{{short description|1981 film by Rama Narayanan}} {{Use Indian English|date=November 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox film | name = Sivappu Malli | image = Sivappu Malli.jpg | caption = Poster | director = [[Rama Narayanan]] | screenplay = Rajshekar | story = [[Madala Ranga Rao]] | producer = [[M. Saravanan (producer)|M. Saravanan]]<br />M. Balasubramaniam | starring = [[Vijayakanth]]<br />[[Vagai Chandrasekhar|Chandrashekar]]<br />[[Shanthi Krishna]]<br />[[S. S. Chandran]]<br />[[Mucherla Aruna|Aruna]] | cinematography = Lokesh | editing = Vellaichami | music = [[Shankar–Ganesh]] | studio = [[AVM Productions|Balasubramaniam & Company]] | released = {{Film date|df=yes|1981|8|15|ref1=}} | country = India | language = Tamil }}
'''''Sivappu Malli''''' ({{translation|Red Jasmine}}) is a 1981 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film directed by [[Rama Narayanan]] for [[AVM Productions]], starring [[Vijayakanth]], [[Vagai Chandrasekhar|Chandrasekhar]], [[Shanthi Krishna]], [[Mucherla Aruna|Aruna]] and [[S. S. Chandran]]. A remake of the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] film ''[[Erra Mallelu]]'' (1981), it revolves around two men starting a revolution against their village chiefs and the owner of a factory in the neighbouring village. The film was released on 15 August 1981.
== Plot == {{more plot|date=November 2021}} Sathyanathan, Punyakodi and their partners are an atrocious lot. They keep suppressing the villagers and do not even allow them to get proper education due to fear of losing control over the village. On the other hand, Ranga and Tyagu are honest factory workers who lead the fight against the factory owner for the labourers' rights. The clash between the two sections of society reaches a level where Sathyanathan and a gang plot to eliminate Ranga and Tyagu. They manage to do away with Tyagu; however, Ranga is too smart for them. How Ranga manages to punish the wrong doers is what the second half of the film is all about.
== Cast == {{Cast listing| *[[Vijayakanth]] as Ranga *[[Vagai Chandrasekhar|Chandrashekar]] as Thyagu *[[Shanthi Krishna]] as Mallika *[[Mucherla Aruna|Aruna]] *[[Anuradha (actress)|Anuradha]] *[[S. S. Chandran]] *[[Sangili Murugan]] *[[Vennira Aadai Moorthy]] *[[Gundu Kalyanam]] *[[K. K. Soundar]] *[[Ramarajan]] (uncredited) }}
== Production == <!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20241208054754/https://www.maalaimalar.com/cinema/cinehistory/2016/07/31225810/1029705/cinema-history-july-31.vpf --> K. Veerappan, a production executive at [[AVM Productions]], saw the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] film ''[[Erra Mallelu]]'' (1981) and told AVM insiders it was very good; having faith in his words, [[M. Saravanan (producer)|M. Saravanan]] bought the remake rights without watching the film.<ref name="jai" /> However, Saravanan did not produce the remake, titled ''Sivappu Malli'' directly under AVM, but the subsidiary Balasubramaniam & Company. Saravanan wanted [[Kamal Haasan]] to portray the lead role, but he declined due to unavailability of dates; the role went to [[Vijayakanth]].{{sfn|Saravanan|2013|pp=242–243}} The film's [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]] was held on 20 July 1981, and principal photography was completed within 35 working days, well before the already fixed 15 August release date.<ref name="jai" />{{sfn|Saravanan|2013|p=244}} Though Vijayakanth was already acting in ''[[Saatchi (film)|Saatchi]]'' (1983) when he accepted ''Sivappu Malli'', despite both films being shot in different towns, he would film for ''Sivappu Malli'' in the evening at [[Maduranthakam]] after filming for ''Saatchi'' in [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 November 2022 |title=சிவப்பு மல்லி படப்பிடிப்பில் விஜயகாந்த் காட்டிய சின்சியாரிட்டி |url=https://tamil.news18.com/photogallery/entertainment/cinema-sincerity-shown-by-vijayakanth-while-shooting-sivappu-malli-842250.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221206085327/https://tamil.news18.com/photogallery/entertainment/cinema-sincerity-shown-by-vijayakanth-while-shooting-sivappu-malli-842250.html |archive-date=6 December 2022 |access-date=6 December 2022 |website=[[News18]] |language=ta}}</ref> Editing was handled by Vellaichami.{{sfn|Saravanan|2013|p=245}} While discussing about crediting lead actors' names, [[Vagai Chandrasekhar|Chandrasekhar]]'s brother Pandian was insistent about having his brother's name to be placed first in opening credits; due to this reason both Vijayakanth and Chandrasekhar were left uncredited. The makers wanted Vijayakanth's voice to be dubbed by a voice artist; however Vijayakanth insisted to dub for himself, he attended dubbing session during the shoot of ''[[Jadhikkoru Needhi]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=விஜயகாந்த் |author-link=Vijayakanth |date=22 January 2006 |title=வலி... வருத்தம்... வாழ்க்கை! |url=https://archive.org/download/kalki2006-01-22/kalki2006-01-22.pdf |access-date=5 March 2024 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=88–91 |language=ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
== Themes == ''Sivappu Malli'' revolves around the themes of [[communism]] and [[marxism]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maderya |first=Kumuthan |title=Rage against the state: Historicizing the "angry young man" in Tamil cinema |url=https://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc52.2010/Tamil/text.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170523083451/http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/jc52.2010/Tamil/text.html |archive-date=23 May 2017 |access-date=21 February 2022 |website=[[Jump Cut (journal)|Jump Cut]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Damodaran |first1=Karthikeyan |last2=Gorringe |first2=Hugo |year=2017 |title=Madurai Formula Films: Caste Pride and Politics in Tamil Cinema |url=https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/4359 |url-status=live |journal=South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal |doi=10.4000/samaj.4359 |s2cid=149120258 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110225850/https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/4359 |archive-date=10 January 2022 |access-date=21 February 2022 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
== Soundtrack == The soundtrack was composed by [[Shankar–Ganesh]], with lyrics by [[Vairamuthu]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sivappu Malli Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by Shankar Ganesh |url=https://macsendisk.com/product/sivappu-malli-tamil-film-ep-vinyl-record-by-shankar-ganesh/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110053928/https://macsendisk.com/product/sivappu-malli-tamil-film-ep-vinyl-record-by-shankar-ganesh/ |archive-date=10 November 2021 |access-date=10 November 2021 |website=Macsendisk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 September 1981 |title=Sivappu Malli |url=https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/sivappu-malli/,i9ylUQMc,0_ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605041321/https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/sivappu-malli/,i9ylUQMc,0_ |archive-date=5 June 2022 |access-date=5 June 2022 |website=[[JioSaavn]]}}</ref>
{{Track listing | headline = Track listing | extra_column = Singer(s) | title1 = Erimalai Eppadi Porukkum | extra1 = [[T. M. Soundararajan]], [[T. L. Maharajan]] | length1 = 6:20 | title2 = Rendu Kannam Santhana Kinnam | extra2 = [[K. J. Yesudas]], [[P. Susheela]] | length2 = 4:39 | total_length = 10:59 }}
== Release and reception == ''Sivappu Malli'' was released on 15 August 1981.{{sfn|Saravanan|2013|p=242}} Sindhu and Jeeva, reviewing the film for ''[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]]'', appreciated Lokesh's cinematography and Vellaichami's editing, especially Lokesh's use of slow motion shots.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=சிந்து |last2=ஜீவா |date=30 August 1981 |title=சிவப்பு மல்லி |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1981/aug/30-08-1981/p49.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220731071228/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1981/aug/30-08-1981/p49.jpg |archive-date=31 July 2022 |access-date=21 February 2022 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |page=49 |language=ta}}</ref>
== Legacy == The song "Erimalai Eppadi Porukkum" became the theme for [[Vivek (actor)|Vivek]]'s character in ''[[Singam]]'' (2010).<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 April 2021 |title=எப்போதும் நெஞ்சில் நிழலாடும் விவேக்கின் காமெடி கலாட்டாக்கள் |url=https://www.maalaimalar.com/news/district/2021/04/17173120/2546933/Taml-News-Actor-Vivek-comedy-dialogue.vpf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515182526/https://www.maalaimalar.com/news/district/2021/04/17173120/2546933/Taml-News-Actor-Vivek-comedy-dialogue.vpf |archive-date=15 May 2021 |access-date=5 June 2022 |website=[[Maalai Malar]] |language=ta}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 April 2021 |title=ஜ(ம) னங்களின் கலைஞன் – வேங்கடகிருஷ்ணன் |url=https://www.vikatakavi.in/magazines/207/7543/janagalin-kalaignan.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605034510/https://www.vikatakavi.in/magazines/207/7543/janagalin-kalaignan.php |archive-date=5 June 2022 |access-date=5 June 2022 |website=Vikatakavi |language=ta}}</ref>
== References == <references> <ref name="jai">{{Cite magazine |last=சரவணன் |first=ஏவி.எம். |author-link=M. Saravanan (producer) |date=29 May 2005 |title=சூப்பர் ஸ்டாரின் பெருந்தன்மை! |url=https://archive.org/download/kalki2005-05-29/kalki2005-05-29.pdf |access-date=10 May 2023 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=60–63 |language=ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> </references>
== Bibliography == * {{Cite book |last=Saravanan |first=M. |author-link=M. Saravanan (producer) |title=AVM 60 Cinema |publisher=Rajarajan Pathippagam |year=2013 |edition=3rd |language=ta |oclc=1158347612 |orig-date=2005}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes}} {{AVM Productions}} {{Rama Narayanan}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:1981 Indian films]] [[Category:1981 Tamil-language films]] [[Category:1981 films]] [[Category:AVM Productions films]] [[Category:Films about communism]] [[Category:Films directed by Rama Narayanan]] [[Category:Films scored by Shankar–Ganesh]] [[Category:Tamil remakes of Telugu films]] [[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]