Grottaglie is in the Salento peninsula, a whole rock of Limestone dividing Adriatic Sea from Ionian Sea. The countryside around the city has many large and deep ravines.
The name Grottaglie comes from the Latin Cryptae Aliae, meaning "many ravines". People lived here since the paleolithic Age. The fief of Grottaglie was given by the Norman overlords to the Archdiocese of Taranto in the 11th century. In the 14th century the church gave the fief a walls and a castle.
Since the 15th-17th centuries the jurisdiction over Grottaglie fief was split between the ecclesiastic administration (civil law) and the lay feudal lords (criminal law, Cicinelli-Caracciolo family). Fights between these two competing authorities and revolts by the heavily-taxed population were common until the end of feudalism (1806).
Folkloristic and religious events include the commemoration-day of and Easter-period when the Medieval-rooted confraternal religious orders perform their processions during the days of the ( rituals include and pilgrimage of confrères called “Bubble-Bubble” through the streets of town).
Other events include:
Grapes and ceramics are two main elements of the local economy.
Alenia Composite is a factory of Alenia group making parts for the Boeing 787.
Muthal Mariyathai
Mudhal Mariyadhai is a 1985 Tamil feature movie directed by P. Bharathiraja. It starred Sivaji Ganesan and Radha in the lead with Vadivukkarasi, Ranjani, Aruna Mucherla, A. K. Veerasamy and Sathyaraj playing other significant roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilaiyaraaja.
The film was critically well received upon release. It fetched Best Lyricist Award and Best Feature Film in Tamil Award for Vairamuthu and Bharathiraja respectively at the 33rd National Film Awards. While the lead actors won their respective Filmfare Awards South in Best Tamil Actor and Best Tamil Actress category.
Kuyil role was first offered to Radhika, but she choose to do "Swati Mutyam", which was offered to her at the same time.
The film was dubbed into Telugu under the title "Aatma Bandhuvu". It is the last silver jubliee blockbuster of Sivaji as lead role.
The film commences with friends and family of an ailing village head, Malaichami (Sivaji Ganesan), gathered around him on his death bed. The plot then moves along in a series of flashbacks, featuring significant episodes of the dying man's life. These include the presence of a boatman's young daughter Kuyil (Radha) in his village. The protagonist is unhappily married to a bad or tempered wife by the name of Ponnatha (Vadivukkarasi), and seeks comfort in a friendship with Kuyil. The friendship raises eyebrows, and is socially awkward and complicated for both Malaichami and Kuyil.
The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja while the lyrics for songs were written by Vairamuthu. All the songs were well received. G. Dhananjayan in his book "Pride of Tamil cinema – 1931 to 2013" wrote that the songs "helped tremendously in film's success".
In a comedy scene from "Thalattu Ketkuthamma" (1992), Koundamani sings "Poongatru Thirumbuma" to impress his wife (Vijay Chandrika), Prabhu completes the lyrics after Goundamani has forgetten the lyrics. In "Aavarampoo" (1992), Goundamani sings the song "Hey Kuruvi". In "Rajakumaran" (1994), Goundamani who plays a milk man tries to impress a girl whose face he has not seen by providing the milk. The song "Poongatru" with different lyrics is heard as background song for the scene. In "Parambarai" (1996), Kannayiram (Senthil) is seen singing the lyrics "Medhdhai Vanginen" from that song. In a scene from "Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga" (1999), Kundalakesi (Goundamani) lifts a huge stone similar to Sivaji's technique from the film to impress his lover. Vivek did a spoof of "Muthal Mariyathai" in the film "Parthiban Kanavu" (2003). In "Mozhi" (2007), Ananthakrishnan (Brahmanandam) will be seen watching "Poongatru" in television before getting disturbed by a cockroach.
The dialogue "Enaku oru unma therinjaaganum" (I need to know the truth) spoken by A. K. Veerasamy became popular. An unrelated series of same name also directed by Bharathiraja was aired on Kalaignar TV. R. Selvaraj, writer of this film has directed a film called "Neethana Andha Kuyil" in 1986 which was inspired from the line from the song "Poongatru". Another song "Rasave Unnai Nambi" has inspired a Ramarajan starrer of same name. In Singam (2010), Pandu, Who came as a farmer intimated the dialogue,which gains a lot of interest towards the movie
Madhan Bob
S. Krishnamoorthy (born 9 October), better known by his screenname Madhan Bob, is a popular comedian and Tamil film actor from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He started his film career as a musician and became an actor instead. Apart from appearing in supporting roles in Tamil films he also appears in the Sun TV comedy show "Asathapovathu Yaaru" as one of the judges. His debut film was "Vaaname Ellai". It was Madan Bob who first taught "Maragathamani" music.
He was eighth child in his family, so he was named Krishnamurthy which also happened to be his uncle’s name and there was a lot of confusion in the house, so they changed his name to Madan. his brother’s name is Padmanabhan a.k.a. Babu. Both started a music group called ‘Madan and Babu’. In time, the Babu became Bob and that’s how director Balachander introduced him in his first film.
T. S. Balaiah
Tirunelveli S. Balaiah (; 23 August 1914 – 22 July 1972) was an Indian actor best known for playing supporting roles in the Tamil films. He was introduced to the cine field by director Ellis R. Dungan in Sathi Leelavathi (1936), along with M. G. Ramachandran, N. S. Krishnan and M.K. Radha. He was one of the very few actors who excelled as a villain, as well as in character roles and comic roles.
T. S. Balaiah was born on 23 August 1914. He was born in Sundankottai, now in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. He ran away from home at young age and joined a Circus. Later joined Jagannatha Iyer’s famous drama company which was working in Tirunelveli and from which no turning back.
Balaiah began his film career through the Tamil film Sathi Leelavathi in 1936. Balaiah played first lead role in Mohini paired opposite Madhuri Devi, where he played elder brother to V. N. Janaki and supporting role by M. G. Ramachandran. He gained lot of weight at the age of 40 in 1954, hence started getting more character roles. Among his villain roles, Ambikapathy, Madurai Veeran, Thaikkupin Tharam, Hello Mister Zamindar and Thiruvilaiyadal were critically acclaimed. Balaiah also excelled in comedy roles in movies such as Kavalai Illaadha Manithan, Kadhalikka Neramillai, Bama Vijayam and Thillana Mohanambal. Actor Sivaji Ganesan had once mentioned that Balaiah along with M. R. Radha was his most admired actor.
Actress Manochithra is his daughter, while one of his sons Junior Balaiah has also appeared in films. Another son, Sai Baba, was part of MSV's troupe and sang a few song.
M. R. Radha
Madras Rajagopala Radhakrishnan Naidu (14 April 1907 – 17 September 1979), popularly known by his stage name, M. R. Radha, was an Indian movie actor and politician. He was given the title of "Nadigavel" (Spearhead of acting / frontrunner /torchbearer) by E.V.R. Periyar in a stage, for his acting prowess. After a successful career on stage in his early years, he acted in movies from the 1930s to the 1970s, and then, giving up movies, he went back to his first love, the stage.
Radha was a popular theatre artist who performed in more than 5000 stage shows. Starting at the age of 10, he appeared at first in small roles and eventually grew to a level that stories for dramas were custom made for him.Radha gained popularity with the success of his stage play "Ratha Kanneer". His performance in the 1954 movie version of the play, directed by Krishnan-Panju, brought wider recognition of his talents and made him a household name in Tamil Nadu.