'Adimakal' is a 1969 Malayalam movie directed K.Sethumadhavan. The film starred Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Sheela and Sharadha the four doyens of the Malayalam cinema. The film has a golden connection to Tamil cinema that too on a rather surprising note. Superstar Rajinikanth and Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan who were upcoming heroes in the 1970s acted in the different remake versions of 'Adimaikal' but in the same role!!!

Yes this is the first and probably the only time in the history that Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan enacted the same role in different language versions of the same film.

'Adimakal' was remade into Telugu as 'Chilakamma Cheppindi' by director Eranki Sharma. The film released on the same day as today, 41 years ago (13 August, 1977). Superstar Rajinikanth played one of the main lead characters named Ravi, who settles in a small town with the help of his friend Madhu. Ravi crisscrosses with Madhu's sister Bharathi who hates men. The duo eventually fall in love. Madhu impregnates his servant maid Malli (played by Sripriya) but refuses to marry her. Ravi comes to know about Malli's plight and makes his friend accept his sin. Incidentally this is also the first film in which Rajinikanth played a lead role.

The next year, 'Adimakal' was remade into Tamil by none other than Iyakkunar Sigaram K.Balachander. The film released on 24 March, 1978 starred Kamal Haasan, Sarathbabu, Sumithra and Shoba in lead roles. Kamal played the character Sanjeevi which is the same character as Ravi played by Rajinikanth in Telugu.