Kalkandu

2014 film by A. M. Nandakumar

31 October 2014 (2014-10-31)

CountryIndiaLanguageTamil

Kalkandu (lit. 'Rock candy') is a 2014 Indian Tamil film written and directed by A. M. Nandakumar. The film features Gajesh and Dimple Chopade in the lead roles, and was released in October 2014.

Plot synopsis

A demanding father pressures his son into attending medical school, despite his protestations that he does not wish to study medicine. However, due to a mix up at the admissions office, the man's life changes forever.

Cast

Gajesh as Karthik
Dimple Chopade as Karthika
Akhil as Vignesh
Ganja Karuppu as Azhappan
Manobala as Principal Kamalnath
Swaminathan as Ramanathan
Nancy Jennifer as Porkodi
T. P. Gajendran as Doctor
Sriranjani
Mayilswamy
Mahanadi Shankar
Muthuraman
Bonda Mani

Production

A. M. Nandakumar first approached Vimal to feature in the lead role, but was discouraged by the actor's salary request.^[1] The film later gained media attention prior to release, owing to the lead actor Gajesh's debut. He is the son of actor-dancer Anand Babu and grandson of comedian Nagesh.^[2] Following the appearance of late actor Nagesh's animation in Kochadaiiyaan (2014), the director insisted on having a sequence in his film, where all three generations of the family appear in one scene through computer imagery.^[3] The film was shot mainly in Tamil Nadu, in places such as Tiruchi and Kanyakumari.^[4]

Release

The film had a limited release across Tamil Nadu on 31 October 2014, owing to the presence of bigger budget films at the box office. It opened to mixed reviews with a critics noting the film "is the kind of story that Tamil cinema had beaten to death in the 90s."^[5] Another reviewer noted that the film had a dated feel and called it "excruciatingly long".^[6]^[7]

References

^ மொழி தெரியாமல் நான் இயக்கிய ஜப்பானிய படம் - Director Nandhakumar -5 | Chai With Chithra, retrieved 5 March 2024
^ "Gajesh will recreate Nagesh's magic on screen: Director". Sify. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
^ "Nagesh to dance in grandson's film?". The Hindu. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via www.thehindu.com.
^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (21 July 2014). "'My grandfather was a huge inspiration'". The Hindu. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via www.thehindu.com.
^ "Kalkandu Movie Review {2/5}: Critic Review of Kalkandu by Times of India". Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
^ DEEPIKA RAMESH (1 November 2014). "Kalkandu Review: Not So Sweet". silverscreen.in. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
^ "Debutant Gajesh's Film Ends up Being a Wasted Effort".