Unnale Unnale (transl. Because of You) is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic comedy film The movie is written, cinematograph and directed by Jeeva and produced by Oscar Ravichandran. It stars Vinay, Sadha and Tanisha Mukherjee in lead roles; Srinath, Raju Sundaram and Sathish Krishnan in supporting roles; and Lekha Washington, Aravind Akash, Uma Padmanabhan, and Vasundhara Kashyap in cameo roles. Raju Sundaram also worked as a choreographer in the film. This film marked Vinay's feature film debut and Tanisha's only Tamil film that she ever acted.[3] The soundtrack and film has received a cult status over the years.
| Unnale Unnale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jeeva |
| Written by | Jeeva |
| Dialogues by | |
| Produced by | V. Ravichandran |
| Starring | Vinay Sadha Tanisha |
| Cinematography | Jeeva |
| Edited by | V. T. Vijayan |
| Music by | Harris Jayaraj |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 147 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
The film revolves around the aftermath of a relationship between a careless man and a serious woman. Despite being in a relationship, the latter walks out on the former due to his antics with other women. However, the man changes his ways and on a business trip to Melbourne, he encounters another woman. This other woman's boss turns out to be the man's former lover. The events that follow and who the man eventually gets together with form the crux of the story. The Telugu dubbed version was titled Neevalle Neevalle and released simultaneously with the Tamil version.
The film opened to Indian audiences after several delays, on 14 April 2007, coinciding with the Tamil New Year. The film received positive reviews and became a blockbuster hit at box office. It marked the last directorial venture of Jeeva before his death on 26 June 2007.[4]
Plot
editThe film opens with a man (Aravind Akash) and woman interviewing civilians on love and the opposite sex. After a mixture of answers, they cease their questions, and the credits roll. The credits end as a boy, after being rejected by his girlfriend, is accidentally hit by a passing car and dies. Karthik (Vinay) walks off, disturbed, to his girlfriend Jhansi's (Sadha) office. There, he is criticized by her for his antics with other women and his lack of passion for their love. She walks off, ending their relationship.
Karthik is then shown as a civil engineer in Chennai, still playful and fun-loving. Accepting a request from his manager to go on a six-month business trip to Melbourne, he bids farewell to his friends Raju (Raju Sundaram) and Sathish (Sathish Krishnan). On the plane, he encounters a playful, flirtatious girl named Deepika (Tanisha), whom he sits next to during the flight. After spending hours together, they become friends and exchange contact details. However, by coincidence, Deepika is travelling to Melbourne to work in the same company as Jhansi, who is settled there. Together they seem to conveniently bump into Karthik at every corner, prompting an unwelcome reunion for Jhansi and Karthik.
While Deepika takes a liking to Karthik, Jhansi ignores him, even though he has hopes of getting back together. At a restaurant, Karthik bumps into a fellow Tamilian named Vaidyanathan (Srinath) and explains his love for Jhansi. The story then flashes back two years. Karthik had met Jhansi at a festival in a temple, where she played a prank on him and his friends. Taking a liking to Jhansi, Karthik begins to follow her intentionally, hoping for her to fall in love with him. Soon after, she becomes more and more suspicious of Karthik. This comes to a head when Karthik acts as the boyfriend of Raju's girlfriend Pooja (Paloma Rao), only for Jhansi to get confused and mistake him. His reputation as a trusting boyfriend takes another turn for the worse, when at a wedding, the bride (Lekha Washington) gives him a kiss after he improvises a song.
As the pair have a love-hate relationship, the breakup beckons when Jhansi sends her friend (Vasundhara Kashyap) undercover to flirt with Karthik. However, he lies by claiming that he was at home ill, prompting Jhansi to end their relationship. At the end of the flashback, Vaidyanathan suggests to Karthik that it is more important to move on than think regretfully, and Karthik gets over his relationship with Jhansi. However, finding out about Deepika's love towards Karthik, Jhansi becomes jealous and reinstates her love for Karthik. Soon, as she sees Deepika and Karthik's compatibility and understanding her fault, she finally understands what went wrong in their relationship. Then, Karthik tells her through a meaningful conversation that he still loves her, not Deepika. After this, Jhansi runs away to Sydney surreptitiously.
At the end of the film, the male interviewer who appeared at the start questions Jhansi on her decision to leave anonymously; however, she refuses to answer at first. Later, she replies that though she still loves Karthik, she was unable to understand him well. She knew that it would not work out and that she did not want to hurt Karthik further, thus becoming the sole reason for her departure. She then confirms that she met up with Deepika recently, and had found that she is married to Karthik and they have a child. She then walks away, claiming that her future lies in her own hands, and she is happy the way she is now.
Cast
edit- Vinay as Karthik
- Sadha as Jhansi
- Tanisha Mukherjee as Deepika (Voice dubbed by Chinmayi)
- Srinath as Vaidyanathan
- Raju Sundaram as Raju
- Sathish as Sathish
- Uma Padmanabhan as Karthik's sister
- Vasundhara Kashyap as Jhansi's friend
- Aravind Akash as a male interviewer
- Paloma Rao as Priya
- Devan Ekambaram as Vaidyanathan's roommate
- Japan Kumar as Vaidyanathan's roommate
- Lekha Washington as a wedding bride (cameo appearance)
Production
editThe key elements
editThe entire production of the film took about a year and a half to be completed and released.[5] Unnale Unnale became Jeeva's last finished film prior to his death on the sets of his next film, Dhaam Dhoom.[6]
The film was originally announced under the title of July Kaatril (In the Winds of July)[7] with a scheduled casting of Arya, Sonia Agarwal and Parvati Melton.[8] However all three of the proposed lead cast opted out of the film. Agarwal cited that her marriage was on the cards and she would find it difficult to sign on for a year, whilst the other two were unable to star in the film due to undisclosed reasons.[9]
In an interview, Jeeva said, "Romance always finds a special place in Tamil films. My new film July Kaatril is also about love", confirming it was a romantic flick.[10] While Harris Jayaraj was signed on as the music director with Kavignar Vaali and Pa. Vijay assisting him with the lyrics, Jeeva's wife, Aneez was signed as a costume designer.[11]
Casting, location and music
edit
The casting of Vinay, after Arya opted out, as Karthik was due to some similarities with the character. Vinay made his debut into the film industry after modelling and featuring in a couple of Tulu advertisements.[12] However, they finalised the choice of the actor only after the script was ready. The choice of Sadha was more difficult and since Anniyan she had received many negative reviews and the film became important to rekindle her success.[13] The role of Deepika went to Tanisha Mukherjee, who despite being a leading heroine's sister (Kajol), she was yet to maintain a hit film. Mukherjee, came down to South India to look for new opportunities and attracted the producer into signing her on. She immediately expressed her satisfaction with the character and consented for the role.[14]
The film was mostly shot in Melbourne, Australia overlooking the Melbourne Docklands.[15] The climax was shot in Sydney while the beginning and the flashback was picturized in various cities across South India.[14] For the film's music and soundtrack, Jeeva renewed his previous association (12B and Ullam Ketkumae) with Harris Jayaraj.[16] Playback singer, Chinmayi dubbed for Tanisha Mukherjee.[17]
Soundtrack
edit| Unnale Unnale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 15 December 2006[18] | |||
| Recorded | 2006 | |||
| Genre | Soundtrack | |||
| Length | 29:01 | |||
| Language | Tamil | |||
| Label | Saregama | |||
| Producer | Harris Jayaraj | |||
| Harris Jayaraj chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Neevalle Neevalle | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 2007 |
| Recorded | 2007 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Length | 27:26 |
| Language | Telugu |
| Label | Aditya Music |
| Producer | Harris Jayaraj |
The film has six songs composed by Harris Jayaraj with the lyrics primarily penned by Vaali and Pa. Vijay. The audio of the film released nationwide on 24 January 2007, three months prior to the movie release.[19] Sify gave a positive rating stating "Full marks to Harris Jeyaraj for the songs especially the “Unnale Unnale...”, “June Pona...” and the background score which stays long after you leave the hall. They are picturised aesthetically in never-seen-before locations with utmost care going into details. "[20] The soundtrack was highly acclaimed and won the "Youthful Album of the Year" award at "Tamil Music Awards". Harris Jayaraj was also nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director and the Vijay Award for Best Music Director.[21] The song "June Ponal" is based on "All Rise" by Blue.[22]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "June Ponal" | Pa. Vijay | Krish, Arun | 6:01 |
| 2. | "Hello Miss Imsaiyae" | Vaali | G. V. Prakash Kumar, Anushka Manchanda | 4:31 |
| 3. | "Vaigasi Nilavae" | Vaali | Haricharan, Madhushree | 5:40 |
| 4. | "Mudhal Naal" | Pa. Vijay | KK, Pop Shalini, Mahalaxmi Iyer | 4:27 |
| 5. | "Unnale Unnale" | Pa. Vijay | Krish, Karthik, Harini | 4:43 |
| 6. | "Ilamai Ulasam" | Pa. Vijay | Krish, Pop Shalini | 2:10 |
| 7. | "Siru Siru Uravugal" | Pa. Vijay | Krish | 1:29 |
| Total length: | 29:01 | |||
All tracks are written by Bhuvanachandra
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "June Pothe" | Krish , Arun | 6:00 |
| 2. | "Hello Miss" | G. V. Prakash Kumar, Chinmayi | 4:29 |
| 3. | "Vysakha Vennela" | Haricharan, Swarnalatha | 5:40 |
| 4. | "Modhalennadu" | Naresh Iyer, Pop Shalini, Mahalaxmi Iyer | 4:27 |
| 5. | "Neevalle Neevalle" | Krish, Karthik , Harini | 4:42 |
| 6. | "Yavvana Ullasam" | Krish, Pop Shalini | 2:08 |
| Total length: | 27:26 | ||
Release
editReception
editThe movie was released worldwide alongside Mayakannadi, Madurai Veeran and Arputha Theevu on Tamil New Year's Day, 14 April 2007.[24] Owing to the success of the film, the number of reels grew to about hundred. The film completed 100 days of screening in the theaters in the state of Tamil Nadu.[25] The reception in Malaysia was equally successful and was released in six major metropolises for up to 9 weeks, the film collected $114,883 (then approximately ₹5 million) within its 50-day run.[26]
Along with its relative commercial success, the film received positive reviews on the storyline and the performances of the actors themselves. Rediff.com praised Sadha's, Tanisha's, and Vinay's performances.[27] Lajjavathi of Kalki praised the acting of lead pair, humour, Jayaraj's music, Ramakrishnan's dialogues and added Jeeva scored both as cinematographer and director and praised him for narrating the plot like a Haiku and felt the screenplay was fast paced and concluded saying let's welcome this Unnale Unnale to come and sit in the row of films like 'Mozhi'.[28] Chennai Online wrote "A youthful colourful ambience, a handsome star cast, and some pleasant melodies, all packaged in attractive frames was the trademark of Jeeva's earlier films. Unnale Unnale the cinematographer-director's third venture, has all these elements. And when the narration tends to lag a little or the scenes turn repetitive, it's these factors that keep it going".[29] Sify wrote "Unnale Unnale is an urban romantic fun film that explores love from a slightly realistic and different point of view. The movie does not have clichéd characters nor the typical masalas associated with Tamil films and is packaged in Bollywood style. Though some of the scenes are straight lifts from various Hollywood and Bollywood films, director Jeeva has succeeded in bringing out brilliant performances from his lead actors and presenting the film in a chic and sophisticated manner".[30] Regarding the Telugu dubbed version, a critic from Indiaglitz wrote that "Neevalle Neevalle is packaged with care and oozes a trendy chic feel all through. Jeeva has worked on the backdrop assiduously and makes the story appealing and realistic. In his endeavour, music director Harris Jayaraj has chipped in heartily and adds a unique lustre".[31]
Home media
editThe DVD version of the film was released on 8 August 2007 in the United Kingdom. This DVD release was distributed by Ayngaran International all around the world. It is available in 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, progressive 24 FPS, widescreen and NTSC format.[32] The satellite rights of the film were bagged by Jaya TV.
Legacy
editThe film made business for Vinay, who signed up many films after the project.[33] The original title of this film, July Kaatril, inspired a film of the same name.[34]
References
edit- ^ "Unnale Unnale promises clean fare". Indiaglitz.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Charmingly presented". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Neevalle Neevalle". Indiaglitz.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2007.
- ^ "Business booms for Tamil cinema". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "A Summer Treat for Cinema Lovers!". OneIndia.com. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Tamil director Jeeva dead". The Times of India. 26 June 2007. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ "July Kaatril is now Unnale Unnale". Indiaglitz. Archived from the original on 2 December 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Ajith's Akbar eyes Parvathi". Behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Wedding bells ring for Sonia Agarwal, too". ApunkaChoice.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2006.
- ^ "July Kaatril is now Unnale Unnale". Indiaglitz.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Unnale Unnale Review". Cinechance.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Unnale Unnale". Indiaglitz.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Sada pins her hopes on Unnale Unnale". OneIndia.com. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ a b "Kajol's sister in Unnale Unnale". OneIndia.com. Retrieved 3 November 2007.[dead link]
- ^ "Paloma's Unnale Unnale". Indiaglitz.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Unnale Unnale Music review songs lyrics". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ "Chinmayi dubs for Lekha Washington". IndiaGlitz. 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
- ^ "Unnale Unnale music launches today – Telugu Movie News – IndiaGlitz.com". IndiaGlitz.com. 15 December 2006. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
- ^ "Jayaraj's 'Unnale...' is hit Tamil album". Nowrunning.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ Movie Review: Unnale Unnale. Sify
- ^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (29 December 2018). "If you instantly recognise a Harris song, that is my success: Harris Jayaraj". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- ^ Paneerselvam Umamaheswaran; Shravan Ramachandran; Shivadas D S (2020). "Retrospective Analysis of Plagiaristic Practices within a Cinematic Industry in India – a Tip in the Ocean of Icebergs". Journal of Academic Ethics. 18 (2): 143–153. doi:10.1007/s10805-020-09360-7.
- ^ "Neevalle Neevalle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Harris Jayaraj". Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "A Summer Treat for Cinema lovers!". OneIndia.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Bingo!! Chennai 600 028 and Unnale Unnale". Kollywoodtoday.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Malaysia Box Office". Boxofficemojo.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "Topsy turvy Unnale Unnale with mature ending". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ லஜ்ஜாவதி (6 May 2007). "உன்னாலே உன்னாலே..." Kalki (in Tamil). pp. 12–13. Retrieved 1 May 2024 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Unnale Unnale". Chennai Online. 25 April 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Unnale Unnale". Sify. Archived from the original on 16 May 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Neevalle Neevalle review. Neevalle Neevalle Tamil movie review, story, rating". IndiaGlitz.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ "Unnale Unnale". Ayngaran.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- ^ "The smile's back". 21 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024 – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "'Unnale Unnale was first titled July Kaatril'". Cinema Express. 17 March 2019. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.