Aval Appadithaan - Part 1 - Feminism Done Right in 1978

Can you imagine a movie in which Kamal and Rajni acted together, but neither of them had the title role?

The year is 1978. Kamal is 5 years into his movie career as an adult and is already a bonafide star, with Sigappu Rojakkal just around the corner. Rajini has also started making a splash with his acting chops, with Aboorva Ragangal, Aval Oru Thodarkathai and 16 Vayathinile in the past 3 years.Both of them star in a movie in which neither is the protagonist – that role is played by Sripriya, a veteran of 35 movies at that time.

Today we’ll be looking at a truly one-of-a-kind movie in Thamizh cinema – so audacious, so ahead of its times, and arguably ahead of times for even today’s cinema.

We’re revisiting Aval Appadithan directed by Rudriah, a movie on women's liberation that throws into stark contrast the attitudes of men and society in general towards women.

Plot Summary & Performance

The storyline takes us through the journey of 3 intertwining characters and the way they processes complex questions about “agency” for women in society.

Sripriya plays Manju, a fiercely independent and assertive young woman - impulsive and plain speaking, yet a bit insecure in her own ways, reasons for which get revealed much later in the movie.

Kamal plays Arun, a documentary filmmaker and in today's language, the most woke, sensitive and politically aware male lead ever, with just a bit of a savior complex. He believes women have been constantly wronged by the patriarchal society and wants to bring about awareness and change through his film called "Muzhu vaanil oru paadhi".

“Muzhu vaanil oru paadhi” translates to "Women hold up half the sky", which is a famous proclamation by Mao Zedong, the Chinese Communist leader and is likely based on a Chinese proverb. It is also the name of a book written by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryll Wudunn, and deals with issues of sex trafficking, genital mutilation and maternal death, published in 2009.

Rajini plays Thyagu, Arun's friend and Manju's boss, an unapologetic male chauvinist, one who firmly believes and lives by the credo that women can never be equal to men. He sees them only as sex objects to be indulged in as a vice on par with alcohol – he often uses the cliched “Madhu/Maadhu” phrase when referring to them

While Rajni is his own irresistible self even while making the viewers loathe him,

and Kamal delivers an understated but stylish portrayal of Arun, it is Sripriya who forms the spine of the movie.

She has the toughest situations to navigate and some of the heaviest lines to deliver, but she aces each one of them and carries the movie on her own – almost relegating Kamal and Rajini to being supporting characters.

Aval Appadithan released on Oct 30th 1978, alongside Sigappu Rojakkal with Kamal in the lead, and Thappu ThaaLangaL with Rajini in the lead. A truly unique Deepavali line-up!

Feminism Done Right

Male filmmakers of all styles have tried to portray the woman's perspective in Thamizh cinema, but almost always these movies have ended on an apologetic or resigned note for the women characters.

Seldom has a male director’s perspective of female empowerment and women’s sexual liberation been so perceptive as Rudriah’s here, and it has stayed relevant even after 4 decades.

Manju’s personality is shown to have been shaped by her experiences of growing up in a broken home – her mom lies to her dad about her extra-marital affairs and he is unable to deal with it even after knowing the truth. Teenaged Manju also faces unwanted advances from one of the many men that keep visiting her mother. This leaves her with indelible mental scars for life and unfavorably skews her thinking about love, men and marriage in general.

Even after Arun expresses genuine interest in Manju, she gives him differing versions of the past until much later, when she reveals her travails with different men at various stages of her life. If she felt cheated out of her innocence due to the break-up of her college romance, she is shocked into depression when her physically intimate partner, the son of a Pastor in whom she seeks solace after her death of her father, calls her “sister” publicly, thus ending another relationship.

The stream of betrayals leaves Manju bitter about not just men and romance, but also vindictive about hypocrisy. For example - when they interview a lady running a home for "broken women", while Arun is taken aback by the lady’s hypocritical attitudes towards these same women, Manju's blunt and yet biting responses also leave Arun unnerved.

Manju gradually sheds her bitterness for men and gravitates towards Arun. But Arun starts to realize that "striving to empower women" is a lot different from being in a relationship with an assertive and empowered woman. His discomfort is palpable when faced with her "no-compromise" attitude to sexual harassment at her workplace, when she ruthlessly puts these men in their place.

Arun and Thyagu, being complete opposites in how they view women, fiercely debate often, giving us some of the most memorable bits of this movies. Thyagu constantly drums into Arun that all that Manju craves for are casual flings with men and “women of her kind” will never be happy in a steady relationship.

Arun convincing himself that Manju truly does not seek a steady relationship, is a fascinating piece of character development. It shows how despite his inherent good intentions, Arun is misled by toxic masculinity from somebody he cares about. In fact, we also realize Thyagu only mirrors his own flawed personality onto Manju. He covets her openly, and while professing a lack of interest in marriage, supports polygamy wholeheartedly.

The climax scene of the movie sums up the director’s thoughts on the place for women in broader society where Arun's newly-wed wife (played by a yet-to-become-a-star Saritha) says that she has no idea about women's liberation, in response to a question from Manju.

Manju though, continues to remain the bad-ass woman she was, unlike the other bold leading women characters of the era who would have “made sacrifices" by the end.

Truly, Ival Ippadithaan!

The title appears in vertical fashion at the beginning with scrambled uneven lettering (the film is nothing if not steeply aspirational), that makes it a bit difficult to read, while the movie ends with the same title in horizontal and even lettering (indicating the resignation of the principal character remaining unchanged – literally Aval Appadithan).

Why You Should Watch This Movie

For viewers of any vintage, there could be little doubt that Aval Appadithaan is indeed cinema of the finest kind. Where this movie stands out, is that it was headlined by 3 of the biggest Thamizh actors ever and set new standards in feminist discourse, and remains unmatched even today.

The movie is available in HD on Youtube. Do watch and let us know what you thought in the comments section below.

The YouTube version of this review can be seen here .

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Do not miss Part 2 of this video that explores other exciting facets of this movie in another episode.

END OF PART 1.

References https://tinyurl.com/1s1nkbqi https://tinyurl.com/26s2thfj https://tinyurl.com/1970th7x

The YouTube review can be seen here.