Paayum Puli (1983 film)
Paayum Puli (transl. Pouncing Tiger) is a 1983 Tamil-language martial arts film directed by S. P. Muthuraman and starring Rajinikanth and Radha. It was a commercial success and completed a 133-day run at the box office.[2] The movie is inspired from The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Some scenes are also inspired by the James Bond thriller For Your Eyes Only.
| Paayum Puli | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | S. P. Muthuraman |
| Produced by | M. Kumaran M. Saravanan M. Balasubramanian M. S. Guhan |
| Written by | Panchu Arunachalam |
| Starring | Rajinikanth Radha |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
| Cinematography | Babu |
| Edited by | R. Vittal |
Production company | |
Release date | 14 January 1983 |
Running time | 130 Minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Box office | ₹20 million (equivalent to ₹270 million or US$3.8 million in 2019)[1] |
The film narrates the tale of a meek young man who learns martial arts to seek vengeance from a gang of nefarious criminals who murdered his sister.
Plot
When a smuggler kills his sister, Bharani, a meek man vows to deliver justice for her death and joins a martial arts school. He trains hard there to become a master fighter, honing his fighting skills. Taking on a new identity, Paayum Puli (Pouncing Tiger), he sets off for revenge, but the affection of a beautiful woman Revathy soon puts a hitch in his plans.
Cast
- Rajinikanth as Bharani
- Radha as Revathy
- Jaishankar as Ranjith
- K. Balaji as Master of martial arts (Guest Appearance)
- R. N. Sudarshan as Balram
- V. K. Ramasamy as Uncle of Ceylon sundari
- Manorama as Ceylon sundari
- Thyagarajan as Thiyagu
- Y. G. Parthasarathy as Gopalakrishnan
- Sathyaraj as a Gangster in Radha's Tea Stall
- Silk Smitha as Roopa
- Janagaraj as Chinnasamy
- Y. G. Mahendra as Mahi
- LIC Narasimhan as Hotel manager
- Azhagu as a Fighter – Uncredit
- Anumanthu
- Justin
- Indira
Production
Cashing on the huge popularity of Bruce Lee and his martial arts films, S. P. Muthuraman and Panchu Arunachalam designed the story of a meek person who takes training in a martial arts school to avenge the death of his sister. Judo. K. K. Rathnam was the action choreographer,[3] and the film was inspired by The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).[4]
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja and lyrics were written by Vaali.[5] The disco song "Aadi Maasam" was well received and it was later remixed by Srikanth Deva in Thottupaar (2010).[6]
All tracks are written by Vaali.
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Appakada Annakili" | Malaysia Vasudevan, P. Susheela | 3:20 |
| 2. | "Aadi Maasa Kaathadikka" | S. P. Balasubramanyam, S. Janaki | 5:34 |
| 3. | "Pothukkittu Oothuthadi" | Malaysia Vasudevan, P. Susheela | 4:25 |
| 4. | "Vaa Vaa Maama" | S. Janaki | 4:32 |
| Total length: | 17:51 | ||
References
- Sunita Raghu (4 May 2014). "The top 10 grossers so far". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/photo-features/heres-why-rajinikanth-and-kamal-haasan-owe-their-success-to-late-panchu-arunachalam/Paayum-Puli/photostory/53653438.cms
- Ramachandran 2014, p. 147.
- Ghosh, Devarsi (29 May 2018). "Bruce Lee died in 1973, but Indian filmmakers refuse to let his memory fade". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- "Paayum Puli (1983)". Music India Online. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2009/dec/09/script-matters-director-tarun-gopi-111187.html
Bibliography
- Ramachandran, Naman (2014). Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-81-8475-796-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
External links
- Paayum Puli on IMDb