Nandalala
Encyclopedia
Nandalala is a 2010 Tamil drama film
written and directed by Myshkin.Myshkin himself essays the lead role, alongside newcomer Ashwath Ram and Snigdha Akolkar
. The film, which is produced by Ayngaran International
and features a highly acclaimed musical score by Ilaiyaraaja
, is loosely based on the 1999 Japanese film Kikujiro
, and partly inspired from Myshkin's life.
The film illustrates the road journey of two people, a mentally challenged adult and an eight-year old schoolboy, both in search of their respective mothers. Myshkin began developing Nandalala in 2006, penning the scriptment
for eight months. Supposed to be filmed, after the release of Myshkin's debut film Chithiram Pesuthadi
(2006), the film was shelved since no producer came forward to fund the film, and was launched only in June 2008, after the release of Myshkin's second film Anjathe
(2008). It was completed by December 2008, but got stuck in development hell
later, with no distributors willing to release the film. Following numerous preview shows and screenings at several film festivals, the film eventually released on November 26, 2010, opening to very positive reviews and garnering critical acclaim.
in 2006, he wrote the script for Nandalala for eight months, which was supposed to be his next directorial. A. M. Ratnam was initially to produce the film, for which his son Ravi Krishna
was to play the lead role. Despite completing a photo shoot
with Ravi Krishna, the film was shelved, since Ratnam opted out, after he incurred heavy losses with his previous productions. Director Saran
was subsequently approached by Myshkin to produce the film, but as he wasn't impressed by the storyline and suggested some changes, which Myshkin didn't agree to, he, too, dropped the film. Myshkin decided to postpone the project, since "nobody was interested", and instead wrote a new story and commenced a new project, which itself was a result of Myshkin's anger. Myshkin later revealed, that in spite of demands from the producers, he didn't make any compromises in this film, in contrast to his previous ventures, as Nandhalala was his "dream project".
That film was Anjathe
, which released in 2008, following which Myshkin re-commenced Nandalala, taking up the lead role himself, after several lead actors from the Tamil film industry had rejected the offer, fearing of "their image would get damaged". The lead character, Bhaskar Mani, that Myshkin essay in the film was initially supposed to be around 20 years old, however, as no actor was willing to take the role and he decide to play the character, he changed the age to 27 to make it more suitable. For the seven-year old schoolboy character, newcomer Ashwath Ram was selected, after over 100 children were auditioned. Snigdha Akolkar
, who had performed an item number
in Anjathe, was chosen to enact the lead female character, while Rohini
was signed to play the mother of the lead character Bhaskar Mani. Nandhalala was initially Snigdha's debut Tamil film, for which Myshkin had signed her in 2006 already, but with the film getting postponed, she made her first appearance in Anjathe that Myshkin decided to direct instead. Reports indicated that Arya's
brother Zahir had been signed for a pivotal as well, which turned out to be untrue. The film's filming began in late June 2008 eventually, was completed in 81 days, with major portions being shot on highways and roads in Chennai
, and Gobichettipalayam
. After Ilaiyaraaja had completed the film score of the film, the soundtrack album was released in January 2009, while the first trailer
was premiered in July 2009 along Sundar C.'s Aiyantham Padai
.
for Nandalalas music. The soundtrack album to this film was released on 14 January 2009, during Pongal
at the Four Frames theater in Chennai
. The album features 6 tracks while, however, only two of them were included in the final version. Ilaiyaraaja had performed three songs himself, one of which "Oru vandu Kootame" along with his grandson and Karthik Raja
's eldest son Yatheeshwaran. The sixth song in the album "Elilea Elilea" was written and sung by a gypsy
woman called Saroja Ammal in her mother tongue. Apart from Saroja Ammal, five lyricists had penned the songs, namely Na. Muthukumar
, Mu. Mehta, Muthulingam, Kabilan and Pazhani Bharthi.
Myshkin stated that he had requested Ilaiyaraaja to come up with a music that should be "enjoyed and appreciated by the likes of a hunter in an African cave". Ilaiyaraaja, hence, composed a "simple" and "minimalized" score and had written a symphony
, using only three instruments, a flute
, an oboe
and a violin
, for which three specialized Hungarian artists from the Budapest Festival Orchestra
were invited.
was able to release the film on 26 November 2010, one-a-half years after its completion, facing opposition from newcomer Sripathy's Kanimozhi
. Nandalala took the better opening at the Chennai box office, opening at second position, ranking just behind Mynaa
, while earning 20,89,502 from 146 screens. The film was subsequently crowded out at the box-office by new releases, becoming an average grosser.
had described the film as an "excellent, must-watch film", recommending Sun Pictures
inter alia to distribute the film. At the Norway Film Festival, the film had won the Critics' as well as the People's Choice Award.
After its theatrical release, the film gained mostly highly positive reviews and praise, with most critics claiming that Myshkin had made a meaningful film that marks a milestone
in Tamil cinema
. The Hindu
's Malathi Rangarajan, too gave a very positive verdict, calling it the "real road film" that is made "for seekers of worthy cinema". Further praising the director, she cites that Myshkin "rises high above the standards he set with the earlier quality cocktails" and that "Tamil cinema needs more creators like him". Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff rated the film four out five describing Nandalala as "brilliant", eventually finding a place in the list of her "Best Tamil films of 2010" article, while a review from Indiaglitz labelled the film as "mindblowing and marvellous", further claiming that Myshkin "seems to have taken Tamil cinema to a new height". A Behindwoods reviewer, too, gave the film four out of five, describing the film as "Picture Perfect" that "transcends genres and even barriers of language". Top10Cinemas reviewer labelled the film as Mysskin's "yet another trademark", while, as per Sify
.com, a "popular English daily" had given it four and a half out five, the highest rating it has given for any Tamil film. Meanwhile, Sify critic Sreedhar Pillai in his review described Nandalala as a "another heart wrenching story" that was "slow and melancholic", claiming it was for people "like films that explores the realms of anguish and despair".
The film also drew scattered negative reviews for its inspiration from Kikujiro
. Whilst the Deccan Chronicle review tributed Ilayaraaja for an "outstanding" background score, it criticized Myshkin for replicating "not just the concept, but almost the entire graph of the plot and narration" of the original, labelling it as "blatant plagiarism". The critic added that it is "an embarrassment to the maker, but to the viewer too".
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written and directed by Myshkin.Myshkin himself essays the lead role, alongside newcomer Ashwath Ram and Snigdha Akolkar
Snigdha Akolkar
Snigdha Akolkar is an Indian actress and model. She has acted in several Hindi and Marathi television serials and in Tamil films. She is noted for her cameo song in the film Anjathe. She is also acting in the Hindi film Love U...Mr. Kalakaar!.-Filmography:-External links:*...
. The film, which is produced by Ayngaran International
Ayngaran International
Ayngaran is a film distribution and production company of Tamil films, based in the United Kingdom. The company has distributed various Indian-produced Tamil films in Europe and North America. It is also responsible for the production of Tamil films into home media, such as VHS, DVD, and blu-ray...
and features a highly acclaimed musical score 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...
, is loosely based on the 1999 Japanese film Kikujiro
Kikujiro
The album includes "Summer", one of the most famous compositions by Hisaishi; it was also re-arranged and used for Toyota Corolla commercials, for instance...
, and partly inspired from Myshkin's life.
The film illustrates the road journey of two people, a mentally challenged adult and an eight-year old schoolboy, both in search of their respective mothers. Myshkin began developing Nandalala in 2006, penning the scriptment
Scriptment
A scriptment is a written work by a movie or television screenwriter that combines elements of a script and treatment, especially the dialogue elements, which are formatted the same as in a screenplay. It is a more elaborate document than a standard draft treatment...
for eight months. Supposed to be filmed, after the release of Myshkin's debut film Chithiram Pesuthadi
Chithiram Pesuthadi
Chithiram Pesuthadi is a 2006 Indian Tamil romantic drama film written and directed by Mysskin. The film stars Narain and Bhavana, both making their debuts in Tamil cinema. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Sundar C Babu. Produced by Dreambridge Productions on a budget of 1.25...
(2006), the film was shelved since no producer came forward to fund the film, and was launched only in June 2008, after the release of Myshkin's second film Anjathe
Anjathe
Anjathe is a Tamil drama film directed by Mysskin; starring Prasanna and Narain. The film opened to rave reviews. The song, 'Kattazha kannale kuthatha née enna' has topped the review charts and captured the hearts of many youngsters.-Plot:...
(2008). It was completed by December 2008, but got stuck in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
later, with no distributors willing to release the film. Following numerous preview shows and screenings at several film festivals, the film eventually released on November 26, 2010, opening to very positive reviews and garnering critical acclaim.
Cast
- Myshkin as Bhaskar Mani
- Ashwath Ram as Akhilesh
- Snigdha AkolkarSnigdha AkolkarSnigdha Akolkar is an Indian actress and model. She has acted in several Hindi and Marathi television serials and in Tamil films. She is noted for her cameo song in the film Anjathe. She is also acting in the Hindi film Love U...Mr. Kalakaar!.-Filmography:-External links:*...
as Anjali - RohiniRohini (actress)Rohini is an actress in south Indian, notably Malayalam and Tamil, films. She started her career in 1976 as a child artist. She was married to actor late Raghuvaran from 1996 to 2003. She is also the most popular dubbing artist in Tamil industry. She lent her voice to actresses like Jyothika ,...
- NassarNassarNassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar...
Development
After Myshkin had completed and released his maiden venture Chithiram PesuthadiChithiram Pesuthadi
Chithiram Pesuthadi is a 2006 Indian Tamil romantic drama film written and directed by Mysskin. The film stars Narain and Bhavana, both making their debuts in Tamil cinema. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Sundar C Babu. Produced by Dreambridge Productions on a budget of 1.25...
in 2006, he wrote the script for Nandalala for eight months, which was supposed to be his next directorial. A. M. Ratnam was initially to produce the film, for which his son Ravi Krishna
Ravi Krishna
Ravi Krishna is an Indian actor who works in the Tamil and Telugu film industries. Son of noted producer A. M. Rathnam, he made his acting debut in Selvaraghavan's critically acclaimed 7G Rainbow Colony.-Early life:...
was to play the lead role. Despite completing a photo shoot
Photo shoot
A photo shoot is generally used in the fashion industry, whereby a model poses for a photographer at a studio where multiple photos are taken to find the best ones for the required brief...
with Ravi Krishna, the film was shelved, since Ratnam opted out, after he incurred heavy losses with his previous productions. Director Saran
Saran (director)
Saran is a Tamil film director from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. He was once an assistant to K. Balachander. He now owns a production house called Gemini Productions.-Life and Career:...
was subsequently approached by Myshkin to produce the film, but as he wasn't impressed by the storyline and suggested some changes, which Myshkin didn't agree to, he, too, dropped the film. Myshkin decided to postpone the project, since "nobody was interested", and instead wrote a new story and commenced a new project, which itself was a result of Myshkin's anger. Myshkin later revealed, that in spite of demands from the producers, he didn't make any compromises in this film, in contrast to his previous ventures, as Nandhalala was his "dream project".
That film was Anjathe
Anjathe
Anjathe is a Tamil drama film directed by Mysskin; starring Prasanna and Narain. The film opened to rave reviews. The song, 'Kattazha kannale kuthatha née enna' has topped the review charts and captured the hearts of many youngsters.-Plot:...
, which released in 2008, following which Myshkin re-commenced Nandalala, taking up the lead role himself, after several lead actors from the Tamil film industry had rejected the offer, fearing of "their image would get damaged". The lead character, Bhaskar Mani, that Myshkin essay in the film was initially supposed to be around 20 years old, however, as no actor was willing to take the role and he decide to play the character, he changed the age to 27 to make it more suitable. For the seven-year old schoolboy character, newcomer Ashwath Ram was selected, after over 100 children were auditioned. Snigdha Akolkar
Snigdha Akolkar
Snigdha Akolkar is an Indian actress and model. She has acted in several Hindi and Marathi television serials and in Tamil films. She is noted for her cameo song in the film Anjathe. She is also acting in the Hindi film Love U...Mr. Kalakaar!.-Filmography:-External links:*...
, who had performed an item number
Item number
An item number or an item song, in Indian cinema, is a musical performance that has little to do with the film in which it appears, but is presented to showcase beautiful dancing women in very revealing clothes, to lend support to the marketability of the film...
in Anjathe, was chosen to enact the lead female character, while Rohini
Rohini (actress)
Rohini is an actress in south Indian, notably Malayalam and Tamil, films. She started her career in 1976 as a child artist. She was married to actor late Raghuvaran from 1996 to 2003. She is also the most popular dubbing artist in Tamil industry. She lent her voice to actresses like Jyothika ,...
was signed to play the mother of the lead character Bhaskar Mani. Nandhalala was initially Snigdha's debut Tamil film, for which Myshkin had signed her in 2006 already, but with the film getting postponed, she made her first appearance in Anjathe that Myshkin decided to direct instead. Reports indicated that Arya's
Arya (actor)
Arya is an Indian film actor who mainly appears in Tamil films. He is best known for his roles in the films Pattiyal , Naan Kadavul , Madrasapattinam , and Boss Engira Bhaskaran.-Personal life:...
brother Zahir had been signed for a pivotal as well, which turned out to be untrue. The film's filming began in late June 2008 eventually, was completed in 81 days, with major portions being shot on highways and roads in Chennai
Chennai
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...
, and Gobichettipalayam
Gobichettipalayam
Gobi or Gobichettipalayam is a Municipality in Erode District of Tamil Nadu state, India. A major part of present Gobichettipalayam was previously known as Veerapandi Gramam, and documents and records still use that name. Gobichettipalayam is an important city in the North- Western part of Erode...
. After Ilaiyaraaja had completed the film score of the film, the soundtrack album was released in January 2009, while the first trailer
Trailer
A trailer may refer to:In transportation:* Trailer , an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle** Bicycle trailer, a wheeled frame for hitching to a bicycle to tow cargo or passengers...
was premiered in July 2009 along Sundar C.'s Aiyantham Padai
Aiyantham Padai
Ainthaam Padai is a 2009 Tamil film starring Sundar C and Simran Bagga. It released on 23 July 2009 and is produced by Sundar's wife, Kushboo.-Plot:...
.
Music
After working with Sundar C. Babu for both his previous films, Myshkin opted to collaborate with composer IlaiyaraajaIlaiyaraaja
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...
for Nandalalas music. The soundtrack album to this film was released on 14 January 2009, during Pongal
Pongal
Thai Ponggal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Indian Union Territory of Pondicherry and in Sri Lanka. Pongal coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated throughout India. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over" or "spill over". The boiling...
at the Four Frames theater in Chennai
Chennai
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...
. The album features 6 tracks while, however, only two of them were included in the final version. Ilaiyaraaja had performed three songs himself, one of which "Oru vandu Kootame" along with his grandson and Karthik Raja
Karthik Raja
Karthik Raja is a Tamil musician from Chennai, India. He made his debut as music composer in the Tamil film Alexander.-Personal life:Karthik Raja is the eldest son of musician Ilaiyaraaja and Jeeva. His brother Yuvan Shankar Raja and sister Bhavatharini, who are also Kollywood music directors and...
's eldest son Yatheeshwaran. The sixth song in the album "Elilea Elilea" was written and sung by a gypsy
Banjara
The Banjara are a class of usually described as nomadic people from the Indian state of Rajasthan, North-West Gujarat, and Western Madhya Pradesh and Eastern Sindh province of pre-independence Pakistan...
woman called Saroja Ammal in her mother tongue. Apart from Saroja Ammal, five lyricists had penned the songs, namely Na. Muthukumar
Na. Muthukumar
Na. Muthukumar is a Tamil poet and lyricist, who writes lyrics for Tamil film songs.-Career:Muthukumar began his career wanting to be a director and worked under Balu Mahendra for four years. But then he became a lyricist, beginning with the lyrics for the songs of the Tamil film Veera Nadai,...
, Mu. Mehta, Muthulingam, Kabilan and Pazhani Bharthi.
Myshkin stated that he had requested Ilaiyaraaja to come up with a music that should be "enjoyed and appreciated by the likes of a hunter in an African cave". Ilaiyaraaja, hence, composed a "simple" and "minimalized" score and had written a symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
, using only three instruments, a flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, an oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
and a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, for which three specialized Hungarian artists from the Budapest Festival Orchestra
Budapest Festival Orchestra
The Budapest Festival Orchestra was formed in 1983 by Iván Fischer and Zoltán Kocsis, with musicians "drawn from the cream of Hungary's younger players", as The Times put it...
were invited.
Release
After the film's post-production works were finished in early 2009, Nandalala was evading release dates for over a year, mainly since distributors were fearing and unwilling to distribute the film due to its offbeat theme. Finally Ayngaran InternationalAyngaran International
Ayngaran is a film distribution and production company of Tamil films, based in the United Kingdom. The company has distributed various Indian-produced Tamil films in Europe and North America. It is also responsible for the production of Tamil films into home media, such as VHS, DVD, and blu-ray...
was able to release the film on 26 November 2010, one-a-half years after its completion, facing opposition from newcomer Sripathy's Kanimozhi
Kanimozhi (film)
Kanimozhi is a 2010 Tamil-language musical romance film. Directed and written by Sripathi Rangasamy and jointly produced by T. Siva and Sona Heiden, it stars Jai and Shazahn Padamsee in the lead roles. The film features music composed by Satish Chakravarthy, cinematography by Chidamparam and...
. Nandalala took the better opening at the Chennai box office, opening at second position, ranking just behind Mynaa
Mynaa
The film score and soundtrack for Mynaa was composed by D. Imman. The album consists of 5 tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Yugabharathi and Eknaath. The songs, especially the title track, had become very popular, while the album was widely considered Imman's finest work yet.-Awards:...
, while earning 20,89,502 from 146 screens. The film was subsequently crowded out at the box-office by new releases, becoming an average grosser.
Reviews
Before the wide theatrical release on 26 November, the film was screened several times at film festivals and as preview shows to prominent filmmakers, actors and distributors. Following one such preview show, actor-director Kamal HaasanKamal 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...
had described the film as an "excellent, must-watch film", recommending Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures is a film distribution and production studio unit of Chennai, based Sun Network owned by Kalanidhi Maran. Founded in 2008, it started distributing low-budget Tamil-language films, Kadhalil Vizhunthen being the first, and holds the credit of producing India's costliest film Enthiran...
inter alia to distribute the film. At the Norway Film Festival, the film had won the Critics' as well as the People's Choice Award.
After its theatrical release, the film gained mostly highly positive reviews and praise, with most critics claiming that Myshkin had made a meaningful film that marks a milestone
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
in Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
. The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
's Malathi Rangarajan, too gave a very positive verdict, calling it the "real road film" that is made "for seekers of worthy cinema". Further praising the director, she cites that Myshkin "rises high above the standards he set with the earlier quality cocktails" and that "Tamil cinema needs more creators like him". Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff rated the film four out five describing Nandalala as "brilliant", eventually finding a place in the list of her "Best Tamil films of 2010" article, while a review from Indiaglitz labelled the film as "mindblowing and marvellous", further claiming that Myshkin "seems to have taken Tamil cinema to a new height". A Behindwoods reviewer, too, gave the film four out of five, describing the film as "Picture Perfect" that "transcends genres and even barriers of language". Top10Cinemas reviewer labelled the film as Mysskin's "yet another trademark", while, as per Sify
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
.com, a "popular English daily" had given it four and a half out five, the highest rating it has given for any Tamil film. Meanwhile, Sify critic Sreedhar Pillai in his review described Nandalala as a "another heart wrenching story" that was "slow and melancholic", claiming it was for people "like films that explores the realms of anguish and despair".
The film also drew scattered negative reviews for its inspiration from Kikujiro
Kikujiro
The album includes "Summer", one of the most famous compositions by Hisaishi; it was also re-arranged and used for Toyota Corolla commercials, for instance...
. Whilst the Deccan Chronicle review tributed Ilayaraaja for an "outstanding" background score, it criticized Myshkin for replicating "not just the concept, but almost the entire graph of the plot and narration" of the original, labelling it as "blatant plagiarism". The critic added that it is "an embarrassment to the maker, but to the viewer too".