''Kannukulle'' () is a 2009 Indian
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
-language
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by Lena Moovendhar. The film stars
Mithun Tejasvi
Mithun Tejasvi (born 16 December 1979) is an Indian actor who has acted in Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in ...
,
Aparna Pillai
Aparna Pillai, better known mononymous person, mononymously as Aparna, is an Indian actress, who has appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in ''Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan'' and ''Nenjil''.
...
,
Anumol
Anumol is an Indian actress, predominantly acting in Malayalam and Tamil films. She appeared in Malayalam films such as '' Chayilyam'' (2014), '' Ivan Megharoopan'' (2012), '' Akam'' (2011), '' Vedivazhipadu'' (2013) and '' Jamna Pyari'' (2015 ...
and
Yugendran
Yugendran (born Yugendran Vasudevan on 20 December 1976) is an Indian actor and playback singer who has sung several songs in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. He is also an occasional music director and television host.
Personal life
Yugendran i ...
, with
Sarath Babu
Sathyam Babu Dixithulu (31 July 1951 – 22 May 2023), known by his stage name Sarath Babu, was an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema. He appeared in more than 300 films, including in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and ...
,
Shanmugarajan
Shanmugarajan is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films. Shanmugarajan was born on 24th October, 1974, to father S. Muniyasamy and mother M. Rajeswari, in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
Career
Shanmugarajan is an alumnus of The Amer ...
,
Singamuthu
Singamuthu (born 8 December 1958) is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language
Tamil (, , , also written as ''Tamizhil'' according to linguistic pronunciation) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South ...
,
Halwa Vasu
Vasu, popularly known as Halwa Vasu, (died 17 August 2017) was a comedian in the Tamil film industry in India. He worked in around 900 films.
Career
Vasu who hailed from Madurai district, came to Chennai to work in cinemas after his graduatio ...
,
Crane Manohar
Crane Manohar (born 4 October 1965) is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films, mostly in comedy roles. He appeared in many Vadivelu and Vivek comedy tracks.
Career
Manohar initially worked as a crane technician for films and when he st ...
,
Scissor Manohar
Scissor Manohar is an Indian comedian and actor.
Career
Manohar began to work as a production assistant working on films such as ''Puthiya Vaarpugal'' (1979). Manohar earned the name Scissor for his character in '' Gokulathil Seethai'' (19 ...
, and
Muthukaalai
Muthukaalai is an Indian actor, comedian who predominantly works in Tamil cinema.
Early life and career
Muthukaalai was born in Tirukovilpuram near Rajapalayam and dreamt of becoming a stunt choreographer. While studying in school, he recei ...
playing supporting roles. The film was produced by SPS and Selvaraaja. It had music by
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil cinema, Tamil in addition ...
, cinematography by Naga Saravanan, and editing by Peter Babiya. The film was released on 25 September 2009.
Plot
The film is narrated in a nonlinear plot.
In 1993, in
Srivilliputhur
Srivilliputhur is a municipality in Virudhunagar district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 75,396. The most important landmark of Thiruvilliputhur is 11-tiered tower st ...
, Raghu and Dhanasekhar were schoolmates and best friends. Dhanasekhar lived with his parents and little sister Bharathi, while Raghu lived with his bedridden mother. One day, Raghu's mother died, and his uncle had to take care of him. Thereafter, Raghu had a riding accident because of Dhanasekhar and lost his vision in the process. The school teacher and Father, Joseph Aruldoss (
Sarath Babu
Sathyam Babu Dixithulu (31 July 1951 – 22 May 2023), known by his stage name Sarath Babu, was an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema. He appeared in more than 300 films, including in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and ...
), who was also Raghu's mentor, enrolled him in a
special school
Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual d ...
. Dhanasekhar's father then got a transfer in a new city, but before leaving Srivilliputhur, Dhanasekhar met the blind Raghu and said goodbye to him. Afterwards, Joseph Aruldoss taught Raghu to play the
violin
The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
.
The years passed, and Raghu (
Mithun Tejasvi
Mithun Tejasvi (born 16 December 1979) is an Indian actor who has acted in Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in ...
) has his sight back. In
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
, Raghu is now a reputed violinist in the cinema industry. He is married to the talkative Gayathri (
Aparna Pillai
Aparna Pillai, better known mononymous person, mononymously as Aparna, is an Indian actress, who has appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in ''Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan'' and ''Nenjil''.
...
), and they have a daughter Bharathi (Raghavi). Gayathri spends her time scolding her husband Raghu for his sudden strange silence. Raghu has sent hundreds of letters to Bharathi, but the letters never reached her. One day, the restraint Raghu suddenly packs his bags and leaves home, leaving his wife in shock. He takes a bus to
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari (Tamil; / kəɳjɑkʊmɑɾiː/; referring to Devi Kanya Kumari, officially known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin) is a town and a municipality in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the ...
.
A few years ago, in
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari (Tamil; / kəɳjɑkʊmɑɾiː/; referring to Devi Kanya Kumari, officially known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin) is a town and a municipality in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the ...
, the blind Raghu found Dhanasekhar (
Yugendran
Yugendran (born Yugendran Vasudevan on 20 December 1976) is an Indian actor and playback singer who has sung several songs in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. He is also an occasional music director and television host.
Personal life
Yugendran i ...
) and his sister Bharathi (
Anumol
Anumol is an Indian actress, predominantly acting in Malayalam and Tamil films. She appeared in Malayalam films such as '' Chayilyam'' (2014), '' Ivan Megharoopan'' (2012), '' Akam'' (2011), '' Vedivazhipadu'' (2013) and '' Jamna Pyari'' (2015 ...
), who had just lost their parents. Bharathi developed a soft corner for Raghu and she eventually fell in love with him. Bharathi even encouraged Raghu who played the violin in the church to try his luck in cinema. Bharathi then told Dhanasekhar her wish to marry, and he accepted. One day, Dhanasekhar had a severe accident and died but not before telling Raghu that he donated his eyes to him. Persuaded by the pleas of Joseph Aruldoss and Bharathi, Raghu reluctantly accepted for the eye transplant. However, after the operation, Raghu mysteriously vanished, leaving his astounded lover Bharathi in tears.
Back to the present, Gayathri finds out that Raghu was a blind person who can die at any moment due to the injury that he sustained in the past. Gayathri and her daughter Bharathi decide to go to Kanyakumari. Meanwhile, Raghu comes to Kanyakumari in search of Bharathi. However, he cannot find her and instead meets Joseph Aruldoss at the church. An angry Joseph Aruldoss scolds him for betraying the poor Bharathi. Raghu explains to him that after the operation, he had a part of Dhanasekhar in him and could not marry Bharathi, who also became his sister in the process. Raghu also tells him that he feels guilty of what he did and cannot live any longer without apologizing to Bharathi. When Raghu finally sees Bharathi in a
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...
's dress, he faints and dies. Gayathri and her daughter then come to church and mourn the death of Raghu. The film ends with the newly widowed Gayathri writing a letter to Bharathi.
Cast
Production
Lena Moovendhar, a former associate of
Mahendran who directed television serials, made her directorial debut with ''Kannukulle'' under the banner of SS Pictures.
Mithun Tejasvi
Mithun Tejasvi (born 16 December 1979) is an Indian actor who has acted in Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in ...
was selected to play a violinist, while
Aparna Pillai
Aparna Pillai, better known mononymous person, mononymously as Aparna, is an Indian actress, who has appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in ''Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan'' and ''Nenjil''.
...
returned after a brief interval to play the female lead. Newcomer
Anumol
Anumol is an Indian actress, predominantly acting in Malayalam and Tamil films. She appeared in Malayalam films such as '' Chayilyam'' (2014), '' Ivan Megharoopan'' (2012), '' Akam'' (2011), '' Vedivazhipadu'' (2013) and '' Jamna Pyari'' (2015 ...
played the second heroine, whereas
Sarath Babu
Sathyam Babu Dixithulu (31 July 1951 – 22 May 2023), known by his stage name Sarath Babu, was an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema. He appeared in more than 300 films, including in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and ...
was also in the cast. The director said, "
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil cinema, Tamil in addition ...
was so impressed with the story that he involved himself completely while scoring the re-recording. He was moved to tears after watching the climax. We have used 30 violins to score music for the climax".
Soundtrack
The music was composed by
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil cinema, Tamil in addition ...
.
Release
The film was released on 25 September 2009 alongside four other films.
Critical reception
The New Indian Express
''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu ...
said, "Kannukulle has a plot with the potential to turn into a different and an emotion-packed entertainer. If only the debutant director had worked his script in a more coherent and convincing way". S. R. Ashok Kumar of
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
praised the acting of
Aparna Pillai
Aparna Pillai, better known mononymous person, mononymously as Aparna, is an Indian actress, who has appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in ''Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan'' and ''Nenjil''.
...
,
Yugendran
Yugendran (born Yugendran Vasudevan on 20 December 1976) is an Indian actor and playback singer who has sung several songs in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. He is also an occasional music director and television host.
Personal life
Yugendran i ...
,
Sarath Babu
Sathyam Babu Dixithulu (31 July 1951 – 22 May 2023), known by his stage name Sarath Babu, was an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Tamil and Telugu cinema. He appeared in more than 300 films, including in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and ...
and
Shanmugarajan
Shanmugarajan is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films. Shanmugarajan was born on 24th October, 1974, to father S. Muniyasamy and mother M. Rajeswari, in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
Career
Shanmugarajan is an alumnus of The Amer ...
, and
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil cinema, Tamil in addition ...
's music. He also added, "newcomers Mithun and Anu reveal their inexperience as they obviously struggle to cope with the screenplay, which is by the director".
Box office
The film took a below average opening at the
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
box office.
References
External links
*{{IMDb title, 2241632, Kannukulle
2009 films
2000s Tamil-language films
2000s Indian films
Indian drama films
Indian nonlinear narrative films
Films about violins and violinists
Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja
Films about blind people in India
Tamil-language Indian films