Bench Talkies (2015)
Bench Talkies is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language anthology drama film. It consists of six short films directed by Karthik Subbaraj, Gopakumar, Anil Krishnan, Rathna Kumar, and others. The cast includes Vijay Sethupathi, Guru Somasundaram, Sannath Reddy, and Rishinanth Rajendran. Each story centers on a park bench in Chennai, exploring themes of love, loss, and human connection. The film was produced by Stone Bench Productions and released on March 6, 2015. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the concept but found some segments uneven. The movie runs for 116 minutes.
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 6 March 2015
- Director
- Anil Krishnan
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 1h 56m
- Rating
- 6.5/10
Storyline
Six short films share a single park bench as their setting. A heartbroken man waits for his lost love. A street performer seeks recognition. A thief finds a love letter. An old man comforts a grieving boy. Two friends argue over the bench. A woman discovers a photograph left behind.
“Six stories. One bench. Infinite emotions.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Bench Talkies
Cast reunions in this film: Vijay Sethupathi & Karthik Subbaraj (4 films together), Vijay Sethupathi & Guru Somasundaram (3 films together), Vijay Sethupathi & Vivek Prasanna (3 films together), and Karthik Subbaraj & Guru Somasundaram (2 films together).
Trivia
- Bench Talkies was a project to give new directors a chance, with Karthik Subbaraj as the only established name among the six filmmakers.
- The film's title refers to the common practice of friends discussing movies while sitting on park benches.
- It was produced by Thirukumaran Entertainment, a company known for backing fresh talent in Tamil cinema.
- Each short film in the anthology has a different genre, from comedy to thriller, showing a range of styles.
- The project had a very low budget, as it was designed to be a platform for experimental storytelling.
- Some actors in the shorts, like Sanchana Natarajan, later gained recognition in bigger Tamil films and web series.
- Unlike most anthologies, Bench Talkies did not have a common theme linking all the stories together.