Poovizhi Vasalile (transl. Eye at the door) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language thriller film directed by Fazil. The film stars Sathyaraj, Sujitha and Karthika, with Raghuvaran, Babu Antony, Nizhalgal Ravi, T. S. Raghavendra and Rajyalakshmi playing supporting roles. It is a remake of the 1986 Malayalam film Poovinu Puthiya Poonthennal.[2][3] The film was released on 14 January 1987 and attained cult status.[4]
| Poovizhi Vasalile | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Fazil |
| Written by | Fazil Gokula Krishnan (dialogues) |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Anandakuttan Jayanan Vincent |
| Edited by | T. R. Sekhar |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
Production company | Lakshmi Priya Combines |
| Distributed by | Manoj Films[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 155 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot
editA deaf-mute boy Benny and his mother Stella witness a man getting killed by Anand and Ranjith. So the killers also killed the mother, but Benny manages to escape from them.
Jeeva is an alcoholic who is not able to recover from the tragic death of his family. Jeeva finds Benny when he is sleeping in the trash and adopts him as Raja, naming him after his son. Soon, he meets Yamuna and becomes close friends without knowing that she is Raja's aunt. Raja recognises his mother's murderer in a bar along with their boss.
First, the police arrest Jeeva for kidnapping Raja and for hiding his mother Stella, but the police discover Stella's body with Raja's help and Yamuna understands the boy is none other than her sister's son Benny. Thereafter, Anand and Ranjith kidnap Raja from Yamuna, so Jeeva kills the murderers and goes to jail.
Cast
edit- Sathyaraj as Jeeva
- Sujitha as Benny / Raja
- Karthika as Yamuna
- Raghuvaran as Anand
- Babu Antony as Ranjith
- Nizhalgal Ravi as Inspector Ravi
- T. S. Raghavendra as Vishwanathan, Ganga & Yamuna's father
- Rajyalakshmi as Ganga / Stella, Benny's mother
- Adoor Bhasi as Father Joseph Stephen
- Sreenath as Micheal, Benny's father (guest appearance)
- Charle in a guest appearance
- Delhi Ganesh as Dr.Venkatram (guest appearance)
- Maniyanpilla Raju
- Chittan as Sakkarakatti
- Sivagami
Soundtrack
editThe soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.[5][6]
| Song | Singer(s) | Lyrics | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Aattam Ingey" | Malaysia Vasudevan, S. P. Sailaja | Kamakodiyan | 4:27 |
| "Anne Anne" | Mano | Ilaiyaraaja | 4:14 |
| "Chinna Chinna Roja Poove" | K. J. Yesudas | Muthulingam | 4:29 |
| "Oru Kiliyin" (duet) | K. J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra | Gangai Amaran | 4:35 |
| "Oru Kiliyin" (female) | K. S. Chithra | 4:31 | |
| "Paattu Engae" | S. P Shailaja, Malaysia Vasudevan | Kamakodiyan | 4:27 |
Reception
editJayamanmadhan of Kalki appreciated Fazil for being able to visually convey what he wanted, but said Ilaiyaraaja's music, Raghuvaran's acting and the cinematography were "okay. okay".[7]
Legacy
editPoovizhi Vaasalile gained a cult following and has been noted for the villainous performance of Antony and Raghuvaran.[8][9] Eashvar Karthic regarding his film Penguin (2020), said that "Faazil’s Poovizhi Vaasalile has given me many scary nights. I have always wanted to do a film like that".[10]
References
edit- ^ "பூவிழி வாசலிலே". Dina Thanthi (in Tamil). 18 January 1987. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "சாதனை புரிந்த தமிழ் படங்கள் – 318 – எஸ்.கணேஷ்". Dinamalar (in Tamil). 8 November 2017. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ Pillai, Sreedhar (15 January 1988). "Rush of contenders for top place in Tamil films". India Today. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ "பூவிழி வாசலிலே / Poovizhi Vasalile (1987)". Screen 4 Screen. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Poovizhi Vaasalilae (1987)". Raaga.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Poovizhi Vasalile Tamil Film LP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraja". Mossymart. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ ஜெயமன்மதன் (25 January 1987). "பூவிழி வாசலிலே..." Kalki (in Tamil). p. 11. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ "The Top 10 Tamil Films On Children". Rediff.com. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ "Kollywood's craze for Malayalam screenplays". Sify. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ^ "What if there were a Hitler in Chaplin, asks 'Penguin' director Eashvar Karthic". The New Indian Express. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
