| Sindhu Bhairavi | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | K. Balachander |
| Written by | K. Balachander |
| Produced by | Rajam Balachander Pushpa Kandaswamy |
| Starring | Sivakumar Suhasini Sulakshana |
| Cinematography | R. Raghunatha Reddy |
| Edited by | Ganesh–Kumar |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 159 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Sindhu Bhairavi is a 1985 IndianTamil-languagemusicaldrama film written and directed byK. Balachander. The film starsSivakumar,Suhasini, andSulakshana. It revolves around the three lead characters: aCarnatic singer, J. K. Balaganapathi (JKB), his wife, Bhairavi, and his girlfriend Sindhu. At the peak of his career, JKB gets addicted to alcohol following complications with his affair, and his career goes into a downward spiral.
Sindhu Bhairavi was released worldwide on 11 November 1985, and opened to positive reviews from critics, and it was a blockbuster. The film won threeNational Awards forBest Actress (Suhasini),Best Music Direction (Ilaiyaraaja) andBest Female Playback Singer (K. S. Chithra), in addition to theFilmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil. The film has a sequel in the format of a television series namedSahana (2003), produced by Balachander, with Sulakshana reprising her role.
J. K. Balaganapathi (JKB) is a giftedCarnatic singer, but his wife Bhairavi, despite her love and loyalty, fails to satisfy or challenge him intellectually. For JKB, this and her inability to have children, is a problem. JKB's band includes themridangam player Gurumoorthy, and thetanpura player Gajapathi, who is a compulsive liar.
JKB goes to a concert where he finds Gurumoorthy drunk. He instructs Gurumoorthy to leave the premises and performs in the concert without the use of the mridangam, which is considered a compulsory instrument to perform a Carnatic concert. When Gurumoorthy is asked to permanently leave the band, he promises not to drink again.
While Bhairavi's grandfather is going to receive his pension, which he does on the first of every month, Gajapathi lies to him that his pension has been cancelled. The old man starts crying, and JKB intervenes to confirm that his pension is not cancelled and that he can go and collect it. JKB then scolds Gajapathi for it and tells him the old man could have died on hearing such a lie as he is very particular about his pension. Following this, when JKB finds that Gajapathi has lied to him too and others causing problems, he asks him to promise to speak the truth.
Sindhu, a music teacher, attends one of the concerts of JKB, where he is performing aTyagarajakeerthana which is inTelugu. She finds some in the audience speaking to each other instead of listening to the music. She asks JKB to translate the song he is singing intoTamil, which everybody in the audience can understand. He then gets angry and challenges her to demonstrate. She successfully demonstrates it and is applauded by the audience, causing JKB to leave without completing the concert.
A few days later, Sindhu apologises to JKB, and he finds out that she is an intellectual equal and admires her knowledge of music. However, this intellectual attraction is misunderstood based on the cultural limitations. Gajapathi, who has promised not to lie, informs Bhairavi that her husband is going out with Sindhu. Meanwhile, Sindhu really has fallen for JKB, and both of them get intimate with each other.
One day, JKB is caught coming out of Sindhu's apartment by Bhairavi. Sindhu is seen as a home wrecker and is forced to end her association with JKB. He pines for her and leans on alcohol for support, which leads to his downward spiral, ending in an embarrassing barter of his musical knowledge for a drink. He even steals money from Bhairavi's grandfather, which leads to his death. Sindhu re-enters his life and brings him around; however, she has a secret of her own: her pregnancy. After Sindhu rehabilitates JKB, his friends pressurise her to leave town and never come back, which she does the next day. Bhairavi and JKB are distraught as Bhairavi had agreed to let JKB marry Sindhu.
Months later, during one of JKB's concerts, Sindhu is seen coming back and sitting down to listen to his music. However, she refuses to marry JKB, saying that she would not deny Bhairavi her rights. Instead she leaves them with a "present"; Sindhu gives up her child to be brought up by Bhairavi in a classic act of defiance to society's rules and leaves town to pursue and share her knowledge of music with the less fortunate.
Sivakumar recalled the instance when he had to grapple with high tides when he sat on the rocks at theVisakhapatnam beach during the shoot. He recalled, "Nothing would deterKB [Balachander] from extracting the best out of the actors. He would ask us to get ready for a retake even if he finds a slightest slip in our performance".[7] When offered to act in the film by Balachander,Suhasini agreed after knowing that he would enact and explain every scene.[8] Suhasini andSulakshana's characters were named after the two parts of the name of theCarnatic raga,Sindhu Bhairavi.[9]Delhi Ganesh was asked by Balachander to portray a mridangam player, and though he did not know how to play the instrument, he had a sense of rhythm and soon became "engrossed in the role".[10]Pratap Pothen shot for 15 days, but his scenes did not make the final cut.[11] While shooting for the film in Vishakapatnam, Balachander sawAmerica Alludu (1985) and sought permission fromK. Vasu to reuse a scene thatAnanthu had suggested.[12]
The film's theme is based on extramarital affairs interwoven with Carnatic music.[13]Ajayan Bala stated: "most compatible minds inSindhu Bhairavi, the singer and his fan, were not allowed to live together, even after the wife reconciled herself to that".[14] Kandhasamy, Balachander's son-in-law, stated, "Sindhu Bhairavi established the sanctity of the institution of marriage and the dignity of the concubine".[15]Sowmya Rajendran compared the film to another Sivakumar starrerRosappu Ravikkaikari (1979) due to adultery being the mutual theme, the difference being that Sivakumar's character inSindhu Bhairavi is the adulterous one, unlikeRosappu Ravikkaikari where it isDeepa's character who plays Sivakumar's wife.[16]
Sindhu Bhairavi was parodied in theStar Vijay comedy seriesLollu Sabha, in an episode named "Sindhu By Ravi".[17] In one of the episodes of "Thirukkural with the Times,"பாரதி பாஸ்கர் stated that she is reminded of the Tamil film Sindhu Bhairavi, one of K. Balachander's finest. In the film, JKB, a married man and a celebrated singer, has an affair with Sindhu, his admirer. After much turmoil and soul-searching, his family agrees to a second marriage. But Sindhu walks away. Her reason—she does not want to become the precedent for moral compromise. If a great artist like JKB bends the code of public probity, she fears others will use him as a license to do the same. She chooses obscurity over validation. The film's climax, likeValluvar's couplet 137: "From propriety of conduct men attain greatness; from impropriety springs disgrace that none can bear," is a meditation on the burden of those in the public eye. Fame, power, and influence are not shields—they are mirrors that magnify every flaw.[18]
Sindhu Bhairavi's soundtrack featured nine songs composed byIlaiyaraaja and written byVairamuthu &Vaali.[19][20] It is also Balachander's maiden collaboration with Ilaiyaraaja, forgoing his usual associations withM. S. Viswanathan.[21][22] The soundtrack consisted offolk andclassical music, with most of the songs are set inCarnatic ragas. The soundtrack also featured adaptations of works fromMuthuswami Dikshitar,[23]Subramania Bharati[2][24] andTyagaraja.[25]
Sindhu Bhairavi was released on 11 November 1985, duringDiwali.[6] In a review dated, 24 November 1985, Tamil magazineAnanda Vikatan rated the film 55 out of 100.[26]Jayamanmadhan ofKalki wrote in the backdrop of sea waves, memorable locations many of the stories have been woven so densely and added it is the special touch of the director that the film is arranged seamlessly by adding threads to each other while calling Ilaiyaraaja and Yesudas as plus points.[27]Anna praised acting, music, cinematography and direction and noted the first half of the film flows like a calm, clear stream. But in the last few reels of the film, the confusion rears your head as if makers felt people will accept this ending or not yet called it another diamond crown in Balachander's career.[28] The film was a major commercial success, running for over 175 days in theatres. The 175th day celebration was held at a theatre inMadurai.[29]
At the33rd National Film Awards,Sindhu Bhairavi won in three categories:Best Actress (Suhasini),Best Music Direction (Ilaiyaraaja) andBest Female Playback Singer (K. S. Chithra).[30] The film also won theFilmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil.[22]
A sequel in the form of a TV series namedSahana, also created by Balachander, premiered onJaya TV on 24 February 2003.[31][32] While JKB and Sindhu were portrayed byY. G. Mahendran and Anuradha Krishnamoorthy, Sulakshana was the only actor to return in the same role.[33]
