Kaadhal Mannan
Kaadhal Mannan (transl. King of Love) is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Saran, which stars Ajith Kumar and Maanu. The film also saw music composer M. S. Viswanathan make his debut in a supporting role, whilst Vivek, Karan and Girish Karnad also played other roles. The film was released on 6 March 1998 to positive reviews and commercial success.
| Kaadhal Mannan | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Saran |
| Written by | Saran |
| Produced by | V. Sudhir Kumar |
| Starring | Ajith Kumar Maanu |
| Cinematography | A. Vijayakumar |
| Edited by | Ganesh Kumar |
| Music by | Bharadwaj M. S. Viswanathan (1 Song) |
Production company | Venkateswaralayam |
Release date | 6 March 1998 |
Running time | 136 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot
Rudran, a strict disciplinarian and father of two daughters, hates the word 'Love'. The very mention of this word makes him punish himself to extreme heights. He has disowned his elder daughter Menaka because she eloped with her lover. The strictness is doubled for the younger daughter Thilottama, and a marriage alliance is fixed for her. She stoically accepts her father's decision until she meets Shiva, a local mechanic. Shiva lives with his friend Oyya in a mansion owned by Mess Viswanthan. Shiva is always ready to accept dares. When Menaka dares him to go to Chennai to deliver a letter to Thilothama, Shiva ends up falling in love with Thilothama, but she is unable to reveal her love to Shiva and her father, as she fears the consequences. The film revolves around whether the lovers are able to declare their love for each other, and if Rudran accepts it.
Cast
- Ajith Kumar as Shiva, mechanic
- Maanu as Thilothama
- M. S. Viswanathan as Mess Viswanthan, mansion owner
- Vivek as Oyya, Shiva's friend
- Nithya as Manjari
- Karan as Ranjan
- Girish Karnad as Rudran, Black Dog security service MD
- Dhaarini as Menaka, Thilothama's sister
- Ramesh Khanna as Black Dog security service Inspector
- Rathan as Ranjan's father
- Dhamu as Person in Mansion
- Ramji (special appearance in "Maarimuthu" song)
- Kanal Kannan as Taxi Driver (special appearance)
- Shalu Shamu as Thilothama's niece (Uncredited)[1]
- Chaams (Uncredited role)
Production
Saran describes that he "was wondering what would happen if a girl, who is engaged to a particular person, falls in love with someone else" and this formed the basis of his plot for the film. The film saw veteran music composer M. S. Viswanathan make his acting debut in a supporting role, whilst the lead actress Maanu from Assam and music composer Bharadwaj also debuted.[2] Viswanathan had initially waded away the approach but actor Vivek later convinced him to partake in the film.[3] Few scenes were shot at Murugesan Mansion at Triplicane.[4]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of the film was composed by Bharadwaj, except the song "Mettu Thedi" which was composed by M. S. Viswanathan. All lyrics were written by Vairamuthu.[5]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Unnai Paartha" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | 5:12 |
| 2. | "Vaannum Mannum" | Hariharan, K. S. Chithra | 5:15 |
| 3. | "Thilothamma" | Bharadwaj, Annupamaa | 4:26 |
| 4. | "Mettu Thedi" | M. S. Viswanathan | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Marimuthu Marimuthu" | Deva | 4:48 |
| 6. | "Kanni Pengal" | Ada Ali Azad, Febi Mani | 4:30 |
| Total length: | 28:56 | ||
Release and reception
The film released on 6 March 1998 in 108 screens worldwide. It won positive reviews from critics, with a reviewer praising the film for tackling a taboo subject. The critic claimed that Ajith Kumar "was back at his best", whilst also crediting success to Bharadwaj's soundtrack.[6][7] Despite winning plaudits for her portrayal, Maanu quit the film industry for over a decade before resurfacing as a promoter for the 2010 Singaporean film Gurushetram – 24 Hours of Anger and later as an aide to Rajinikanth during his health-related visit to Singapore in 2011.[7]
The film was commercial success at the box office as it released during a period of crisis in the film industry where the FEFSI strikes were ongoing and thus the distributors refused to pick the film up outright and insisted on distribution only. The first copy was worth Rs 22 million, but was only sold for Rs 16 million. Still, it ran for 100 days and re-established Ajith's market after a string of failures.[8][9]
References
- Vegalankal (15 August 2020). Shalu shamu live with vegalankal. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2020 – via YouTube.
- "A-Z Continued..." Indolink. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "What Vaali borrowed from Rajini". Behindwoods. 22 December 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- Ramanujam, Srinivasa (15 July 2016). "Life in a mansion". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- "Kaadhal Mannan". JioSaavn. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- Poobalan. "Movie Review | Kaadhal Mannan". Indolink. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "Ajith's Heroine Helps Rajnikanth". Behindwoods. 14 July 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- Rajitha (10 February 2000). "'The only thing I wanted to do was direct films'". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- allinall access (17 August 2017). Very very Rare Interview of ACTOR AJITH ULTIMATE STAR. 1997 (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2023 – via YouTube.