Mogamul

Mogamul
Mogamul
	Poster
Directed by	Gnana Rajasekaran
Based on	Mogamul; by Thi. Janakiraman
Produced by	J. Dharmambal
Starring	Archana Joglekar; Nedumudi Venu; Abhishek
Cinematography	Sunny Joseph; Thangar Bachan
Edited by	B. Lenin; V. T. Vijayan
Music by	Ilaiyaraaja
Production; company	J. R. Film Circuit
Release date	14 May 1995;
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Mogamul (transl. Infatuation) is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Gnana Rajasekaran based on the novel of the same name by Thi. Janakiraman. The film stars Archana Joglekar, Nedumudi Venu and Abhishek, while Vivek and Vennira Aadai Moorthy play supporting roles. The score and soundtrack were composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The film was released on 14 May 1995 and won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.

Plot

Babu is a college student and an aspiring classical vocalist. He is friends with Yamuna and her mother, who live in the same village. Yamuna is born out of wedlock, and her parents belong to different castes. So the society shuns their family and multiple prospective bridegrooms decline her.

Babu's neighbor is an old man, married to a very young and attractive woman, Thangamma. Thangamma is frustrated with her non-existent sex life, and slowly gets attracted to Babu and they end up making love. Babu feels guilty about this and reveals the incident to Yamuna, and claims he now realizes he wants to marry her. But Yamuna declines saying she is 10 years elder to Babu, and also, he is destined to become a successful singer and cannot get distracted by love and women.

Thangamma is deeply in love with Babu and wants to elope with him. Babu refuses and Thangamma kills herself in disappointment. Babu's music teacher Ranganna also dies and he is at a dead end with Yamuna not willing to marry him as well. So he leaves the village and goes absconding.

Babu's friend Raja locates him in Chennai after 3 years, and learns Babu is still thinking of Yamuna and unable to progress in his musical journey. Raja meets Yamuna, whose father had died and she and her mother are living in poverty, and tells her about Babu. Yamuna meets Babu and offers herself to him and they make love. She then encourages Babu to focus on his music now that she belongs to him.

Cast

Production

Mogamul marked the directorial debut of Gnana Rajasekaran, and is based on the novel of the same name written by Thi. Janakiraman.^[1]^[2] It took roughly a year to complete the film.^[3]

Soundtrack

The music was Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Vaali.^[4] The song "Kamalam Paatha" is set in the Carnatic raga Ramapriya.^[5]

Track listing
No.	Title	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Kamalam Paatha"	K. J. Yesudas	4:55
2.	"Sollaayo Vaaithiranthu" (male)	M. G. Sreekumar	4:28
3.	"Sollaayo Vaaithiranthu" (female)	S. Janaki	4:29
4.	"Nenje Gurunaatharin"	M. G. Sreekumar	4:10
5.	"Nenje Gurunaatharin Sevadi"	Arunmozhi	4:11
6.	"Sangeetha Gnanamu" (lyrics by Tyagaraja)	K. J. Yesudas	3:38
7.	"Mogamul Title Score" (Instrumental)	—	2:31
Total length:			28:22

Release and reception

Mogamul was released on 14 May 1995.^[6] S. R. of Kalki appreciated the film's plot and direction and the performances of cast and crew.^[7] It won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.^[8]

References

^ "Greater than any hero". The Hindu. 23 February 2007. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
^ "மோக முள்ளும் ரதிநிர்வேதமும்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 28 June 2020. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
^ Kothari, Bhakti (24 August 2023). "Charting the Cinematic Course of Gnana Rajasekharan". Indian Masterminds. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
^ "Mogamul- Valli Tamil Film Audio CD by Ilayaraaja". Macsendisk. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
^ "Morning raga". The Hindu. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
^ "Mogamull / மோக முள்". Screen 4 Screen. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
^ எஸ். ஆர். (18 December 1994). "மோகமுள்". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 17. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023 – via Internet Archive.
^ "Chasing the tinsel dream CABLEWALA". The Hindu. 28 May 2007. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.