Chandramukhi
Encyclopedia
Chandramukhi is a 2005
India
n horror
, comedy
and drama film
directed by P. Vasu
and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan
. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu. The soundtrack and background score for the film, which later became successful enough to be released as a separate album, was composed by Vidyasagar
. The film was distributed by Sivaji Productions
.
The film starred Rajinikanth in the lead role, making Chandramukhi his "come back" film after the controversy regarding his previous film Baba
. The title role was played by Jyothika Saravanan
while Prabhu Ganesan
and Nayantara
were also given lead roles. Vadivelu
, Nassar
, K. R. Vijaya
, Vijayakumar, Vinaya Prasad
, Sonu Sood
, Vineeth
and Malavika
were given supporting roles. It was released on 14 April 2005 (India), coinciding with Tamil New Year, to become the largest opening in Tamil cinema
at the time.
Following its original release, Chandramukhi was successful enough to be released in several other languages. It was subsequently dubbed into Telugu
and released on 14 April 2005 with the same title. The Telugu film is followed by Nagavalli
. Later on, it became the first ever Tamil film to be dubbed into German
and it was released in several German-speaking countries as Der Geisterjäger (lit. The Ghost Hunters). On 29 February 2008, producer A. M. Rathnam
dubbed and released the film in Hindi, despite Bhool Bhulaiyaa
, the Bollywood
remake of Manichithrathazhu, being already released on 12 October 2007. The film was also dubbed in Bhojpuri with the title Chandramukhi Ke Hunkaar.
As of 25 June 2007, it became the longest ever running South Indian film, and still holds this record, completing 891 days at Shanthi Theater in Chennai
, passing the record of the 1944 devotional film, Haridas
.
n-American
psychiatrist
coming to India on vacation. He meets up with his friend and foster brother, Senthilnathan (Prabhu Ganesan
), and his wife, Ganga (Jyothika Saravanan
). Senthil and Saravanan's mother Kasturi (K. R. Vijaya
) wanted Senthil to marry his paternal aunt, Akhilandeshwari's (Sheela
) eldest niece Priya (Malavika
), daughter of Kandaswamy (Nasser) to reunite the two families after 30 years of separation. They separated because their father was supposed to marry his intimidating older cousin, Akhilandeshwari, who is the bachelorette family head of her late parents' family, and Priya's paternal aunt and foster mother. However he marries Kasturi. Saravanan learns that they have bought the Vettayapuram Palace, despite a fear of the place and attempts by the elders to dissuade them. Saravanan moves in with them. Akhilandeshwari is jealous of Saravanan and with her assistant, (Sonu Sood
) she tries to destroy Saravanan.
When they go to a temple, a priest reveals why everyone is frightened. When King Vettayan lived in the palace, he took a trip to Andhra Pradesh
and met the dancer Chandramukhi, instantly falling in love with her beauty. However, she would not return his love because her heart was already set on the dancer Gunasekaran. Vettayan kidnapped her and brought her back to his palace. Chandramukhi, without letting the king know, had Gunasekaran stay in a nearby house. When the king found out, he killed Gunasekaran on Durgashtami and burned Chandramukhi alive. Chandramukhi's spirit continued to remain in the palace so as to take revenge on the king. Legend had it that her soul was locked up in the southern room along with a king cobra. Shortly afterward, Saravanan helps Priya with her love affair with their neighbour, dance professor Viswanathan (Vineeth
), and persuades her parents and aunt to speak with him to arrange their marriage.
When Ganga learns of Chandramukhi's story, she wants to go to Chandramukhi's room because she thinks that this story was made up to scare thieves from stealing costly treasures which she believes is in Chandramukhi's room. She gets the key and opens the door. Subsequently, strange things begin happening in the household: a ghost is scaring the people in the house, things are inexplicably breaking, and Ganga's sari catches on fire. Suspicion turns towards Durga (Nayantara
), the gardener's granddaughter. Senthil calls Saravanan for help with the mysterious events. The night Saravanan returned , a mysterious being made an attempt to kill Priya. As someone tries to kill Senthil, once with poison, and another time by pushing a fish tank a mysterious voice sings in the middle of the night, and Saravanan tries to figure out what's happening. The night of Priya and Viswanathan's wedding reception, Ganga mysteriously disappears from the canopy. When Saravanan notices he goes to look for her. But he ends up almost getting killed by the goon sent by Akhilandeshwari for arranging her niece's marriage. He knocks the goon out, and with Senthil's help, they find Ganga, supposedly being sexually harassed by Viswanathan. Saravanan then informs Senthil and Viswanathan that Ganga has split personality of Ganga and Chandramukhi. The reason she tried to kill Priya and Senthil, and frame Viswanathan for sexual harassment was because in Chandramukhi's eyes, Viswanathan is her lover Gunasekaran, who looks just like him. The only way to stop it is to make her believe Saravanan is dead. This is because Chandramukhi was killed by King Vettayan, who looked just like him. Then Saravanan says that he will act as the king and let Chandramukhi kill him and get Chandramukhi out of Ganga's body, with the help of world-renown exorcist Ramachandra Acharya. The reason he will sacrifice his life is because he looks just like the king and he went up to Chandramukhi's room and she saw him. Akhilandeshwari hears his idea, realising that she was wrong to try to destroy Saravanan and begs him for forgiveness. Later, in the dance hall, the family and Ramachandra Acharya did what Saravanan asked them to do. They let Chandramukhi pour oil on him so she can burn him alive and when she lights the match, Ramachandra Acharya blows the smoke and ash in her face. Then Senthil opens a trapdoor to let Saravanan fall down and a cardboard figure of him gets burnt. Chandramukhi thinks that the king is dead and leaves Ganga's body. Ganga is cured. After 30 years of separation, the two families are reunited. Saravanan and Durga have a love affair and she went with him. And finally, Swarna and Murugesh (Vadivelu
) are parents after 8 years of marriage.
was signed up for a significant role in the film and was asked by the producers not to divulge on the role to the media. In November 2004, Simran left the project as her role required a lot of dancing and it would be risky for the pregnant actress to play it on screen. After reports that Sadha
or Reemma Sen were being considered as replacements, Jyothika was signed on and immediately gave fifty days of her schedule for the film.
, as like most other films by Sivaji Productions
. The producer, Ramkumar Ganesan
claimed that it would be start-to-finish project wrapped up by February 15 giving them two months to complete the post production work which would involve special effects. The film began its schedules two days later with a fight scene filmed at Ramavaram in Chennai with the use of over twenty vehicles. Shooting progressed in February 2005 in Hyderabad with a song being shot, and Vasu revaling that the film had only taken 78 days to complete instead of the planned 120 days. After the audio launch, Rajinikanth and Nayantara with the crew shot a song in Turkey
, becoming the first such Tamil film to do so. The song 'Athinthom' was shot at a Mysore palace
.
film Manichithrathazhu was consecutively remade in several other languages and still found success in the respective regional cinemas. Chandramukhi is the second remake of Manichithrathazhu after the Kannada
version, Aaptamitra
, which was also directed by P. Vasu
. The Tamil version was dubbed into Telugu with the same title. Rajmohol
(2005) in Bengali
and Bhool Bhulaiyaa
(2008) in Hindi followed later on. Below is a character map of the lead characters in the story of Manichithrathazhu and its remakes.
, who wrote the story for Manichithrathazhu; instead the story was credited to the director P. Vasu
himself. The same controversy happened in Vasu's Apthamitra. Vasu however stated that the script was revised and was different from the original, although very slightly. The problem however was taken seriously for Priyadarshan
's Bhool Bhulaiyaa
as its script followed the original and thus, Muttam was credited.
, which is currently being made, has been proposed by P. Vasu
, who also directed the sequel to Apthamitra, titled Aptharakshaka. In 2008, Vasu recited the script of the film to Rajinikanth, who initially expressed desire to take up the same dual role as Dr. Saravanan and Vettaiyan. However, in 2010, it was reported that Rajinikanth suggested Ajith Kumar
to do the dual lead role. Sameera Reddy
was also rumoured to have been approached for a role in the film.
A sequel to Chandramukhi in Telugu
is made in the same language as Nagavalli
, and has been proposed by P. Vasu
starring Venkatesh Daggubati
in the lead along with Anushka Shetty
, Richa Gangopadhyay
, Shraddha Das
, Poonam Kaur
, and Kamalinee Mukherjee
.
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
and drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan
Ramkumar Ganesan
Ramkumar Ganesan is a Tamil film producer. Born in Tamil Nadu, India, he is the eldest son of Sivaji Ganesan and the older brother of Tamil actor Prabhu Ganesan, Shanti and Thenmozhi. He is the head of Sivaji Productions, a film productions company that has produced movies including the blockbuster...
. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu. The soundtrack and background score for the film, which later became successful enough to be released as a separate album, was composed by Vidyasagar
Vidyasagar
Vidyasagar may refer to:People*Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the Bengali scholar *Acharya Vidyasagar, the prominent Digambar Jain Acharya *Vidyasagar , the South Indian music directorOther...
. The film was distributed by Sivaji Productions
Sivaji Productions
Sivaji Productions is a film distributing and producing company of Tamil and Hindi language films.- History :Sivaji Productions company is owned by Prabhu Ganesan and his brother Ramkumar Ganesan. It is named after their father, the thespian Sivaji Ganesan...
.
The film starred Rajinikanth in the lead role, making Chandramukhi his "come back" film after the controversy regarding his previous film Baba
Baba (2002 film)
Baba is a 2002 Tamil fantasy-action film starring and written by Rajinikanth and directed by Suresh Krishna. The film's cast included Manisha Koirala, Vijayakumar, M. N. Nambiar, Goundamani, Sujatha, Karunas, Ashish Vidyarthi, Amrish Puri, Sayaji Shinde and Riyaz Khan...
. The title role was played by Jyothika Saravanan
Jyothika Saravanan
Jyothika Sadanah-Saravanan is a former Indian film actress who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. She also acted in a few Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in Kushi, Perazhagan, Chandramukhi and Mozhi, winning one Filmfare and three...
while Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his...
and Nayantara
Nayantara
Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
were also given lead roles. Vadivelu
Vadivelu
Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
, Nassar
Nassar
Nassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar...
, K. R. Vijaya
K. R. Vijaya
K. R. Vijaya is a popular Indian actress who has starred in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. She started her career in the 1960s. She has been acting for more than four decades now in South Indian cinema. K. R...
, Vijayakumar, Vinaya Prasad
Vinaya Prasad
Vinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag...
, Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood is a former model and Indian actor who has acted in Hindi,, Telugu and Tamil films. A participant in the Mr. India contest, he has appeared in commercials for Apollo Tyres, Airtel etc. In Tollywood he is best known for his role as the antagonist, Pasupathi, in the film...
, Vineeth
Vineeth
Vineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore...
and Malavika
Malavika
Malavika is the stage name of Shweta Konnur , in Bangalore, an Indian actress. She started out as a model for Fair and Lovely and became an actress in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films....
were given supporting roles. It was released on 14 April 2005 (India), coinciding with Tamil New Year, to become the largest opening in Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
at the time.
Following its original release, Chandramukhi was successful enough to be released in several other languages. It was subsequently dubbed into Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
and released on 14 April 2005 with the same title. The Telugu film is followed by Nagavalli
Nagavalli (film)
Nagavalli is a 2010 Telugu horror and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Bellamkonda Suresh. It is a remake of the Kannada movie Aptharakshaka and a sequel to the 2005 Tamil film Chandramukhi, also directed by Vasu, which was dubbed and released in Telugu as well.The film Nagavalli...
. Later on, it became the first ever Tamil film to be dubbed into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and it was released in several German-speaking countries as Der Geisterjäger (lit. The Ghost Hunters). On 29 February 2008, producer A. M. Rathnam
A. M. Rathnam
A. M. Rathnam is a film producer of South Indian cinema from the town Buchi Reddy Palem of nellore Dt, Andhra Pradesh. He has produced several blockbusters under Sri Surya Movies, such as Indian, Kushi, Run, Boys, Enakku 20 Unakku 18, Dhool, Ghilli and 7/G Rainbow Colony, Bangaram. He also...
dubbed and released the film in Hindi, despite Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
, the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
remake of Manichithrathazhu, being already released on 12 October 2007. The film was also dubbed in Bhojpuri with the title Chandramukhi Ke Hunkaar.
As of 25 June 2007, it became the longest ever running South Indian film, and still holds this record, completing 891 days at Shanthi Theater in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, passing the record of the 1944 devotional film, Haridas
Haridas (1944 film)
Haridas is a 1944 Tamil language film directed by Sundar Rao Nadkarni and starring M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar. It holds the record of being the first film to run continuously for 110 weeks at a single theatre.-Production:...
.
Plot
The movie opens with Saravanan (Rajinikanth), an IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
coming to India on vacation. He meets up with his friend and foster brother, Senthilnathan (Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his...
), and his wife, Ganga (Jyothika Saravanan
Jyothika Saravanan
Jyothika Sadanah-Saravanan is a former Indian film actress who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. She also acted in a few Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in Kushi, Perazhagan, Chandramukhi and Mozhi, winning one Filmfare and three...
). Senthil and Saravanan's mother Kasturi (K. R. Vijaya
K. R. Vijaya
K. R. Vijaya is a popular Indian actress who has starred in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. She started her career in the 1960s. She has been acting for more than four decades now in South Indian cinema. K. R...
) wanted Senthil to marry his paternal aunt, Akhilandeshwari's (Sheela
Sheela
Sheela ), is a Malayalam film actress from India. She, along with Prem Nazir, holds the world record for acting in the largest number of films together as heroine and hero. In 2005 she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. She has also...
) eldest niece Priya (Malavika
Malavika
Malavika is the stage name of Shweta Konnur , in Bangalore, an Indian actress. She started out as a model for Fair and Lovely and became an actress in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films....
), daughter of Kandaswamy (Nasser) to reunite the two families after 30 years of separation. They separated because their father was supposed to marry his intimidating older cousin, Akhilandeshwari, who is the bachelorette family head of her late parents' family, and Priya's paternal aunt and foster mother. However he marries Kasturi. Saravanan learns that they have bought the Vettayapuram Palace, despite a fear of the place and attempts by the elders to dissuade them. Saravanan moves in with them. Akhilandeshwari is jealous of Saravanan and with her assistant, (Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood is a former model and Indian actor who has acted in Hindi,, Telugu and Tamil films. A participant in the Mr. India contest, he has appeared in commercials for Apollo Tyres, Airtel etc. In Tollywood he is best known for his role as the antagonist, Pasupathi, in the film...
) she tries to destroy Saravanan.
When they go to a temple, a priest reveals why everyone is frightened. When King Vettayan lived in the palace, he took a trip to Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and met the dancer Chandramukhi, instantly falling in love with her beauty. However, she would not return his love because her heart was already set on the dancer Gunasekaran. Vettayan kidnapped her and brought her back to his palace. Chandramukhi, without letting the king know, had Gunasekaran stay in a nearby house. When the king found out, he killed Gunasekaran on Durgashtami and burned Chandramukhi alive. Chandramukhi's spirit continued to remain in the palace so as to take revenge on the king. Legend had it that her soul was locked up in the southern room along with a king cobra. Shortly afterward, Saravanan helps Priya with her love affair with their neighbour, dance professor Viswanathan (Vineeth
Vineeth
Vineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore...
), and persuades her parents and aunt to speak with him to arrange their marriage.
When Ganga learns of Chandramukhi's story, she wants to go to Chandramukhi's room because she thinks that this story was made up to scare thieves from stealing costly treasures which she believes is in Chandramukhi's room. She gets the key and opens the door. Subsequently, strange things begin happening in the household: a ghost is scaring the people in the house, things are inexplicably breaking, and Ganga's sari catches on fire. Suspicion turns towards Durga (Nayantara
Nayantara
Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
), the gardener's granddaughter. Senthil calls Saravanan for help with the mysterious events. The night Saravanan returned , a mysterious being made an attempt to kill Priya. As someone tries to kill Senthil, once with poison, and another time by pushing a fish tank a mysterious voice sings in the middle of the night, and Saravanan tries to figure out what's happening. The night of Priya and Viswanathan's wedding reception, Ganga mysteriously disappears from the canopy. When Saravanan notices he goes to look for her. But he ends up almost getting killed by the goon sent by Akhilandeshwari for arranging her niece's marriage. He knocks the goon out, and with Senthil's help, they find Ganga, supposedly being sexually harassed by Viswanathan. Saravanan then informs Senthil and Viswanathan that Ganga has split personality of Ganga and Chandramukhi. The reason she tried to kill Priya and Senthil, and frame Viswanathan for sexual harassment was because in Chandramukhi's eyes, Viswanathan is her lover Gunasekaran, who looks just like him. The only way to stop it is to make her believe Saravanan is dead. This is because Chandramukhi was killed by King Vettayan, who looked just like him. Then Saravanan says that he will act as the king and let Chandramukhi kill him and get Chandramukhi out of Ganga's body, with the help of world-renown exorcist Ramachandra Acharya. The reason he will sacrifice his life is because he looks just like the king and he went up to Chandramukhi's room and she saw him. Akhilandeshwari hears his idea, realising that she was wrong to try to destroy Saravanan and begs him for forgiveness. Later, in the dance hall, the family and Ramachandra Acharya did what Saravanan asked them to do. They let Chandramukhi pour oil on him so she can burn him alive and when she lights the match, Ramachandra Acharya blows the smoke and ash in her face. Then Senthil opens a trapdoor to let Saravanan fall down and a cardboard figure of him gets burnt. Chandramukhi thinks that the king is dead and leaves Ganga's body. Ganga is cured. After 30 years of separation, the two families are reunited. Saravanan and Durga have a love affair and she went with him. And finally, Swarna and Murugesh (Vadivelu
Vadivelu
Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
) are parents after 8 years of marriage.
Cast and characters
- Rajinikanth as Dr. Saravanan and King Vettaiyan. The role of Dr. Saravanan is a charismatic and highly social psychiatrist who goes about discovering the problems happening at the mansion and curing Ganga from her mental illness. He later disguises himself as Vettaiyan to trick Chandramukhi and curing Ganga. Rajinikanth's dual role and performance was well acclaimed in the film; it lacked his usual mass appearance as a hero and this time acted very versatile.
- Prabhu GanesanPrabhu GanesanPrabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his...
as Senthilnathan. Senthilnathan is a road contractor who moves to the town of Vettaiyapuram with his wife, Ganga, to buy the Vettaiyapuram Mansion. He married his love interest Ganga abruptly without letting his mother know, when he was already proposed to his cousin, Priya. In fright of Akhilandeswari, they decide to live at the Vettaiyapuram Mansion. He denies rumours that he hears about the haunted household and has no belief in ghosts or other superpowers. In order to possess Viswanathan, who she thinks is her lover Gunasekaran, Chandramukhi tries to kill Senthilnathan twice with no success.
- Jyothika SaravananJyothika SaravananJyothika Sadanah-Saravanan is a former Indian film actress who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. She also acted in a few Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in Kushi, Perazhagan, Chandramukhi and Mozhi, winning one Filmfare and three...
as Ganga Senthilnathan and Chandramukhi. Ganga is found suffering from split personality disorderDissociative identity disorderDissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
, where her second personality is the ghost of Chandramukhi. Ganga has a very curious and mischievous character. Married to Dr. Saravanan's friend Senthilnathan, she unlocks the ancient rooms of Vettaiyan and Chandramukhi, only to find her family with more trouble and having herself turn into the personality of Chandramukhi every often, causing mysterious havoc in the family. The dual roles of Ganga and Chandramukhi was initially given to Simran BaggaSimran BaggaRishibala Naval , better known by her Industry name Simran, is an Indian actress who has predominantly appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. She debuted in Bollywood and acted in several Hindi films, before starring in her first Tamil film V.I.P and her first Telugu film Abbai Gari Pelli in 1997...
, who later opted out of the project because of her pregnancy.
- VadiveluVadiveluVadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
as Murgesan. The clumsy younger brother of Akhilandeswary and Kandaswamy. He is often irritated by Saravanan who occasionally socializes with his wife.
- NayantaraNayantaraNayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors...
as Durga. Durga is the granddaughter of the mansion's gardener, also the love interest of Dr. Saravanan. Her first few encounters with Saravanan went with arguments, as she later had interest in him, also needing his help to prove herself not guilty. She helps out Ganga in her adventure to explore Chandramukhi's room and is later wrongly accused by Senthilnathan and Kandaswamy of causing troubles in the family. When she is informed about Ganga's mental illness by Saravanan, she agrees to take as many blames as possible in order for Ganga to be cured.The role of Durga was initially given to malayalam actress Kavya MadhavanKavya MadhavanKavya Madhavan is an Indian film actress who works in Malayalam cinema. She made her debut in Pookkalam Varavayi as a child artist. In 1999, she became a lead actress in Lal Jose's Chandranudikkunna Dikhil.-Background:...
.
- VineethVineethVineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore...
as Viswanathan and Gunasekaran. Viswanathan is a dance tutor who is also the principle love interest of Priya who let him live in another portion of the mansion. When their love was exposed by Saravanan, it was disliked by Akhilandeswari, who initially disliked the doctor. Viswanathan is looked apon by Chandramukhi as her lover Gunasekaran, who was beheaded by Vettaiyan. Viswanathan disguises as Gunasekaran during the climax when curing Ganga.
- MalavikaMalavikaMalavika is the stage name of Shweta Konnur , in Bangalore, an Indian actress. She started out as a model for Fair and Lovely and became an actress in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films....
as Priya Kandaswamy. Priya is the daughter of Kandaswamy who was mostly raised by her paternal aunt, Akhilandeswari. She was initially proposed for marrying Senthilnathan but her love for Viswanathan was later found out by Saravanan. Priya is also one of Chandramukhi's targets of killing in order to have Viswanthan, who she thinks is Gunasekaran, for herself.
- SheelaSheelaSheela ), is a Malayalam film actress from India. She, along with Prem Nazir, holds the world record for acting in the largest number of films together as heroine and hero. In 2005 she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. She has also...
as Akhilandeswari. The intimidating older sister of Kandaswamy and the bachelorette family head. She is very arrogant who wants things to be done her way. Her characteristics are highlighted when she often shows her dissatisfaction for Saravanan. She initially gets the urge to take revenge on Senthilnathan and Ganga for cheating on Priya and makes everyone live with the couple at the mansion. She tries to get rid of Saravanan through her mute servant whom she refers to as Oomaiyan.
- NassarNassarNassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar...
as Kandaswamy. The brother of Akilandeswary and Murugesan and father of Priya. He initially thinks that Saravanan is actually Senthilnathan, who was his soon-to-be son-in-law, but later he was proven wrong when it was clarified by his sister Akhilandeswari. Kandaswamy accuses Durga for causing problems in the family and also shows arrogance against Saravanan for socializing with his daughter.
- Vinaya PrasadVinaya PrasadVinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag...
as Lakshmi Kandaswamy. The obedient wife of Kandaswamy and mother of Priya.
- Vijayakumar as Thottakaarar. The poor gardener of the Vettaiyapuram Mansion and grandfather to Durga. He advises Senthilnathan about the mansion prior to purchasing, but Senthilnathan refuses to listen.
- K. R. VijayaK. R. VijayaK. R. Vijaya is a popular Indian actress who has starred in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. She started her career in the 1960s. She has been acting for more than four decades now in South Indian cinema. K. R...
as Kasthuri. In a cameo role, veteran actress K. R. Vijaya plays Kasthuri, mother of Senthilnathan. She married Akhilandeswari's in-law which caused a family dispute for nearly 30 years. To end the dispute, she planned on proposing her son Senthilnathan to Akhilandeswari's niece Priya, which also didn't happen.
- Sonu SoodSonu SoodSonu Sood is a former model and Indian actor who has acted in Hindi,, Telugu and Tamil films. A participant in the Mr. India contest, he has appeared in commercials for Apollo Tyres, Airtel etc. In Tollywood he is best known for his role as the antagonist, Pasupathi, in the film...
as Oomaiyan. The mute servant of Akhilandeswari who is always shown giving cunning smiles to himself. He is sent by Akhilandeswari at one point to kill Saravanan, which turns out to be unsuccessful for her.
Development
Soon after, yesteryear actress SheelaSheela
Sheela ), is a Malayalam film actress from India. She, along with Prem Nazir, holds the world record for acting in the largest number of films together as heroine and hero. In 2005 she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. She has also...
was signed up for a significant role in the film and was asked by the producers not to divulge on the role to the media. In November 2004, Simran left the project as her role required a lot of dancing and it would be risky for the pregnant actress to play it on screen. After reports that Sadha
Sadha
Sadhaf Mohammed Syed , better known as Sadha, is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films. Her most notable films include Jayam, Anniyan and Unnale Unnale.-Personal:...
or Reemma Sen were being considered as replacements, Jyothika was signed on and immediately gave fifty days of her schedule for the film.
Filming
The film was launched on October 24, 2004 at Annai Illam, the residence of late Sivaji GanesanSivaji Ganesan
Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar , commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan , was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century. He is one of the most respected film actors in India. He is well known for his versatility and acting skills with...
, as like most other films by Sivaji Productions
Sivaji Productions
Sivaji Productions is a film distributing and producing company of Tamil and Hindi language films.- History :Sivaji Productions company is owned by Prabhu Ganesan and his brother Ramkumar Ganesan. It is named after their father, the thespian Sivaji Ganesan...
. The producer, Ramkumar Ganesan
Ramkumar Ganesan
Ramkumar Ganesan is a Tamil film producer. Born in Tamil Nadu, India, he is the eldest son of Sivaji Ganesan and the older brother of Tamil actor Prabhu Ganesan, Shanti and Thenmozhi. He is the head of Sivaji Productions, a film productions company that has produced movies including the blockbuster...
claimed that it would be start-to-finish project wrapped up by February 15 giving them two months to complete the post production work which would involve special effects. The film began its schedules two days later with a fight scene filmed at Ramavaram in Chennai with the use of over twenty vehicles. Shooting progressed in February 2005 in Hyderabad with a song being shot, and Vasu revaling that the film had only taken 78 days to complete instead of the planned 120 days. After the audio launch, Rajinikanth and Nayantara with the crew shot a song in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, becoming the first such Tamil film to do so. The song 'Athinthom' was shot at a Mysore palace
Soundtrack
The soundtrack consists of 6 songs composed by VidyasagarVidyasagar
Vidyasagar may refer to:People*Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the Bengali scholar *Acharya Vidyasagar, the prominent Digambar Jain Acharya *Vidyasagar , the South Indian music directorOther...
.
| Song Title | Singers |
|---|---|
| "Devuda Devuda" | S. P. Balasubramaniam |
| "Kokku Para Para" | Tippu Tippu (singer) Tippu is a South Indian playback singer who has performed in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu languages. Tippu's original name, as told by him in Koffee with Anu, is Ekambaresh. He is married to playback singers Harini. Tippu did his schooling at St. John's Matriculation Higher Secondary School... , Manicka Vinayagam , Rajalakshmi |
| "Athinthom" | S. P. Balasubramaniam, Vaishali |
| "Konja Neram" | Asha Bhonsle, Madhu Balakrishnan Madhu Balakrishnan Madhu Balakrishnan is an Indian playback singer, who sings in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada languages.-Biography:Madhu Balakrishnan is from Tripunithura, Cochin, Kerala in India. A Graded artist in All India Radio and Doordarshan, he has performed with all major playback singers in Kerala... |
| "Annanoda Pattu" | KK, Karthik Karthik (singer) Karthik is an Indian playback singer.Karthik started his professional singing career as a backing vocalist and has since been a playback singer in Tamil cinema while also single in other Indian languages for various composers... , Sujatha Sujatha Mohan Sujatha Mohan , usually credited as Sujatha, is an award-winning Indian playback singer who is popular for singing in Malayalam and Tamil movies. She has also sung for Telugu, Kannada and Hindi movies. She is widely popular for her evergreen melodies and her sweet voice is considered to be her... |
| "Raa Raa" | Binny Krishnakumar , Tippu Tippu (singer) Tippu is a South Indian playback singer who has performed in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu languages. Tippu's original name, as told by him in Koffee with Anu, is Ekambaresh. He is married to playback singers Harini. Tippu did his schooling at St. John's Matriculation Higher Secondary School... |
Telugu
| Song Title | Singers | Lyricist | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Devuda Devuda" | S. P. Balasubramaniam | Bhuvanachandra Bhuvanachandra Bhuvanachandra is an Indian lyricist, renowned for his work in the Telugu film industry.He is former Indian Air Force officer living in Chennai.- Films and albums :... |
5:12 |
| "Chiluka Pada Pada" | Tippu Tippu (singer) Tippu is a South Indian playback singer who has performed in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu languages. Tippu's original name, as told by him in Koffee with Anu, is Ekambaresh. He is married to playback singers Harini. Tippu did his schooling at St. John's Matriculation Higher Secondary School... , Manicka Vinayagam , Rajalakshmi, Ganga |
Suddala Ashok Teja | 4:46 |
| "Andala Aakashamantha" | S. P. Balasubramaniam | Suddala Ashok Teja | 4:30 |
| "Konta Kalam" | Sujatha Sujatha Mohan Sujatha Mohan , usually credited as Sujatha, is an award-winning Indian playback singer who is popular for singing in Malayalam and Tamil movies. She has also sung for Telugu, Kannada and Hindi movies. She is widely popular for her evergreen melodies and her sweet voice is considered to be her... , Madhu Balakrishnan Madhu Balakrishnan Madhu Balakrishnan is an Indian playback singer, who sings in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada languages.-Biography:Madhu Balakrishnan is from Tripunithura, Cochin, Kerala in India. A Graded artist in All India Radio and Doordarshan, he has performed with all major playback singers in Kerala... |
Vennelakanti | 4:25 |
| "Annagari Mata" | KK, Anuradha Sriram Anuradha Sriram Anuradha Sriram is an Indian carnatic and playback singer who hails from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She has sung in many Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films.- Personal life :... |
Bhuvanachandra Bhuvanachandra Bhuvanachandra is an Indian lyricist, renowned for his work in the Telugu film industry.He is former Indian Air Force officer living in Chennai.- Films and albums :... |
5:15 |
| "Varam Nan Unnai Teti" | Nithyashree Mahadevan | Kavinjarvali | 5:19 |
Remakes
The original MalayalamMalayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
film Manichithrathazhu was consecutively remade in several other languages and still found success in the respective regional cinemas. Chandramukhi is the second remake of Manichithrathazhu after the Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
version, Aaptamitra
Aaptamitra
Apthamitra is a 2004 Kannada movie starring Vishnuvardhan, Ramesh Arvind, Soundarya and Avinash. This was actress Soundarya's last film. This was inspired from a Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu . It was a box-office hit and ran successfully for a year. It was followed by its sequel, Aptharakshaka...
, which was also directed by P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
. The Tamil version was dubbed into Telugu with the same title. Rajmohol
Rajmohol
Raj Mohol is a 2005 Bengali film starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Abhishek Chatterjee, Anu Chowdhury, Rachana Banerjee and Bharat Kaul. The film is a remake of Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu .-Story:...
(2005) in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
(2008) in Hindi followed later on. Below is a character map of the lead characters in the story of Manichithrathazhu and its remakes.
Controversy
Though the movie was a remake, the story did not credit Madhu MuttamMadhu Muttam
Madhu Muttam is a popular script writer in Kerala, India. His second film as a script writer was the critically acclaimed Malayalam blockbuster Manichitrathazhu which was huge commercial success in Kerala. The film fetched Sobhana the National Award for Best Actress...
, who wrote the story for Manichithrathazhu; instead the story was credited to the director P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
himself. The same controversy happened in Vasu's Apthamitra. Vasu however stated that the script was revised and was different from the original, although very slightly. The problem however was taken seriously for Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu...
's Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
as its script followed the original and thus, Muttam was credited.
Sequel
A sequel to Chandramukhi, tentatively titled Chandramukhi 2 in TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, which is currently being made, has been proposed by P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
, who also directed the sequel to Apthamitra, titled Aptharakshaka. In 2008, Vasu recited the script of the film to Rajinikanth, who initially expressed desire to take up the same dual role as Dr. Saravanan and Vettaiyan. However, in 2010, it was reported that Rajinikanth suggested Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
to do the dual lead role. Sameera Reddy
Sameera Reddy
Sameera Reddy is an Indian film actress, primarily working in the Hindi film industry and Tamil industry. Apart from Bollywood, Reddy has also appeared in a number of Telugu, Bengali and Malayalam films.-Early life:...
was also rumoured to have been approached for a role in the film.
A sequel to Chandramukhi in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
is made in the same language as Nagavalli
Nagavalli (film)
Nagavalli is a 2010 Telugu horror and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Bellamkonda Suresh. It is a remake of the Kannada movie Aptharakshaka and a sequel to the 2005 Tamil film Chandramukhi, also directed by Vasu, which was dubbed and released in Telugu as well.The film Nagavalli...
, and has been proposed by P. Vasu
P. Vasu
P. Vasu is an Indian film director, writer, and actor who works in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films and a few Malayalam films as well. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 50 films.-Personal life:...
starring Venkatesh Daggubati
Daggubati Venkatesh
Venkatesh Daggubati is an Indian film actor who stars in Tollywood films. He is the son of veteran Tollywood film producer, former MP, Dr. D. Ramanaidu. He is often credited as Victory Venkatesh in films and is one of the lead actors in Telugu Cinema. He has won seven Nandi Awards and four...
in the lead along with Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty is an Indian film actress who works mainly in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu...
, Richa Gangopadhyay
Richa Gangopadhyay
Richa Gangopadhyay is an Indian film actress, model and former beauty queen. After appearing in commercials, she made her film debut in the 2010 Telugu political drama Leader...
, Shraddha Das
Shraddha Das
Shraddha Das is an Indian film actress who has mainly appeared in Telugu films.-Early life:Shraddha Das was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra to Bengali parents. Her father is a businessman, who hails from Purulia, while her mother is a housewife. She was brought up in Mumbai, where she completed her...
, Poonam Kaur
Poonam Kaur
Poonam Kaur is an Indian actress and model. She has frequently appeared in Telugu films apart from Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films.- Career :...
, and Kamalinee Mukherjee
Kamalinee Mukherjee
Kamalinee Mukherjee is an Indian actress. She has predominantly appeared in Telugu films as well as in a few Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada language films....
.