After the death of a legendary filmmaker Bharathiraja several stories from his career have come to light. One of the most memorable is the making and release of the 1985 classic ‘Mudhal Mariyathai’.Bharathiraja faced doubts from distributors and industry people before the film released in theatres. Many doubted the commercial success of the film because of its unconventional subject matter.At a time when confidence in the project was low, the filmmaker chose to rely on audience feedback rather than industry predictions.
Special performance female audience
The Week reports that instead of seeking feedback from trade circles, Bharathiraja decided to hear directly from the audience. Since women often took center stage in his stories, he believed their opinions would be particularly valuable.According to accounts recalled by writer R. Selvaraj, The Hindu reported, Bharathiraja arranged a private performance for women only. More than 40 women from different backgrounds were in the special show.The screening was organized simply with one goal in mind: to get candid reactions to the film before its release.The filmmaker wanted to understand whether the emotions and relationships depicted in the story related to the audience.
The opinion gave Bharathiraja confidence
After the performance, Bharathiraja personally distributed the papers to all present. He asked them to write their real opinions about the film and the responses seemed to exceed expectations. Most women praised the film.The reactions convinced them that the film had the power to connect with the audience. This trust became an important factor in moving forward with the release.
‘Mudhal Mariyathai’ was a smash hit
When ‘Mudhal Mariyathai’ finally hit the theaters it was a critical and commercial success. The film ran for more than 200 days and achieved silver jubilee status.the protagonist Sivaji Ganesan and Radha in the lead roles the film explored the sensitive relationship between an old man and a younger woman.
Inspired by literature
‘Mudhal Mariyathai’ was also notable for its literary inspiration. The emotional quotient of the story, reports say, was drawn by Bharathiraja from the relationship between famous Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky and his wife Anna Snitkina.
