Gayathri (1977 film)

Gayathri is a 1977 Indian Tamil-language crime thriller film directed by R. Pattabhiraman and written by Panchu Arunachalam. The film stars Jaishankar, Rajinikanth and Sridevi. It is based on the novel of the same name by Sujatha. The film was released on 7 October 1977.

Plot
Rajarathnam is a rich man who lives with his sister Sarasu and a young house maid in Madras. His sister arranges a marriage for him with Gayathri, a sixteen-year old who lives in Tiruchirappalli. Soon after they marry, Gayathri moves to Rajarathnam's house and realises that the family has dark secrets.

Rajarathnam is actually a blue-film producer – he secretly records himself and his new wife in their bedroom scenes without her knowledge, and sells the films on the black market. Gayathri initially gives Rajarathnam the benefit of the doubt, but later discovers that Rajarathnam is already married to another woman, who is now insane. Ganesh, a friend of the writer Chellappa, tries to free Gayathri from the hands of Rajarathnam, without avail.

Production
Gaayathri is based on Sujatha's novel of the same name, and was conceived during the Emergency. The screenplay was written by Panchu Arunachalam.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Panchu Arunachalam. Sujatha Mohan made her debut as a playback singer through this film. The song "Kaalai Paniyil Aadum" is set to the raga Hamir Kalyani, and "Vaazhve Mayama" is set to Dharmavati.

Reception
Film World wrote, "But for the wrong portrayal by Jaishankar, the movie would have maintained its pre-interval tempo. Yet, Gayatri is certainly off beat, contributing to salvage the losing face of Tamil Cinema".