Ethirum Puthirum
| Ethirum Puthirum | |
|---|---|
Poster | |
| Directed by | V. C. Ramani |
| Written by | E. Ramdoss (dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | V. C. Ramani |
| Story by | E. K. Maharajan |
| Produced by | G. S. Madhu |
| Starring | Mammootty Napoleon Sangita Manorama |
| Cinematography | A. Karthik Raja |
| Edited by | B. S. Nagarajan |
| Music by | Vidyasagar |
Production company | Madhu Film Internationals |
Release date |
|
Running time | 165 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Ethirum Puthirum (transl. Different puzzles) is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language action-drama film directed by Dharani under his real name V. C. Ramani. Produced by G. S. Madhu, the film stars Mammootty, Napoleon, Sangita, and Manorama, while Goundamani, Senthil, and Nassar play supporting roles. The music was composed by Vidyasagar with editing by B. S. Nagarajan and cinematography by A. Karthik Raja. The film released on 4 March 1999, and won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Third Best Film.
Plot
Kannan, an upright district collector, is tasked with a sensitive mission when Veeraiyan, a terrorist leader, kidnaps a prominent female political figure. Veeraiyan agrees to release her only if his injured brother, Arasappan, receives proper medical care and is safely returned. The government consents and assigns Kannan to oversee Arasappan’s recovery.
Initially, Arasappan despises Kannan for representing the government against which his brother is fighting. However, the compassion shown by Kannan’s wife, Selvi, and his mother gradually softens his hostility. Just as Arasappan begins to change, events take a darker turn: without Kannan’s approval, the police launch an assault on Veeraiyan’s camp in the forest. Enraged, Arasappan nearly retaliates but is restrained by Kannan.
The police then accuse Kannan of collusion with the terrorists, citing Arasappan’s escape from his custody and Kannan’s criticism of their unauthorized raid. As a result, Kannan’s wife and mother are arrested. Determined to prevent further suffering for Kannan’s family, Arasappan voluntarily surrenders. Despite his surrender, the police refuse to show him mercy.
Cast
- Mammootty as Collector Kannan
- Napoleon as Arasappan
- Sangita as Selvi
- Manorama as Kannan's mother
- Goundamani as Auto Driver
- Senthil as Eshwar
- Nassar as Veeraiyan
- Charan Raj as Devaraj
- Radhika as Dr. Jayanthi
- Sangili Murugan as Panchayat Thalaivar
- Uday Prakash as Inspector
- Ra. Sankaran as Doctor
- Shanmugasundaram
- Madhan Bob
- Kumarimuthu
- Pushpavanam Kuppusamy[1]
- Raju Sundaram (special appearance in "Thottu Thottu Pesum Sultana")
- Simran (special appearance in "Thottu Thottu Pesum Sultana")
Production
Ethirum Puthirum is the directorial debut of Dharani.[2] The film was initially titled Master and production delays postponed the film's release by a couple of years. Soundarya was the original choice for the female lead role, while the item number done by Simran was initially offered to actress Rambha, who wanted better pay.[3][4]
Soundtrack
Music was composed by Vidyasagar and the lyrics were penned by Vairamuthu.[5] The song "Thottu Thottu Pesum Sultana" became a chartbuster,[6] and received renewed attention after featuring in Good Bad Ugly (2025).[7]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Thottu Thottu Pesum Sultana" | Swarnalatha, Pushpavanam Kuppusamy | 4:44 |
| 2. | "Kathu Pasanga" | Pushpavanam Kuppusamy, Malaysia Vasudevan, Anuradha Sriram, Gopal Rao | 5:06 |
| 3. | "Nilavonnu Pathikichhu" | Hariharan, Swarnalatha | 4:40 |
| 4. | "Maruthaani Thottu" | Sujatha Mohan, Malaysia Vasudevan | 4:32 |
| 5. | "Ellorukkum Oru" | Gopal Rao | 3:34 |
| Total length: | 22:38 | ||
Release and reception
The film was initially scheduled to release on 19 October 1998 to coincide with Diwali, but was delayed by five months.[8] Prior to the theatrical release of the film, pirated copies were released and streamed on television, which ultimately affected the profitability of the film.[9] D. S. Ramanujam of The Hindu wrote, "Though the crux of Maharajan's story is simple, the director, with his screenplay, ably supported by E. Ramdass's dialogue, has worked out enough absorbing situations."[10] The film won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Third Best Film.[11]
References
- ^ Suganth, M. (29 March 2020). "Paravai Muniyamma's innocence turned Dhool shoot into a fun experience: Director Dharani". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ Praveenkumar, K (13 July 2022). "#UnforgettableOnes: Director Dharani". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Sandya. "**** Tamil Movie News ****". Indolink. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ "GOKUL'S TAMIL CINEMA NEWS". geocities.ws. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ "Ethirum Pudhirum Tamil Audio Cassettes By Vidyasagar". Banumass. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ Ramachandran, Avinash (22 March 2023). "Tamil Nadu will always be home, says Simran". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ K, Janani (12 April 2025). "Beyond the wink: Priya Prakash Varrier's second viral wave with Good Bad Ugly". India Today. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
- ^ Rajitha (17 October 1998). "Southern bonanza". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ Rajitha (15 December 1999). "The war within". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ Ramanujam, D. S. (23 April 1999). "Film Reviews: Perianna / Monisha En Monalisa / Ethirum Puthirum". The Hindu. p. 26. Archived from the original on 7 April 2001. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ "Awards: Tamilnadu Government Announces Cinema State Awards -1999". Dinakaran. 29 December 2000. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2023.