Kannathil Muthamittal(2002)
Kannathil Muthamittal is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language musical war film directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Madhavan, Simran, and child actor Keerthana Parthiepan. It follows a nine-year-old adopted girl who learns her biological mother is a Tamil rebel in Sri Lanka. The story moves from Chennai to the Sri Lankan war zone as the family searches for the mother. The film is based on a short story by Sujatha Rangarajan. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. The music was composed by A. R. Rahman. The film was released in 2002 and received critical acclaim for its emotional depth and technical brilliance.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, ManoramaMax, Plex
- OTT Release Date
- 15 September 2002
- Theatrical Release
- 14 February 2002
- Director
- Mani Ratnam
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 15m
- Rating
- 5.6/10
Storyline
A nine-year-old girl discovers she was adopted. She demands to meet her birth mother. Her adoptive parents take her to war-torn Sri Lanka. There, she finds her mother is a rebel soldier. The girl must understand her mother's painful choice.
“A kiss that changes everything”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Kannathil Muthamittal
Cast reunions in this film: Mani Ratnam & A. R. Rahman (20 films together), Prakash Raj & A. R. Rahman (10 films together), Prakash Raj & Mani Ratnam (8 films together), A. R. Rahman & Ravi K. Chandran (8 films together), Prakash Raj & Easwari Rao (5 films together), and R. Madhavan & A. R. Rahman (5 films together).
Trivia
- The film's title is a line from a famous Tamil poem by Subramania Bharati, which translates to 'a kiss on the cheek.'
- Mani Ratnam initially considered casting a younger actress for the lead but chose P. S. Keerthana after seeing her in a school play.
- The Sri Lankan war scenes were filmed in Kerala, India, using local tea estates to resemble the terrain of Sri Lanka.
- Composer A.R. Rahman recorded the song 'Vellai Pookal' with singer Chinmayi when she was just 16 years old.
- The film was India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2003 Academy Awards.
- Actor Madhavan learned to play the guitar for his role as the adoptive father, practicing for weeks before filming.
- Mani Ratnam avoided using graphic violence in the war scenes to keep the film's focus on the child's emotional journey.
