Sillunu Oru Kaadhal

Sillunu Oru Kaadhal
Film poster
Directed by	Krishna
Written by	Sab John
Produced by	K. E. Gnanavel Raja
Starring	Suriya Jyothika Bhoomika
Cinematography	R. D. Rajasekhar
Edited by	Anthony
Music by	A. R. Rahman
Distributed by	Studio Green
Release date	8 September 2006 (2006-09-08)
Running time	175 minutes
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Sillunu Oru Kaadhal (transl. A Breezy Love) is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Krishna. It stars Suriya, Jyothika, and Bhoomika, while Shriya Sharma, Sukanya, Vadivelu and Santhanam play supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by the Indian poet Vaali; cinematography for the film was handled by R. D. Rajasekhar and editing was handled by Anthony. The film was released on 8 September 2006, three days before the wedding of Suriya and Jyothika. In 2015, it was remade into Marathi as Tu Hi Re.^[1]

Plot

Kundavi was brought up in a small town called Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district. She, along with her two friends, decide to have a love marriage. However she is not so successful. Her father arranges her marriage to Gowtham against her wishes. Both look gloomy during the wedding due to obvious reasons.

Six years later in Mumbai they have a five-year-old daughter Ishwarya and live happily in love as a married couple. Gowtham works as the chief mechanical engineer at Maruti Suzuki and Kundavi works at a local call centre. Gowtham goes to New York City for a short period. During this time, Kundavi comes across Gowtham's old college diary. Gowtham wanted to be an engineer from a young age and forced his father's brother to pay for a seat in Coimbatore for mechanical engineering. From the second year of college, he reached a position of good power in social standing and was feared. In college, he is attracted to Ishwarya, whose father is a Member of Parliament from Coimbatore. Gowtham and Ishwarya fall in love and decide to get married. At the registrar's office after Gowtham ties the knot, Ishwarya's father and his men beat him up, separating the lovers and sending Ishwarya off to Sydney, Australia. At the end of the diary, Gowtham writes a note: "If I have one wish, it would be to live with Ishwarya happily at least for one day." Then, due to his uncle's last wish at death bed, Gowtham agrees to marry Kundavi.

Gowtham returns from New York and finds his wife changed. She works late and avoids him. Once Kundavi finds out he does love her and how much he missed her during New York trip, she finds his lost love who had just returned from Australia. Ishwarya has become a modern girl in contrast to the demure salwar kameez girl she was in college, and completely ignores her father at the airport due to his past behaviour with her. Kundavi asks Ishwarya to visit them and she tells her husband that he should live happily with Ishwarya for a day and that for that one day, she and their daughter do not exist for him, and leaves Gowtham with Ishwarya.

Gowtham spends the day with Ishwarya. They travel to many places and do many things and recollect their memories. Ishwarya and Gowtham share their love for each other and how they missed each other during these 6 years of separation. They eventually fall in love with each other all over again and soon get intimate. It is then revealed that all these things were just Kundavi's dream. Panicked by the dream, Kundavi decides to check up on them. When she gets back home dreading, she finds her husband alone. She asks him where Ishwarya is and finds Ishwarya's letter. In it, Ishwarya says that Kundavi gave them a day, but an hour was sufficient for them. 40 minutes of silence, 10 minutes of formal inquiries and 10 minutes of talking. Even in that 10 minutes talk with him, the words that came out of Gowtham was 'Kundavi' only. Ishwarya realises that Gowtham and Kundavi are both are immensely in love and leading a very happy life. Ishwarya stated that she wants to love Gowtham in her next birth also, but as Kundavi instead of as herself. She wishes the couple a happy life and leaves, never to return.

In the end, Gowtham confesses that he had hidden the secret of loving someone so that Kundavi doesn't get hurt as any girl would not bear her husband's love being shared. However, unlike others, Kundavi has brought the girl her husband loved in order to make him happy. They then cry in happiness and hug each other while Diwali fireworks blossom. Their daughter Ishu also joins them and the movie ends on a happy note.

Cast

Opening credits

• Suriya as R. Gowtham
• Jyothika as Kundavi / "Jill"
• Bhoomika as Ishwarya / "Ishu"
• Sukanya as Nirmala, Kundavi's boss
• Vadivelu as Vellaichaamy, Gowtham's co-brother
• Santhanam as Rajesh
• Costumes Krishna as Ishwarya's father
• Thambi Ramaiah as Vellaichaamy's assistant
• Shriya Sharma as Ishwarya / "Ishu", Gowtham and Kundavi's daughter

Closing credits Meenal as Subbu, Kundavi's friend Sri Vidya as Tamil, Kundavi's friend Vijay Ganesh as Villager Halwa Vasu as Villager Muthukaalai as Villager Nellai Siva as Villager

Uncredited Sudha as Ishwarya's mother (special appearance in the song "Munbe Vaa") Anthony as Automobile Engineer R. D. Rajasekhar as Villager Shobhana as Chellathaayi[2] Kannan Ponnaiya as Senior College Student Pandian as Subbu's father

Production

The film, originally titled Jillendru Oru Kaadhal, was retitled Sillunu Oru Kaadhal to avail entertainment tax exemption.^[3] It is the directorial debut of Krishna. He revealed that Suriya was initially reluctant to sign the film as it required him to play a father. Jyothika was Krishna's first and only choice for the lead actress.^[4] Asin was selected for another key role after her successful pairing with Suriya in Ghajini (2005). However, by the time production began, Bhumika Chawla had replaced her.^[5][6] The film was shot extensively in Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Andhra University were also key filming locations.^[7][8] The song "New York Nagaram" was shot in Lucerne, Switzerland.^[9][10]

Soundtrack

Sillunu Oru Kaadhal / Nuvvu Nenu Prema
Soundtrack album by A. R. Rahman
Released	2 August 2006
Recorded	2006
Studio	Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios
Genre	Film soundtrack
Length	41:02 / 40:45
Language	Tamil Telugu
Label	Star Music (India) KM Musiq (Worldwide) Aditya Music (Telugu)
Producer	A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman chronology
Rang De Basanti (2006) Sillunu Oru Kaadhal / Nuvvu Nenu Prema (2006) Varalaru (2006)

The soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman.^[11]

All lyrics are written by Vaali.

Track listing

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Length
1.	"Kummi Adi"	Sirkazhi G. Sivachidambaram, Swarnalatha, Naresh Iyer, Theni Kunjarammal, Vignesh, Chorus	6:54
2.	"Maaza Maaza"	S. P. Charan, Shreya Ghoshal	5:43
3.	"Machhakkari"	Shankar Mahadevan, Vasundhara Das	5:32
4.	"New York"	A. R. Rahman	6:19
5.	"Maaricham"	Caralisa Monteiro, Mohammed Aslam, Krishna Iyer	6:10
6.	"Jillendru Oru Kaadhal"	Tanvi Shah, Bhargavi Pillai	4:23
7.	"Munbe Vaa"	Shreya Ghoshal, Naresh Iyer	5:59
Total length:			41:02

All lyrics are written by Veturi.

Telugu track listing^[12]

No.	Title	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Ammadini Chusesthi"	Sirkazhi G. Sivachidambaram, Gomathi, Naresh Iyer, Theni Kunjarammal, Vignesh, Chorus	6:52
2.	"Maja Maja"	S. P. Charan, Shreya Ghoshal	5:42
3.	"Bangaraani"	Shankar Mahadevan, Sunitha Sarathy	5:31
4.	"New York Nagaram"	A. R. Rahman	6:19
5.	"Gaandharvam"	Sayanora Philip, Caralisa Monteiro, Mohammed Aslam, Krishna Iyer	6:07
6.	"Jil Jillumanna Prema"	Tanvi Shah	4:19
7.	"Preminche Premavaa"	Shreya Ghoshal, Naresh Iyer	5:55
Total length:			40:45

Release

The satellite rights of the film were sold to Kalaignar TV.^[13] The film was censored on 4 September 2006 and was given with a U/A certificate, with some dialogue muting.^[14] Initially scheduled as an August 2006 release, the film was delayed to avoid a clash with Jyothika's other film Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu.^[15] The film opened across 207 screens worldwide on 8 September 2006, three days before the wedding of Suriya and Jyothika.^[16] The film received a large opening.^[17][18] The film was later dubbed and released in Telugu as Nuvvu Nennu Prema.^[19]

Critical response

S. R. Ashok Kumar of The Hindu gave the film a negative review, claiming that "The most talked about movie of the year, Studio Green's Sillunu Oru Kadhal featuring Suriya and Jyotika, arrives only to disappoint", further stating, "it lacks a strong cohesive script to bind the elements".^[20] Lajjavathi of Kalki praised the acting of Suriya, the editing and cinematography and noted the romance between Suriya and Jyothika had more depth than flashback love with Bhumika Chawla and panned Vadivelu's humour. Lajjavathi concluded saying if one watches the film without much expectation, they can enjoy it.^[21] Cinesouth wrote, "The director N Krishna has done a great job of a realistic depiction of Surya and Jyotika's married life within their four walls. But he has slipped up a bit when it comes to the college flashback in the second half".^[22] Sify wrote, "Editor Antony could have made the film crisper as it is too long (2 hrs 50 min) and the film drags in the second half. Nevertheless, go and watch the film for all the hype and hoopla surrounding it".^[23]

Accolades

The film was nominated for four awards, winning two of them.

• 2006; Rahman won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil for the soundtrack
• 2006; Shreya Ghoshal won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil and Tamil Nadu Best Female Playback Singer
• 2006; Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil – Jyothika – Nominated
• 2006; Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil – Bhumika Chawla – Nominated

References

1. "Swwapnil, Sai and Tejaswini talk about friendship and love, post marriage". The Times of India. 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
2. "Shobana ends her life". The New Indian Express. 11 January 2012. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025.
3. ச.ஜெ.ரவி (12 July 2017). "'பிக் பாஸ்' கமல் போல நமக்கும் இனி டி.விதான் போல! கேளிக்கை வரி நசுக்கும் சினிமா எனும் கொண்டாட்டம் #VikatanExclusive". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Retrieved 27 August 2025.
4. Krishna (9 March 2023). "Suriya Initially Rejected Sillunu Oru Kaadhal: Director Krishna". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
5. "Surya to co-star with Jyotika and Asin!". Cinesouth.com. 7 October 2005. Archived from the original on 13 October 2005. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
6. "Bhumika reveals casting secret about Suriya-starrer Sillunu Oru Kadhal after 14 years". Zoom. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 10 September 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
7. "12 South Indian films shot in the Andhra University Campus, Vizag". Yo! Vizag. 10 December 2021. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
8. "Creating a scene". The Hindu. 6 June 2014. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
9. Sivaangi Krishnakumar [@sivaangi.krish]; (2 April 2024). "Switzerland il New York Nagaram♥️🇨🇭This was shot here originally too♥️Thankyou @travichandran_ from Zurich for the amazing videography! Track produced @santhoshmusical 📍Luzern, Switzerland". Archived from the original on 17 August 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2025 – via Instagram.
10. Spotify India [@spotifyindia] (27 January 2024). "Nobody: Me every once in a while: Do you know the song New York Nagaram was actually shot in Switzerland and not in New York?! 😳" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 28 August 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025 – via Twitter.
11. "SILLUNU ORU KADHAL - A.R. Rahman Tamil Audio Cd". Audio CDs World. Archived from the original on 10 September 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
12. "Nuvvu Nenu Prema". JioSaavn. Archived from the original on 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
13. "Karunanidhi family owns New TV channel Kalaignar". The Economic Times. 14 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
14. "'SOK' gets a UA certificate!". Sify. 4 September 2006. Archived from the original on 18 April 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
15. "'SOK' postponed to Sep 7!". Sify. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
16. "Four Frames". The Hindu. 9 September 2006. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
17. "Extraordinary opening!". Sify. 7 September 2006. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
18. "Chennai box-office (Sep 22-24)". Sify. 4 October 2006. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
19. "Audio CD Launch – Nuvvu Nenu Prema". Idlebrain.com. 31 August 2006. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
20. Kumar, S. R. Ashok (8 September 2006). "An aimless affair -- Sillunu Oru Kadhal". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 December 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
21. லஜ்ஜாவதி (1 October 2006). "சில்லுனு ஒரு காதல்". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 64. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Internet Archive.
22. "Sillunu Oru Kadhal". Cinesouth. Archived from the original on 31 October 2006. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
23. "Sillunu Oru Kadhal". Sify. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2025.

External links

• Sillunu Oru Kaadhal at IMDb 
• Sillunu Oru Kaadhal at Rotten Tomatoes