India’s First-Ever Rom-Com: 60 Years On, This Tamil Film Still Remains Young

Back in the 1960s India, Valentine's Day wasn't a thing.

Had it been, then surely Kadhalikka Neramillai, arguably India's first-ever rom-com in Eastman colour, would have released closer to February 14 than on the date it actually released, February 27, 1964. But heck, the film hasn't aged in the 60 years since then and remains young and romantic, and can be a good watch on any Valentine's Day.

The film is among the most loved movies ever made in Tamil, thanks to its youthful fervour, brilliant comedy and cool songs. It is among the biggest hits of the inventive director CV Sridhar. Also, it was one that almost derailed his career.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

The film, which is well celebrated in the media and popular among the masses, set the trend for youthful romantic movies. Perhaps the first of its genre, especially in Tamil, Kadhalikka Neramillai, with its accent on humour, created the benchmark for fun-filled capers. In that its impact is monumental and most important. In Tamil. And also in other languages.

Its comedy was the inspiration for a multitude of movies

Sridhar, who had till then made a name for himself as a purveyor of serious and emotional love stories, re-invented himself as a champion of light-hearted stuff. 

Ooty Varai Uravu (1967), Galatta Kalyanam (1968), and Uttharavindri Ulle Vaa (1971) are ones that further paved the way for humour to get well established on Tamil screens. And in their lasting impact, these movies also inspired and spawned many humorists including 'Crazy' Mohan who blazed the stage and screen for close to three decades and came up with what are perhaps the most cherished and enjoyed set of comedy movies with Kamal Haasan.

Of course, Sridhar would not have not got down to make Kadhalikka Neramillai had he not had his friend Chitralaya Gopu (Sadagopan) as the writer. Gopu wielded a felicitous pen that dripped with humour. Even in a serious and sombre movie like Kalayana Parisu (1959), he came up with a comedy track that is still talked about. His make-believe 'Mannar & Company' is among the earliest film imaginations that seeped into mainstream public consciousness. ‘Mannar & Co’ to this day is a reference to any dubious enterprise. Such is its popularity and impact. With Kadhalikka Neramillai, Gopu and Sridhar gave us 'Oho Productions', a byword for a vaunting company built merely on dreamy talk and hopes. 

But it was not just Sridhar's fresh direction or Gopu's mirth-filled writing that was behind Kadhalikka Neramillai’s appeal. It was filled with a mostly young cast that understood the needs of the story. 

As is well known, one of the heroes and heroines, Ravichandran and Kanchana debuted in that film (they were not a pair in the film). The other hero and heroine Muthuraman and Rajasree were also just a few films old then. So there was natural freshness in their approach.

Nagesh and Balaiah, and that iconic scene 

Their trendy dressing (Rajasree's nightie-like long down was a big talking point) also added to its youth appeal. The film's title itself was daring for those times. So much so it was apparently a point of discussion in one of the Assembly sessions in Tamil Nadu. A few weeks into the film's release, a couple of members of TN Assembly wanted the title to be chopped as it was too bold and brazen. Incidentally, this discussion gave even more publicity to the film and made it a bigger hit than it would otherwise have. (some things in India never change!)  

But the film's heart and humour belonged to TS Balaiah as the money-minded but harmless estate owner and the father of two young women; Nagesh as his eccentric son and a wannabe filmmaker (his character was said to be a takeoff on that maverick director Dada Mirasi), and Sachu for whom this was the first outing as a grown-up actress. Balaiah, whose previous works were mostly as villain or in character roles, was cast in a comedic role for the first time. 

That was great imagination on Sridhar's part. But what enhanced it even more on screen is the byplay between Nagesh and Balaiah. The strict father and carefree son exchange, which is a staple on Tamil screen even today, was templated in Kadhalikka Neramillai first. The most celebrated scene in which Nagesh narrates a horror story to his father truly belongs to the humour hall of fame.  Body language, dialogue delivery, reaction, and conception all get A+ for the scene. 

It helped KJ Yesudas’ career in Tamil

The film, when it was remade in Hindi  --- Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966)  --- enjoyed good success and this scene, reprised by Om Praksh and Mahmood is a popular one there too. Kadhalikka Neramillai was such a cult hit that it was remade not only in Hindi but also in Telugu, Kannada and Marathi. 

Of course, the story of the film is known too well to bear any repetition here.  Aside from fresh acting, the film's other strength was its music by the  duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy. It is among their all-time-great works with all the eight songs in the album being rollicking hits. The film’s appeal and magic is enhanced by those vintage songs full of hummable tunes and jazzy and bluesy music. They sure don’t make music like that any more.

Now, Sridhar always had the ability to bring the best out of his music directors. Irrespective of the fact whether his movies ended up good or bad, they unfailingly had extraordinary songs. And Kadhalikka Neramillai, imbued with romantic energy and modern feel, was no exception. Incidentally, it was also the Tamil film that gave a big break to the legendary singer KJ Yesudas in Tamil.

Though his first song recorded in Tamil was for Bommai made the previous year (1963), it didn't hit the theatres till September 1964. Yesudas sang two songs in Kadhalikka Neramillai --- Enna Paarvai and Nenjathai Alli --- and they became so popular that in a couple of years he was in such a big demand in Tamil that he kind of replaced PB Srinivas, who was the main singer in the film.

The song Enna Paarvai, memorably shot on the Marina beach in Chennai, evokes nostalgia like no other. The photography by Vincent, a Sridhar favourite, was another talking point. The scenes of the fictional Chinnamalai estate were shot at Aaliyar Dam, Coimbatore and some scenes were also canned at Ooty. Sridhar was particular that the fresh feel wafted all across the screen.

Kadhalikka Neramillai and the shadow of MGR 

And his insistence on cool colours may also have had a hand in almost sabotaging his entire film career. Not many people know that along with Kadhalikka Neramillai, Sridhar had also announced another film Andru Sinthiya Ratham, starring MG Ramachandran in the lead. Sridhar had taken out ads in newspapers for both the films. For Kadhalikka Neramillai, the ad copy read: "In Full Eastman Colour". For Andru Sinthiya Ratham, there was no such mention. 

A few days into shooting of Andru Sinthiya Ratham, the issue flared up. The talk that an MGR movie was being made in black and white while a movie of newcomers was given a full colour treatment became rampant. And it upset MGR much, and four or five days into shooting, he stopped his work. The film was halted. 

But since he was anyway making Kadhalikka Neramillai, Sridhar chose to focus his energies on it. The film came out and became a swashbuckling success. 

A few years later, he chose to revive Andru Sinthiya Ratham, this time with MGR arch rival Sivaji Ganesan in the lead. The film was named Sivandha Mann (1969). The movie, though deemed a success, created financial strife for Sridhar who was also the producer. He started another untitled movie with Sivaji that ran into difficulty. Sridhar fell under severe financial strife. And in those times, the only way to emerge from such monetary contretemps was to get MGR do a film.

But the director had to make a movie with the MGR formula and not the other way around. Sridhar till then had been known to make movies on his own terms. But to get out of the mire he had fallen into, Sridhar, thanks to the advice of Hindi film star Rajendra Kumar, went back to MGR. The latter, to be fair, did not rake up the past, the director himself wrote in his autobiography Thirumbi Paarkiren released in the early 2000s. 

Sridhar worked with MGR in Urimai Kural (1974) and Meenava Nanban (1977).

Without blaming MGR, it should be said that the two films kind of sapped Sridhar and he was a lesser director after that. He did many films, including successful ones like Ilamai Oonjalaadugirathu (1978) and Azhage Unnai Aarathikkiren (1979). But Sridhar seemed to have lost his famed touch. That freshness was somehow missing.

But heck, he gave freshness and youthful energy for one lifetime in Kadhalikka Neramillai itself. And that will carry his fame forever. 

As one song in that film goes Anubhavam Pudhumai, its experience is novel and new, forever.