ராசா இசையமைத்த வணிக வெற்றிப்படங்கள் (கடந்த பதிப்பு: #41 விடியும் வரை காத்திரு)

nanRi vaticanscientist, for the link on NMP!

As stated by me in the post above, this movie's run was possibly 1/4th level of the prior BR movies but it still made money for him, thus enabling him to continue in the business (only to be devastated with his next two projects )

Now #24 is a different kind of success movie, poNNu oorukkup pudhusu (1979).

This was perhaps not a 100 day / jubilee kind of hit. However, it made an unusual run at the BO simply due to IR's songs. It was a summer vacation for me at Virudhunagar and I was childishly following the movie's "posters"

That Oram pO song and its impact on TN

IR was the sole male voice for the film. He did a lovely duet sAmakkOzhi with SPS which I listen to quiten often, even after this many years! SPS also did the 'sOlaikkuyilE' solo. Then there was 'unakkenaththAnE innEramA' by IR-Sarala. I've posted a few times about 'oru manjakkuruvi' song that got added after a few weeks to the visuals, to attract some more crowd, as per the posters.

That way, even though the movie had nothing else to boast about, it had some stay at theaters - simply by the rAsA magic! And this kind of effect just within a few years in that market traditionally dominated by heroes!

#25 nallathOr kudumbam (1979)

Another Sivaji-Balaji film (possible kalaichchelvam) that had its regular BO collections thanks to NT. rAsA's was more of the supporting role for the movie. (sevvAnamE pon mEgamE / sindhu nadhikkarai ORam).

Per Murali sir on the hub, this wasn't allowed to reach 100 days due to further NT movies flowing in or something like that. Generally regarded as a BO positive.

Not sure about the NT-thread claim that 'pattAkkaththi bhairavan' of the same year (engengO sellum / dEvadhai) was a 100-day movie

Per my memory, it wasn't considered by even HCNTFs to be of any worth to discuss. Such sweetest songs for a disaster

While there had been a ton more of hit songs from the 1979 movies, I cannot say for sure if the following remains were hits or misses at BO...

- pagalil oru iravu (all songs extremely popular, movie's BO status unknown to me)

- kavarimAn (NT film, known as flop)

- Lakshmi (IR's first duet, with PS, thenna maraththula song, movie BO status not  known to me)

- mudhal iravu (manjaL nilAvukku indRu orE sugam...whether producer made sugam or sOgam don't know)

- agal viLakku (EdhO kanavgaL ninaivugaL - Vijayakanth movie - flop)

- anbE sangeethA (chinnappuRA onRu, geethA sangeethA - flop)

- chakkaLaththi (all songs were hits, another album with IR-voice-domination, that 'vAda vAttudhu' is a classic, movie hit or flop don't know)

- kadavuL amaiththa mEdai (mayilE mayilE un thOgai engE - must have been a flop)

- mugaththil mugam pArkkalAm (Asai nenjin kanavugaL vaLarpiRai - don't know hit or flop)

- poonthaLir (vA ponmayilE / manadhil enna ninaivugaLO / rAjA chinna rOjA / vAdA en rAjAkkaNNu - don't know if this recovered the money)

- vetRikku oruvan (NT movie, thOraNam Adidum mEdaiyil nAyagan nAyagi - don't know if this made moolA)

With those, 1979 TF with IR's music are done!

With that list, we've already catalogued some 62 Thamizh movies that were released during the first 4 years of IR music.

Which in itself is an incredible number! (There were a few other language movies, many dubbed ones and some "unreleased" ones as well).

And to have 25+ big money earners at BO for his producers was a terrific track record for this young MD! (Many of them jubilee hits, some were instrumental in the making of mega stars of TF for next few decades)!

I'll continue to catalog in the same way for rest of the years as well. To have a comprehensive record.

#26 rishi moolam (1980)

NT film with superb songs - mazhai varuvadhu mayilukkuth theriyum is such a beauty. (UshakkA's fav)
nEramidhu / aimbadhilum Asai varum were regulars on radio. I believe it was around this time that IR-TMS virisal happened and rAsA didn't get to MD for NT movies for a couple of years.

The movie was a 100+ day runner and a known BO success. (screenplay by Mahendran it seems)

app_engine wrote:#26 rishi moolam (1980)

NT film with superb songs - mazhai varuvadhu mayilukkuth theriyum is such a beauty. (UshakkA's fav)
nEramidhu / aimbadhilum Asai varum were regulars on radio. I believe it was around this time that IR-TMS virisal happened and rAsA didn't get to MD for NT movies for a couple of years.

The movie was a 100+ day runner and a known BO success. (screenplay by Mahendran it seems)

Rishi moolam....  Sivaji kaga.. MSV style il.. IR music........   paatukaga partha padam...  mazhai varuvadhu paatukaga...

paatu... andha scene.....  KRV.. konjam kindalaga irundhadhu  apodhu partha podhu.......    

aanal.. kalangal kadandhu..  enaku oru anubavam.. en ammavuku ipadi oru anubavam.... adhai anubavithal puriyum..
indha paatin... arumai......

IR.. always Great..  True Feelings ku oru Paatu..  oru Lyric......   Tats all.....

ipodhu indha tune  naan vaithu kollavillai.. tharkaligamaga.. en paiyan en kuda irupadhal(pasasthudan........... )

indha puridhal.. idharkaga..... enna paatu endru yosithu kondu irukiren...........

#27 anbukku nAn adimai (1980)

Following annai Or Alayam, another Rajini-Devar films hit.

I think another forest masAlA ('kAttiloru singakkuttiyAm' is not the reason for saying this...typical Devar films masAlA I meant, possibly no animal in this).

I love onROdu onRAnOm & kAththOdu poo orasa songs more than the singakkutty number which was a bigger hit.

It also had Sujatha / Vijayan / Rathi...

#28 Guru (1980)

Kamal-Sridevi-IV Sasi

masAlA, supposedly remake of indhi jugnu. The movie wasn't a huge hit like some later-day Kamal masAlAs but not a money-loser.

Perhaps IR's songs saved the movie from becoming negative
(I got really bored, despite Kamal-Sridevi, when watching this after a few years of release - at college audi)

pEraichchollavA, endhan kaNNil, nAn vaNangukiREn, paRandhAlum vidamAttEn, AdungaL pAdungaL, mAmanukkup paramakkudi - all songs were patti-thotti hits those days and some are popular to this day!

#29 Johny (1980)

This was another movie that is well-talked-about years later but only a moderate success when released IIRC. Means, the BO status wasn't a jubilee level, despite having double Rajini & Sridevi.

That is, apart from those terrific songs (perhaps one among the all-time-top albums of IR!)

kAtRil endhan geetham, oru iniya manadhu, en vAnilE, senO ritA, Asaiya kAththula thoodhu vittu - thse songs are popular to this day. (Unfortunately, they often get massacred in super singer kind of programs )

Mahendran direction, Unni Mary too acted in a "cheating" role. Portions of this movie are classic level!

1980 must have been one of the saddest years by way of commercial BO performance for rAsA albums.

Not that he didn't have hit movies, quite a few were there - but the kind of movies that tasted success were mostly "commercial" masAlAs and not like the prior few years.

While Johny could not be called 100% commercial, it had Rajini in dual roles & Sridevi, two who've become the top saleable stars already.

Also, it didn't enjoy the success it should have - especially from IR's PoV - with those awesome songs.

In addition, one of the MOST AWESOME scores of IR, nizhalgaL proved to be a terrible flop.

So was IR's 100th movie, moodupani - once again awesome songs, terrible flop.

Prior to nizhalgaL, BR messed up another terrific set of songs in kallukkuL eeram & the movie was a terrible flop. (Nivas direction with BR mERpArvai).

Add ullAsappaRavaigaL, another finest album of rAsA - that too with Kamal - utter flop.

Sure it was a bad period for great albums, by way of BO.

However, towards the end of the year, there came two movies that brought back the BO smile to rAsA songs.

#30 nenjaththaikkiLLAdhE (1980)

Directed by Mahendran, Suhasini's debut film, Pratap / Mohan in a triangle story.

With those all-time-great songs 'uRavenum pudhiya vAnil', 'paruvamE pudhiya pAdal pAdu', 'E thenRalE ini nALum pAda vA', the movie was a big hit. (silver jubilee or more # of days all around the state). In addition, it was a biggie with the youththu
(Though I loved the songs, since it came during my movie-sabbatical, I watched it only recently on youtube )

Other notable albums whose films collected no money but dust / ee / kosu at BO:

- grAmaththu aththiyAyam (Aththu mEttula, vAdAdha rOsAppoo, oodhakkAththu veesayilE, poovE)
- karumbu vil (meenkodithtEril, malargaLilE ArAdhanai)
- iLamaikkOlam (sridevi en vAzhvil, vachchappArvai, nee illAdha pOdhu)
- thaippongal (kaN malargaLin azhaippidhazh, pani vizhum poo nilavil, theerthakkaraiyinilE, thAnE sadhirAdum)

I wonder how much rAsA would have felt on such vizhalukku iRaiththa neer business!

The other huge hit (I guess it came out in Dec of 1980) was the "re-start" of production by AVM...

Easy to guess, will post about it tomorrow...

app_engine wrote:The other huge hit (I guess it came out in Dec of 1980) was the "re-start" of production by AVM...

Easy to guess, will post about it tomorrow...

Murattu Kaalai I suppose?

Drunkenmunk wrote:

app_engine wrote:The other huge hit (I guess it came out in Dec of 1980) was the "re-start" of production by AVM...

Easy to guess, will post about it tomorrow...

Murattu Kaalai I suppose?

Yes yes...but there are a couple other Rajini movies that need to be talked about prior
(nAn pOtta savAlu, kALi bilingual)

app_engine wrote:
So was IR's 100th movie, moodupani - once again awesome songs, terrible flop.

Are you sure, MP was a flop? Because Wikipedia says it ran for 250 days and was a commercial success. They have cited G. Dhananjayan's (UTV, Moserbaer) book as the source. Not that this guy is most reliable.

vaticanscientist wrote: Wikipedia says it ran for 250 days and was a commercial success

Yet another reason to keep wiki only as a ref and not a source of facts

To my knowledge, MP was clearly reported / considered a flop those days ; I've not seen 25th day kind of posters in the nearby town (which is equivalent to running for 50+ days in Madurai / Madras those days).

Two Rajinikanth movies that I mentioned in a post above had nice songs but don't think counted worthy at BO.

nAn pOtta savAl was supposedly the first movie to proclaim him as "super star" (either in posters or titles) but I don't remember seeing many success posters / ads those days (which were somewhat reliable indicators then).

sugam sugamE Ey thodaththodaththAnE / nenjE un Asai enna songs were always on radio / buses / teakkadais, however.

Likewise, the hugely advertised / publicised kALi (bilingual Telugu / Thamizh I think) didn't generate revenue proportionate to the huge costs, as reported. That there was a huge accident (fire? well, reportedly reason for a lot of loss) didn't help either.

'adi Adu poongodiyE' song is a sweetie. 'vAzhumattum nanmaikkAga' & 'azhagazha pooththirukku' also had some radio time.

#31 murattukkALai (1980)

Per advertisements / news propaganda etc those days, AVM had stopped movie making for a while and started back production with this movie. The most interesting thing of this movie was conversion of the prior-years' "james bondu 007" Jaishankar into villain. Rajnikanth had a differnt hair-do and they advertised heavily about a "train stunt"

In any case, 'podhuvAka en manasu thangam' was a terrific patti-thotti hit and so were the other terrific numbers of this album (pudhu vaNNangaL konjidum sOlai, endhappoovilum vAsam uNdu & my fav 'mAmEn machchAn').

The movie too was a commercial biggie (and AVM advertising it more than any of their contemporaries, as always)...wiping out any blues that nizhalgaL and such BO failures thru out the year caused

I don't think there were other hit movies from 1980.

Let me list the rest of the movies (based on our reference excel sheet) and what I know of, before moving on to the next year.

Ayiram vAsal idhayam (kichchu kichchu thAmbALam was often on radio, don't know what happened to this movie at BO)

ellAm un kai rAsi (Neither the songs nor the movie made any impact IIRC)

idhayaththil Or idam (kAlangaL mazhaikkAlangal is a sweetie, movie must have been a flop)

kaNNil theriyum kadhaigaL (one with 5 MDs, directed by Devaraj-Mohan and produced by singer AL Raghavan, certified flop - IR's nAnoru ponnOviyam kaNdEn edhirE is a brilliant song)

nadhiyaiththEdi vandha kadal - all terrific songs, only JJ movie with IR, definite flop (thavikkudhu thayangudhu is my top fav)

orE muththam - rAjAppoNNu adi vAdiyammA is such a sweetie sung by PJ, flop

poottAdha poottukkaL - Mahendran movie, one wonders if it ran for even 2 days in most theaters (terrific songs without a doubt, Anandham Anandham nee thandhadhu, vaNNa vaNNa vaNNappoonjOlaiyil were frequently on radio)

rusi kaNda poonai - must have been a flop. A couple of nice songs - andha mugam & kaNNA nee engE (SJ singing in child voice)

soolam - nAn dEvadhai was a radio-regular song, don't know how it fared at BO

#32 alaigaL Oyvadhillai (1981)

BR's "come back" film, produced by IR. (Well, not exactly IR but his elder brother R D Bhaskar, with the "Pavalar Creations" - labelled after their eldest brother; but it was possibly rAsA name that got the money from investors).

Fantastic album with a first TFM disk release by Polydor! (I guess Thiyagarajan got to act because of that, as he was some manager in Polydor).  Do I need to even list the songs?

Movie was a runaway hit, also giving a great career start to the debutants Karthik & Radha.

When I watched the movie for the first time after a few years, I didn't like it

There are some nice scenes but disappointing overall. Songs were the lifeline!

#33 panneer pushpangaL (1981)
Debut for Suresh & Shanthi Krishna, who both had a few years of film career (the actress doing some in Malayalam as well). GA penned all those superb songs and also had a hand in this film's production I think. ("கங்கை அமரன் வழங்கும்").

(Santhana)Bharathi-(P)Vasu duo directed the sophi movie with Pratap acting. The "directors" then had a long career in the film world. This movie was their debut as well.

poonthaLirAda, Anandha rAgam, kOdai kAlakkAtRE - three iconic songs from a single album!

I watched the movie a couple of years after the release, in college audi, and liked it very much! (I don't think I watched the whole movie again)...

While not a patti-thotti hit, this had a decent run in cities and towns.

Alaigal Oivadhillai and Panneer Pushpangal were released in the same month (July). 
They both had contrasting endings. AO had lovers united, PP had lovers separated.

If I am not mistaken IR did Paneer pushpangal for free. I seem to recall Santhana Bharathi mentioning this somewhere. And yes, 3 unforgettable songs. I still can't pick the best. Sometimes it is Kodai kaala kaatre. Then when I hear the 2nd interlude of Poonthalir aada again, I change my mind. The "exercise in Simhendra madhyamm" also has a lot going for it. Intense, sweeping strings and Beethoven-inspired ideas of multiple imitations of a line, crescendos and decrescendos evoking the rise and fall of waves. I have seen parts of the movie and the film making looked quite mediocre (perhaps early days for Santhana Bharathi). No way that kind of film-making could have inspired IR to the extent that he decided to work for free and composed 3 all-time great songs, and yet some people argue otherwise...

^^ He offered to do it for free. Remember an anecdote involving SB, PV and GA where they were saying how SB and PV influenced Sridhar to go to IR as assts during Ilamai Onnjaladugiradhu time and IR was surprised then that Sridhar was leaving MSV (which he himself recounts in his autobio) but nevertheless did work in IO. So during PP time when the director duo came to IR, he seems to have asked them if they were aware of his going rate then (1981) (a couple of lacs for sure IMO since by 1989 during Adharvam times, he was going @ 5 lacs a movie). But he quickly added he'd do this movie for free. Later, around the time of the film's release, on GA's insistence that "kaasu tharalainaa nalla irukkaadhu da", the duo presented IR with rupees 5,000 which was gladly accepted

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