Chinna Thambi
Theatrical release poster
Directed byP. Vasu
Written byP. Vasu
Produced byBalu
StarringPrabhu
Khushbu
CinematographyRavinder
Edited byP. Mohanraj
Music byIlaiyaraaja
Production
company
Malar Combines
Release date
  • 12 April 1991 (1991-04-12)
Running time
138 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Chinna Thambi (transl. Little Brother) is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language romantic musical drama film written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Prabhu as the titular character, an uneducated village simpleton and Khushbu as Nandini, a homeschooled wealthy girl. Manorama, Radha Ravi, Uday Prakash, Rajeshkumar, and Goundamani play supporting roles. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, and the film released on 12 April 1991.[1]

The film was remade in Kannada as Ramachaari (1991), Telugu as Chanti (1992) and Hindi as Anari (1993). The film was one of Prabhu's biggest blockbusters and completed a 356-day run in 9 screens and 100-day run in 47 screens.

Plot

The film starts with the birth of a baby girl, Nandini, in a rich family on outskirts of Erode. Her three elder brothers throw a feast in honour of her. The young son of the local singer (who had died) is brought in to sing for the event. The three brothers raise Nandini like their own child as their parents had died. At the age of five, an astrologer predicts that Nandini will bring much happiness to the family, but she will marry a person of her choice and not of her brothers' choosing. This angers the brothers, and to prevent this from happening, they raise Nandhini within the confines of the house. She is homeschooled, and when she does go out, all the men are warned to hide from Nandini and that seeing her will be met with dire consequences.

Nandini soon reaches puberty. The few males allowed around her are the service staff and her bodyguards. Meanwhile, the boy who sang, Chinna Thambi, grows up to be a naïve and gullible simpleton with a heart of gold. He is raised by his widowed mother Kannamma. He does not go to school and spends his time singing and entertaining the people of the village.

One day the bodyguards get into a fight with Chinna Thambi, who defeats them. Impressed with Chinna Thambi's naivete and fighting skills, the brothers hire Chinna Thambi to be Nandini's bodyguard and butler. Nandini meanwhile starts to resent her lack of freedom. She coerces Chinna Thambi to show her the village without her brothers' knowledge. Chinna Thambi complies with her wishes and shows her the village, which results in Nandini falling ill. Chinna Thambi is blamed for Nandini getting sick and is beaten up by the brothers. Nandini, who has just started to like Chinna Thambi, feels guilty for being the reason for him getting thrashed. She shares her medicine with Chinna Thambi, who inadvertently equates Nandini to his mother, as being the few people who truly care for him. This incident brings them closer together emotionally.

One day, a factory worker is punished for leering at Nandini. He plots to kill her at the inauguration of the new factory owned by her brothers. Chinna Thambi overhears the plot, and in a desperate attempt to save Nandini, lunges at her and inadvertently feels her up in public. Nandini does not mind and defends Chinna Thambi by arguing that he would not do something like that in public without good reason. But her brothers are enraged and beat Chinna Thambi to the point that they almost kill him. Nandini stops them and gives him a chance to explain. When Chinna Thambi explains the situation, they hang their heads in shame. Chinna Thambi quits his job on the spot, despite Nandini's silent apology.

At night, Nandini meets Chinna Thambi and apologise and perhaps convince him to come back to the job. Chinna Thambi refuses to come back as he does not want to put up with the violent nature of her brothers. She thinks if Chinna Thambi marries her, they will not be able to manhandle Chinna Thambi. She convinces Chinna Thambi to tie a mangalsutra around her neck, which will protect him from her brothers. Chinna Thambi, without realising the sanctity of the act, does as told and does not realise that he is now married to her.

Chinna Thambi comes back to work and is given a higher level of respect by the brothers for saving Nandini's life. Nandini too starts emulating her sisters-in-law in taking care of her husband. This makes Chinna Thambi nervous, but he still remains clueless. Her change in behaviour is noticed by her sisters-in-law, who urge the brothers to get Nandini married off before she brings shame to the family. Nandini, realising that they are trying to get her married off, tries to make Chinna Thambi understand that they are already married. Chinna Thambi refuses to understand and runs away to his mother, who upon learning what has happened, pulls him out of denial. She sends him away in an attempt to protect him.

The brothers come to know what has happened and torture Kannamma to get her to reveal where her son is hiding. She is saved in time by her son, who almost kills the brothers. The wives of the brothers stop him from killing them and ask him to save Nandini, who has now resorted to self-destruction upon hearing the torturous acts of her brothers. Chinna Thambi rushes back to save his wife and revives her with his singing. Nandini runs towards him and they embrace, with her brothers finally supporting their relationship.

Cast

Production

P. Vasu's son Sakthi made his screen debut as a child artist at the age of seven with this film; he appeared as young Prabhu in the film.[4][5] Khushbu joined the film at Vasu's insistence.[6] Vasu was initially sceptical about casting Manorama as Prabhu's mother as he believed people would compare it to her vastly different role in Vasu's previous film Nadigan (1990), but Manorama remained confident it would not happen.[7] The filming was held at Gobichettipalayam.[8]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja and lyrics were written by Vaali and Gangai Amaran.[9] The song "Nee Engey En Anbe" is set to the Carnatic raga Keeravani,[10] as is "Poovoma Oorgolam".[11] Ilaiyaraaja composed all the songs within 35 minutes.[12] All of them were chartbusters.[13] The film proved to be a breakthrough for playback singer Swarnalatha.[14][15]

Song Singer(s) Lyrics Length
"Thooliyile Ada Vantha I" K. S. Chithra Vaali 2:40
"Thooliyile Ada Vantha II" Mano 4:38
"Poovoma Oorgolam" Swarnalatha, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam 4:44
"Ada Uchcham Thala" Mano 4:58
"Kuyila Pudichchu" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam 4:46
"Arachcha Santhanam" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Gangai Amaran 4:52
"Nee Engey En Anbe" Swarnalatha Vaali 5:04
"Thooliyile Ada Vantha III" Mano 1.52

Reception

The Indian Express wrote, "The conflicts are generated in such a way as to excite the sentiments of lay audiences".[16]

Accolades

Chinna Thambi won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film which met with criticism from Kalki.[17]

Award Category Nominee Ref.
Cinema Express Awards Best Tamil Film K. Balu [18]
Best Tamil Director P. Vasu
Best Tamil Actress Khushbu
Best Tamil Comedian Goundamani
Best Tamil Male Playback Singer Mano
Best Tamil Female Playback Singer Swarnalatha
Best Tamil Choreographer D. K. S. Babu
Film Fans Association Awards Best Lyricist Gangai Amaran [19]
Filmfare Awards South Best Tamil Film K. Balu [20]
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Best Film (First Place) K. Balu [17]
[21]
Best Director P. Vasu
Best Actor in Lead Role Prabhu
Best Actress in Lead Role Khushbu
Best Male Playback Singer Mano
Best Female Playback Singer Swarnalatha
Best Choreographer D. K. S. Babu

Remakes

Year Film Language Ref.
1991 Ramachaari Kannada [22]
1992 Chanti Telugu [23]
1993 Anari Hindi [24]

Legacy

Chinna Thambi became a major breakthrough for Prabhu and Khushbu.[25] They became one of the most successful lead pairs in Tamil cinema of the 1990s through this film.[26][27] The success of the film also led the director, actor and actress to collaborate in another project Kizhakku Karai (1991) the following year.[28] After the release, Vasu was conferred "Navarasa Director" award by Amudha Surabhi Kalai Mandram, Madurai.[29]

Khushbu said in 2006, "I am still around only because of Chinna Thambi. None of us imagined it would become the kind of cult film it did. I remember director P. Vasu, hero Prabhu and I were very skeptical about the film while shooting. It was a bold subject at the time, and we thought it would either be a huge flop or a huge hit".[30] Prabhu recalled, "People still talk about Chinna Thambi [...] I still remember my father’s words after the show. "Just as I got a Bhimbsingh, you've got Vasu", he said".[31]

In popular culture

After the film's success, Gobichettipalayam became a shooting hub for many films.[8] Vasu alluded to Chinna Thambi in his later film Mannan (1992), in which Krishnan (Rajinikanth) and Muthu (Goundamani) would be seen rushing in the crowd to buy tickets to watch the film.[32]

References

  1. ^ "'சின்னதம்பி' வெளியாகி 30 ஆண்டுகள்: குஷ்பு நெகிழ்ச்சி". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 12 April 2021. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Goundamani sends legal notice to Sixer team, demands removal of his photo and dialogues". Cinema Express. 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  3. ^ "'Movies may come and go, art will always be there for me'". The New Indian Express. 13 October 2016. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  4. ^ "P. Vasu Talks About 'Sivalinga' And Goundamani's Actions In 'Mannan' Which Made Rajini Go For 21 Takes". Iflicks. 3 January 2017. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Actress Khushbu Sundar reminisces 30 years of Chinna Thambi, calls it a 'cult'". Times Now. 12 April 2021. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  6. ^ "30 Years of 'Chinna Thambi': Khushbu goes nostalgic about her biggest blockbuster". Sify. 12 April 2021. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  7. ^ K R, Manigandan (12 October 2015). "Lesser Known Side of a Comical Genius". The New Indian Express. p. 3. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  8. ^ a b Prasad, Ayyappa (28 August 1992). "Gobi glamour catching". The Indian Express. p. 7. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  9. ^ "Chinnathambi Tamil Film LP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraja". Mossymart. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  10. ^ Sundararaman 2007, p. 147.
  11. ^ Sundararaman 2007, p. 155.
  12. ^ Kamath, Sudhish (4 September 2012). "The Maestro's Magic continues". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Raaja's 35-minute track record". The Times of India. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  14. ^ Ashok Kumar, S.R. (8 May 2009). "My first break – Swarnalatha". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 May 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  15. ^ Aishwarya, S. (12 September 2010). "Playback singer Swarnalatha passes away". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  16. ^ NKS (12 April 1991). "Chinnathambi". The Indian Express. p. 7. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  17. ^ a b பிரியன் (15 November 1992). "சின்ன தம்பி சிறந்த படமா?" [Chinna Thambi, best film?]. Kalki (in Tamil). pp. 1–2. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  18. ^ "Chinna Thambhi Bags Cinema Express Award". The Indian Express. 25 February 1992. p. 3. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  19. ^ "Kamal adjudged best actor for role in Guna". The Indian Express. 22 June 1992. p. 3. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  20. ^ "39th Annual Filmfare Awards Nite". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 8 February 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Chinnathambi bags six awards". The Indian Express. 30 October 1992. p. 3. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  22. ^ Kumar, S. Shiva (2 June 2011). "Waiting with hope". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  23. ^ Sri (15 July 2010). "Interview: Ravi Raja Pinisetty". Telugucinema.com. p. 2. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  24. ^ Sharma, Devesh (25 June 2020). "Filmfare Recommends: Top 10 Films of Karisma Kapoor". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  25. ^ Sundaram, Nandhu (21 October 2016). "A Silver Toast To The Golden Year Of Tamil Cinema". Outlook. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  26. ^ "South Indian Film Scene". Screen. 21 February 1992. p. 12.
  27. ^ KR, Manigandan (14 February 2018). "Prabhu and Khushboo, blockbuster pair of the 1990s – Valentine's Day special". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  28. ^ "Kizhakku Karai". The Indian Express. 27 September 1991. p. 5. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  29. ^ "Conferring titles on actors, with a difference". The Hindu. 2 February 2006. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  30. ^ Ajith Kumar, P.K. (27 October 2006). "The sign of a winner". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  31. ^ Rangarajan, Malathi (5 September 2008). "Shifting stance". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  32. ^ L M, Kaushik. "The real beneficiaries from Vishwaroopam's ban". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

Bibliography

External links

Filmography of P. Vasu
Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Film
Categories