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Kalavani
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| Kalavani | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | A. Sarkunam |
| Written by | A. Sarkunam |
| Produced by | Nazir |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Om Prakash |
| Edited by | Raja Mohammad |
| Music by | S. S. Kumaran |
Production company | Sherali Films |
| Distributed by | Ayngaran International |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget | ₹1.5 crore (equivalent to ₹3.4 crore or US$400,000 in 2023)[1] |
| Box office | ₹5 crore (equivalent to ₹11 crore or US$1.3 million in 2023)[2] |
Kalavani (transl. Thief) is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by newcomer A. Sarkunam. It stars Vimal and debutante Oviya, with Saranya Ponvannan, Ilavarasu, Ganja Karuppu, and Soori in supporting roles. The music was composed by S. S. Kumaran with cinematography by Om Prakash and editing by Raja Mohammad.
The film was made on a shoestring budget, and released on 25 June 2010. It became a sleeper hit.[2][3] The film was remade in Kannada as Kirataka (2011) with Oviya reprising her role and in Telugu as Umapathi (2023). A sequel, Kalavani 2, again directed by Sarkunam with Vimal and Oviya reprising their roles, was released in 2019.
Plot
[edit]Two villages in Thanjavur are always at loggerheads with each other, and it spills even to a T20 cricket match between kids from both villages. Arivazhagan aka Arikki is a wayward son of Lakshmi, who is in awe but at the same time fears him. Her husband Ramasamy is away in Dubai, and a large part of the money he sends home is taken away by Arikki using extortionist methods, such as threatening to break the TV set at home. He is yet to pass his 12th standard. Arikki spends time in bars with friends, teases girls, asks them to profess their love for him, and gets into brawls after conning others. He meets Maheshwari and wants her to declare her love for him, which she finally confesses. He abducts her, and they eventually marry. Her brother Ilango is a tough guy who has an axe to grind against Arikki and his gang, which leads to the twist in the climax. Ilango, fuming with rage, is out to slice Arikki into pieces. What transpires is answered in an interesting climax that is pleasantly humorous.
Cast
[edit]- Vimal as Arivazhagan (Arikki)
- Oviya as Maheshwari (Mahesh)
- Saranya Ponvannan as Lakshmi
- Ilavarasu as Ramasamy
- Ganja Karuppu as Panchayathu
- Soori as Manikandan
- Thirumurugan as Ilango
- Sujatha Sivakumar as Rajee
- Aswatha
- Mu Ramaswamy as Maheshwari's elder paternal uncle
- Thavasi
- Antony as Arikki's friend
- Kannan as Florist
- Kalai Arasan
Production
[edit]A. Sarkunam approached K. Bhagyaraj with his script, and asked for help in improving the script and for Bhagayraj's son Shanthanu to play the lead role. Sarkunam later moved away from Bhagyaraj, citing that his producer was uncomfortable with the potential salary that Shanthanu may have expected.[4]
Soundtrack
[edit]The film score and soundtrack for Kalavani was composed by S. S. Kumaran. The album consists of seven tracks featuring lyrics penned by Na. Muthukumar. The song "Oru Murai" was well received and was retained in the Kannada remake.[citation needed]
| Song title | Singers |
|---|---|
| "Oru Murai Iru Murai" | Harish Raghavendra, Srimathumitha |
| "Pada Pada Padavena" | Yash Golcha |
| "Peancha Mazhai" | A. Devendran |
| "Sinthaiyiley" | Prasanna |
| "Dubaikku" | Ranjith, Uma |
| "Ooradangum Samathiley" | Senthilvelan |
| "Edakku Madakku" | S.S.Kumaran |
Critical reception
[edit]Bhama Devi Ravi from The Times of India gave 4/5 and calling it "a complete entertainer."[5] Sify rated the film 4 out of 5 and stated that "Kalavani is a knockout entertainer set in a rural milieu."[6] A critic from Top10Cinema wrote that "Kalavani is a blatant revision of Bharathiraja's yesteryear films based on villager's conflicts and guy-gal falling in love."[7] Gautaman Bhaskaran of Hindustan Times gave it 3/5 and wrote that "Kalavani is a canvas of delightful rural romance."[8]
Sequels and remakes
[edit]Following the success of Kalavani, Gautham Vasudev Menon's Photon Kathaas acquired the rights to remake it in other languages.[9] It was remade in Kannada as Kirataka (2011) with Oviya being retained as the female lead.[10] It was also remade in Telugu as Umapathi (2022).[11] A sequel, Kalavani 2, again directed by Sarkunam with Vimal and Oviya reprising their roles, was released in 2019.[12]
Litigation
[edit]Seven years after the film's release, the Chennai branch of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was served a notice by the Madras High Court after a minor pregnant girl told the court that she obtained inspiration from Kalavani. The girl's parents claimed that the board had acted negligently in giving the film a U (unrestricted) certificate. Sarkunam, when questioned by the media about the issue, called it "completely unnecessary" to blame the film, and refused to comment further.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ "Kalavani another low budget film a hit?". 88reviews.in. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- ^ a b "Sify-Top 10 Kollywood Hits of 2010". Sify. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ Suganth, M (19 July 2010). "Sarkunam's movie succeed at box office". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ Ashwin (24 November 2020). Ek Gaaon Mein, Ek Kisaan Raguthatha | A K Bhagyaraj masterclass | DRS with Ash | R Ashwin | E16. Event occurs at 48:48. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ Ravi, Bhama Devi (26 June 2010). "Kalavani". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ "Kalavani". Sify. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ "Kalavani | Movie Review". Top 10 Cinema. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ Bhaskaran, Gautaman (29 June 2010). "Gautaman Bhaskaran's Review: Kalavani". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ "Kalavani goes places". The Times of India. 22 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ^ "Slaying demons". Bangalore Mirror. 25 June 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ Nadadhur, Srivathsan (25 October 2022). "Vimal's Kalavani gets a Telugu remake, Anuragh and Avika Gor play the leads". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ Rajendran, Gopinath (7 July 2019). "Kalavani 2 Movie Review: Yet another pointless sequel". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ Jha, Subhash K (4 April 2017). "Censor Board in trouble for passing Kalavani". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
External links
[edit]- Kalavani at IMDb
- Kalavani at Rotten Tomatoes
Kalavani
View on GrokipediaSynopsis
Plot Summary
Arikki, portrayed as a lazy and mischievous youth in a rural Tamil Nadu village, relies on his mother's indulgence—funded by remittances from his father working in Dubai—for petty amusements like beer and scams with friends, while engaging in minor thefts such as fertilizer sacks and pranks on local officials.[4][5] His carefree existence involves failing Plus Two exams repeatedly at a tutorial college and scamming shop owners to fund a village cricket match.[4] Economic constraints in the village, including his mother's failed attempts to save money secretly, underscore the casual opportunism driving his antics.[4] The narrative shifts when Arikki encounters Maheshwari from a rival neighboring village amid longstanding inter-village feuds, igniting a romance complicated by her protective brother and family opposition.[6][7] Comedic mishaps escalate as Arikki's gang kidnaps Ilango's sister—stemming from a friend's infatuation—triggering accusations of theft and broader village confrontations rooted in disputes like temple ownership.[4][6] Arikki's persistent wooing, including pressuring Maheshwari to reciprocate, leads to her arranged wedding being disrupted in a chaotic rescue, culminating in their marriage through his demonstrated initiative amid the fallout of prior recklessness.[4][7]Cast and Characters
Casting Process
Director A. Sarkunam selected Vimal for the lead role of Arivazhagan (Arikki) following Vimal's supporting performance as the rough-edged Meenakshi Sundaram in Pasanga (2009), which demonstrated the raw, unrefined vitality essential for portraying a boisterous rural youth.[1][8] Vimal, a longtime acquaintance of Sarkunam who had known the film's storyline for approximately six years prior, viewed Kalavani as his opportunity for a lead debut, prioritizing the project's authentic village-centric narrative over immediate stardom.[8] For the female lead of Maheshwari, Sarkunam cast debutante Oviya after conducting auditions, selecting her to embody the fresh, unassuming charm of a village belle, a decision that aligned with the film's emphasis on natural, non-glamorous rural archetypes.[9] This choice of a newcomer underscored Sarkunam's strategy to avoid polished commercial faces, fostering genuine on-screen chemistry verifiable in subsequent actor reflections on the organic audition-to-role pipeline.[9] Supporting roles, including comedic and authoritative figures like those played by Thirumurugan and Ilavarasu, were assigned to seasoned character actors from Tamil cinema's ensemble tradition, ensuring verisimilitude in depicting village dynamics without relying on high-profile talent.[10] The production's shoestring budget further necessitated these low-key selections, enabling unforced performances that critics later attributed to the deliberate avoidance of star-driven expectations.[11][12]Key Roles
Arikki (Arivazhagan) serves as the protagonist, depicted as a directionless youth in a rural Tamil village who engages in habitual idleness and minor disruptions, such as failing to pursue steady employment or education productively. His initial lack of purpose establishes the baseline inertia disrupted by romantic involvement, compelling him to navigate village disputes and personal growth to secure familial and communal stability.[13][1] Maheshwari functions as the catalyst for interpersonal and inter-village dynamics, introduced as an outsider from a rival community whose presence sparks Arikki's pursuit amid longstanding territorial animosities, particularly over shared religious sites. Her role underscores tensions arising from cross-village alliances, which force confrontations rooted in local customs of loyalty and exclusion.[13][6] Supporting figures include Ramasamy and Lakshmi, Arikki's parents, who embody parental authority and economic pressures in agrarian settings, pressuring their son toward responsibility while mediating family decisions within village hierarchies. Antagonistic elements, such as leaders from the opposing village, represent entrenched rivalries over resources like temples, reflecting documented patterns of factional disputes and kinship-based allegiances in rural Tamil Nadu communities during the early 2010s.[14][15]Production
Development
Kalavani originated as the directorial debut of A. Sarkunam, who crafted the screenplay inspired by authentic rural Tamil Nadu narratives, emphasizing village dynamics over conventional urban comedy formulas.[16] Sarkunam completed the script prior to production, drawing from observational elements of rural life to infuse the story with grounded humor derived from interpersonal and communal conflicts typical of such settings.[17] This approach prioritized organic character interactions and local folklore influences, avoiding contrived plot devices prevalent in mainstream Tamil cinema at the time. The project secured independent financing from producer Nazir under the Sherali Films banner, with a reported budget of around ₹1.5 crore, enabling a low-cost production focused on regional authenticity rather than high-commercial elements.[18] This modest funding model, typical of early 2010s independent Tamil ventures, minimized external pressures and allowed Sarkunam to maintain creative control, fostering a portrayal of economic self-reliance and stagnation in rural economies without major studio oversight.[19] Pre-production refinements addressed initial pacing concerns in the script drafts, shifting emphasis toward empirical depictions of village disputes for comedic effect, which contributed to the film's distinctive tone upon its 2010 release.[20] The absence of large-scale corporate involvement preserved the causal linkages between characters' motivations and their socio-economic contexts, aligning with Sarkunam's vision for unfiltered rural realism.Filming and Locations
Principal photography for Kalavani commenced in late 2009 and extended into early 2010, primarily in rural villages surrounding Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, including Mannargudi and adjacent agricultural areas.[21] These sites were chosen for their authentic topography—featuring paddy fields, temple vicinities, and village clusters—that mirrored the narrative's depiction of inter-village rivalries centered on a local temple, enabling on-location shooting to capture unpolished rural dynamics without constructed sets.[21][20] The production adopted a low-budget approach emphasizing naturalism, utilizing real village environments and local residents as extras to evoke the gritty, everyday texture of Tamil Nadu's agrarian life, diverging from the stylized urban aesthetics common in contemporary Tamil cinema.[22] Logistical constraints in these remote areas, such as limited access and variable monsoon conditions, necessitated flexible scheduling, though specific delays were not publicly detailed by the filmmakers. This fidelity to unadorned locales contributed to the film's post-release acclaim for its relatable portrayal of village existence, as evidenced by audience resonance that propelled its commercial viability despite modest resources.[15]Soundtrack
Composition and Recording
The soundtrack for Kalavani was composed by S. S. Kumaran, who crafted a score emphasizing rustic folk influences to complement the film's portrayal of village life in Tamil Nadu's Madurai region.[23] Tracks incorporated traditional rural rhythms and melodies, such as the folk-tinged "Ooradangum Samathula," avoiding polished urban orchestration in favor of authentic, grounded tonality that enhanced narrative tension in romantic and comedic sequences.[23] This approach drew on regional musical heritage, prioritizing simplicity and locality over elaborate production to evoke the story's causal dynamics of dispute and affection in a pastoral setting.[24] Recording sessions occurred in Chennai studios during early 2010, yielding a compact album of seven tracks completed ahead of the film's June 25 theatrical release.[25] Kumaran collaborated with vocalists including Harish Raghavendra and Madhumita, focusing on live instrumentation to capture unrefined, dialect-infused expressions reflective of the characters' socioeconomic context, though specific studio details remain undocumented in primary accounts.[24] The process adhered to modest budgetary constraints typical of independent Tamil productions at the time, emphasizing qualitative folk authenticity over expansive ensemble recordings.[23]Track Listing and Reception
The soundtrack of Kalavani, composed by S. S. Kumaran and featuring lyrics primarily by Na. Muthukumar, consists of seven tracks that emphasize rustic folk elements reflective of the film's village setting, including themes of rural romance, migration dreams, and communal life.[23]| No. | Title | Singers | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oru Murai Iru Murai | Harish Raghavendra, Madhumita, Srimathi | 3:44 |
| 2 | Pada Pada Padavena | Yash Golcha | 1:15 |
| 3 | Peancha Mazhai | A. Devendran | 1:35 |
| 4 | Sinthaiyiley | V. V. Prasanna | N/A |
| 5 | Dubaikku Poga Porene | Rahim | N/A |
| 6 | Edakku Madakku | S. S. Kumaran | N/A |
| 7 | Ooradangum Samathiley | Senthilvelan | N/A |
