General · EdgepediaOctober 3, 20264 min read

Rosappu Ravikkaikari (ரோசாப்பூ ரவிக்கைக்காரி)

Rosappu Ravikkaikari (ரோசாப்பூ ரவிக்கைக்காரி; transliterated in some databases as Rosaappo Ravikkai Kaari or Rosapoo Ravikkaikari) is a 1979 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by the duo Devaraj–Mohan, produced by Thirupur Mani for Vivekananda Pictures, and starring Sivakumar, Deepa, and Sivachandran¹^•². It is a remake of the 1978 Kannada film Parasangada Gendethimma, itself adapted from the novella of the same name by the Kannada writer Srikrishna Alanahalli². The film was Sivakumar's 100th film as an actor, and his performance won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil².

Key fact	Detail
Release	18 May 1979, Tamil language, India¹
Direction and production	Directed by the duo Devaraj–Mohan; produced by Thirupur Mani, Vivekananda Pictures¹
Source	Remake of the Kannada film Parasangada Gendethimma (1978), from Srikrishna Alanahalli's novella²
Milestone	Sivakumar's 100th film as an actor²
Music	Ilaiyaraaja; lyrics by Pulamaipithan and Gangai Amaran¹
Reception	Ran over 100 days in theaters; Ananda Vikatan rated it 50 out of 100¹
Award	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil, to Sivakumar⁷
Runtime	2 hours 4 minutes (124 minutes)⁴

Spoilers

Plot and setting

The story follows Sempatta (also spelled Sembattayan), an illiterate but innocent village vendor who supplies the hamlet with its daily needs, from cereals onward³^•⁶. He marries Nandhini, a woman drawn to modern city ways. His mother dislikes her lifestyle, and the couple moves out; later Nandhini is attracted to Manickam, a suave man³.

The setting is a small hill village, Vandicholai, in Salem district, in the period before Indian independence⁶. A retrospective review describes the film as working largely through symbols: Nandhini's arrival in the downtrodden village stands for the entry of a new culture into a traditional society, and the villagers' unfamiliarity with garments such as the ravikkai (blouse) and brassiere, referenced in the title, marks the cultural distance the film explores³^•⁶. The dialogue is dense with local proverbs and idioms of the Kongu region⁶.

Production

The project began with Vandichakkaram, written by Vinu Chakravarthy, which was planned as Sivakumar's 100th film. In 1978, Chakravarthy, the director K. Vijayan, and the producer Thirupur Mani watched the Kannada film Parasangada Gendethimma and decided its remake suited the milestone better; they persuaded Sivakumar, and Vandichakkaram became his 101st film instead¹^•³.

The screenplay and dialogue were written by Vijay Krishnaraj, credited as Krishna, in his cinema debut¹. The film also marked Vinu Chakravarthy's debut as an actor in Tamil cinema; Alanahalli, who had worked on the Kannada original, recommended him for the remake¹. R. Nagarathnamma, who had played male roles in a Bangalore theater troupe, was cast as Sembattayan's mother, and Deepa was signed for the heroine's combination of beauty, youth, and a childlike quality⁵.

Filming began on 1 February 1979 at Yercaud and ended on 5 March, completed in 45 working days in and around the Vazhavandi village near Yercaud; the song sequence "Uchchi Vaguntheduthu" was shot last¹. R. N. K. Prasad handled cinematography and T. P. Sekar the editing¹.

Music

Ilaiyaraaja composed the score, with four songs written by Pulamaipithan and Gangai Amaran¹. "Maman Oru Naal", sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and S. P. Sailaja, is set in the Harikamboji raga, and "Ennullil Yengo", sung by Vani Jairam, is set in Madhuvanti¹^•⁸. Malaysia Vasudevan sang "Vethala Vethala Vethalaiyo", a song that doubles as a portrait of the hero's character and of Vandicholai village life¹. A 4K remaster of "Yennullil Yengo" was later released on streaming platforms⁸.

Release and reception

The film was released on 18 May 1979 and received an "A" (adults only) certificate after three cuts¹. It became a critical and commercial success, running for over 100 days in theaters¹. Ananda Vikatan, in a review dated 27 May 1979, rated it 50 out of 100, praising Sivakumar's performance and Ilaiyaraaja's background score¹. Sivakumar won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for the film⁷.

Legacy

The film is remembered as a milestone in Tamil cinema for showing infidelity and its consequences on screen, a subject the retrospective Tamil press coverage treats as its principal claim to standing¹. Later commentary describes it as a cult film whose symbolic treatment of cultural change, carried by Nandhini and Sembattayan as the first victims of that change, has kept it in critical discussion decades after release⁶. As of recent listings, the film is not available on major streaming services⁹.

References

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026