Sami shrine in the village who frequently enters a state of trance during which he is possessed by Karuppu Sami and pronounces judgements. But Reena discovers that though the priest is genuinely possessed by the spirit of Karuppu Sami on occasions, he was not the killer. In her investigations, Reena is assisted by Rajendran who acts as her guide. Rajendran, gradually, falls in love with Reena who, though in love with Rajendran, pretends not to.
Eventually, Rajendran proposes to Reena who desiring to cure Rajendran of his timidity, rebuffs him questioning his masculinity. Infuriated, Rajendran rapes Reena and is condemned to die by Karuppu Sami on an appointed day. On the day, the whole village discovers that the punishments perpetuated in name of Karuppu Sami were committed by Rajendran, who obsessed with tales of Karuppu Sami from his childhood had, according to Reena, developed a split personality. However, the villagers staunchly believed that Rajendran was actually possessed by the spirit of Karuppu Sami. In the climax of the series, Rajendran, eventually, stabs himself to death.
in 1998.
Naga (director)
Naga is a director of Tamil films and TV Shows from Tamil Nadu, India. He is especially accl for directing the hit television series Marmadesam series in the late 1990s. He made his debut as a film director in 2010 with the film Anandhapurathu Veedu...
. The series was telecasted between 1997 and 2001 and was a huge success.
Principal Cast
- Delhi GaneshDelhi GaneshDelhi Ganesh born in Tirunelveli as a veteran Tamil film actor, who mostly acts in supporting roles and is perhaps best known for his role in Kamal Hassan comedies and films like Nayagan and Michael Madana Kama Rajan. He has acted in more than 400 films from 1980 to present...
- Charuhassan
- Vasuki (Actress)
- RamjiRamjiRamji is an Indian film cinematographer, who has worked with directors such as Selvaraghavan and Ameer Sultan.-As cinematographer:* Kannabiran * Mayakkam Enna...
as Mani (Rahasiyam) - Nirmala
- Poovilangu MohanPoovilangu MohanPoovilangu Mohan is a Tamil film and television actor. He got the sobriquet "Poovilangu" Mohan because of his performance in the Tamil film Poovilangu. He has acted in more than 100 movies in supporting roles and played leading parts in a lot of teleserials....
as village schoolteacher (Vidathu Karuppu) and police inspector Anwar (Sorna Reghai and Iyanthira Paravai) - Mohan V. RamMohan V. RamMohan Ram is an Indian film and television actor and management trainer. He is acclaimed for playing supportive or negative roles in Tamil television serials prominent ones being Marmadesam and Chidambara Rahasiyam directed by Tamil director Naga. He is the eldest son of lawyer and politician V. P...
- ChetanChetan (actor)Chetan is a Tamil television and film actor.He is the husband of television actress Devadarshini who starred with him in Vidadhu Karuppu. This was part of the television series Marmadesam, and it brought Chetan into the limelight....
as Rajendran (Vidathu Karuppu) - DevadarshiniDevadarshiniDevadarshini Neelakandan is an Indian Tamil actress and TV anchor. She has appeared in a few Kollywood films, but her main priority is in television serials.Recently she appeared on Jodi Number One as a contestant.- Personal life :...
as Reena (Vidathu Karuppu) - Prithviraj
- Thalaivasal VijayThalaivasal VijayThalaivasal Vijay is a Tamil film actor. He is noted for his character roles, especially in R. Sukumaran's 2010 Malayalam film Yugapurushan as Narayana Guru...
Stories
The television series consisted of successive episodes of short stories dealing with supernaturalSupernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
occurrences. While the stories are purely fictitious, they explore some extant beliefs and real-life traditions.
The main stories are:
- Rahasiyam (English: The Secret) (Director: Naga) .. Explores the legend of the mysterious healing Nava bhashana lingam.
- Vidāthu Karūppu (English: KaruppuKaruppu SamiKaruppu Sami is one of the regional Tamil male deities who is popular among the rural social groups of South India, especially Tamil Nadu and small parts of Kerala...
never spares) (Director: Naga).. Explores the legend of the Hindu village deity Karuppu SamiKaruppu SamiKaruppu Sami is one of the regional Tamil male deities who is popular among the rural social groups of South India, especially Tamil Nadu and small parts of Kerala... - Sorna Reghai (English: Golden palmlines)(Director: C.J.Bhaskar) .. Explores the field of palmistry.
- Iyanthira Paravai (English: The Mechanical Bird) (Director: C.J.Bhaskar).. Explores the practice of Varmakalai.
- Edhuvum Nadakkum (English: Anything can happen) (Director: Naga)..Explores the myth of Kalpakavriksham and environment as a living entity.
Vidāthu Karūppu
Vidāthu Karūppu is the second and most successful of the Marmadesam series. The story examines the psychological underpinnings of the concept of split peronalities even while exploring in detail the rural cult of Karuppu SamiKaruppu Sami
Karuppu Sami is one of the regional Tamil male deities who is popular among the rural social groups of South India, especially Tamil Nadu and small parts of Kerala...
prevalent in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. Starring Chetan
Chetan (actor)
Chetan is a Tamil television and film actor.He is the husband of television actress Devadarshini who starred with him in Vidadhu Karuppu. This was part of the television series Marmadesam, and it brought Chetan into the limelight....
, Devadarshini
Devadarshini
Devadarshini Neelakandan is an Indian Tamil actress and TV anchor. She has appeared in a few Kollywood films, but her main priority is in television serials.Recently she appeared on Jodi Number One as a contestant.- Personal life :...
, Master Lokesh, Mohan V. Ram
Mohan V. Ram
Mohan Ram is an Indian film and television actor and management trainer. He is acclaimed for playing supportive or negative roles in Tamil television serials prominent ones being Marmadesam and Chidambara Rahasiyam directed by Tamil director Naga. He is the eldest son of lawyer and politician V. P...
, Poovilangu Mohan
Poovilangu Mohan
Poovilangu Mohan is a Tamil film and television actor. He got the sobriquet "Poovilangu" Mohan because of his performance in the Tamil film Poovilangu. He has acted in more than 100 movies in supporting roles and played leading parts in a lot of teleserials....
, Ponvannan
Ponvannan
Ponvannan is an Indian film actor, who has played supporting roles throughout his career. He directed the award-winning film, Jamila. He is married to fellow actor, Saranya.- Tamil TV Serials -...
, Muthusubramanian and Sivakavitha, the series was a huge commercial success and triggered imitations and supernatural thrillers by other television directors.
Each episode was made of two parts - the first ten minutes of each 30-minute episode set in the year 1977 was connected to the next twenty minutes set in the present day. While the first part revolved around the events of the Anaimudi Naicker household as seen through the eyes of the young Rajendran (played by Master Lokesh), the second part was mainly concerned with the customs, beliefs and traditions of the village and events unfolding in the Anaimudi Naicker household as seen through the eyes of the sceptical medical student Reena (Devadarshini
Devadarshini
Devadarshini Neelakandan is an Indian Tamil actress and TV anchor. She has appeared in a few Kollywood films, but her main priority is in television serials.Recently she appeared on Jodi Number One as a contestant.- Personal life :...
) and her superstitious mentor (Mohan V. Ram
Mohan V. Ram
Mohan Ram is an Indian film and television actor and management trainer. He is acclaimed for playing supportive or negative roles in Tamil television serials prominent ones being Marmadesam and Chidambara Rahasiyam directed by Tamil director Naga. He is the eldest son of lawyer and politician V. P...
). The story begins with Reena's arrival in the village in the company of her colleague, Ratna, daughter of the village headman, Anaimudi Naicker, who seeks sanction from her village's guardian deity Karuppu Sami
Karuppu Sami
Karuppu Sami is one of the regional Tamil male deities who is popular among the rural social groups of South India, especially Tamil Nadu and small parts of Kerala...
to marry her lover Arvind.
In Ratna's village, Reena and her boss learn about the cult of Karuppu Sami, the guardian deity and how Karuppu Sami punishes people who transgress his rules. While Reena's boss instantly believes in the legend, Reena, herself is sceptical about it. Eventually, they witness some mysterious and gruesome deaths including those of Ratna and Arvind who marry against Karuppu Sami's wishes. Simultaneously, the story of the Anaimudi Naicker's mother, the evil moneylender Pechi who indulges in usury
Usury
Usury Originally, when the charging of interest was still banned by Christian churches, usury simply meant the charging of interest at any rate . In countries where the charging of interest became acceptable, the term came to be used for interest above the rate allowed by law...
is told in flashback through the eyes of Naicker's son and Ratna's older brother, the extremely soft and timid Rajendran who is obsessed with myths of Karuppu Sami. Pechi murders one of her opponents and is eventually killed herself, the first in a string of mysterious deaths attributed to Karuppu Sami. A few days later, strange events and sightings take place in the Anaimudi Naicker household, prompting Anaimudi Naicker's family to conclude that the house was haunted by Pechi's ghost and move out.
Reena, anxious to know the identity of Karuppu Sami, investigates the murders and discovers that the haunting was a sham perpetuated by the village schoolteacher (played by Poovilangu Mohan
Poovilangu Mohan
Poovilangu Mohan is a Tamil film and television actor. He got the sobriquet "Poovilangu" Mohan because of his performance in the Tamil film Poovilangu. He has acted in more than 100 movies in supporting roles and played leading parts in a lot of teleserials....
) who held a grudge against the Naicker's family and orchestrated the haunting to drive them out of the house. But the schoolteacher vehemently denies that he had anything to do with the mysterious murders. Reena, then suspects the priest of the Karuppu Sami shrine in the village who frequently enters a state of trance during which he is possessed by Karuppu Sami and pronounces judgements. But Reena discovers that though the priest is genuinely possessed by the spirit of Karuppu Sami on occasions, he was not the killer. In her investigations, Reena is assisted by Rajendran who acts as her guide. Rajendran, gradually, falls in love with Reena who, though in love with Rajendran, pretends not to.
Eventually, Rajendran proposes to Reena who desiring to cure Rajendran of his timidity, rebuffs him questioning his masculinity. Infuriated, Rajendran rapes Reena and is condemned to die by Karuppu Sami on an appointed day. On the day, the whole village discovers that the punishments perpetuated in name of Karuppu Sami were committed by Rajendran, who obsessed with tales of Karuppu Sami from his childhood had, according to Reena, developed a split personality. However, the villagers staunchly believed that Rajendran was actually possessed by the spirit of Karuppu Sami. In the climax of the series, Rajendran, eventually, stabs himself to death.
Popularity
Marmadesam was an extremely successful tele-serial. It was ranked first in viewership among the television programmes telecasted from ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
in 1998.