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The film was officially announced in February 2023 under the tentative title ''Karthi 27'', as it is the actor's 27th film as a lead actor, and the official title was announced the following May. [[Principal photography]] commenced in November 2023 and was predominantly shot in [[Chennai]] and [[Kodambakkam]] before [[Wrap (filmmaking)|wrapping]] by late-February 2024. The film has music composed by [[Govind Vasantha]], cinematography handled by Mahendiran Jayaraju and editing by R. Govindraj.
The film was officially announced in February 2023 under the tentative title ''Karthi 27'', as it is the actor's 27th film as a lead actor, and the official title was announced the following May. [[Principal photography]] commenced in November 2023 and was predominantly shot in [[Chennai]] and [[Kodambakkam]] before [[Wrap (filmmaking)|wrapping]] by late-February 2024. The film has music composed by [[Govind Vasantha]], cinematography handled by Mahendiran Jayaraju and editing by R. Govindraj.


''Meiyazhagan'' released worldwide on 27 September 2024 and received critical acclaim, with critics who praised the lead cast's performances (especially Karthi and Aravind Swamy), storyline, Govind Vasantha's background score, emotional scenes and Premkumar's screenplay and direction.
''Meiyazhagan'' released worldwide on 27 September 2024 and received critical acclaim, with critics who praised the lead cast's performances (especially Karthi and Aravind Swamy), storyline, Govind Vasantha's background score, emotional scenes and Premkumar's screenplay and direction.<ref>{{cite news |title=Satyam Sundaram Review: సత్యం సుందరం రివ్యూ - కార్తి, అర‌వింద్ స్వామి మూవీ ఎలా ఉందంటే? |url=https://telugu.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/karthi-arvind-swamy-satyam-sundaram-movie-telugu-review-and-rating-meiyazhagan-121727488171457.html |access-date=28 September 2024 |publisher=Hindustan Times Telugu}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==

Revision as of 03:19, 5 October 2024

Meiyazhagan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byC. Prem Kumar
Written byC. Prem Kumar
Produced byJyothika
Suriya
Starring
CinematographyMahendiran Jayaraju
Edited byR. Govindraj
Music byGovind Vasantha
Production
company
Distributed bySakthi Film Factory
Release date
  • 27 September 2024 (2024-09-27)
Running time
178 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Budget₹35 crore[2]
Box officeest. ₹40.30 crore[3]

Meiyazhagan (transl. Man of true beauty) is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language drama film[1] written and directed by C. Prem Kumar. It is produced by Jyothika and Suriya under 2D Entertainment. The film stars Karthi in the titular role, alongside Arvind Swamy, Rajkiran, Sri Divya, Devadarshini, Jayaprakash, Sriranjani, Ilavarasu, Karunakaran and Saran Shakthi.[4]

The film was officially announced in February 2023 under the tentative title Karthi 27, as it is the actor's 27th film as a lead actor, and the official title was announced the following May. Principal photography commenced in November 2023 and was predominantly shot in Chennai and Kodambakkam before wrapping by late-February 2024. The film has music composed by Govind Vasantha, cinematography handled by Mahendiran Jayaraju and editing by R. Govindraj.

Meiyazhagan released worldwide on 27 September 2024 and received critical acclaim, with critics who praised the lead cast's performances (especially Karthi and Aravind Swamy), storyline, Govind Vasantha's background score, emotional scenes and Premkumar's screenplay and direction.[5]

Plot

In 1996, Arulmozhi Varman "Arul", bid farewell to his hometown, Thanjavur, after his ancestral house was partitioned among relatives. With a heavy heart, Arul, his father Arivudai Nambi, a school teacher, mother Valliyammal "Valli" and younger brother relocated to Madras.

Twenty-two years later, in 2018, Arul's younger cousin Bhuvaneshwari "Bhuvana" invited him to her wedding. Unable to decline, Arul plans to attend the reception ceremony in Needamangalam, intending to depart immediately after the reception. Arul takes a train to Thanjavur where he visits his ancestral home, making him nostalgic. Upon seeing his ancestral home, Arul decides to purchase their rented residence in Chennai and shares the idea with his wife, Hema. During his bus journey to Needamangalam, Arul meets a conductor Jagadeesan (Jaggu), a former student of his father who drops Arul near the Needamangalam Railway gate, from where the marriage hall is within walking distance. At the marriage hall, Arul reunites with Sudalamuthu (Sokku mama), who is overcome with emotion upon learning that Arivudai Nambi and Valli haven't come. Arul becomes saddened by his cousin Latha's tale of her troubled marriage and her regrets about not marrying him.

Arul meets an unfamiliar relative with a contagious, childlike smile and infectious enthusiasm who affectionately calls Arul, "Athaan" (transl. 'Aunt's son/ Cousin' or 'elder sister's husband/ Brother-in-law'), but Arul doesn't recollect him. The relative helps Arul settle into the marriage hall and also dine together. Initially, Arul finds him bothersome, providing the wrong phone number to distance himself. However, the relative persists, even speaking with Hema. Neither Arul nor Hema muster the courage to ask about his identity. Arul gifts Bhuvana, the bride, a beautiful gold present, and their heartfelt reunion touches everyone in the marriage hall, while Bhuvana's groom, Giridharan, also acknowledges her deep affection for Arul. Despite Bhuvana's pleas, Arul clandestinely leaves the reception with the mysterious relative, intending to depart without attending the morning ceremony. However the relative deliberately delays Arul thereby encouraging him to stay overnight. When Arul seeks a place to stay, the relative invites him home, citing the poor quality of local hotels.

Arul meets Nandhini, the relative's wife, and after a shower, they share drinks. In the backyard, the relative proudly introduces Arul to his Kangeyam Bull, a veteran of Jallikattu competitions. Seeing, him affectionately refer to the bull as his "brother" Arul becomes surprised. Nandhini warns them about cobras in the dark, but her husband reassures her, showing no fear, referring to the snakes as harmless "fellows". Arul's mysterious relative shows him his old bicycle, left behind in Thanjavur. The bicycle holds sentimental value, as the mysterious relative's father, Santhanam, used it to sell sarees and has also been their family's reliable mode of transportation, earning its place as a cherished "god" in their household. Arul turns overjoyed seeing his bicycle being meticulously maintained and they both stroll to the Vennaaru dam. There, Nandhini's husband shares the news of his impending parenthood and plans to name their child "Arulmozhi". This revelation further deepens Arul's emotional connection and guilt for not knowing his relative's name.

In a heartfelt, inebriated conversation, Nandhini's husband speaks proudly of their Chola heritage and the Battle of Venni at Kovilvenni and laments the exclusion of their history from school curricula and further expresses sorrow for Tamil martyrs in the Sri Lankan Civil War and Thoothukudi violence. Upon returning home, Nandhini's husband requests Arul to forgive those who deceitfully squandered his property and also asks Arul to address him by his name the next morning. Arul moved by his selfless nature and overwhelmed with guilt for not knowing his name, Arul slips away before dawn. En route back to Thanjavur, he recollects Kovilvenni and makes an impromptu visit, and while sitting there peacefully he reflects on his journey.

On reaching Chennai, Arul's silence concerns Hema, for which he shares his emotional encounter with the unknown relative, expressing regret for not knowing his name despite the pure love and care shown, thereby exclaiming that, that's how a person should be. Arul begins preparing to purchase the house but faces a shortfall of ₹25 lakhs, for which he fortunately gets assistance. Arul's daughter, Jhanvi, recognizing her father's emotional connection in his journey, discovers a card with the relative's phone number, makes a call, and hands the phone to Arul. Without hesitation, Nandhini's husband offers the remaining ₹25 lakhs for Arul's house. Touched, Arul musters some courage to inquire about his identity. Hearing this Nandhini's husband bursts into tears understanding that Arul had forgotten him. But, he subtly begins providing clues, leading Arul to recall the nickname "Potato," which he had affectionately given him.

As memories flood back, Arul refrains from revealing his discovery over the phone, but instead, rushes to Needamangalam, stopping at the temple to request a special offering through the flower vendor, whom he had met earlier. Finally, he arrives at Nandhini's house, exclaiming, "Open the door Meiyazhaga!" The door swung open, revealing the unnamed relative, now identified as Meiyazhagan.

Cast

  • Karthi as Meiyazhagan
  • Arvind Swamy as Arulmozhi Varman "Arul"
  • Sri Divya as Nandhini, Meiyazhagan's wife
  • Rajkiran as Sudalamuthu (Sokku mama)
  • Devadarshini as Hema, Arul's wife
  • Swathi Konde as Bhuvaneshwari "Bhuvana", Arul's cousin
  • Jayaprakash as Arivudai Nambi, Arul's father
  • Sriranjani as Valliyammal "Valli", Arul's mother
  • Ilavarasu as Ekambaram, a caterer
  • Karunakaran as Jagadeesh (Jaggu), a bus conductor
  • Raichal Rabecca as a flower vendor
  • Merku Thodarchi Malai Antony as Santhanam, Meiyazhagan's father
  • Rajkumar as Giridharan, Bhuvana's fiance
  • Indumathy Manikandan as Latha
  • Rani Samyuktha
  • Kayal Subramani
  • Ashok Pandian as Bhuvana's father
  • Vetrivel Raja as a travel agent
  • Tamilmani.D
  • M. S. Bhaskar as a jallikattu commentator (cameo appearance)

Production

Development

Following five years since the release of '96 in 2023, C. Prem Kumar was reported to collaborate with Karthi for his upcoming directorial.[6] Production would reportedly begin after the actor completed filming for Japan (2023) and 2D Entertainment, headed by Suriya and Jyothika, were reported to produce the venture.[7][8] That July, cinematographer P. C. Sreeram confirmed the project. Including his inclusion, he also announced the inclusion of Govind Vasantha and Arvind Swamy.[9] However, on 24 May 2024, Sreeram was revealed to have been replaced by Mahendiran Jayaraju due to reasons unknown. In addition to Mahendiran, editor R. Govindraj, production designer Rajeevan, art director S. Ayyappan and costume designer Subhashree Kaarthik Vijay were revealed. The film's official title, Meiyazhagan, was announced the same day.[10]

Filming

Principal photography began with an inaugural puja ceremony on 9 November 2023 in Chennai, while the first schedule commenced on 17 November 2023 in Kodambakkam.[11] Filming was wrapped by 24 February 2024.[12]

Music

The music and background score is composed by Govind Vasantha, in his second collaboration with Prem Kumar and Karthi after '96 and Thambi (2019) respectively. The complete album was released on 31 August 2024.[13]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Poraen Naa Poraen"Uma DeviVijay Narain, Kamal Haasan5:05
2."Delta Kalyanam"Karthik NethaVM Mahalingam, Senthil Ganesh, Govind Vasantha3:34
3."Oor Manney"Karthik NethaVijay Prakash6:28
4."Yaaro Ivan Yaaro"Uma DeviKamal Hassan4:03
5."Veri"Karthik NethaVM Mahalingam, Aruna4:17
6."Arul Mei"Karthik NethaGovind Vasantha3:59
Total length:26:07

Release

Theatrical

Meiyazhagan released worldwide on 27 September 2024.[14]

Home media

The satellite and digital rights of the film were acquired by Netflix and Vijay TV.[15]

Reception

Critical response

Meiyazhagan received critical acclaim, with critics who praised the lead cast's performances (especially Karthi and Aravind Swamy), storyline, Govind Vasantha's background score, emotional scenes and Premkumar's screenplay and direction.[16]

Gopinath Rajendran of OTTPlay gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Meiyazhagan is a film that truly holds the meaning of beauty in each of its frames. Brimming with emotions that get hard to put into words, Karthi and Arvind Swamy brilliantly shoulder the film with their simple yet nuanced performances. There is enough meat to chew, but Prem Kumar serves you with a neatly told narrative, very much like how the delicacies are served on the banana leaf in the delta kalyanam Arulmozhi and the relative visits."[17] Sudhir Srinivasan of Cinema Express gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Meiyazhagan is a sweet, sensitive film. It’s a story about stories, about forgotten memories and quiet reflections".[18]

M. Suganth of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Despite the potential for overblown melodrama inherent in the plot, in Meiyazhagan, Prem Kumar goes for a tone that’s somewhere between melancholy and heartwarming."[19] Kaushik Rajaraman of DT Next gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Karthi's innocence and Arvind Swami's many emotions make us sit through this emotional roller coaster. Govind Vasantha has done his part really well with playing along with the story and the emotions of characters we meet. The live sync sound takes us closer to the landscape along with Mahendhiran Jayaraju's visuals. Meiyazhagan is beautiful in it's own way and will pull the family audience to theatres."[20]

Reviewing the Telugu version Sathyam Sundaram, 123Telugu.com gave the film 3.25 stars out of 5, calling it a "heartfelt drama about human relationships" and praising the language localization from Tamil to Telugu visible in signboards, banners as well as the opening and closing credits, which made it feel like an original Telugu film.[21]

References

  1. ^ a b "Meiyazhagan". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024. A man's life is changed when he bumps into someone from his hometown in this moving Tamil-language drama; gentle scenes are occasionally punctuated by sporting threat and recollections of violence.
  2. ^ "Meiyazhagan Box Office Collection Day 1: Strong Opening For Karthi And Arvind Swamy's Tamil Movie". English Jagran. 28 September 2024. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  3. ^ "'Meiyazhagan' box office collection day 1: Karthi and Aravind Swamy starrer gets a solid start". The Times of India. 27 September 2024. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Meiyazhagan Budget: Day 8 Box Office Collection And Hit Or Flop". Film Guru. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Satyam Sundaram Review: సత్యం సుందరం రివ్యూ - కార్తి, అర‌వింద్ స్వామి మూవీ ఎలా ఉందంటే?". Hindustan Times Telugu. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  6. ^ "96 director Prem Kumar roped in for Karthi's next, film to commence in a few months". India Today. 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Karthi to shoot for a new film with director Prem Kumar after 'Japan'". The Times of India. 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Karthi to do a film with 96' director Premkumar?". Cinema Express. 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Karthi And Arvind Swamy To Appear Onscreen For 1st Time In '96 Director Premkumar's Next". News18. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Karthi 27 titled Meiyazhagan". Cinema Express. 24 May 2024. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Karthi 27: Karthi's upcoming film goes on floors; touted to be family drama". OTTPlay. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  12. ^ "It's a wrap for Karthi 27". Cinema Express. 24 February 2024. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Karthi-Aravind Swami's Meiyazhagan full audio jukebox out". Cinema Express. 1 September 2024. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Karthi's 'Meiyazhagan,' directed by Prem Kumar, gets a release date". The Hindu. 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Meiyazhagan OTT partner: Karthi and Arvind Swamy's film to stream on this platform after theatrical run". OTTplay. 26 September 2024. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  16. ^ "'Meiyazhagan' box office collection day 1: Karthi and Aravind Swamy starrer gets a solid start". The Times of India. 28 September 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  17. ^ Rajendran, Gopinath (27 September 2024). "Meiyazhagan Movie Review: Arvind Swamy and Karthi's standout performances celebrate this emotional drama of longing, homecoming, and roots". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Meiyazhagan Movie Review: This conversation film swells with vulnerability and emotion". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  19. ^ "Meiyazhagan Movie Review: An affecting, if slightly overlong, emotional drama". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  20. ^ Rajaraman, Kaushik (25 September 2024). "Meiyazhagan review: This Karthi-Arvind Swami starrer is high on emotions and values". DT Next. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Review: Karthi's Sathyam Sundaram – Simple story, strong emotions". 123Telugu.com. One of the film's technical achievements is its seamless adaptation from Tamil to Telugu. The attention to detail – from signboards to banners and even the opening and closing credits—is impeccable, making it feel like a straight Telugu film. [...] On the whole, Sathyam Sundaram is a heartfelt drama about human relationships.
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