Kandukondain Kandukondain (English: I Have Seen It) is a
2000 Tamil musical and romantic film based on Jane Austen's novel Sense and
Sensibility. Directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon, the film features an
ensemble cast of Mammootty, Ajith Kumar, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai, and Abbas.
Veteran actors Srividya, Raghuvaran and Manivannan also play other supporting
roles.
The plot features two young sisters with differing views on
love who find themselves with three suitors. The elder sister attracts the
attention of an aspiring film director, while a wounded commando falls for her
younger, hopelessly romantic sister but hesitates because he is much older than
she. Meanwhile, the younger sister meets and falls for an upcoming businessman
with a passion for Tamil poetry. However, problems lap up from different
directions, resulting in emotional turmoil for both sisters. Whom the sisters
marry forms the crux of the story.
The film opened to Indian audiences, after several delays,
on 4 May 2000 gaining generally positive reviews. Kandukondain Kandukondain was
dubbed and released in Telugu as Priyuraalu Pilichindi, and the producers
released subtitled versions worldwide. The film's soundtrack was scored by A.
R. Rahman. The film went on to feature
in international film festivals and gain notable awards. Shankar Mahadevan won
the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Enna
solla pogirai" in the movie.
Story:
Kandukondain Kandukondain opens with army commando Major
Bala (Mammootty) fighting in a war and losing his left leg in a grenade
explosion. After the opening credits, Sowmya (Tabu) and Meenakshi
"Meenu" (Aishwarya Rai) are shown as the adult daughters of Pathma
(Srividya) living in a Chettiar mansion in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu with their
maternal grandfather Chandrasekhar (Unnikrishan Nambooripad), maidservant
Chellatha (S. N. Lakshmi) and younger sister Kamala (Shamili). Sowmya is a
school principal while Meenu is passionate about classic Tamil poetry, music
and dance. Major Bala, one of the rich men in their village falls in love with
Meenu, but Meenu falls in love with Srikanth (Abbas). Manohar (Ajith Kumar) is
a director who comes to Meenu's house for a film shoot. Sowmya and Manohar fall
for each other but an issue crops up between the two and whether Manohar
manages to win her back forms the rest of their part of the story.
Chandrasekhar, on his deathbed, tries to say something about
the will which was written by him and kept in a box, a long time ago. No one
understands him. After his death, their lawyer breaks open the box and found
out that he had bequeathed all his property to his younger son Swaminathan
(Nizhagal Ravi), remembering the fact that his elder daughter Pathma had eloped
and married without his knowledge. Unable to bear Swaminathan's wife's arrogant
behaviour upon inheriting the mansion, Sowmya and her family move to Chennai.
In Chennai, Sowmya finds a respectable job in a software
company while Meenu becomes a playback singer with the help of Major Bala.
Meanwhile, Srikanth's finance company goes bankrupt and he has to pay back his
investors. A minister offers to bail out Srikanth and his company if Srikanth
marries his daughter. Srikanth agrees and when Meenu finds this out by chance,
she is shocked and overwhelmed at Srikanth's hypocrisy. She falls into an open
manhole and gets rescued by Bala. Realising Bala's true love for her, Meenu
falls in love with him.
Manohar's first movie project is in disarray and he is
thrown out. He plans his own movie, a path-breaking action one with Nandhini
Varma (Pooja Batra) as the heroine. Nandhini falls for Manohar's charm although
not with any serious intentions. Rumours of an affair spread which hurt Sowmya
deeply. The movie becomes a big commercial success. When he visits Sowmya's
house in Chennai, he finds out that Sowmya is going to California. Tearful
exchanges of resentment are exchanged between them as Manohar tries to convince
Sowmya after some tearful drama. The movie ends with Manohar marrying Sowmya
and Bala marrying Meenakshi.
No comments:
Post a Comment