Kannathil Muthamittal
| Kannathil Muthamittal | |
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| Directed by | Mani Ratnam |
| Produced by | Mani Ratnam G. Srinivasan |
| Written by | Mani Ratnam Sujatha |
| Starring | R. Madhavan Simran Bagga Nandita Das P. S. Keerthana Prakash Raj |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
| Cinematography | Ravi K. Chandran |
| Distributed by | Madras Talkies |
| Release date(s) | February 14, 2002 |
| Running time | 130 mins |
| Language | Tamil |
| IMDb profile | |
Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek) (2002) is an award-winning Tamil feature film directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars P. S. Keerthana, Madhavan, Simran, Nandita Das and Prakash Raj. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by A. R. Rahman. The film's title is a famous phrase from a poem written by Subramanya Bharathy, which literally means a peck on the cheek. Through the eyes of a child of Sri Lankan Tamil parentage, who desires to meet her biological mother, Mani Ratnam explores war-ravaged Sri Lanka.
The film premiered at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival, and was selected as India's official entry to the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It also received a strong reception when screened at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2003.
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Plot
Thiruchelvan (Madhavan), an engineer and writer by occupation, and Indra (Simran), a TV Newsreader, live in Chennai, Tamil Nadu with their three children, the eldest of whom is Amudha (P. S. Keerthana). Amudha is surrounded by love, a secure family and many friends. However, on her 9th birthday, she is told by her father that she was adopted at birth. She further learns that her mother was displaced by the war in Sri Lanka just before giving birth, and the current whereabouts of her mother Shyama (Nandita Das) and her father Dileepan (J.D Chakravarthy) are unknown. Amudha is intent on finding her biological parents, eventually convincing her adopted parents to take her to war torn Sri Lanka. With the help of a friendly guide, Dr. Wikramesinghe, (Prakash Raj) their quest takes them to the North East, where they bear witness to the harsh realities of the ongoing conflict on the island.
Awards
The film has won the following awards since its release:
2003 Jerusalem Film Festival (Jerusalem)
- Won - In Spirit for Freedom Award - Best Feature - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
2003 Los Angeles Indian Film Festival (USA)
- Won - Audience Award - Best Feature Film - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
2003 National Film Awards (India)
- Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Audiography - A.S. Laxmi Narayanan
- Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Editing - A. Sreekar Prasad
- Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Child Artist - P. S. Keerthana
- Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Music Direction - A. R. Rahman
- Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Lyricist - Vairamuthu
- Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Regional Film (Tamil) - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
2004 RiverRun International Film Festival (USA)
- Won - Audience Award - Best Feature - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
2004 Film Fest New Haven (USA)
- Won - Special Award - Achievement Award - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
- Won - Jury Award - Features (International) - First Place Winner - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
- Won - Audience Award - Feature (International) - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
2004 Westchester Film Festival (USA)
- Won - Best International Film - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
2003 Zimbabwe International Film Festival (Zimbabwe)
- Won - Best Picture - Kannathil Muthamittal - Mani Ratnam
Music
| Kannathil Muthamittal: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
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| Soundtrack by A. R. Rahman | ||
| Released | February 4, 2002 | |
| Genre | Soundtrack | |
| Length | 32:14 | |
| Label | TIPS | |
| Producer(s) | A. R. Rahman | |
Kannathil Muthamittal: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The film soundtrack features score and 6 songs composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Vairamuthu.
Track listing:
- "Vellai Pookal" (5:05) – A. R. Rahman
- "Sundari" (4:39) – Hariharan, Tippu, Sujatha, Karthik, Madhumitha
- "Kannathil Muthamittal" (6:24) – Chinmayi, P. Jayachandran
- "Signore Signore" (3:22) – Raafique, Noel, Anupama, Swarnalatha
- "Vidai Kodu Engal Naadae" (6:16) – M. S. Viswanathan, Balram, Febi, A. R. Rehana
- "Kannathil Muthamittal" (6:28) – P. Jayachandran
The soundtrack was released in 2002 along with the release of the film to acclaim, and quickly became popular. The score and soundtrack of the film fetched A. R. Rahman his fourth National Film Award for Best Music Direction and another National Film Award for Best Lyrics for lyricist Vairamuthu.
Trivia
- Siddharth Narayan worked as an assistant director for this film.
- The British actress Shefali Chowdhury and Siddharth Narayan appear in uncredited roles.
External link
Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983) • Unaru (1985) • Pagal Nilavu (1985) • Idaya Kovil (1985) • Mouna Raagam (1986) • Nayagan (1987) • Agni Natchathiram (1988) • Geethanjali (1989) • Anjali (1990) • Thalapathi (1991) • Roja (1992) • Thiruda Thiruda (1993) • Bombay (1995) • Iruvar (1997) • Dil Se (1998) • Alaipayuthey (2000) • Kannathil Muthamittal (2002) • Aayitha Ezhuthu (2004) • Yuva (2004) • Guru (2007) • Lajjo (2008)
