Avvai Shanmughi

Avvai Shanmughi
Directed by	K. S. Ravikumar
Produced by	R. Ravindran K. P. Hari
Written by	Crazy Mohan
Starring	Kamal Haasan Meena Durairaj Gemini Ganesan Nagesh Manivannan Nassar Heera
Music by	Deva
Cinematography	Niwas S. Murthy
Editing by	K. Thanikachalam
Studio	Sree Mahalakshmi Combines
Release date(s)	November 10, 1996
Language	Tamil

Avvai Shanmugi (Tamil: அவ்வை சண்முகி) is a 1996 Tamil comedy film directed by K. S. Ravikumar and written by Crazy Mohan, which is an Indian adaptation of the American comedy film, Mrs. Doubtfire. The film features Kamal Haasan in the lead role with Meena, Gemini Ganesan, Nagesh, Heera, Manivannan and Nassar. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Deva, while the film was produced by Ravindran and Hari. It was released on November 10 coinciding with the festival of Diwali in 1996 and became a commercially successful venture.

Plot

The film starts off with a courtroom sequence where Meena is fighting for divorce from Kamal. She offers various flimsy reasons for wanting divorce which is granted. She married Kamal against her father's (Gemini Ganesan) wishes but being rich and spoilt, she wasn't able to come to terms with living in a small house with no amenities. Kamal is an assistant dance director and so he is not able to spend much time with the family too. All this accumulates and she decides she's had it and gets the divorce. The court orders that Kamal can meet his daughter once a week and this is the only solace. His daughter however loves him a lot and doesn't like the arrangement.

Poster of Bhamane Satyabhamane, the dubbed version of Avvai Shanmughi, too was a huge success in Andhra Pradesh

Nasser is a Muslim friend who works in a hotel as a chef. He advises Kamal to somehow get the child from her mom and Kamal goes about trying to do the same. In doing so he is discovered and now he cannot meet her at all. Then Kamal finds out that Gemini has advertised for a lady to look after his granddaughter. Nagesh is a makeup man and in conversation with him, Kamal gets the idea of playing an old lady so that he can be with his child and Meena without them knowing. Nagesh agrees to this plan and the transformation is done from Pandian to Avvai Shanmugi.

Heera plays the girl who is in love with Pandian but is constantly rebuffed. Nasser plays the role of a dumb Iyer cook and is admitted into Gemini's house on the recommendation of Avvai Shanmugi but is caught later while doing his Namaz, thereby shattering both lies, the dumb part and the Iyer part. Hilarious instances follow and slowly Avvai Shanmugi manages to convince the household of "her" sincerity.So much so that Gemini Ganesan begins to develop a liking for "her" and in fact proposes to "her" too! Manivannan is the houseowner of the place where Kamal (Pandian) lives. Once, he happens to bump into Avvai Shanmugi who was hurrying up the stairs. This bumping happens many times and he too begins to develop a liking for "her".

Meanwhile Avvai Shanmugi slowly begins to learn that Meena hasn't totally forgotten her husband. "She" also rebuffs Gemini's proposals by saying that her husband is alive. Adding to the confusion "she" says Nagesh is her husband while Pandian tells Delhi Ganesh (Gemini Ganeshan's PA) that Manivannan is Avvai's husband. Confusion follows and it is all cleared finally. Avvai Shanmugi hints to Gemini that Meena's rightful place is by her husband and Gemini realises this. While he goes off to talk to Pandian (who is still as Avvai Shanmugi in Meena's house), Avvai Shanmugi reveals herself as Pandian to Nassar in a disturbing way, and leaves Meena to think "her" wrongly. She leaves to Pandian's house to reclaim him, but upon seeing Heera and Avvai Shjanmugi's clothes in the house, thinks Pandian the same way as Avvai Shanmugi. Meena leaves and attempts suicide, but Avvai Shanmugi stops her and reveals "her" identity as Pandian. Meena and Pandian reconcile.

Cast

• Kamal Haasan as Pandiyan and Avvai Shanmughi
• Meena as Janaki
• Gemini Ganesan as Vishwanathan Iyer
• Nagesh as Joseph
• Manivannan as Mudaliyar
• Nassar as Basha
• Delhi Ganesh as Sethurama Iyer
• Heera as Rathna
• Ann Anra as Bharathi
• S. P. Balasubrahmanyam as Doctor
• Ramesh Aravind in a guest appearance

Production

Leading make-up artist Michael Westmore gave advice for the film alongside R. K. Saratahkumar. The padding and foundation used gave Kamal Hasan and allergic reaction beneath his eyes, hence for the Hindi remake they ensured that scenes of the male role was shot first. The make-up took five hours to put on and lasts for only five more hours.

Release

The critics from The Hindu praised the film claiming "turns out to be entertainer, mirthful from start to finish". The film praises Kamal Haasan's portrayal of a woman by claiming that "few peers to Kamal Hassan who can do the female role with such perfection", while also crediting good performances from Gemini Ganesan, Nagesh and Ann Anra. The film went on to become a commercial success, and subsequently was ranked among the most successful Tamil films of 1996. The film won two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards with K. M. Sarathkumar winning Best Make-up Artist and Ann Anra winning Best Child actor.

The movie was dubbed into Telugu as Bhamane Satyabhamane. In 1998, Kamal Haasan made his directorial debut by remaking the film in Hindi as Chachi 420 with Tabu, Amrish Puri, Om Puri and himself in the leading roles.

Soundtrack

Song	Singer
Rukku Rukku	Kamal Haasan , Sujatha
Kadhala Kadhala	Hariharan , Sujatha
Kalyanam Katcheri	S.P. Balasubrahmanyam
Velai Velai	S.P. Balasubrahmanyam
Kadhali Kadhali	Hariharan (Not included in the film)

External links

• Avvai Shanmugi at the Internet Movie Database