Nammavar

<p>V. C. Selvam, a history professor from , is appointed as the vice principal of Sakthivel Arts College in , which is riddled with students’ unrest and conflicts. Ramesh, the son of a major donor to the college, is a spoiled brat and who influences other students with his vulgar display of money and power. Sparks fly between Selvam, who tries to bring in some order in the college, and Ramesh, who tries to spoil it from their first interaction. Selvam spearheads a transformative shift towards modernity in the educational environment. He initiates a collaborative project where students actively participate in beautifying the campus through painting, contributing to a refreshed and clean aesthetic. Further enhancing the academic atmosphere, he implements a strict schedule for both professors and students, ensuring punctual attendance. To prioritise focus on academics, the canteen remains closed during lectures. Additionally, Selvam fosters a vibrant student community by establishing a cultural centre. His innovative teaching methods are pivotal in sharpening student concentration and engagement, marking a significant advancement in the institution’s educational approach. Vasanthi, a professor at the same college, initially disapproves of Selvam’s methods, but finally finds them beneficial for the students and falls in love with him despite his initial resistance. Ramesh becomes displeased with the changes and is vexed at losing control over the students who are moving to Selvam’s side. Ramesh tries to provoke Selvam, who does not respond. Ramesh injures himself and frames Selvam, which instigates the students to call for a strike. Despite many students supporting him, Selvam apologises for the sake of peace in the college. When Ramesh tries to derail the students’ plan of participating in an inter-college cultural competition by destroying their musical instruments, Selvam uses the students’ skills to create music and wins the competition. After a student is hospitalised and needs blood urgently, Selvam chooses not to donate his blood, instead organising a donor. Vasanthi is disappointed at Selvam’s decision and learns through his aide Perumal that Selvam has ; his days are numbered. Shocked, she resolves to marry Selvam soon. Though Selvam does not initially reciprocate, she manages to convince him. She also learns of Selvam’s desire to seek answers to fight his inner demons from the past, by doing good for the college. Ramesh is suspended from college for drug dealing. He kidnaps his former friend Vijay’s (who started supporting Selvam) girlfriend Nirmala, daughter of professor Prabhakar Rao, and implicates her in a brothel case, leading to her arr- Though Selvam bails Nirmala out, she commits suicide out of disgrace. This provokes Vijay into trying to kill Ramesh. During the fight against Ramesh, Vijay is stabbed and Selvam comes to his rescue. Selvam is also stabbed, and people start throwing stones at Ramesh, but Selvam rescues him. Ramesh soon realises he is alone in the conflict; everyone at the college has deserted him. Selvam asks the students to forgive Ramesh and give him a second chance, which makes Ramesh repentant. Afterwards, Selvam and Vasanthi marry and leave for the United States, seeking a possible cure for the cancer, hopeful that the college will be truly reformed when they return. The uncredited cast includes: was directed by and produced by under Chandamama Vijaya Combines. While the story and screenplay were written by (who also played the lead role of Selvam), the dialogues were written by Kanmani Subbu. The film’s title was chosen by . Cinematography was handled by , editing by N. P. Satish, and art direction by B. Chalam. The film was inspired by various English-language films about universities and professors including (1967), (1982), and (1987). It was the final Tamil film directed by Sethumadhavan. was Sethumadhavan and Haasan’s first choice for playing Vasanthi, and got the role. Though , primarily a comedian, was initially hesitant to accept the role of Prabhakar Rao, he was nonetheless cast as Haasan was adamant on him acting in the film. was chosen to portray Rao’s daughter Nirmala, and was the only film she ever acted in. According to Sethumadhavan, casting Brinda was Haasan’s idea. , who later gained fame for the TV series , was initially approached to play the antagonist Ramesh, but could not accept the offer as he was committed to another film; the role went to , upon Haasan’s recommendation. , then aged 16, had auditioned for the role of a college student, but was rejected because of his then short height, lean physique and inability to grow facial hair. began on 20 May 1994. The first day shoot was at held at , with Karan and Haasan in a classroom scenario. The scene where Rao reacts to his daughter’s death was filmed in one take, and Sethumadhavan chose not to say ” ” at the time. For a scene, the crew initially planned to shoot in Ooty; however they finally shot that scene by building a set resembling Ooty in Taramani and Vijaya Studios. The soundtrack was composed by . It was released under the label Music Master. is the feature film debut for Mahesh, who previously composed advertising . The song “Sorgam Enbathu Namakku” marked the debut of playback singer , and was inspired by ‘s ” “. was released on 2 November 1994, day despite initial plans to release in January, during . Made on a budget of 3.7 crore, the film grossed 9.75 crore. It was later dubbed in as . Malini Mannath of wrote on 11 November, “The filmmaker tries to be little different, at times moving away from cliches and conclusions. But he couldn’t entirely do without them either.” On 14 November, K. Vijiyan of wrote, “With its realistic dialogue and quiet humour, looks like a winner for Kamalhassan.” Thulasi of appreciated the film for various aspects, including Sethumadhavan’s direction, the cast performances and the music. On 27 November, wrote, “Overall, with superb dialogues, beautiful camera work, impressive background score and Kamal’s interesting acting enable the film to score”. Following the film’s release, “Nammavar” became a popular nickname for Haasan among his fans. Karan’s performance was considered his by critics, and he regards the film as a breakthrough in his career. Film historian felt that (1980) and were the “two most representative Tamil films about students”. In the 2021 film , JD ( ) is referred to as the student of Professor Selvam, who he considers as his inspiration and becomes alcoholic after his death.</p>