Tamil Nadu Timeline

CinemaMGR era

Bharathiraja's 16 Vayathinile released

· Chennai

Bharathiraja's first film, 16 Vayathinile, with Kamal Haasan, Sridevi and Rajinikanth, moved Tamil cinema from studio sets to real village settings.

Bharathiraja made his directing debut in 1977 with 16 Vayathinile, a Tamil romantic drama he also co-wrote. Kamal Haasan, Sridevi and Rajinikanth played the leads, and Ilaiyaraaja provided the music. The story follows Mayil, a schoolgirl aged 16, through the difficulties of life in her village. At a time when most Tamil films were made inside Madras studios, it was the first to be filmed largely outdoors, and it is seen as an early instance of rural realism in Tamil film.

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