Sigappu Rojakkal (1978)

English translation: Red Roses

Director: P. Bharathiraja

Story: P. Bharathiraja

Cast: Kamal Hassan, Sridevi

Music: Ilayaraaja

Time: 135 minutes

Bottom-line: An intense psychological thriller

Bharathiraja’s third film, Sigappu Rojakkal, is in many ways, a landmark in Tamil cinema history. Starring Kamal Hassan and Sridevi in the lead roles, the film is often hailed as a welcome break from the masala dramas of the 70s, as well as establishing Bharathiraja as a director of thrillers – since his first two films revolved only around village settings and people. The plot is Loosely based on a real-life serial killer in the 60s.

 

Kamal Hassan as Dileep

Dileep (Hassan) is a successful industrialist, running a minerals company. He lives in a large mansion, all alone, with a gardener, watchman and a helper boy. We get to know that Dileep is a womaniser, and he takes a liking to a sales girl in a garment shop: Sharada (Sridevi). As he starts to express his feelings and makes advances towards her, she, being a conservative woman, insists that they marry if he wants to have his ways. They get married, and she moves in with him. Meanwhile, a co-worker in Sharada’s shop goes missing, without a trace. The audience then gets to know the truth: Dileep has murdered the woman after having sex with her. As Sharada explores the house by herself, she stumbles upon Dileep’s heinous past as a serial killer of women. How does she escape?

This is also a movie that showed how versatile Kamal Hassan was. Imagining him as a serial killer is something unimaginable today, but this film proves his capabilities. His character development is masterfully done: first, we get to know that he’s lonely, then that he is a womaniser, and flashes from his past life give us a hint of his nature, and then we get a powerful jolt when his true intentions are exposed. Hassan skilfully plays a charmer and a creep, with his big glasses, his shady compliments and veneer of kindness. He later won the Filmfare award for Best Actor, and there’s no doubt he deserved it. Sridevi has also done an outstanding job, in one of her best performances early in her career - believe it or not, she was only 15 years old when the film came out! From the innocent woman oblivious to Dileep’s activities, to the desperate “prisoner” in his mansion, this is a simply wonderful display of acting.

 

Sridevi as Sharada

The story is slow to start with, but Bharathiraja constantly piques our interest with flashes from Dileep’s past. Many aspects of the second half of the film were similar to the 1999 film, Kaun, taking place entirely inside one house. The cinematography – hats off to the editing as well – and the score build up the suspense very effectively. The colour red is also put to good use on screen. The one song in the film, is also in the form of a dream sequence of Sharada since Kamal wasn’t happy with the idea of a serial killer engaging in romantic duets.

(Spoiler) The ending is another thing I loved. The irony when Dileep says, earlier in the film, that he will come to the prison on his next birthday to make a donation, but in reality, on his next birthday he is a prisoner, receiving apples from Sharada, who still remains as his wife. Yet another twist is when we see the inside of his cell, where all over the wall he has written her name: the only thing he remembers from the past. It is such an emotionally powerful climax. 

So, while Sigappu Rojakkal is highly unconventional, it is precisely the type of film I look forward to, and I was given a top-notch movie. It is not a pleasant watch, but you will be rewarded seeing Kamal and Sridevi in sublime form, in this gripping thriller.

My Rating: 4/5