Where to watch:
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- JioHotstar
- Theatrical Release
- 3 February 2012
- Director
- Pandiraj
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 14m
- Rating
- 6.5/10
Storyline
A runaway orphan finds work selling snacks at a beach in Chennai. He saves money and studies at night, hoping to one day go to a real school. His dedication inspires the other children working there to also dream of an education.
“A runaway's dream inspires a beach of lost boys.”
Film Details
6.5Rating
134Minutes
TamilLanguage
Release Date3 February 2012
Release Typetheatrical
Parental Guide
Violence
Low
Language
Low
Sex / Nudity
Mild
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
Low
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Mood
emotionalupliftingfunny
Themes
survivalfamilyfriendshipidentity
Toneserious
Pacingslow-burn
Complexitylight
Audiencefamily
Best Withfamily
Violence1
Emotion4
Humor3
Rewatchability3
Cast & Crew
#1
SivakarthikeyanSenthilnathan
→#2OviyaSopana Sundhari
→#3JayaprakashGuest role
→#4Sathish Actor
→#5Oviya HelenSopana Sundhari
→#6T
TamizhActor
→#7S
SenthikumariSwapnasundari's mother
→#8Ramesh ThilakCourier Boy
→#9VikramSpecial appearances in Promotional song
→#10Prakash RajSpecial appearances in Promotional song
→#11Pandiraj Director
→#12PandirajCrew
→Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Marina
Cast reunions in this film: Prakash Raj & Sneha (8 films together), Jayaprakash & Prakash Raj (7 films together), Jayaprakash & M. Sasikumar (6 films together), Jayaprakash & Pandiraj (6 films together), Jayaprakash & Sathish (6 films together), and Jayaprakash & Vimal (5 films together).
Trivia
- The film's title 'Marina' refers to Marina Beach in Chennai, which is one of the longest urban beaches in the world and serves as the central setting for the story.
- Director Pandiraj is known for rural and slice-of-life films; 'Marina' was a shift to an urban setting, focusing on street children's lives.
- Sivakarthikeyan, already a popular TV host, made his feature film acting debut here; his character's name 'Ambikapathy' is a classic Tamil literary name.
- The film's soundtrack by D. Imman features a song 'Kadhal Vaithu' that became popular for its melody and depiction of young love at the beach.
- A subplot involves a couple played by Senthilnathan and Swapnasundari, representing the typical 'love birds' who frequent Marina Beach.
- The movie highlights the real-life issue of street children in Chennai, with many scenes shot in actual locations around the beach to add authenticity.
- Despite being a debut lead for Sivakarthikeyan, the film did not perform strongly at the box office but later gained appreciation for its heartfelt theme.