Suyamvaram
Encyclopedia
Suyamvaram is a 1999
Tamil
comedy-drama film starring an ensemble
cast from actors in the Tamil film industry and shot by a large technical team from the industry. The film was planned by Giridharilal Nagpal and brought together 14 associate directors, 19 cinematographers and over thirty leading actors in the Tamil film industry.
The film also holds the Guinness World Record for casting the most stars in a film and also for being the quickest ever full feature length film made, with filming being completed in 23 hours and 58 minutes. The film released on July 16, 1999 to positive reviews from critics, praising the intentions of the makers.
) and Suseela (Manjula
) have 9 children: 3 boys (Sathyaraj
, Prabhu Ganesan
and Abbas
) and 6 girls (Rambha
, Roja, Kasthuri, Maheswari
, Preetha Vijaykumar
and Suvalakshmi
). R. Parthiban is the family's loyal servant but he is treated as one of their own , while Napoleon is the family doctor.
The movie opens with Kuselan's 60th birthday celebrations and Kuselan gets a heart attack. At the hospital, the family is informed that Kuselan will not live long and to keep him comfortable in his last days. From the devastated family, Kuselan asks for one last favour: that all his children get married before he dies. The children all agree and a state wide ad is put out saying that those chosen to marry Kuselan's children would get a piece of the family properties and 1 crore in cash. Needless to say, the mention of wealth brings in potential brides and grooms by the truck full to be interviewed by either Bhagyaraj
and Oorvasi or the two doctors Janagaraj and Senthil.
The parents and Napoleon are happy thinking that everything would happen as planned but there is a major hitch that they didn't know about. Most of the children have already fallen in love. Satyaraj, Prabhu and Abbas have fallen love with Kushboo, Aishwarya
and Heera
respectively while Roja, Kasturi, Maheswari
and Preeti
are in love with Prabhu Deva, Pandiarajan
, Vineeth
and Livingston
respectively. Each of them get their lover ready for the interview and after some hard work (and in the end, some bribing), they are all selected. Rambha is linked with the absent-minded doctor Karthik
who shows up at the interview thinking its an interview for a doctor's post in a clinic while Suvalakshmi
, who is handicapped, pairs with Parthiban in the end. Mansur Ali Khan
, with Vichitra in tow, tries to worm his way in as a groom and when that effort fails, he kidnaps the 9 brides for ransom. Napoleon, who receives the ransom call, calls in his friend Assistant Commissioner Arjun
for help. After finding the brides and after the marriage Kuselan explains that his heart attack was just a joke and he wanted them to get married and that's why he said he had a heart attack
in attendance. He announced his intentions of shooting the film within 24 hours on April 5 and 6, 1999 across film studios in Chennai
. Along with Nagpal, the film brought together 19 associate directors, 45 assistant directors, 19 cameramen, 36 assistant cameramen, nine steadycam operators, 14 heroes, 12 heroines, villains, comedians, five dance masters, 16 assistants, 140 chorus dancers, stunt coordinators, art director, makeup, costume and set designers, 15 film units, a still photographer and 1,483 extras to make the film. Despite months of planning, Nagpal has left many details to the last minute with no script produced and directors describing scenes to actors, who would rehearse them once before filming. Two representatives, on behalf of the Guinness World Records
, were present to oversee the time-schedule. Giridharlal said, "The goal is to finish every stage of film-making within the stipulated 24 hour period, Shooting, developing rushes, editing, dubbing, re-recording and final mixing for the master copy will all be done in that time. The script is being divided into 11 parts, and one director will shoot one part, all of them working on the same day, at different sets and venues".
Production began on April 5 at 7 am on the sixth floor of the AVM Studios and then the AVM Gardens directed by Sundar C
. At 9.30am scenes were shot at the Kamaraj Memorial involving Prabhu Deva and Roja
, while at 11am scenes with Sathyaraj
and Kushboo were shot in studios. At noon in Film City, a song sequence with Abbas
and Heera was shot and at Guindy, Ramdoss shot scenes involving Pandiarajan
and Kasthuri
. A dance sequence at a discotheque in Abu Palace was shot at 5.30pm with Vineeth
and Maheswari
and kidnap scenes were shot at night at Kushaldoss House. At 3am on April 6, the film ran two hours behind schedule and four directors improvised and changed the storyline with two scenes being cut and planned into one. The climax sequence was shot at Vijaya Vauhini studios, designed to look like a wedding hall. At 6.30, the entire family is collected at one place and the final scene is shot. The film finished filming at 6.50am on April 6, 1999 with ten minutes to spare.
Director Sundar C
, who shot the opening scene of the film, revealed that the all the directors of the film had "several sittings together and had planned everything in advance". While, P. Vasu
claimed that all the directors were constantly in touch with each other so that one scene smoothly merged into the other. Actor-director, Arjun
appeared as a cop in the film as well as directing and coordinating the action scenes in the film's climax. Art director, G. K., was in charge of co-ordinating sets at all 21 locations and managed to keep in control of events through his mobile phone; while Giridharilal's son Vinay, scooted from location to location, ensuring that the project was developing smoothly.
claimed the attempt "particularly praiseworthy if we take into consideration the time factor and the amount of co-ordination the film-makers had to do", whilst adding that the movie was "slicker and better made than many churned out regularly by some film factories". A reviewer from Indolink.com cited that "it is a laudable venture" and "they have even tried to have a storyline for this movie". In regard to the technical aspects the critic claimed that "the songs are okay - nothing to rave about". Another reviewer labelled that it "is not only a fairly humorous entertainer but an example of how the artistes and technicians of Tamil filmdom can co-operate wholeheartedly", praising the final product.
The film was dubbed into Telugu as Pellante Idera! by P. R. Kutumba Rao and released in October 2001. A Hindi remake of the film was pondered by the producer, but later shelved.
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
Tamil
Tamil 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...
comedy-drama film starring an ensemble
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
cast from actors in the Tamil film industry and shot by a large technical team from the industry. The film was planned by Giridharilal Nagpal and brought together 14 associate directors, 19 cinematographers and over thirty leading actors in the Tamil film industry.
The film also holds the Guinness World Record for casting the most stars in a film and also for being the quickest ever full feature length film made, with filming being completed in 23 hours and 58 minutes. The film released on July 16, 1999 to positive reviews from critics, praising the intentions of the makers.
Plot
Kuselan (VijayakumarVijayakumar
Vijayakumar is a Tamil actor and politician. Along with predominant work in Tamil cinema since 1973, he has acted in a few Hindi and Telugu movies. As of 2009, he is acting in the television serial, Thangam, aired on Sun TV.-Early life:...
) and Suseela (Manjula
Manjula Vijayakumar
Manjula Vijayakumar is a South Indian actress. She has acted in more than 100 films in South Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. She and actor Vijayakumar married shortly after they fell in love on the sets of Unnidam Mayanguhiren...
) have 9 children: 3 boys (Sathyaraj
Sathyaraj
Sathyaraj is a Tamil film actor and media personality in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. A Tamil activist and a political influence, he has acted in over 150 films, ranging from action and drama to comedy. In 2007, he played the role of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in the Tamil Nadu government-sponsored...
, 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 Abbas
Abbas (actor)
Mirza Abbas Ali , known as Abbas, is an Indian film actor and model. He has appeared in Kollywood Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films.Born in Calcutta and educated in Mumbai, he was discovered modeling in Bangalore...
) and 6 girls (Rambha
Rambha (actress)
Vijaya Lakshmi , best known by her stage name Rambha, is an Indian film actress. She has acted in over 100 South Indian films and also in Bollywood films. She had done several successful films in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali and Bhojpuri films. She paired up with popular heroes...
, Roja, Kasthuri, Maheswari
Maheswari
Maheswari is a Tamil film actress, who has appeared in Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in Ullasam and Karuththamma. She won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Nee Kosam. She is the cousin of popular actress, Sridevi. veerudu in 1997-...
, Preetha Vijaykumar
Preetha
Preetha was a host on Cinema Kaaram Kaapi on STAR Vijay. She has acted in Tamil serials that were screened on Sun TV. She also has participated in Jodi Number One along with her husband Raghav in STAR Vijay.-References:...
and Suvalakshmi
Suvalakshmi
Suvalakshmi is a Bengali actress who has acted in the female lead role in a number of Tamil films. She has also acted in a few Bengali and Malayalam films.- Filmography :- External links :...
). R. Parthiban is the family's loyal servant but he is treated as one of their own , while Napoleon is the family doctor.
The movie opens with Kuselan's 60th birthday celebrations and Kuselan gets a heart attack. At the hospital, the family is informed that Kuselan will not live long and to keep him comfortable in his last days. From the devastated family, Kuselan asks for one last favour: that all his children get married before he dies. The children all agree and a state wide ad is put out saying that those chosen to marry Kuselan's children would get a piece of the family properties and 1 crore in cash. Needless to say, the mention of wealth brings in potential brides and grooms by the truck full to be interviewed by either Bhagyaraj
Bhagyaraj
K. Bhagyaraj is a Tamil film director, actor, writer and producer. He has directed and produced several Tamil films, along with a few Telugu and Hindi films. He is well known for his mastery in screenplay. He has won a Filmfare Best Actor Award for Mundhanai Mudichu, a film he wrote, directed and...
and Oorvasi or the two doctors Janagaraj and Senthil.
The parents and Napoleon are happy thinking that everything would happen as planned but there is a major hitch that they didn't know about. Most of the children have already fallen in love. Satyaraj, Prabhu and Abbas have fallen love with Kushboo, Aishwarya
Aishwarya
Aishwarya or Aiswarya may refer to:* Aishwarya, A very popular name in India* Aishwarya Dhanush, daughter of Rajinikanth and wife of Indian film actor Dhanush* Aishwarya Majmudar , singer from Ahmedabad, India* Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya or Aiswarya may refer to:* Aishwarya, A very popular name in...
and Heera
Heera
Heera means diamond in Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu.It may also refer to:* Heera Rajgopal, an Indian actress* Heera Lal Shastri, the first chief minister of Rajasthan* Heera Group UK, a UK bhangra group...
respectively while Roja, Kasturi, Maheswari
Maheswari
Maheswari is a Tamil film actress, who has appeared in Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in Ullasam and Karuththamma. She won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Nee Kosam. She is the cousin of popular actress, Sridevi. veerudu in 1997-...
and Preeti
Preeti
Preeti is a popular name in India and may refer to the following people:* PREETI Chandrakant, Swiss-Indian conceptual artist and film maker...
are in love with Prabhu Deva, Pandiarajan
Pandiarajan
Pandiarajan is an actor who had played leading roles in many humorous Tamil films and currently plays supporting and comedy roles.-Personal life:...
, 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 Livingston
Livingston (actor)
Livingston is a Tamil film actor who usually plays in supporting roles. He is credited in his earlier films by the stage name Ranjan. His first starring role was in Poonthotta Kavalkaran . He started out playing villains and graduated to playing lead roles with Sundara Purushan in 1997...
respectively. Each of them get their lover ready for the interview and after some hard work (and in the end, some bribing), they are all selected. Rambha is linked with the absent-minded doctor Karthik
Karthik Muthuraman
Murali Karthikeyan Muthuraman , better known by his screen name Karthik , is a Tamil film actor and politician. He is the son of veteran actor R. Muthuraman. He was first introduced by Bharathiraja in the film Alaigal Oivathillai...
who shows up at the interview thinking its an interview for a doctor's post in a clinic while Suvalakshmi
Suvalakshmi
Suvalakshmi is a Bengali actress who has acted in the female lead role in a number of Tamil films. She has also acted in a few Bengali and Malayalam films.- Filmography :- External links :...
, who is handicapped, pairs with Parthiban in the end. Mansur Ali Khan
Mansur Ali Khan
Mansur Ali Khan may refer to:*Mansoor Ali Khan , a South Indian actor who is prominent in Tamil films*Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Indian cricketer; he was also 9th and last Nawab of Pataudi*Mansur Ali Khan , 1830–1884...
, with Vichitra in tow, tries to worm his way in as a groom and when that effort fails, he kidnaps the 9 brides for ransom. Napoleon, who receives the ransom call, calls in his friend Assistant Commissioner Arjun
Arjun Sarja
Arjun Sarja is an Indian film actor and director. Son of Kannada film star Shakti Prasad, he has primarily acted in Tamil films, and also appeared in Kannada and Telugu films. The title "Action King" has been given to Arjun by fans, for the numerous roles he has portrayed in action films. He is...
for help. After finding the brides and after the marriage Kuselan explains that his heart attack was just a joke and he wanted them to get married and that's why he said he had a heart attack
Cast
In order of appearance:- VijayakumarVijayakumarVijayakumar is a Tamil actor and politician. Along with predominant work in Tamil cinema since 1973, he has acted in a few Hindi and Telugu movies. As of 2009, he is acting in the television serial, Thangam, aired on Sun TV.-Early life:...
as Kuselan - Manjula VijayakumarManjula VijayakumarManjula Vijayakumar is a South Indian actress. She has acted in more than 100 films in South Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. She and actor Vijayakumar married shortly after they fell in love on the sets of Unnidam Mayanguhiren...
as Suseela - Napoleon as Krishna
- Parthiban as Azhagappan
- SathyarajSathyarajSathyaraj is a Tamil film actor and media personality in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. A Tamil activist and a political influence, he has acted in over 150 films, ranging from action and drama to comedy. In 2007, he played the role of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in the Tamil Nadu government-sponsored...
as Arunachalam - PrabhuPrabhu 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 Aavudaiappan - AbbasAbbas (actor)Mirza Abbas Ali , known as Abbas, is an Indian film actor and model. He has appeared in Kollywood Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films.Born in Calcutta and educated in Mumbai, he was discovered modeling in Bangalore...
as Indiran - RojaRoja SelvamaniRoja is a South Indian actress and politician. She is presently with YSR Congress party.-Early life:Roja was born in 1972 in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. She learnt Kuchipudi, a dance form, for a few years. She has two brothers Kumaraswamy Reddy and Ramprasad Reddy.-Film career:Roja entered the...
as Easwari - Kasthuri as Uma
- MaheswariMaheswariMaheswari is a Tamil film actress, who has appeared in Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in Ullasam and Karuththamma. She won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Nee Kosam. She is the cousin of popular actress, Sridevi. veerudu in 1997-...
as Aishwarya - PreethaPreethaPreetha was a host on Cinema Kaaram Kaapi on STAR Vijay. She has acted in Tamil serials that were screened on Sun TV. She also has participated in Jodi Number One along with her husband Raghav in STAR Vijay.-References:...
as Hema - RambhaRambha (actress)Vijaya Lakshmi , best known by her stage name Rambha, is an Indian film actress. She has acted in over 100 South Indian films and also in Bollywood films. She had done several successful films in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali and Bhojpuri films. She paired up with popular heroes...
as Urvashi - SuvalakshmiSuvalakshmiSuvalakshmi is a Bengali actress who has acted in the female lead role in a number of Tamil films. She has also acted in a few Bengali and Malayalam films.- Filmography :- External links :...
as Ezhilarasi - KushbooKushboo SundarNakhat Khan , better known by her stage name Kushboo is an Indian actress, television hostess and producer.-Early life:...
- Ishwarya as Savithri
- HeeraHeera RajagopalHeera Rajagopal is a former Indian film actress. She has appeared in several Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films.-Early life:Heera Rajagopal was born in Chennai. She graduated in Psychology from Women's Christian College, Chennai.-Career:...
- PandiarajanPandiarajanPandiarajan is an actor who had played leading roles in many humorous Tamil films and currently plays supporting and comedy roles.-Personal life:...
as Pallavan - 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 Gautham - LivingstonLivingston (actor)Livingston is a Tamil film actor who usually plays in supporting roles. He is credited in his earlier films by the stage name Ranjan. His first starring role was in Poonthotta Kavalkaran . He started out playing villains and graduated to playing lead roles with Sundara Purushan in 1997...
as Kanthen - Prabhu Deva as Kanna
- Mansoor Ali KhanMansoor Ali Khan (actor)Mansoor Ali Khan is a South Indian actor who is prominent in Tamil films. He usually plays comedic villains- villains with unusual characteristics making them funnily evil. His first film was Rajathi Thedi starring Karthik - as a pickpocket-cum-rowdy who harasses the heroine. From then on he has...
as Kabilan - KarthikKarthik MuthuramanMurali Karthikeyan Muthuraman , better known by his screen name Karthik , is a Tamil film actor and politician. He is the son of veteran actor R. Muthuraman. He was first introduced by Bharathiraja in the film Alaigal Oivathillai...
as Ram Kumar - Bhagyaraj as Gnanapithan
- UrvashiUrvashi (actress)Kavitha Ranjini, better known by her stage name Urvashi , is an Indian film actress and producer. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1980s and 1990s in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films. She has dubbed in her own voice in all these languages. And she produced the film Pidakkozhi...
as Arivozhi - JanagarajJanagaraj (actor)Janagaraj is a veteran Tamil film actor who has generally played a comedian in his films, and provided stiff competition to the comic duo of Goundamani and Senthil. He has acted in over 100 Tamil films as a comedian or in supporting roles.-Early life:...
as Mithrabuthan - SenthilSenthil (actor)Senthil is an actor from Tamil Nadu, India notable for his comedian roles in Tamil films.-Acting career:He has acted in many popular movies with several of the leading actors and comedians in the south Indian cine industry. He usually appears in films with Goundamani in a slapstick double act....
as Panchabutham - VigneshVignesh (actor)Vignesh is a Tamil film actor from Tamil Nadu, India. He has acted in several movies including Kizhakku Cheemayile, Kathali, Raman Abdullah, Velai, Appu, Ilango, Ennai Thalatta Varuvala, Soori and Aacharya. Even though he acted in all films but still he couldn't find success in cinema.-External...
- Vichitra as Vichitra
- ArjunArjun SarjaArjun Sarja is an Indian film actor and director. Son of Kannada film star Shakti Prasad, he has primarily acted in Tamil films, and also appeared in Kannada and Telugu films. The title "Action King" has been given to Arjun by fans, for the numerous roles he has portrayed in action films. He is...
as Sanjay
Crew
- Directors: Giridharilal Nagpal, J. Paneer, A. R. Ramesh, K. R., E. Ramdoss, ArjunArjun SarjaArjun Sarja is an Indian film actor and director. Son of Kannada film star Shakti Prasad, he has primarily acted in Tamil films, and also appeared in Kannada and Telugu films. The title "Action King" has been given to Arjun by fans, for the numerous roles he has portrayed in action films. He is...
, Gurudhanapal, Liyakat Ali Khan, R. SundarrajanR. SundarrajanR. Sundarrajan is an Indian director, actor and writer for Tamil language films. He was born in Coimbatore.Director=* Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen* Seethanam* Thirumathi Pazhanisaamy* Saamy Potta Mudichu* Oyilaattam* Thaalaattu Paadaavaa* Engitte Modhathe...
, SelvaSelva (director)Selva is an Indian director active in Tamil film. He often specializes in film remakes and directed a series of hits the 1990s. His first film 'Thalaivasal' launched the career of many. His noted film are Amaravathi, Karna, Pooveli, James Bond, Unnaruge Naanirunthal, Student No. 2 and Naan Avan...
, K. Subash, Sundar CSundar CSundar C. is a Tamil film director and actor. He has directed 24 films in Kollywood and debuted his acting career in 2006 with the film Thalai Nagaram. His most notable films include Ullathai Allitha, Arunachalam and Anbe Sivam and other notable films include Mettukudi, Winner, Naam Iruvar...
, Siraaj, K. S. RavikumarK. S. RavikumarK. S. Ravikumar is an Indian film director and actor, primarily working in Tamil cinema. He has directed numerous films ranging from comedy and drama to action thrillers. His film Dasavathaaram went on to gross $16 million worldwide in the first four weeks and eventually became one of the...
, P. VasuP. VasuP. 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:... - Screenplay: Siraaj
- Music Composers: DevaDeva (music director)Deva is an Indian film composer and singer. He has composed songs and provided background music for Tamil films in a career spanning about 20 years. Many know his gaana songs, written mostly using Madras Tamil. He is known as the "Father of Gaana Genre" in the Tamil film industry.Deva has composed...
, S. A. Rajkumar, Sirpy, VidyasagarVidyasagar (music director)Vidyasagar is an Award-Winning Indian film music director and music composer in the Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi film industry. He is very popular in South Indian music industry and best known for his soulful melodies. His fast numbers to many films have earned him much fame too. He has... - Cinematographers: M. V. Paneerselvam, U. K. Senthil Kumar, R. B. Imai Varman, Ram Gunasekharan, R. Rajaratnam, R. H. Ashok, K. Ahmed, G. Morgan, Vikada Kumar
- Editor: L. Kesavan
- Art Director: G. K
Production
Producer Giridharilal Nagpal announced his intentions of making, Suyamvaram, a film shot within 24 hours in January 1999, citing it had been a fourteen year dream. The film's launch occurred in March 1999 with Rajinikanth and Kamal HaasanKamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
in attendance. He announced his intentions of shooting the film within 24 hours on April 5 and 6, 1999 across film studios 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...
. Along with Nagpal, the film brought together 19 associate directors, 45 assistant directors, 19 cameramen, 36 assistant cameramen, nine steadycam operators, 14 heroes, 12 heroines, villains, comedians, five dance masters, 16 assistants, 140 chorus dancers, stunt coordinators, art director, makeup, costume and set designers, 15 film units, a still photographer and 1,483 extras to make the film. Despite months of planning, Nagpal has left many details to the last minute with no script produced and directors describing scenes to actors, who would rehearse them once before filming. Two representatives, on behalf of the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, were present to oversee the time-schedule. Giridharlal said, "The goal is to finish every stage of film-making within the stipulated 24 hour period, Shooting, developing rushes, editing, dubbing, re-recording and final mixing for the master copy will all be done in that time. The script is being divided into 11 parts, and one director will shoot one part, all of them working on the same day, at different sets and venues".
Production began on April 5 at 7 am on the sixth floor of the AVM Studios and then the AVM Gardens directed by Sundar C
Sundar C
Sundar C. is a Tamil film director and actor. He has directed 24 films in Kollywood and debuted his acting career in 2006 with the film Thalai Nagaram. His most notable films include Ullathai Allitha, Arunachalam and Anbe Sivam and other notable films include Mettukudi, Winner, Naam Iruvar...
. At 9.30am scenes were shot at the Kamaraj Memorial involving Prabhu Deva and Roja
Roja Selvamani
Roja is a South Indian actress and politician. She is presently with YSR Congress party.-Early life:Roja was born in 1972 in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. She learnt Kuchipudi, a dance form, for a few years. She has two brothers Kumaraswamy Reddy and Ramprasad Reddy.-Film career:Roja entered the...
, while at 11am scenes with Sathyaraj
Sathyaraj
Sathyaraj is a Tamil film actor and media personality in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. A Tamil activist and a political influence, he has acted in over 150 films, ranging from action and drama to comedy. In 2007, he played the role of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in the Tamil Nadu government-sponsored...
and Kushboo were shot in studios. At noon in Film City, a song sequence with Abbas
Abbas (actor)
Mirza Abbas Ali , known as Abbas, is an Indian film actor and model. He has appeared in Kollywood Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films.Born in Calcutta and educated in Mumbai, he was discovered modeling in Bangalore...
and Heera was shot and at Guindy, Ramdoss shot scenes involving Pandiarajan
Pandiarajan
Pandiarajan is an actor who had played leading roles in many humorous Tamil films and currently plays supporting and comedy roles.-Personal life:...
and Kasthuri
Kasthuri
Kasthuri is an Indian film actress, model and TV show anchor. She was a leading South Indian actress in the 1990s.- Biography :She had her schooling in Madras and started modelling while in High School. She won the Miss Madras title in 1992. Subsequently, she got offers to act in films...
. A dance sequence at a discotheque in Abu Palace was shot at 5.30pm with 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 Maheswari
Maheswari
Maheswari is a Tamil film actress, who has appeared in Tamil films. She is probably best known for her performances in Ullasam and Karuththamma. She won the Nandi Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Nee Kosam. She is the cousin of popular actress, Sridevi. veerudu in 1997-...
and kidnap scenes were shot at night at Kushaldoss House. At 3am on April 6, the film ran two hours behind schedule and four directors improvised and changed the storyline with two scenes being cut and planned into one. The climax sequence was shot at Vijaya Vauhini studios, designed to look like a wedding hall. At 6.30, the entire family is collected at one place and the final scene is shot. The film finished filming at 6.50am on April 6, 1999 with ten minutes to spare.
Director Sundar C
Sundar C
Sundar C. is a Tamil film director and actor. He has directed 24 films in Kollywood and debuted his acting career in 2006 with the film Thalai Nagaram. His most notable films include Ullathai Allitha, Arunachalam and Anbe Sivam and other notable films include Mettukudi, Winner, Naam Iruvar...
, who shot the opening scene of the film, revealed that the all the directors of the film had "several sittings together and had planned everything in advance". While, 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:...
claimed that all the directors were constantly in touch with each other so that one scene smoothly merged into the other. Actor-director, Arjun
Arjun Sarja
Arjun Sarja is an Indian film actor and director. Son of Kannada film star Shakti Prasad, he has primarily acted in Tamil films, and also appeared in Kannada and Telugu films. The title "Action King" has been given to Arjun by fans, for the numerous roles he has portrayed in action films. He is...
appeared as a cop in the film as well as directing and coordinating the action scenes in the film's climax. Art director, G. K., was in charge of co-ordinating sets at all 21 locations and managed to keep in control of events through his mobile phone; while Giridharilal's son Vinay, scooted from location to location, ensuring that the project was developing smoothly.
Release
The film was released on July 16, 1999 to positive reviews from critics, with reviewers praising the production of the film rather than the overall content. Shobha Warrier of Rediff.comRediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
claimed the attempt "particularly praiseworthy if we take into consideration the time factor and the amount of co-ordination the film-makers had to do", whilst adding that the movie was "slicker and better made than many churned out regularly by some film factories". A reviewer from Indolink.com cited that "it is a laudable venture" and "they have even tried to have a storyline for this movie". In regard to the technical aspects the critic claimed that "the songs are okay - nothing to rave about". Another reviewer labelled that it "is not only a fairly humorous entertainer but an example of how the artistes and technicians of Tamil filmdom can co-operate wholeheartedly", praising the final product.
The film was dubbed into Telugu as Pellante Idera! by P. R. Kutumba Rao and released in October 2001. A Hindi remake of the film was pondered by the producer, but later shelved.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack consists of five songs composed by four music directors.| Song Title | Singers | Music Director |
|---|---|---|
| Kaanakozhikku | 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 :... , Sabesan |
Deva Deva (music director) Deva is an Indian film composer and singer. He has composed songs and provided background music for Tamil films in a career spanning about 20 years. Many know his gaana songs, written mostly using Madras Tamil. He is known as the "Father of Gaana Genre" in the Tamil film industry.Deva has composed... |
| Kathirunthaalea Rajakumari | Sujatha Mohan 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... |
S.A. Rajkumar S.A. Rajkumar S. A. Rajkumar is an Indian film music director who hails from Chennai, Tamilnadu. He has composed music for many south Indian films in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages. Light-hearted melodies are often considered his forte... |
| Margazhi Maasathu | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas... , Mano Mano (singer) Mano is an Indian playback singer. He sings in Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi.-Biography:Mano was born in a Muslim family and his original name is Nagoor Babu; he was rechristened Mano by Ilayaraja... , Swarnalatha Swarnalatha Swarnalatha was a Indian playback singer. From 1987 onward, she rendered nearly 7000 songs in many languages including Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Bengali, Oriya, Punjabi and Badaga.... , Sujatha Mohan 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... , Unni Krishnan P. Unni Krishnan P. Unnikrishnan is a Carnatic vocalist and a national award winning playback singer.-Early life and background:Unnikrishnan was born to K.Radhakrishnan and Dr.Harini Radhakrishnan, in Palakkad, Kerala.... |
S.A. Rajkumar S.A. Rajkumar S. A. Rajkumar is an Indian film music director who hails from Chennai, Tamilnadu. He has composed music for many south Indian films in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages. Light-hearted melodies are often considered his forte... |
| Sekka Sivanthavalea | Hariharan Hariharan (singer) Hariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity... , Sujatha Mohan 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... |
Sirpy |
| Siva Siva Shankara | Prabhu Deva | Vidyasagar Vidyasagar (music director) Vidyasagar is an Award-Winning Indian film music director and music composer in the Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi film industry. He is very popular in South Indian music industry and best known for his soulful melodies. His fast numbers to many films have earned him much fame too. He has... |