48 Years of Moondru Mudichu: Sridevi, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan's Tamil Classic

 

Moondru Mudichu, the second Tamil film of Rajinikanth with mentor to all three superstars--Rajinikanth, Sridevi and Kamal Haasan--the auteur, K Balachander. 

This iconic movie, released in 1976 marked a pivotal moment in Thalaivar's career, introducing his signature style and mannerisms that would become synonymous with Tamil cinema. Sridevi became a leading lady AT AGE 13! And, I'm sure you've seen the memes, she acted as Rajinikanth's mother--all nuance and--spoiler alert--plot point given away. The Three Knots--the literal translation of Moondru Mudichu--was a complex film spoilt by diluted online memes and simplification. So frustrating for cine buffs! 

Moondru Mudichu laid the foundation for Rajinikanth's unique brand of movie mannerisms and signature style that captivated audiences for decades. Kamal Haasan brought realism to cinema and Sridevi brought her natural grace. There are several scenes in the movie where its astounding how good she is despite her tender age. Though Sridevi has long dismissed her early day performances as just "parroting" what her exacting directors told her to do, she's brushing off her natural skill set in being an actor of merit. 

Mani Ratnam, an auteur himself, famously said all her best performances were in Tamil films, Bollywood only used her glamorous side.  

Superstars Sridevi and Rajinikanth in Moondru Mudichu (1976)

Superstars Sridevi and Rajinikanth in Moondru Mudichu (1976)

Sridevi in Moondru Mudichu (1976): Age 13: A sophisticated performance by a precocious ingenue

 Sridevi in Moondru Mudichu (1976)

All of age 13, I finally saw the film on YouTube. A sophisticated performance by a precocious ingenue. It's staggering how talented she was and as a thirteen-year-old! There are several integral plot points where young Sri shine - when she has to explain her marriage to an older man, she's so expressive, all those emotions, the quivering lip, the tear-filled eyes... 

What Alia Bhatt's doing at age 29, Sri had already done as a teen. Perhaps one of the reasons most Sridevi fans aren't going gaga over Bhatt-Kapoor as frantically as others are. We've seen it all before. 

Sridevi's first film as a leading lady in Tamil cinema: Moondru Mudichu

Sridevi's first film as a leading lady in Tamil cinema: Moondru Mudichu. The above meme/image has been dispersed on social media for so long and so often, without any context or nuance that its aggravating to read the responses to it by ignorant newfound fans and newly 'woke' feminists. 

The movie is such a complicated narrative with so many twists and turns (the film itself translates to the three knots) that the conclusion is a surprise - well, it would be if the above meme didn't give a crucial plot element away. 

Sridevi's age is a factor that comes up often enough - that she was only 13 and already a leading lady - but it was a part of a strange history of Indian cinema where many painfully young girls, teens, pre-teens were working hard in movies. Including someone like Rekha, who started their career early on. Or as Jayalalitha confessed on Rendez Vous with Simi, she was forced to go into movies even though she didn't want to due to circumstances. 

Archive on all things Moondru Mudichu here. 

Sridevi on the sets of her first film as a leading lady

Sridevi with co-star Y. Vijaya discussing scenes with director K Balachander on the sets of Moondru Mudichu (1976), which also marks the debut of Sridevi as a leading lady - a graduation from the child star that she was. Sridevi was only 13 and her costars were Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

#TBT Sridevi's first film as a leading lady: Moondru Mudichu (1976)

#TBT Sridevi's first film as a leading lady Moondru Mudichu (1976). The Three Knots) is a Tamil film directed by K. Balachander. 

The movie stars Sridevi and Rajinikanth in major roles. Kamal Hassan did an extended guest role. The movie revolves around three people, a college going girl (Sridevi) and two men who fall in love with her (Hassan and Rajinikanth). The iconic film was a huge hit and launched young Sridevi - who was a tall 13-year-old then - as leading lady. 

RIP K Balachander: Sridevi tweets condolences to the man who changed the course of her historic career

Rajnikant, Kamal Haasan and Sridevi in the Tamil blockbuster Moondru Mudichu

On Christmas eve, Sridevi posted the following as news broke that legendary director K Balachander passed away. 

The film director died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 84. The actress, who got her break as a leading lady in Tamil cinema with Balachander's Moondru Mudichu, wrote on Twitter:

SRIDEVI BONEY KAPOOR @SrideviBKapoor  ·  Dec 24

Tamil Cinema & all people involved in it including me have grown in his shadow. Condolences to his family. He shall always live in our heart

0 replies 141 retweets 151 favorites

SRIDEVI BONEY KAPOOR @SrideviBKapoor  ·  Dec 24

His films were bold & so were his decisions. One day he decided to cast a child artist as a heroine.MOONDRU MUDICHU changed my life forever.

0 replies 194 retweets 215 favorites

SRIDEVI BONEY KAPOOR @SrideviBKapoor  ·  Dec 24

Balachander sir passes away, the legend lives in hearts of millions of filmgoers. Artists whose lives he enriched by casting & mentoring us.


See earlier post when K Balachander spoke about working with young Sridevi here. 

From Live Mint, below quote:

In a 1976 film, Moondru Mudichu (three knots, traditionally tied during a marriage on a turmeric yellow mangalsutra or thread), Balachander gave a 13-year-old actor named Srideviher first adult film role. She was the woman caught between two men (Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth). The man she loves, Haasan, dies in a boating accident, engineered by the other, Rajinikanth. She is pursued and cornered by Rajinikanth, who believes his wealth and power will make her marry him. What does Sridevi do? She turns the tables on the man who lusts after her by marrying his father. As a stepmother, she is owed respect and has the power over her scheming “son". It is this facile use of specific cultural touchstones that gave Balachander’s movies their potency. Chennai audiences could relate to arranged marriages, even ones arranged by the woman in question. They could imagine a poor girl like Sridevi marrying an older man as a marriage of convenience. To watch her arrive as Rajinikanth’s stepmother was the ultimate slap in the face from both a traditional and feminist point of view. Marrying these two effects was Balachander’s forte.

Tamil superstars Sridevi, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth in Moondru Mudichu (1976)

Tamil film Moondru Mudichu (The Three Knots) released in 1976, directed by K. Balachander. With an A-list star-cast of legendary South Indian superstars Kamal Hassan, Rajinikanth and Sridevi in major roles, it's a casting coup that's rarely been repeated. Hailed as the movie that made Rajinikanth a star, albeit in a villainous role, the movie revolves around three people, a college going girl (Sridevi) and the two men who fall in love with her.

Tall, slim and sari-clad Sridevi was just 13 at the time, but played the role of the leading lady with aplomb. Rajinikanth played the role of an anti-hero, a devious womaniser while Kamal Hassan did a small role for his mentor K. Balachander. Proving time again there are no small parts, of the three, it was Hassan who walked away with the Best Actor award - which he does often!

For Sridevi, though it was her first film as a leading lady at such a tender age, she fulfilled the promises she showed as a child-star. There are few women in the world who transitioned from phase to phase with such ease and elegance. There are some born to fame, gifted actors who never cease to amaze. Sridevi is a fine example of actress who remained relevant no matter what she did.

Sadly, Sridevi was overlooked - an act also done very often - and she didn't win an award for this or many of her films that she did with Kamal Haasan and/or Rajinikanth.