Sigappu Rojakkal
Encyclopedia
Sigappu Rojakkal is a 1978 Tamil
thriller film starring Kamal Haasan
and Sridevi. Directed by Bharathiraja
,music by Ilayaraja and cinematography by P.S.Nivas
In an era of over-dramatised acting in Tamil films, Sigappu Rojakkal was one of the notable exceptions. With an anti-hero who is a psychopathic, sexual killer in the lead, the movie was seen as controversial by traditional and orthodox moviegoers in Tamil Nadu
.
) is a successful businessman with a dark side. He preys on nubile girls and rapes and kills them. These proceedings are video-recorded and watched by his adoptive father and mentor, another deranged woman-hater who, as with Dileep, had a disillusioning experience with the female sex in his past. The old man stays holed up in a far corner of Dileep's mansion watching his son carry out what he is too infirm to do. The murdered girls are buried in Dileep's garden and a rosebush is grown above.
Dileep chances upon an undergarments salesgirl, Sarada (Sridevi), and develops an attraction for her. Sarada, a conservative woman, insists that Dileep must marry her if he wants to have his way with her. The romance proceeds, and appears to be Dileep's salvation before things begin to collapse for him. On his marriage day, Sarada stumbles upon a diary containing details of his deranged life and, and names of the girls he had killed scribbled on the walls of one of the rooms in his large house.
Sarada, meanwhile stumbles upon Dileep's father, whom Dileep had told her was retarded and was not to be disturbed, and gets the shock of her life. She somehow manages to shut him in and tries to run out but as she prepares to leave, Dileep returns. As Sarada tries to act normal while planning to escape, Dileep finds that his father has been locked in and when he saves his father, he realizes that Sarada knows the truth about his deeds. A tense chase ensues, which ends in a graveyard in the dead of night, with Dileep stumbling and falling on a cross which pierces him.
In the ensuing chase, Dileep is caught by the police.
He is subsequently jailed but gets mentally retarded and loses his bloodthirsty ways. He keeps repeating Sarada's name, as it is his only coherent thought, and all other memories have been erased from his mind.
(1980) and in Telugu as Erra Gulabilu.
The film's official remake has been announced by Manoj Bharathiraja
with several lead actors being approached to play the lead role, including Ajith Kumar
, Arya
, Dhanush
, Silambarasan, Jeeva, Githan Ramesh
, Jeevan
, Sakthi
and Adharvaa.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
thriller film starring Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
and Sridevi. Directed by Bharathiraja
Bharathiraja
P. Bharathiraja , is a critically acclaimed South Indian filmmaker.He displayed a story-teller's potential from an early age. Bharathiraja is known for his realistic and sensitive portrayal of village-life in his movies....
,music by Ilayaraja and cinematography by P.S.Nivas
In an era of over-dramatised acting in Tamil films, Sigappu Rojakkal was one of the notable exceptions. With an anti-hero who is a psychopathic, sexual killer in the lead, the movie was seen as controversial by traditional and orthodox moviegoers in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
Plot
Dileep (Kamal HaasanKamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
) is a successful businessman with a dark side. He preys on nubile girls and rapes and kills them. These proceedings are video-recorded and watched by his adoptive father and mentor, another deranged woman-hater who, as with Dileep, had a disillusioning experience with the female sex in his past. The old man stays holed up in a far corner of Dileep's mansion watching his son carry out what he is too infirm to do. The murdered girls are buried in Dileep's garden and a rosebush is grown above.
Dileep chances upon an undergarments salesgirl, Sarada (Sridevi), and develops an attraction for her. Sarada, a conservative woman, insists that Dileep must marry her if he wants to have his way with her. The romance proceeds, and appears to be Dileep's salvation before things begin to collapse for him. On his marriage day, Sarada stumbles upon a diary containing details of his deranged life and, and names of the girls he had killed scribbled on the walls of one of the rooms in his large house.
Sarada, meanwhile stumbles upon Dileep's father, whom Dileep had told her was retarded and was not to be disturbed, and gets the shock of her life. She somehow manages to shut him in and tries to run out but as she prepares to leave, Dileep returns. As Sarada tries to act normal while planning to escape, Dileep finds that his father has been locked in and when he saves his father, he realizes that Sarada knows the truth about his deeds. A tense chase ensues, which ends in a graveyard in the dead of night, with Dileep stumbling and falling on a cross which pierces him.
In the ensuing chase, Dileep is caught by the police.
He is subsequently jailed but gets mentally retarded and loses his bloodthirsty ways. He keeps repeating Sarada's name, as it is his only coherent thought, and all other memories have been erased from his mind.
Remake
Sigappu Rojakkal was remade in Japanese as Red Roses, in Hindi as Red RoseRed Rose (1980 film)
Red Rose , is a 1980 Hindi thriller film starring Rajesh Khanna and Poonam Dhillon.This was a critically acclaimed film but was not a box office success.It was remake of Sigappu Rojakkal meaning 'Red Roses' made by the same director Bharathi Raja and the same cinematographer P.S.Nivas in Tamil,...
(1980) and in Telugu as Erra Gulabilu.
The film's official remake has been announced by Manoj Bharathiraja
Manoj Bharathiraja
Manoj K. Bharathi is a Tamil film actor. He has starred in several films. He is most noted as son of director Bharathiraja.-Career:...
with several lead actors being approached to play the lead role, including Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
, Arya
Arya (actor)
Arya is an Indian film actor who mainly appears in Tamil films. He is best known for his roles in the films Pattiyal , Naan Kadavul , Madrasapattinam , and Boss Engira Bhaskaran.-Personal life:...
, Dhanush
Dhanush
Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja , better known by his stage name Dhanush , is an Indian film actor, occasional playback singer and lyricist, working in the Tamil film industry...
, Silambarasan, Jeeva, Githan Ramesh
Githan Ramesh
Ramesh Choudary, also known by his stage name Jithan Ramesh, is a Tamil and Telugu film actor from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He is the son of film producer R. B. Choudary and brother of actor Jeeva. He made his debut in the film Jithan and, as of 2010, he became a producer for the film Vaanam.-...
, Jeevan
Jeevan
Jeevan is a Tamil film actor.-Biography:He graduated from the St. Bede's School in Chennai. One of his classmates was actor Surya Sivakumar.-Career:...
, Sakthi
Sakthi Vasu
Shakthi Vasudevan is a Tamil film actor. He is the son of film director P. Vasu and began his career in his father's films as a child artiste.-Career:...
and Adharvaa.