My Dear Marthandan(1990)
My Dear Marthandan is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Pratap Pothen. It stars Prabhu as Marthandan and Khushbu as Rani, with Goundamani and R.S. Shivaji in supporting roles. The story follows a bored prince who leaves his royal life to find true love by pretending to be a common man in the city. The film is loosely based on the 1988 American film Coming to America. It was produced by Sivaji Productions. The movie was praised for its lighthearted tone and performances. It remains a nostalgic favorite among Tamil cinema fans. The film was released in 1990 in theatres across Tamil Nadu.
My Dear Marthandan is streaming on YouTube and Airtel Xstream Play.
Where to watch:Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- YouTube, Airtel Xstream Play
- Theatrical Release
- 24 August 1990
- Director
- Prathap K. Pothan
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 1h 54m
- Rating
- 3.5/10
Storyline
A prince named Marthandan is tired of his royal life. He wants to find a woman who loves him for who he is, not his title. So he moves to the city and pretends to be a poor man. There, he meets Rani, a strong woman who challenges him. But his secret threatens to destroy their growing love.
“Can a prince find love as a poor man?”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for My Dear Marthandan
Cast reunions in this film: Goundamani & Ilayaraja (75 films together), Prabhu & Ilayaraja (60 films together), Kushboo & Ilayaraja (32 films together), Chinni Jayanth & Ilayaraja (25 films together), Ilayaraja & S. S. Chandran (24 films together), and Kovai Sarala & Ilayaraja (19 films together).
Trivia
- The film was loosely adapted from the Eddie Murphy comedy 'Coming to America', but set in a Tamil rural and urban context.
- Director Prathap Pothan was primarily known as an actor, and this was one of his few directorial ventures in Tamil cinema.
- The movie featured actor Ramesh Aravind in a lead role, marking one of his early appearances in Tamil films after his work in Kannada cinema.
- It was produced by Sivasakthi Pandian, who was a notable producer in the late 80s and early 90s for rural-themed films.
- The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, but the songs did not achieve the same massive popularity as his other works from that period.
- The film's release coincided with a wave of rural-to-urban stories in Tamil cinema, but it did not become a major box office hit.
- Some scenes were shot in and around Madurai, using its urban landscapes to contrast with the fictional rural kingdom.