Sattam Oru Iruttarai (1981 film)

2021-08-13T08:37:49Z

2409:4072:406:7832:33F7:FA04:8AA7:2883:

{{short description|1981 film by S. A. Chandrasekhar}}
{{About||the 2012 film|Sattam Oru Iruttarai (2012 film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Sattam Oru Iruttarai
| image = Sattam Oru Iruttarai 1981.jpg
| caption = Poster
| director = [[S. A. Chandrasekhar]]
| producer = Vadaloor S. Chidambaram
| writer = S. A. Chandrasekhar
| starring = [[Vijayakanth]]<br />[[Poornima (Telugu actress)|Poornima Devi]]
| music = [[Shankar–Ganesh]]
| cinematography = D. D. Prasad
| editing = B. Gowtham Raj
| studio = Vadularan Combines
| distributor = Vadularan Combines
| released = {{Film date|1981|02|14|df=y}}
| runtime = 123 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Sattam Oru Iruttarai''''' ({{trans|The Law is a Dark Room}}) is a 1981 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[action film]] directed by [[S. A. Chandrasekhar]] in his debut. The film stars [[Vijayakanth]] in the lead role. The film is about a man who wishes to avenge the killers of his parents. After its massive success and became a blockbuster, it was remade in [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam]], [[Kannada]] and [[Hindi]] languages. Recently, the film was also remade in Tamil again, by the director's granddaughter, Sneha Britto. The songs and score was composed by [[Shankar–Ganesh]].<ref>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/Top-10-Vijayakanth-movies/Top-10-Vijayakanth-movies/photostory/48666045.cms</ref>

== Cast ==
* [[Vijayakanth]] as Vijay (voice dubbed by [[S. N. Surendar]])<ref name="kamadenu">{{Cite web |url=https://www.kamadenu.in/news/cinema/3796-sattam-oru-iruttarai-appave-appadi-kadhai-4.html |title=சட்டம் ஒரு இருட்டறை - அப்பவே அப்படி கதை! |last=ராம்ஜி |first=வி. |date=2 July 2018 |website=[[Kamadenu (magazine)|Kamadenu]] |language=ta |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325075548/https://www.kamadenu.in/news/cinema/3796-sattam-oru-iruttarai-appave-appadi-kadhai-4.html |archive-date=25 March 2019 |access-date=25 March 2019}}</ref>
* Aziz Chowdry as Bhairavan<ref name="kamadenu" />
* [[Poornima (Telugu actress)|Poornima Devi]] as Rekha<ref name="kamadenu" />
* Vasumathi as Sheela<ref name="kamadenu" />
* [[Sangili Murugan]] as George
* Nithin as Ranga Chari
*[[G. Srinivasan (actor)|G. Srinivasan]] as Rekha's Father
* Amjath Kumar as Peter
* S. R. Veeraraghavan
*[[Kallapetti Singaram]] as Singaram
* [[Ennatha Kannaiya]] as Police Constable
* Ganesh as Beggar
* Baby shakila as Younger Sheela
* Master Anil Kumar as Younger Vijay
*[[T. K. S. Natarajan]]
* [[S. A. Chandrasekhar]] as HitchHiker at End

== Production ==
''Sattam Oru Iruttarai'' is the directorial debut of [[S. A. Chandrasekhar]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Tamil actor Vijay's father S.A. Chandrasekhar undergoes surgery after fall |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/tamil-actor-vijays-father-s-a-chandrasekhar-undergoes-surgery-after-fall-2994146/ |access-date=11 February 2019 |work=The Indian Express |date=24 August 2016}}</ref> The film borrows its title from a dialogue spoken in ''[[Velaikaari]]'' (1949): "''Sattam oru iruttarai, aathil vakeelin vadham oru vilakku. aanal adhu ezhaikku ettadha vilakku''", which translates to, "[The] law is a dark room where the lawyer's argument is a lamp. But it is inaccessible to the poor".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc52.2010/Tamil/4.html | title=Tamil cinema, p. 4 | work=[[Jump Cut (journal)|Jump Cut]] | access-date=10 November 2016}}</ref> Chandrasekhar revealed that the script of the film was rejected by 20 producers.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2005/03/21/stories/2005032101490100.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110133330/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2005/03/21/stories/2005032101490100.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=10 November 2016 | title='Message' man | date=21 March 2005 | access-date=16 September 2015 | work=[[The Hindu]] | author=M. Allirajan}}</ref> Producer Chidambaram chose Vijayakanth for the lead character after he was impressed by his performance in ''Neerottam''. Selection of actor arose stiff opposition from some quarters protesting against giving the hero chance to Vijayakanth in the film. Despite these objections, the producer stood firm in his decision and made Vijayakanth the lead actor in the film.<ref name="dina">{{cite web | url=http://dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinebio/28-08-99/vijayakan.htm | title=Cine Biography: Vijayakanth (Part-1) | work=[[Dinakaran]] | access-date=16 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000118102004/http://dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinebio/28-08-99/vijayakan.htm | archive-date=18 January 2000}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
The music was composed by [[Shankar–Ganesh]]. Lyrics were written by [[Gangai Amaran]], Poonguyilan and Gnani. The audio was released under the label Saregama.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saregama.com/album/sattam-oru-iruttarai_13286|title=Sattam Oru Iruttarai|work=Saregama|access-date=16 September 2015}}</ref>
*

{| class="wikitable"
|+
!No.
!Title
!Singer(s)
|-
|1
|"Pagalil Oru"
|Shobha Chandrasekhar
|-
|2
|"Sattam Oru Iruttarai"
|[[Malaysia Vasudevan]]
|-
|3
|"Thanimayile"
|[[S. N. Surendar]], [[S. Janaki]]
|-
|4
|"Rajathi Munnale"
|[[S. N. Surendar]]
|}

==Release and reception ==
''Sattam Oru Iruttarai'' was released on 14 February 1981.<ref>http://etamil24.com/readmore.php?id=v2y2x2q2a4</ref> On 1 March 1981, ''[[Ananda Vikatan]]'' positively reviewed the film, particularly the script.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=1 March 1981 |title=சட்டம் ஒரு இருட்டறை |magazine=[[Ananda Vikatan]] |language=ta}}</ref>

== Remakes ==
''Sattam Oru Iruttarai'' was remade in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] as ''[[Chattaniki Kallu Levu]]'' (1981), in [[Hindi]] in as ''[[Andhaa Kaanoon]]'' (1983), in [[Malayalam]] as ''Maattuvin Chattangale'',<ref name="remakes" /> in [[Kannada]] as ''[[Nyaya Ellide]]'' (1982),{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}, in [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] as ''[[Inspector Geetha]]'' and again in Tamil under [[Sattam Oru Iruttarai (2012 film)|the same title]] by Chandrasekhar's granddaughter Sneha Britto (2012).<ref name="remakes">{{Cite web |url=https://www.news18.com/photogallery/movies/tamil-friday-sattam-oru-iruttarai-is-all-set-to-hit-the-silver-screens-864526-5.html |title=Tamil Friday: 'Sattam Oru Iruttarai' is all set to hit the silver screens |date=December 20, 2012 |website=[[News18]] |access-date=2019-01-04}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
The film's success established Vijayakanth as a star in Tamil cinema.<ref name = dina /> The success also inspired similar themes about law system which were mostly directed by Chandrasekhar and his disciple [[S. Shankar|Shankar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/back-to-his-route/article1574884.ece|title=Back to his route|author=malathi rangarajan|work=The Hindu|access-date=16 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/a-direct-hit/article3023343.ece|title=A direct hit?|work=The Hindu|access-date=16 September 2015}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDB title|1385972}}
{{S. A. Chandrasekhar}}

[[Category:1981 films]]
[[Category:Tamil films remade in other languages]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian vigilante films]]
[[Category:1980s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1980s vigilante films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Shankar–Ganesh]]
[[Category:1981 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:Indian films about revenge]]
[[Category:Films directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar]]

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Sattam Oru Iruttarai (1981 film)