Avvai Shanmughi(1996)
Avvai Shanmugi is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language screwball comedy film directed by K. S. Ravikumar and co-written by Crazy Mohan. The film stars Kamal Haasan in a dual role as Pandiyan and the elderly nanny Avvai Shanmugi, alongside Meena, Gemini Ganesan, Nagesh, Heera, Manivannan, Nassar, and Delhi Ganesh. The story follows a divorcé who disguises himself as an elderly Iyer woman to work as a nanny in his ex-wife's household, allowing him to stay close to his daughter. The film is inspired by the American film Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) but incorporates distinct Tamil cultural elements and slapstick humour. It won two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Best Make-up Artist and Best Child Artist. Avvai Shanmugi was released on 10 November 1996 and became a commercial success, later remade in Hindi as Chachi 420 (1997) with Kamal Haasan directing and reprising his role.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, ManoramaMAX (via Airtel Xstream)
- Theatrical Release
- 10 November 1996
- Director
- K. S. Ravikumar
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 40m
- Rating
- 5.9/10
Storyline
A divorced father loses all rights to see his daughter. Desperate to stay close to her, he transforms himself into an elderly woman and gets hired as her nanny. He must keep his true identity a secret while navigating a house full of suspicious relatives and two men who fall in love with his disguise.
“A father will do anything for his daughter”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Avvai Shanmughi
Cast reunions in this film: Manivannan & Deva (53 films together), Nagesh & Gemini Ganesan (25 films together), Nassar & Delhi Ganesh (21 films together), Delhi Ganesh & Deva (21 films together), Kamal Haasan & Nagesh (19 films together), and Nassar & Manivannan (18 films together).
Trivia
- The film is an official remake of the Hollywood movie 'Mrs. Doubtfire', but the story was adapted heavily for Tamil audiences.
- Kamal Haasn's makeup for the Avvai Shanmugi character took over four hours to apply each day.
- The film's title 'Avvai Shanmugi' references a wise old woman from Tamil folklore, similar to the character played by Kamal Haasan.
- This was one of the few films where comedian 'Goundamani' and 'Senthil' did not appear together, as only Goundamani was cast.
- The movie was a major box office success and ran for over 100 days in many theatres across Tamil Nadu.
- Actress Meena, who played the daughter, was actually 22 years old during filming, much older than her character.
- The iconic scene where Shanmugi sings 'Kalakalakalakkum Kalangal' was filmed at the famous Binny Mills in Chennai.