Kurangu Pedal(2024)
Tamil119 mins
Set in the backdrop of 80s of Katheri village, Maariappan, a 12-year-old boy whose father is taunted by the villagers for not knowing to ride a cycle, deeply wishes to spend the summer holidays mastering the skill of riding a bicycle by renting one.
Director:Kamalakannan
Mood:
emotionalupliftinginspiring
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Amazon Prime Video, Aha
- Theatrical Release
- 24 May 2024
- Director
- Kamalakannan
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 1h 59m
- Rating
- 8.5/10
Storyline
In a 1980s village, a 12-year-old boy named Maariappan sees his father mocked for not knowing how to ride a bicycle. He makes it his mission to master cycling over the summer by renting a bike.
“A boy's summer dream: to ride a bike and lift his family's pride.”
Film Details
8.5Rating
119Minutes
TamilLanguage
UCertificate
Release Date24 May 2024
Also Known AsMonkey Pedal
Parental Guide
Violence
Low
Language
Low
Sex / Nudity
Mild
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
Low
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Mood
emotionalupliftinginspiring
Themes
familyidentityfriendshipsurvival
Tonepoetic
Pacingslow-burn
Complexitylight
Audiencefamily
Best Withfamily
Violence1
Emotion4
Humor2
Rewatchability4
Cast & Crew
#1
G
GnanasekanActor
→#2
R
Raghavan V.R.Actor
→#3
J
Jensan DiwakarActor
→#4
#5P
Prasanna BalachandranActor
→
Kaali VenkatKandhasaami
→#6
S
Santhosh VelmuruganMariappan
→#7
#8S
SuMee BaskaranCrew
→
GhibranMusic
→#9K
KamalakannanDirector
→#10
P
Prabhakar ShanmugamCrew
→#11
C
C. AzhagappanCrew
→Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Kurangu Pedal
Cast reunions in this film: Kaali Venkat & Mohamaad Ghibran (5 films together).
Trivia
- The film's director Kamalakannan previously worked as an assistant director on the acclaimed Tamil film 'Kaaka Muttai'.
- The movie was shot entirely on location in a real village in Tamil Nadu to capture an authentic 1980s atmosphere.
- The child actor playing Maariappan, Nithish Nivas, was selected from a rural school and had never acted in a film before.
- Many of the vintage bicycles used in the film were sourced from local collectors and restored for shooting.
- The story is loosely inspired by the director's own childhood memories of learning to cycle in his village.
- The film's soundtrack uses traditional folk instruments to enhance the nostalgic setting of the 1980s village life.
- Despite being a small-budget film, it received positive reviews for its heartfelt storytelling and won awards at regional film festivals.