Skip to content
G
GudVibe
T

Then Kinnam(1971)

Tamil•131 mins•

Then Kinnam is a 1971 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed and produced by K. Krishnamoorthy. It stars Nagesh as Mohan, Vijaya Lalitha as Mala, V. K. Ramasamy, and M. R. R. Vasu, with Suruli Rajan, Sachu, Thengai Srinivasan, and Vijayachandrika in supporting roles. The story follows Mohan, a young clerk who loves Mala but faces opposition from her father Kangasabai due to a family grudge. A fake love letter created by a jealous rival threatens to destroy their relationship. The film is notable for its comedic performances, especially Nagesh's tiger makeup sequence in a song. The music by Shankar–Ganesh produced popular songs like 'Thenkinnam Thenkinnam' and 'Utharavindri Ulley Vaa'. The film received mixed reviews, with Theekkathir noting the 'bowl' was beautiful but lacked 'honey'. It was released on 11 December 1971.

Mood:
emotionaldarksuspenseful
TMDB
Where to watch:
OTT availability not confirmed yet. Check Netflix · Prime Video · Hotstar · ZEE5

Quick Facts

Theatrical Release
31 December 1971
Director
R. Krishnamoorthy
Language
Tamil
Runtime
2h 11m
0

Storyline

Mohan loves Mala, but her father Kangasabai hates Mohan's family. Mohan hires a foolish matchmaker who makes everything worse. A jealous rival writes a fake love letter to frame Mohan. Mala believes the lie and breaks up with him. Mohan must prove his innocence before he loses Mala forever.

“A bowl of honey or a lie?”

Film Details

131Minutes
TamilLanguage
UCertificate
Release Date31 December 1971

Parental Guide

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

Vibe & Tags

Mood
emotionaldarksuspenseful
Themes
revengejusticecorruptionfamily
Tonegritty
Pacingslow-burn
Complexitymoderate
Audiencemass
Best Withfamily
Violence3
Emotion4
Humor2
Rewatchability3

Cast & Crew

#1
Jaishankar, Actor in Then Kinnam
JaishankarActor
→#2
V
Vijaya lalithaActor
→#3
Nagesh, Actor in Then Kinnam
NageshActor
→#4
V
V. KumarMusic Composer
→#5
R
R. KrishnamoorthyDirector
→#6
S
Sri ChitramahalProducer
→

Reunion Meter

Frequent partnerships reunited for Then Kinnam

Cast reunions in this film: Nagesh & Jaishankar (53 films together), Nagesh & V. Kumar (14 films together), V. Kumar & Jaishankar (11 films together), Nagesh & Vijaya Lalitha (7 films together), R. Krishnamoorthy & Jaishankar (5 films together), and Jaishankar & Vijaya Lalitha (4 films together).

Nagesh
NageshActor
53rd time
Jaishankar
JaishankarActor
Nagesh × Jaishankar — 53 films together →
Nagesh
NageshActor
14th time
V
V. KumarMusic Composer
Nagesh × V. Kumar — 14 films together →
V
V. KumarMusic Composer
11th time
Jaishankar
JaishankarActor
V. Kumar × Jaishankar — 11 films together →
Nagesh
NageshActor
7th time
V
Vijaya LalithaActor
Nagesh × Vijaya Lalitha — 7 films together →
R
R. KrishnamoorthyDirector
5th time
Jaishankar
JaishankarActor
R. Krishnamoorthy × Jaishankar — 5 films together →
Jaishankar
JaishankarActor
4th time
V
Vijaya LalithaActor
Jaishankar × Vijaya Lalitha — 4 films together →
V
V. KumarMusic Composer
3rd time
V
Vijaya LalithaActor
V. Kumar × Vijaya Lalitha — 3 films together →
Nagesh
NageshActor
2nd time
S
Sri ChitramahalProducer
Nagesh × Sri Chitramahal — 2 films together →

Trivia

  • The film's title 'Thenkinnam' translates to 'honeycomb', symbolising sweetness and complexity in the story.
  • It was produced and directed by K. Krishnamurthy, who often worked in the crime thriller and drama genres during this era.
  • The movie features music by the composer M. S. Viswanathan, a dominant figure in 1970s Tamil cinema.
  • Actor Ravichandran, known for his roles in Tamil and Kannada films, played a key part in the cast.
  • The film was released during a period when Tamil cinema was exploring more urban and crime-oriented narratives.
  • It is one of the lesser-known works from the early 1970s, not widely discussed in mainstream film histories today.
  • The cinematography was handled by N. S. Varma, a technician active in many Tamil films of the time.

Frequently Asked Questions