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Gokulam
Gokulam
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Gokulam
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVikraman
Written byVikraman
Produced byR. B. Choudary
Starring
CinematographyM. S. Annadurai
Edited byK. Thanikachalam
Music bySirpy
Production
company
J. K. Combines
Distributed bySuper Good Films
Release date
  • 11 June 1993 (1993-06-11)
Running time
140 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Gokulam is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Vikraman and produced by R. B. Choudary. The film stars Jayaram (in his major Tamil debut) and Bhanupriya, with Arjun in a special appearance.[1] It was released on 11 June 1993.[2]

Plot

[edit]

Chellappa lives in a village owning a photo studio along with his friends. Mary comes to the village and rents a house opposite to Kalyan Kumar's house, which is named "Gokulam" and where Kalyan Kumar man lives with his wife and daughter Uma. Kalyan Kumar also has a son named Kannan but has been abandoned by the family members for marrying a girl without the family's consent, but the family regularly receives money orders from Kannan. Although Kannan's father has changed his mind and accepted his son, the latter still does not return home. Everyone in Gokulam thinks that it is only Kannan's wife who does not allow him to reunite with his family.

Mary gets close to Gokulam family members and attends singing classes from Kalyan Kumar. She helps everyone in the family as and when required. Chellappa falls in love with Mary and proposes to her, but Mary tells her flashback to Chellappa, which shocks him. Mary's original name is Gayathri, and she sings well. Gayathri and Kannan love each other. Gayathri is a rich girl but has no parents or relatives except for a guardian who has plans to get his son Vasanth married to her. But Gayathri informs her guardian about her love towards Kannan, for which he agrees immediately. Gayathri feels happy. Kannan requests the wedding to happen after a few days as he has to take care of his poor family. He says that his sister's wedding should happen first. Gayathri agrees for this, and an engagement is planned between them on Gayathri's birthday, but Vasanth gets furious knowing about this and decides to kill Kannan. Vasanth sends a few thugs to kill Kannan. Kannan fights them but gets stabbed at his back. He comes to the function and dies in front of Gayathri.

Gayathri's guardian hands over Vasanth to the police, and Vasanth gets jailed. Gayatri cries and feels bad that Kannan lost his life only because of loving her and decides to help his family. Kannan already informed his family about his love, which they did not agree. Gayathri writes a letter to Kannan's parents that he has married against his their wishes. Gayathri comes to Kannan's village in the name of Mary and sends the money order to Kannan's parents every month in Kannan's name which makes them believe that their son is living in Chennai along with his wife. She also writes letters in Kannan's name to his parents. Chellappa feels proud of Gayathri and promises not to inform anyone about her real identity.

Kannan's sister Uma's wedding is arranged, but Gayathri learns that Uma once had a lover who ditched her and now is blackmailing her about revealing their old photographs taken together to everyone which will impact her marriage. Gayathri decides to help Uma and she goes to the lover's home alone in search of the photographs. She finds the photos and burns them. Suddenly, the man comes and tries to molest Gayathri, but Chellappa rescues her. The crowd gathers around, and the lover lies that Chellappa has an illegitimate relationship with Gayathri, which shocks her. But Gayathri could not reveal her real purpose of visiting his home at night as that would affect Uma's wedding. Finally, Gayathri accepts the blame, and everyone ditches her for her morally incorrect behavior.

The village people ask Gayathri to vacate immediately, but she requests them to allow her to stay for one day so she can attend Uma's wedding and then leave. Despite opposition, Gayathri attends Uma's wedding but is insulted by Kannan's father. A dejected Gayathri leaves the village immediately and has decided to accept a previous offer of going on a world tour, performing stage shows along with her friend.

Chellappa informs Kannan's father about all the truth, and they realize their mistake. The two rush to Gayathri's house, but she has left before that. Finally, the film ends showing Kannan's father waiting in the village railway station every morning for Gayathri's return.

Cast

[edit]

Soundtrack

[edit]

The music was composed by Sirpy, with lyrics by Palani Bharathi.[3][4]

Song Singer(s) Duration
"Chittada Rakkai" Swarnalatha 4:49
"Nane Madai Mela" Swarnalatha 4:12
"Puthu Roja Puthiruchu" Mano, Swarnalatha 3:11
"Antha Vanam" K. S. Chithra 3:55
"Chevanthi Poo" Unni Menon, P. Susheela 5:03
"Chinna Chinna Assai" Sujatha 1:32
"Pon Malayil" Uma Ramanan 3:12
"Therkke Adikkuthu" K. S. Chithra 4:45

Reception

[edit]

Malini Mannath of The Indian Express wrote, "the film has a storyline that could have been made interesting."[5] K. Vijiyan of New Straits Times wrote, "Those who liked Abirami might find [Gokulam] entertaining. The movie would appeal to the whole family".[6] Jayaram won the Cinema Express Award for Best New Face Actor at the 14th Cinema Express Awards.[7]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Gokulam

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from Grokipedia
Gokulam is a Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by in his directorial debut. The film stars , in his first major leading role in Tamil cinema, alongside . It features music composed by , cinematography by , and editing by and . Produced by J. K. Combines, the film was released on 11 June . The story revolves around Chellappa (), a kind-hearted from a village, who falls in with Mary (), a woman who has relocated to the city after a tragic past involving her deceased lover. As their relationship develops, secrets from Mary's history threaten to unravel their budding romance. The narrative explores themes of , , and redemption, with appearing in a special role. Upon release, Gokulam received positive reviews for its engaging storyline and performances, particularly Jayaram's portrayal, which earned him the Best New Face Actor award at the . The film was a commercial success, contributing to Vikraman's reputation in .

Production

Development

The development of Gokulam originated with producer , who spearheaded the project under the banners of and J. K. Combines as a romantic drama in the early . Choudary, known for backing emerging talents, played a pivotal role in securing funding and assembling the technical crew, drawing from his experience with family-oriented narratives. Vikraman was selected to direct the film, building on his directorial debut Pudhu Vasantham (1990), which Choudary had produced and which explored themes of and aspiration among youth. Vikraman's vision for Gokulam emphasized emotional depth in relationships, consistent with his approach to weaving love, sacrifice, and familial bonds into realistic stories, as seen in his concurrent work on Naan Pesa Ninaipathellam (1993). The script, penned by , centered on a of hidden pasts and inner conflict for its central female figure, aiming to evoke empathy through subtle emotional layers. commenced in late 1992, aligning with a modest budget allocation focused on character-driven rather than , culminating in the film's the following year. The marked Jayaram's major Tamil debut.

Casting

Jayaram was cast in the lead role of Chellappa, marking his debut in after gaining recognition for his roles in films. Bhanupriya was selected to play the dual roles of Mary and Gayathri, the film's protagonist characters requiring emotional depth. joined the production for a special appearance as , introducing elements of drama and action to complement the main . The supporting roles, encompassing family members and villagers, featured actors such as , , , and Jaishankar, emphasizing the film's ensemble interactions within rural and familial settings.

Filming

Principal photography for Gokulam was completed prior to its release on June 11, 1993, resulting in a runtime of 140 minutes. The film's cinematography was handled by M. S. Annadurai. Editing duties were performed by K. Thanikachalam, ensuring tight pacing for the dramatic elements. Shooting took place in various locations across Tamil Nadu to capture the essence of small-town life, with studio work in Chennai for interior scenes.

Plot

Chellappa (), an orphan running a photo studio in a village with his friends Raju () and , falls in love with Mary (), who arrives to learn singing from and rents a house opposite his home. Mary, who helps 's family, particularly his daughter Uma, reveals her true identity as Gayathri, the wife of 's estranged son (). , who married Gayathri against his family's wishes, was killed by (S. N. Lakshmi's son? wait, from sources: guardian's son), and Gayathri has been anonymously supporting the family by sending money and letters pretending to be . When Uma faces blackmail over compromising , Gayathri intervenes but is falsely accused of , leading to her rejection by the village and family. Supported by Chellappa, she attends Uma's wedding before leaving for a world tour. Chellappa discloses the truth to , who regrets his actions and awaits Gayathri's return at the railway station.

Cast

Soundtrack

Composition

Sirpy was hired as the composer for Gokulam, marking his debut in a lead role for the 1993 Tamil film. His approach blended melodic romantic tracks with folk elements to suit the film's rural and emotional tone. Lyrics were penned by , who emphasized emotional themes of love and loss to mirror the narrative's dramatic elements. The score incorporated traditional instruments like the for scenes depicting rural life and modern orchestration to heighten emotional peaks. The soundtrack features a total of 8 songs, each designed to underscore key plot moments such as flashbacks and separations.

Track listing

The soundtrack of Gokulam features eight songs composed by , with all lyrics written by . The album was initially released on audio cassette by in 1993 and later reissued on CD under the same label. The tracks are listed below in the order of the original album release, which aligns with their sequence in the film.
No.TitleSinger(s)Duration
1Chevanthi Poo, 4:59
2Puthu Roja PuthiruchuMano, 3:11
3Nane Madai Mela4:12
4Antha Vanam4:36
5Therkke Adikkuthu Kaathu, 4:35
6Chinna Chinna AssaiSujatha4:26
7Pon Malayil3:12
8Chittada Rakkai4:49

Release

Theatrical release

Gokulam was theatrically released in on 11 June 1993, with screenings primarily concentrated in theaters across . The distribution was handled by , a prominent production and distribution company. The film received a U certification from the (CBFC), indicating suitability for unrestricted public exhibition and appealing to family audiences. Premiere screenings occurred in major cities including , targeting a broad audience in urban and regional markets. With a runtime of 140 minutes, the film was presented in its original . It enjoyed an initial theatrical run in key markets, though specific theater counts for the opening week remain undocumented in available records.

Home media

Following its theatrical run, Gokulam (1993) transitioned to digital home media platforms, making it accessible for home viewing without physical formats prominently documented in recent sources. As of 2025, the film is available for streaming on , a subscription-based service focused on South Indian content. High-definition full versions of the movie have been uploaded to , including official and restored uploads dated early 2025, allowing free or ad-supported viewing worldwide. Additionally, Gokulam can be rented or purchased digitally on Movies, providing options for permanent ownership in standard and high-definition qualities.

Reception

Critical response

Upon its 1993 release, Gokulam received mixed reviews, with critics praising its family-oriented themes and emotional depth while criticizing the predictable plot twists that undermined the narrative's suspense. K. Vijiyan of the highlighted its appeal, writing that "those who liked Abirami might find [Gokulam] entertaining" and that "the movie would appeal to the whole family," emphasizing its wholesome entertainment value. Malini Mannath of noted that the storyline could have been made more interesting. Vikraman's direction earned positive notes for adeptly handling motifs of , particularly through the female protagonist's selflessness, which provided emotional resonance amid the story's romantic drama. Bhanupriya's performance as Mary was commended for its depth in portraying vulnerability and resilience, contributing to the film's thematic strength. Jayaram's Tamil debut as Chellappa was lauded for his natural charm and effortless portrayal of an emotional, family-focused everyman, helping establish his in the industry with roles suited to his understated style. Retrospectively, Gokulam is viewed as a significant entry in Tamil romantic dramas, exemplifying 's early exploration of middle-class relationships and sacrifice, influencing later family-centric narratives in the genre. The soundtrack's melodic integration was briefly noted as enhancing the emotional layers without overshadowing the drama.

The film was a moderate commercial success, particularly in .

Accolades

At the 14th held in 1994 for films released in 1993, received the Best New Face Actor award for his performance in Gokulam. These honors highlighted 's successful transition from to Tamil films, contributing to his expanded presence in the industry during the 1990s.

References

  1. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gokulam_1993
  2. https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2007/vikraman-super-good-film-240707.html
  3. https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-16/popular-director-vikraman-about-his-movies-favorite-actors-and-more.html
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa9dwu-CknY
  5. https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/etcetera-suriya-on-singam-2/article3948837.ece
  6. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14901560/fullcredits/
  7. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14901560/
  8. https://www.flixjini.in/movie/gokulam
  9. https://alchetron.com/Gokulam
  10. https://minnambalam.com/cinema/31-years-of-gokulam-movie-arjun-banupriya-a-tearful-family-story-minnambalam-cinema-news/
  11. https://letterboxd.com/composer/sirpi/
  12. https://music.apple.com/us/album/gokulam-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1835663021
  13. https://www.samperals.net/index.php?resources/gokulam-tamil-1993-lahari-music.3336/
  14. https://www.shazam.com/album/1835663021/gokulam-original-motion-picture-soundtrack
  15. https://hirestracks.com/gokulam-1993-sirpy-lahari-lrcd-9622-acd-rip-wav/
  16. https://letterboxd.com/film/gokulam/
  17. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14901560/companycredits/
  18. https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/gokulam
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap7PTC9-__M
  20. https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Gokulam?id=18A747616C172555MV&hl=en_IN
  21. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/jayaram-the-actor-whom-malayalam-cinema-betrayed-many-times-but-was-saved-by-other-film-industries-9106614/
  22. https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Grill-Mill-Jayaram/article16840460.ece
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