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Nalla Neram official poster

Nalla Neram(1972)

6.8/10
Tamil•145 mins•

Nalla Neram is a 1972 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by M. A. Thirumugam. It stars M. G. Ramachandran and K. R. Vijaya in lead roles. The story follows Raju, an elephant trainer, and his wife Vijaya, who fears elephants due to a childhood trauma. The film explores the conflict between human love and loyalty to animals. It is a remake of the 1971 Hindi film Haathi Mera Saathi. The music was composed by K. V. Mahadevan. The film was a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres. It was released on 10 March 1972.

Mood:
emotionalupliftinginspiring
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Where to watch:
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Quick Facts

Theatrical Release
10 March 1972
Director
M. A. Thirumugam
Language
Tamil
Runtime
2h 25m
Rating
6.8/10

Storyline

Raju earns his living training elephants for fairground shows. He loves his animals like family. His wife Vijaya is terrified of elephants because one killed her brother. She demands he choose between her and the elephants. Raju must find a way to save his marriage without betraying his loyal companions.

“Love, loyalty, and the bond with nature”

Film Details

6.8Rating
145Minutes
TamilLanguage
UCertificate
Release Date10 March 1972

Parental Guide

Violence
Moderate
Language
Low
Sex / Nudity
Mild
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
Moderate

Vibe & Tags

Mood
emotionalupliftinginspiring
Themes
friendshiplovefamilyidentity
Toneserious
Pacingslow-burn
Complexitylight
Audiencefamily
Best Withfamily
Violence1
Emotion4
Humor2
Rewatchability3

Cast & Crew

#1
M. G. Ramachandran, Actor in Nalla Neram
M. G. RamachandranActor
→#2
K. R. Vijaya, Actor in Nalla Neram
K. R. VijayaActor
→#3
Thengai Srinivasan, Actor in Nalla Neram
Thengai SrinivasanActor
→#4
K. V. Mahadevan, Music Composer in Nalla Neram
K. V. MahadevanMusic Composer
→#5
M
M. A. ThirumugamDirector
→#6
D
Devar FilmsProducer
→

Reunion Meter

Frequent partnerships reunited for Nalla Neram

Cast reunions in this film: K. V. Mahadevan & M. G. Ramachandran (31 films together), K. R. Vijaya & Thengai Srinivasan (19 films together), K. R. Vijaya & K. V. Mahadevan (17 films together), K. V. Mahadevan & Devar films (16 films together), M. G. Ramachandran & Devar films (14 films together), and M. G. Ramachandran & Thengai Srinivasan (12 films together).

K. V. Mahadevan
K. V. MahadevanMusic Composer
31st time
M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. RamachandranActor
K. V. Mahadevan × M. G. Ramachandran — 31 films together →
K. R. Vijaya
K. R. VijayaActor
19th time
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai SrinivasanActor
K. R. Vijaya × Thengai Srinivasan — 19 films together →
K. R. Vijaya
K. R. VijayaActor
17th time
K. V. Mahadevan
K. V. MahadevanMusic Composer
K. R. Vijaya × K. V. Mahadevan — 17 films together →
K. V. Mahadevan
K. V. MahadevanMusic Composer
16th time
D
Devar filmsProducer
K. V. Mahadevan × Devar films — 16 films together →
M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. RamachandranActor
14th time
D
Devar filmsProducer
M. G. Ramachandran × Devar films — 14 films together →
M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. RamachandranActor
12th time
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai SrinivasanActor
M. G. Ramachandran × Thengai Srinivasan — 12 films together →
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai SrinivasanActor
7th time
D
Devar filmsProducer
Thengai Srinivasan × Devar films — 7 films together →
K. V. Mahadevan
K. V. MahadevanMusic Composer
6th time
M
M. A. ThirumugamDirector
K. V. Mahadevan × M. A. Thirumugam — 6 films together →
K. R. Vijaya
K. R. VijayaActor
5th time
M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. RamachandranActor
K. R. Vijaya × M. G. Ramachandran — 5 films together →
M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. RamachandranActor
5th time
M
M. A. ThirumugamDirector
M. G. Ramachandran × M. A. Thirumugam — 5 films together →
D
Devar filmsProducer
5th time
M
M. A. ThirumugamDirector
Devar films × M. A. Thirumugam — 5 films together →
K. R. Vijaya
K. R. VijayaActor
4th time
D
Devar filmsProducer
K. R. Vijaya × Devar films — 4 films together →
K. R. Vijaya
K. R. VijayaActor
3rd time
M
M. A. ThirumugamDirector
K. R. Vijaya × M. A. Thirumugam — 3 films together →
K. V. Mahadevan
K. V. MahadevanMusic Composer
3rd time
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai SrinivasanActor
K. V. Mahadevan × Thengai Srinivasan — 3 films together →
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai SrinivasanActor
2nd time
M
M. A. ThirumugamDirector
Thengai Srinivasan × M. A. Thirumugam — 2 films together →

Trivia

  • This was the first Tamil film where M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) acted alongside his real-life pet elephant, Lakshmi.
  • The film's director, M. A. Thirumugam, was known for his successful action and family dramas, often featuring animals in key roles.
  • The movie's plot highlighting a man-animal bond came during a period when such themes were popular in Tamil cinema.
  • It was one of the few films where MGR's character's primary conflict was with his wife, rather than a societal villain.
  • The elephant sequences were shot in Mysore, known for its elephant camps and palaces.
  • The film released the same year MGR founded his political party, the ADMK (later AIADMK).
  • Despite the star power of MGR, the film is less remembered today compared to his other social and political dramas of the era.

Frequently Asked Questions