Friends (2001 film)

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{{short description|2001 Tamil film by Siddique Ismail}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Friends
| image = Friends 2001 poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Siddique (director)]]
| screenplay = [[Siddique (director)|Siddique]]
| story = [[Siddartha Gautama|Siddarth Gautham]]
| based_on = ''[[Friends (1999 film)|Friends]]'' (Malayalam)
| starring = [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]]<br />[[Suriya]]<br />[[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]]<br />[[Vijayalakshmi (Kannada actress)|Vijayalakshmi]]
| producer = [[Swargachitra Appachan|Appachan]]
| cinematography = Anandakuttan
| editing = [[B. Lenin]]<br />[[V. T. Vijayan]]
| music = [[Ilaiyaraaja]]
| studio = Swargachitra
| distributor = Vadivelu Corp.
| released = 14 January 2001
| runtime = 167 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
'''''Friends''''' is a 2001 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[comedy]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]], directed by [[Siddique (director)|Siddique]] in his Tamil debut and produced by [[Swargachitra Appachan|Appachan]]. It is the Tamil remake of Siddique's own 1999 [[Malayalam]] film [[Friends (1999 film)|of the same name]]. The film stars [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]] and [[Suriya]] in the lead roles, while [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]], [[Vijayalakshmi (Kannada actress)|Vijayalakshmi]], [[Ramesh Khanna]], [[Abhinayashree]], [[Vadivelu]], [[Charle]], [[Radha Ravi]] and [[Madhan Bob]] played the supporting roles.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Friends Cast & Crew, Friends Tamil Movie Cast, Actor, Actress, Director|url=https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/friends/cast-crew.html|access-date=2021-08-07|website=FilmiBeat|language=en|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807183017/https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/friends/cast-crew.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The music was composed by [[Ilaiyaraaja]], while Anandakuttan handled cinematography. It was released on 14 January 2001 and completed a 190-day theatrical run at the box office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/slideshow/top-20-best-films-of-vijay/10-friends-2001.html|title=10. Friends (2001) | Top 20 Best Films of Vijay|website=www.behindwoods.com|access-date=5 May 2019|archive-date=5 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505124046/https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/slideshow/top-20-best-films-of-vijay/10-friends-2001.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This film also marks the second collaboration of Vijay and Suriya after ''[[Nerrukku Ner]]'' (1997).

==Plot==
Aravindan, Chandru and Krishnamoorthy have been best friends since their childhood. They value friendship above everything else, including family. Thus, Chandru resists the romantic overtures of Aravindan's younger sister Amudha. Chandru, an orphan, stays with Aravindan and is considered by Aravindan's parents as a second son. Some brushes with the law force Aravindan and Chandru to lie low in [[Chennai]] for a couple of days, where they and Krishnamoorthy take up jobs as painters in a mansion under contractor Nesamani, who is Krishnamoorthy's paternal uncle. Aravindan falls in love with Padmini, who lives in the mansion, though Padmini only considers him as a friend; nevertheless she is grateful to him when he saves her from an accidental electrocution. But Padmini's cousin Abhirami has a crush on Aravindan, and is enraged when she realises that he is in love with Padmini. Abhirami sends false letters to him in Padmini's name and makes him believe that his love is reciprocated. When Padmini suddenly gets engaged to another man, Chandru stands up for Aravindan’s love and insults Padmini in front of her entire family, causing her engagement to get cancelled. This makes Padmini decide to marry Aravindan, but with the intention to take revenge on Chandru by breaking his and Aravindan's friendship. But during their marriage, Aravindan and Padmini realise that Abhirami is behind all the mishaps which had taken place, and that Chandru is innocent. Padmini reconciles with Chandru and Chandru's and Amutha's wedding is fixed.

Gowtham is Aravindan's cousin who lusts for Amutha. He plans to separate Aravindan and Chandru so that he can marry Amutha. He first sets Amutha's sari on fire while she is cooking in the kitchen. Chandru blames Padmini for the mishap as she was in the kitchen with Amutha at the time, even though Padmini is innocent, but no one, including Aravindan, believes Chandru. Gowtham then turns his eye on the annual bullock race in which Chandru is taking part, by loosening the wheels on Chandru's cart with the intention to cause a serious accident and frame Padmini as the culprit, thus creating a wedge between Chandru and Aravindan. Unfortunately for Gowtham, Aravindan decides to take part in the race in Chandru's place since Chandru is to be married, and manages to win despite using the broken bullock cart. Chandru accuses Padmini of trying to kill him. Padmini threatens to leave the house if Aravindan remains friends with Chandru and does not throw him out of the house. Aravindan then reveals to her that he had accidentally killed Chandru's deaf-and-dumb younger brother Chinna when they were children, which traumatised him so much that he never told anyone about it, and since then, he has been looking out for Chandru out of the guilt that he had no one else in his life anymore. Gowtham overhears their conversation and tells Chandru about it to anger him. Chandru fights with Aravindan, breaks their friendship and leaves the house. Aravindan tries to convince Chandru to return and marry Amutha, even if he cannot repair their friendship. However, in the process, Aravindan falls from a cliff and seemingly dies.

Five years later, Chandru is a Major in the [[Indian Army]] and has never returned to Aravindan's home since his supposed death. He receives a letter from Krishnamoorthy stating that Aravindan is not dead, but in a [[Persistent vegetative state|vegetative state]], not responding to anyone and only sitting in a corner. Chandru immediately leaves for Aravindan's house, where he also learns that Aravindan and Padmini have a young son whose name is Chandru, in tribute to their friendship. Meanwhile, Gowtham, who has been torturing Padmini and Amutha since Aravindan went into the vegetative state, finds that Chandru has returned, and beats him up. On hearing Chandru's cries, Aravindan wakes up and subdues Gowtham and his goons. Ultimately, Aravindan, Chandru and Krishnamoorthy, as well as Padmini and Amutha, are reunited.

==Cast==
{{colbegin}}
* [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]] as Aravindan
* [[Suriya]] as Chandru
* [[Ramesh Khanna]] as Krishnamoorthy
* [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]] as Padmini
* [[Vijayalakshmi (Kannada actress)|Vijayalakshmi]] as Amutha
* [[Abhinayashree]] as Abirami
* [[Vadivelu]] as [[Nesamani]]
* [[Radha Ravi]] as Ramanathan
* [[Rajeev (Tamil actor)|Rajeev]] as Raghuraman
* [[Charle]] as Gopal
* [[Sriman (actor)|Sriman]] as Gowtham
* [[Madhan Bob]] as Manager Sundaresan
* [[Pyramid Natarajan]] as Varatharajan
* [[Saritha]] as Savithri
* [[Sathyapriya]] as Rajalakshmi
* [[S. N. Lakshmi]] as Maragatham
* [[Santhana Bharathi]] as 'Singampatti' Sethupathi
*Laxmi Ratten as Padmini's father
* [[Crane Manohar]] as a worker
* Kottachi as Kottachi
* [[A. R. Srinivasan|A. R. S.]] as Dr. Chandramohan Raja's father
* [[Shanti Williams]] as Dr. Chandramohan Raja's mother
{{colend}}

==Production==
After appearing together in ''[[Nerukku Ner]]'' (1997), [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]] and [[Suriya]] came together again in this film, a remake of the 1999 Malayalam film [[Friends (1999 film)|''Friends'']].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/ilayathalapathy-vijay-thanks-suriya-singam-bairavaa-966155-2017-03-17 |title=Ilayathalapathy Vijay thanks Suriya for his sweet gesture |work=India Today |access-date=30 April 2021 |archive-date=30 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430130708/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/ilayathalapathy-vijay-thanks-suriya-singam-bairavaa-966155-2017-03-17|date=30 April 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> Ramesh Khanna was selected to play the role which was enacted by [[Sreenivasan]] in original. First [[Meena (actress)|Meena]] was approached to play the female lead as she did the original Malayalam version. Due to dates problem, she could not be part of it.<ref>{{cite web |title="Director தான் கெட்ட வார்த்தை பேச சொன்னார்" - Actress Meena Interview {{!}} Vijay {{!}} Karoline Kamakshi |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPXe7H4TTLo |website=Galatta Tamil |publisher=Galatta Tamil |access-date=3 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Guess Why Actress Meena Never Acted As Thalapathy Vijay's Heroine! |url=https://astroulagam.com.my/entertainment/guess-why-actress-meena-never-acted-thalapathy-vijay-s-heroine-193048 |website=astroulagam.com.my |publisher=Astro Ulagam |access-date=8 June 2021}}</ref> Later Jyothika was signed along with Suvalakshmi to play the lead actresses in the film but soon backed out due to date problems and were replaced by Devayani and new girl Vijayalakshmi from Mysore.<ref name=fr /> Shooting was held in a fast pace on Tamil Nadu locations (Ooty, Pollachi, Pazhani, Coimbatore, Udumalaipettai and Chennai).<ref name=fr>{{cite web|url=http://cinematoday2.itgo.com/friends.htm |title=Friends|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624081019/http://cinematoday2.itgo.com/friends.htm|archive-date=24 June 2012 |date=24 June 2012|work=Cinematoday2.itgo.com}}</ref> The song 'Thendral Varum Vazhiye' was shot in [[New Zealand]].

==Soundtrack==
All lyrics of the songs were penned by Palani Bharathi.
{{Infobox album
| name = Friends
| type = [[Soundtrack]]
| artist = [[Ilaiyaraaja]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 2001
| recorded =2001
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Soundtrack]]
| length = 40.55
| label = Five Star Audio
| producer =
| prev_title = [[Kasi (film)|Kasi]]
| prev_year = 2001
| next_title = [[Kanna Unnai Thedukiren]]
| next_year = 2001
}}

{{track listing
| headline = Track-list
| extra_column = Artist(s)
| total_length = 40.55
| title1 = Thendral Varum
| extra1 = [[Bhavatharini]], [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
| length1 = 05:03
| title2 = Kuyilikku Koo Koo
| extra2 = [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]], [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]], [[Shankar Mahadevan]]
| length2 = 05:06
| title3 = Rukku Rukku
| extra3 = [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]], [[Sowmya Raoh]], [[Yuvan Shankar Raja]]
| length3 = 04:30
| title4 = Manjal Poosum Vaanam
| extra4 = [[Sujatha Mohan|Sujatha]], [[Devan Ekambaram|Devan]]
| length4 = 05:08
| title5 =Manjal poosum (film version)
| extra5 =[[Sujatha Mohan|Sujatha]], Srinivas
| length5 =
| title6 = Penkaloda Potti
| extra6 = [[Sujatha Mohan|Sujatha]], [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
| length6 = 05:02
| title7 = Poonkatrae
| extra7 = [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
| length7 = 05:26
| title8 = Vaanam Perusuthan
| extra8 = Vijay Yesudas, Arunmozhi, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
| length8 = 05:10
}}

== Critical response ==
''Friends'' was released on 14 January 2001, [[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]] day.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Thala v/s Thalapathy battle begins |url=https://www.sify.com/movies/thala-v-s-thalapathy-battle-begins-news-tamil-objrjgfjhhisi.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230225945/https://www.sify.com/movies/thala-v-s-thalapathy-battle-begins-news-tamil-objrjgfjhhisi.html |archive-date=30 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> Malathi Rangarajan of ''The Hindu'' stated, "With friendship as the theme, Siddique presents a decent entertainer, which of course could have been crisper."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rangarajan |first=Malathi |date=26 January 2001 |title=Film Review: Friends |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-friends/article27912820.ece |url-status=live |access-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230225941/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-friends/article27912820.ece |archive-date=30 December 2019}}</ref> Shilpa Kannan from [[Zee TV]] noted "at last, we have one thoroughly enjoyable picture this year" and "except for the end, which is a bit melodramatic, ''Friends'' is an excellent movie for debutant director Siddique."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kannan |first=Shilpa |title=Fun, friends and some misunderstandings |url=http://cinema.zeenext.com/reviews/2302reviewfriends.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010408174438/http://cinema.zeenext.com/reviews/2302reviewfriends.asp |archive-date=8 April 2001 |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=zeenext.com}}</ref> ''[[Ananda Vikatan]]'' rated the film 42 out of 100.<ref>{{Cite web |last=சார்லஸ் |first=தேவன் |date=22 June 2021 |title=பீஸ்ட் : 'நாளைய தீர்ப்பு' டு `மாஸ்டர்'... விஜய்க்கு விகடனின் மார்க்கும், விமர்சனமும் என்ன? #Beast |url=https://cinema.vikatan.com/tamil-cinema/how-vijay-movies-scored-in-vikatan-reviews |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008100344/https://cinema.vikatan.com/amp/story/tamil-cinema/how-vijay-movies-scored-in-vikatan-reviews |archive-date=8 October 2021 |access-date=7 December 2021 |website=[[Ananda Vikatan]] |language=ta}}</ref>Despite facing competition with [[Ajith Kumar]]'s ''[[Dheena]]'', ''Friends'' emerged a commercial success, running for more than 175 days in theatres and became a hit for both Vijay and Suriya.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 December 2018 |title=Tamil actor Vijay completes 26 years in the industry. Take a look at his journey, in pictures |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment/south-gossip/photo-gallery/tamil-actor-vijay-completes-26-years-in-the-industry-take-a-look-at-his-journey-in-pictures/324783 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531094321/https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment/south-gossip/photo-gallery/tamil-actor-vijay-completes-26-years-in-the-industry-take-a-look-at-his-journey-in-pictures/324783 |archive-date=31 May 2019 |access-date=31 May 2019 |website=[[Times Now]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Pray for Nesamani]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0308280}}
{{Siddique (director)}}

[[Category:2000s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:2001 drama films]]
[[Category:2001 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Siddique]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Films shot in Ooty]]
[[Category:Films shot in Palani]]
[[Category:Films shot in Pollachi]]
[[Category:Films set in country houses]]
[[Category:Indian Army in films]]
[[Category:Indian buddy films]]
[[Category:Indian drama films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Tamil remakes of Malayalam films]]

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Friends (2001 film)