THALAPATHI- THE TALE OF MODERN DAY KARNA

 Similarities between the movie THALAPATHI and Karna’s life

Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi is an adaptation of Mahabharatha’s Arjuna-Karna-kunti story into madern world from Karna’s angle where friendship and loyalty triumph over family ties. This film is a brilliant demonstration of how our old age myth exists in modern world.

1. Kunthi = Kalyani

Karna being thrown away since kunti was unmarried when she had him, which is similar to what happended to Surya (Rajini Kanth) when Kalyani (Sreevidya)  threw him away.

2. Arjunan  = Arjun

Surya’s (Rajni) stepbrother Arjun (Aravind Samy) who is on the side of righteousness is against Surya for using violence and fear to bring justice and which is similar to Karna’s stepbrother, Arjuna who is one of the pandavas was against Duryodhana i.e. the friend of Karna for not giving them what they deserve for being the sons of Pandu.

3. Duryodhanan = Deva

Surya pledges his life to Deva (Mamootty), for treating him above his status as an orphan which is similar to Karna and Duryodhana when Duryodhana offers one of his kingdoms to Karna.

4. Krishna = Arjun’s Dad

Kalyani’s (Srividhya) husband confronts Surya, and tells him that Kalyani is his mother and Arjun is his stepbrother and asks him to give up the life of violence with Deva and joins them which is similar to Krishna approaching Karna  and tells him that Karna is a pandava since he is the son of kunti and asks Karna to join them but Karna says that he vowed to Duryodhana and he will be with him till death, to which Krishna respects Karna for.

5. Karna = Surya

Surya is known for not refusing anyone’s demand in the film, which is reminiscent of Karna not refusing anyone’s demand, when he is worshipping the Sun god.

6. Draupadi =Suppu Lakshmi

Suppu Lakshmi (Shobana) had a grey character of Draupadi. In Mahabharata, Karna had a soft corner for Draupadi but later she gets married to Arjunanan. Same which happened in the movie.