| Nammavar | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster  | |
| Directed by | K. S. Sethumadhavan |
| Produced by | B. Venkatarama Reddy |
| Written by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Mahesh Mahadevan |
| Cinematography | Madhu Ambat |
| Edited by | N. P. Satish |
Production company | Chandamama Vijaya Combines |
Release date |
|
Running time | 178 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget | ₹ 3.7 crore[1] |
| Box office | ₹ 9.75 crore[1] |
Nammavar (transl. One of ours) is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan, starring Kamal Haasan and Gautami, while Nagesh, Karan, Senthil, Kovai Sarala, and Srividya play supporting roles. The film follows a revolutionary history lecturer of a college and how he tries to reform the downtrodden college by his initiatives and its consequences. The film is a loose adaptation of the 1982 Canadian film Class of 1984.[1][2]
The background score and music was composed by debutant Mahesh Mahadevan with cinematography by Madhu Ambat. The film was among the 1994 Diwali releases and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil and Second Prize of Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film. It was dubbed in Telugu-language as Professor Viswam.[3]
Plot
Selvam (Kamal Haasan) is the new vice principal and history professor in a college ruled by the donor's son Ramesh (Karan), who is essentially a spoiled brat, who, owing to the lack of parental guidance, turns into a good-for-nothing man who also influences the other students in the college by his tyrannical use of money and power. Sparks fly between the two, but Selvam manages to transform most of the college.
Vasanthi (Gautami) is also a professor in the same college who initially disapproves of Selvam's methods but later falls for him. Selvam is revealed to be a cancer patient, who is seeking answers to fight his inner demons by doing good to the college. When all his methods to insult Selvam fail, and when one of his gang turns against him, Ramesh retaliates by implicating his ex-friend's girlfriend Nirmala (Brinda), who is also the daughter of one of the college lecturers, Prabhakar Rao (Nagesh), in a brothel raid, which leads to her suicide. The inevitable final clash ensues, where Selvam still does not want to harm Ramesh and is still willing to offer him a second chance. In the end, Selvam and Vasanthi leave for the US seeking a cure for his cancer and hoping the college will be truly reformed when they return.
Cast
- Kamal Haasan as Dr. Selvam, Professor
- Gautami as Vasanthi
- Nagesh as Prabhakar Rao
- Karan as Ramesh
- Ramji as Vijay, Ramesh's friend
- Senthil as Perumal
- Kovai Sarala as Julie
- Santhana Bharathi as Sakthivel
- Brinda as Nirmala
- Srividya as Selvam's sister
- Delhi Ganesh as Muthukumaraswamy Pillai
- Madhan Bob as Tamil lecturer
- Sethu Vinayagam as Velu, Ramesh's father
- Bobby Bedi as Prakesh Moolchandani
Production
The title Nammavar was chosen by Ananthu, an assistant of K. Balachander.[4] The first day shoot was at held at the Vijaya Vauhini Studios, with Karan as a student and Kamal Haasan as professor in a classroom scenario.[5]
Release
Malini Mannath of The Indian Express wrote, "The filmmaker tries to be little different, at times moving away from cliches and conclusions. But he couldn't entirely do without them either."[6] K. Vijiyin of New Straits Times wrote, "With its realistic dialogue and quiet humour, Nammavar looks like a winner for Kamalhassan."[7] Balaji T.K. of INDOlink wrote "Kamal's taut and flawless Screenplay handled with aplomb by Sethumadhavan separates Nammavar from the run on the mill stuff churned out in the name of Tamil cinema from the mills in Kodambakkam. The story is nothing new, and is similar to Thalaivasal, which was a hit in 1993, but the manner in which its been handled makes this one of the most enjoyable movie going experiences in recent times, with the right measure of drama, action, pathos and humor supported by excellent acting and pleasing background music and good cinematography".[8]
Music
The soundtrack was composed by Mahesh Mahadevan, while the lyrics were written by Pulamaipithan and Vairamuthu. It was released under the label Music Master.[9][10] Nammavar is the feature film debut for Mahesh, who previously composed advertising jingles.[11] The song "Sorgam Enbathu Namakku" marked the debut of playback singer Srinivas.[12]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Poonnkuyil Paadinal" | Vairamuthu | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra | 5:04 |
| 2. | "Ethilum Valvlan Da" | Pulamaipithan | Kamal Haasan, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Swarnalatha | 8:21 |
| 3. | "Mannil Engum" | Vairamuthu | Mano, Neol James | 4:51 |
| 4. | "Sorgam Enbathu Namakku" | Vairamuthu | Srinivas, Swarnalatha | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Udai Oodu Pirakkavillai" | Pulamaipithan | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sujatha | 4:38 |
| Total length: | 27:22 | |||
Accolades
The film has won the following awards since its release:
| Award | Ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Outcome | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Film Awards | 42nd National Film Awards | National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil | R. Venkatarama Reddy (Producer) | Won | [13] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Nagesh | Won | |||
| Special Mention | Mahesh Mahadevan (Music director) | Won | |||
| Tamil Nadu State Film Awards | 1994 | Best Film (Second prize) | R. Venkatarama Reddy | Won | |
| Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize | Nagesh | Won |
Legacy
- Film historian S. Theodore Baskaran felt that Oru Thalai Ragam and Nammavar were the "two most representative Tamil films about students".[14]
- In the 2021 film Master, JD (Vijay) is referred to as the student of Professor Selvam, who he considers as his inspiration and becomes alcoholic after his loss.[15]
References
- ^ a b c "26 years of Nammavar: 26 Lesser Known facts about Kamal Haasan's landmark Film". Cinema Express. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ Kumar, K. Naresh (1995). Indian Cinema: Ebbs and Tides. Har-Anand Publications. p. 79.
- ^ Gudelli, Jalapathy (13 January 2021). "Master Review: A plodding mass movie!". Telugu Cinema. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ Shoba, V (2 August 2018). "Kamal Haasan: A Star in Search of a Bigger Sky". Open. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ Ashok Kumar, S.R. (3 August 2007). "Emotions interest him". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ Mannath, Malini (11 November 1994). "To Sir, with violence". The Indian Express. p. 6.
- ^ Vijiyin, K. (14 November 1994). "Another winner for Kamalhassan". New Straits Times. p. 30.
- ^ T.K., Balaji. "INDOlink Film review: Nammavar". INDOlink. Archived from the original on 7 June 1997.
- ^ "Nammavar". JioSaavn. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "Nammavar Tamil Audio Cassettes By Magesh". Banumass. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ Padmanabhan, Mukund (11 September 1994). "On a Song". Express Magazine. p. 10.
- ^ Saravanan, T. (10 September 2005). "Singing, swinging and swaying". The Hindu. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "42nd National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ Joshi, Namrata (27 February 2016). "Where is the student in Indian cinema?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ "Master Review: Vijay And Vijay Sethupathi Make A Winning Combination". NDTV. 14 January 2021. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
External links
- Nammavar at IMDb