Idhaya Kovil (1985)

Interesting facts

Idaya Kovil is a 1985 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Mohan, Ambika, Radha and Goundamani. The score and soundtrack were composed by Ilaiyaraaja which went on to become hits. The film, released on 14 September 1985, did well at the box office.

Production

Producer Kovaithambi of Motherland Pictures had the dates of Radha and Ambika, as well as a story ready for a potential film. He sent over the narration of his story in an audio cassette to Mani Ratnam, who he wanted to direct the script. Ratnam was then busy finishing work on Pagal Nilavu (1985) and initially turned down the opportunity to direct the film.

After finishing his other film, Ratnam returned and narrated a script titled Divya, which later went on to become Mouna Ragam (1986), to Kovaithambi, but he refused and insisted that Ratnam worked on his original script with Radha and Ambika. Ratnam initially wrote a screenplay for the film, inspired from the American film Limelight (1952), with the plot being narrated from the perspective of a star.

Despite the film's commercial success, Ratnam told film critic Baradwaj Rangan that the filming process had made him "miserable", and that he understood that the reason he came into cinema was not to make films like Idaya Kovil, and was adamant to not make any more commercial compromises to his films. Irked by Ratnam's remarks on Idaya Kovil, Kovaithambi expressed regret for providing Ratnam an opportunity.

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