''Kaadhal Mannan(AJITH)'' () 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 Vivek (or Bibek/Bivek in some regions) (विवेक in Devanagari script) is a masculine given name that is popular in South Asia, particularly in India and Nepal. It is of Sanskrit origin and means "wisdom" and/or "conscience". Vivek may refe ...

Karan Karan may refer to: People * Karan (given name), an Indian given name * Karan (caste), an Indian caste * Karan Kayastha, a community of Kayastha in Bihar, India * Karan (surname) Places * Karan, Iran (disambiguation), a name for various vi ...

and

Girish Karnad Girish Karnad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019) was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the ...

also played other roles. The film was released on 6 March 1998 to positive reviews and commercial success at the box office.

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 *

as Oyya, Shiva's friend * Nithya as Manjari (Thilothama's friend) *

as Ranjan *

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 a special appearance in Maarimuthu song * Kanal Kannan as Taxi Driver (special appearance) * Shalu Shamu as Thilothama's niece (Child Artist (Uncredited)) * 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 Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

and music composer

Bharathwaj Ramani Bharathwaj known professionally as Bharadwaj is an Indian music director, composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer, predominantly known for his work in Tamil cinema. He is trained in Hindustani, Western and Carnatic music and is a ...

also debuted. Viswanathan had initially waded away the approach but actor Vivek later convinced him to partake in the film. Few scenes were shot at Murugesan Mansion at Triplicane.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of the film was composed by

, except the song "Mettu Thedi" which was composed by M. S. Viswanathan. All lyrics were written by

Vairamuthu Vairamuthu Ramasamy (born 13 July 1953) is an Indian lyricist, poet, and novelist working in the Tamil film industry. He is a prominent figure in the Tamil literary world. A master's graduate from the Pachaiyappa's College in Chennai, he first ...

Release

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 A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

subject. The critic claimed that Ajith Kumar "was back at his best", whilst also crediting success to Bharathwaj's soundtrack.Ajith's Heroine Helps Rajnikanth – Rajini – Manu – Tamil Movie News
Behindwoods.com (14 July 2011). Retrieved on 8 August 2015. 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. 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.Ajith says he does not interfere in screenwriting & remains a director's actor
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References

External links

{{Saran (director) 1998 romantic drama films 1998 films Indian romantic drama films 1990s Tamil-language films Films directed by Saran 1998 directorial debut films Films scored by Bharadwaj (composer)