Nina: improved article

2026-03-03T04:43:59Z

improved article

>Neutral Fan at 23:45, 23 June 2021

2021-06-23T23:45:20Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Kallazhagar
| image =Kallazhagar.jpg
| caption =Poster
| director = [[Marumalarchi Bharathi|Bharathi]]
| producer = [[Henry (producer)|Henry]]
| writer = Bharathi<br />[[Mahendran (filmmaker)|Mahendran]]
| starring = [[Vijayakanth]]<br />[[Laila Mehdin|Laila]]
| music = [[Deva (music director)|Deva]]
| cinematography = [[Thangar Bachan]]
| editing = Peter Pappiah
| studio = [[Henry (producer)|Pangaj Productions]]
| released = 6 February 1999
| runtime = 141 minutes
|country = India
| language = Tamil
| budget =
}}

'''''Kallazhagar''''' is a 1999 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]] [[action drama film]] directed by Bharathi featuring [[Vijayakanth]] and [[Laila (actress)|Laila]] in the lead roles. [[Nassar (actor)|Nassar]], [[Sonu Sood]] and [[Manivannan]] play other supporting roles, while [[Deva (music director)|Deva]] composed the score and soundtrack for the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinesouth.com/cgi-bin/filmography/newfilmdb.cgi?name=kallazhagar|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722062838/http://www.cinesouth.com/cgi-bin/filmography/newfilmdb.cgi?name=kallazhagar|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-22|title=டோடோவின் ரஃப் நோட்டு — Tamil Kavithai -- தமிழ் கவிதைகள் - நூற்று கணக்கில்!|author=|date=|website=டோடோவின் ரஃப் நோட்டு|trans-title=Dodo's Rough Note – Tamil Kavithai – Tamil Poems – Hundreds of Things!|language=ta }}</ref> This is the Tamil debut of [[Laila (actress)|Laila]]. It was later dubbed in Telugu as ''Mathrudesham''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCVZjETZGcY|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720180237/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCVZjETZGcY|archive-date=2017-07-20|title=YouTube|website=www.youtube.com|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The song ''Vaararu Vaararu Azhagar Vaararu'' is played every year at the [[Chithirai festival|Chithirai fest]] in [[Madurai]]. The song in the movie also takes place in the Chithirai festival.

==Cast==
{{colbegin}}
*[[Vijayakanth]] as KamalaKannan / Kamaal
*[[Laila Mehdin|Laila]] as Aandaal
*[[Manivannan]]
*[[Nassar (actor)|Nassar]] as Peter
*[[Major Sundarrajan]] as Iyer
*[[Thilakan]] as Kamaal's father
*[[Sonu Sood]] as Narayana
*Ashwini ([[Rudra (actress)|Rudra]])
*[[Sumithra (actress)|Sumithra]] as Kamaal's mother
*[[S. N. Lakshmi]] as Aandaal's grandmother
*Melanie
*[[Riyaz Khan]] as Jamal
*[[Vaiyapuri]] as Govindankutti
*[[Crane Manohar]]
*[[R. N. R. Manohar]]
*[[Scissor Manohar]]
*Sarath
*Napoleon
*Saravanan
*John Babu
*R. R. Sheela
*Bharathi
*[[Rocky Rajesh]]
*V. M. Mani
*Mohandass
{{colend}}

==Production==
[[Laila Mehdin|Laila]], who had appeared in other regional Indian films, opted to make her debut in Tamil films with ''Kallazhagar'' after she had famously rejected a string of other Tamil offers including ''[[V. I. P. (1997 film)|VIP]]'' (1997).<ref name="tripod.com">{{cite web|url=http://chandrag.tripod.com/feb99/|title=Vasanth to direct Vijayakanth|author= Chandra Gobichetipal|date=February 1999 |website=chandrag.tripod.com}}</ref> The actress also turned down a role in [[Ajith Kumar]]'s ''[[Unnai Thedi]]'' (1999), insistent that ''Kallazhagar'' should be her first release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chandrag.tripod.com/nov98/|title=Glamour dolls|author= Chandra Gobichetipal|date=November 1998|website=chandrag.tripod.com}}</ref> Early reports had suggested that Hindi actor [[Dilip Kumar]] would also be a part of the cast, but he eventually did not feature.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20041023123535/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/gossip/25-5-98/dileep.htm</ref>

An elephant called Appu was brought in from Thrissur in Kerala, where the elephant formed one of a stable maintained by the famed Paaramekaavu temple, which forms the venue of the yearly Thrissur Pooram festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/1998/nov/10ss.htm|title=Appu returns|author=Rajitha|date=November 10, 1998|website=www.rediff.com}}</ref> A few scenes from the film were filmed at the [[Kallazhagar temple]] in [[Madhurai]], but crowd trouble meant that the makers chose to finish the shoot in sets. For a particular song in the film, Russian dancers imported to dance alongside Laila. As the film marked music composer [[Deva (composer)|Deva]]'s 250th album, the film industry felicitated him with a ceremony at the Kamarajar Arangam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.rediff.com/movies/1999/jan/16ss.htm|title= And the Pongal windfall...|author=Rajitha|date=January 16, 1999|website=m.rediff.com}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==

The music was composed by [[Deva (composer)|Deva]].{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! No. !! Song !! Singers !! Lyrics
|-
| 1 || "Azhaga Kallazhaga" || Arundhati || [[Vairamuthu]]
|-
| 2 || "Chinna Vayasule" || [[K. J. Yesudas]] || rowspan=2|Nandalala
|-
| 3 || "Oh Manalea" || [[S. P. B. Charan]], [[Anuradha Sriram]]
|-
| 4 || "Thoonda Thoonda" || [[K. S. Chithra]], Krishnaraj || [[Thamarai]]
|-
| 5 || "Vaararu Vaararu" || [[Deva (composer)|Deva]], [[S. A. Rajkumar]] || Vairamuthu
|-
|}

==Release==
The film was initially scheduled to release on 14 January 1999 coinciding with the festival of [[Thai Pongal]] though became delayed due to problems at the censor. The film was rejected by Indian censors, because of its potential to spark religious conflicts - with particularly a scene in which some Muslim extremists masquerade themselves as religious Hindus and join in the celebration of a major festival in a temple - being highlighted as a concern. The team subsequently had to adapt the concept partially.<ref name="tripod.com"/>

The success of the film prompted the producer [[Henry (producer)|Henry]] to sign [[Vijayakanth]] for his next film. The film also created demand for Laila as a lead heroine and she shortly after signed on to appear in a role in ''[[Mudhalvan]]'' (2000).<ref name="tripod.com"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:1999 films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Madurai]]
[[Category:1990s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Mahendran (filmmaker)]]

Kallazhagar - Revision history

Nina: improved article

>Neutral Fan at 23:45, 23 June 2021