Magalir Mattum(1994)
Magalir Mattum is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language female buddy comedy film directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao and produced by Kamal Haasan. The film stars Nassar, Revathi, Urvashi, and Rohini in lead roles. It follows three women who decide to stand up against their lecherous office boss who constantly harasses them. The screenplay was written by Crazy Mohan, who expanded a story inspired by the 1980 American film 9 to 5. The film was a commercial success, running for over 175 days in theatres, and Urvashi won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for Best Actress for her performance. It is regarded as a milestone in Tamil cinema for addressing workplace harassment and the male gaze. The film was released on 25 February 1994.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Zee5, ManoramaMax
- Theatrical Release
- 25 February 1994
- Director
- Singeetham Srinivasa Rao
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 25m
- Rating
- 5.5/10
Storyline
Three women from different backgrounds work at a fashion export company. Their manager Pandian harasses them daily. When a new employee named Sathya joins, she rejects his advances and becomes friends with the others. Together they plan to teach him a lesson.
“Ladies only. Men stay out.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Magalir Mattum
Cast reunions in this film: Kamal Haasan & Ilayaraja (60 films together), Nassar & Ilayaraja (49 films together), Ilayaraja & Revathi (32 films together), Nassar & Thalaivasal Vijay (20 films together), Kamal Haasan & Nagesh (19 films together), and Thalaivasal Vijay & Ilayaraja (19 films together).
Trivia
- The film was originally planned as a remake of the director's own Telugu hit 'Magalir Mattum' from 1994, but the Tamil version was shot and released first.
- The character of the manager, played by Nassar, was inspired by real-life complaints of workplace harassment in the 1990s.
- Composer Ilaiyaraaja recorded the song 'Kadavul Ullame' in a single take with singer K.S. Chithra, which was rare for him.
- The film's climax scene where the women confront the boss was partly improvised by the lead actresses during rehearsal.
- Despite its serious theme, the film was a major commercial success and ran for over 100 days in many theaters.
- Director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao used minimal sets to keep the focus on the performances and dialogues.
- The movie is often cited as one of the early mainstream Tamil films to explicitly address sexual harassment at work.