# Amma Kanakku (அம்மா கணக்கு)
**Amma Kanakku** (அம்மா கணக்கு; "Mother's Calculation") is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by [Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashwiny-iyer-tiwari), a remake of her own Hindi film *Nil Battey Sannata* (2016). It stars [Amala Paul](https://www.edgepedia.org/amala-paul), Revathi, and [Samuthirakani](https://www.edgepedia.org/samuthirakani) in the lead roles, with first-time child actor Yuvasri as the daughter, and was produced by Dhanush for Wunderbar Films together with Anand L. Rai for Colour Yellow Pictures.[1](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/amma-kanakku.html) • [2](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/18319/tamil/amma-kanakku/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 24 June 2016 (India), Tamil language, U certificate[3](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/amma-kanakku/amma-kanakku-review.html) |
| Director | Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, in her Tamil directorial debut[1](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/amma-kanakku.html) |
| Producers | Dhanush (Wunderbar Films) and Anand L. Rai (Colour Yellow Pictures)[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5832922/) |
| Music | Ilaiyaraaja; cinematography by Gavemic U Ary[3](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/amma-kanakku/amma-kanakku-review.html) |
| Runtime | 1 hour 49 minutes (109 minutes)[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5832922/) |
| Source | Remake of the Hindi film *Nil Battey Sannata* (2016), directed by the same filmmaker[1](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/amma-kanakku.html) |
| Later remake | Remade in Malayalam as *Udhaharanam Sujatha*, with Manju Warrier in the lead[5](https://www.moviebuff.com/amma-kanakku) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The story follows Shanthi (Amala Paul), a young widow who works as a maid in the household of Dr. Nandhini (Revathi) and takes other odd jobs, including work in a flour mill and a fish go-down, to support her teenaged daughter Abhinaya (Yuvasri), a tenth-grade student.[6](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/250616/amma-kanakku-movie-review-a-modest-feel-good-film-worth-a-watch.html) • [5](https://www.moviebuff.com/amma-kanakku) Abhinaya has no interest in studies; she believes that, just as a doctor's child grows up to be a doctor, the daughter of a maid will grow up to be a maid, and that her mother cannot afford her higher education.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/amma-kanakku/movie-review/52912447.cms)
Shanthi realizes that her own lack of education prevents her from mentoring her daughter, and with Dr. Nandhini's help she enrolls as a student in Abhinaya's own school. Abhinaya is infuriated and ashamed, but Shanthi studies hard, challenges her daughter to outscore her in the half-yearly exams, and Abhinaya begins taking mathematics seriously.[5](https://www.moviebuff.com/amma-kanakku) A misunderstanding follows in which Abhinaya, believing her mother is a sex worker, steals and spends her savings; she later learns the truth, that Shanthi wanted her to study for her own sake.[8](https://chdmlka.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Insights-II-.pdf) The film ends years later with an adult Abhinaya attending an interview for a high-ranking position in the civil services.[8](https://chdmlka.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Insights-II-.pdf)
## Production
In November 2015, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari agreed to direct a Tamil remake of *Nil Battey Sannata* for producers Dhanush and Anand L. Rai. Dhanush had been shown a preview of the Hindi film by Rai during a visit to Mumbai in September 2015, and the two chose to co-produce the Tamil version with Tiwari retained as director.[1](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/amma-kanakku.html) Dhanush later said he requested the remake rights from Rai after seeing only the trailer, and watched the full film only afterward.[9](https://www.maalaimalar.com/cinema/i-made-the-film-for-the-award-dhanush)
**Casting and crew.** Amala Paul and Revathi were signed for the leading roles, with Samuthirakani in a pivotal role; Dhanush recommended Amala Paul for the lead.[1](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/amma-kanakku.html) • [10](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2016/amma-kanakku-is-must-watch-for-parents-their-children-dhanush-231075.html) [Principal photography](https://www.edgepedia.org/principal-photography) began on 7 January 2016 with a launch ceremony in Chennai, and filming ended on 23 February 2016.[5](https://www.moviebuff.com/amma-kanakku) On 16 January 2016, Dhanush brought in [Ilaiyaraaja](https://www.edgepedia.org/ilaiyaraaja) as music director; the cinematographer was Gavemic U Ary, who had worked on *Jigarthanda*.[1](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/amma-kanakku.html) • [9](https://www.maalaimalar.com/cinema/i-made-the-film-for-the-award-dhanush)
While the Hindi original was set in Agra, the Tamil version is set in Chennai, and Tiwari fine-tuned the script to add local flavor.[11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/dhanush-felt-nil-battey-sannata-should-be-remade-in-tamil-says-director-1287830) An early plan was for both language versions to release simultaneously in 2016;[11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/dhanush-felt-nil-battey-sannata-should-be-remade-in-tamil-says-director-1287830) the Tamil film ultimately released on 24 June 2016, about two months after the Hindi original.[3](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/amma-kanakku/amma-kanakku-review.html)
## Reception
The Times of India gave the film 3.0 out of 5, calling it a feel-good drama that largely avoids heavy-handed melodrama until late in the film, and praising Tiwari's low-key treatment of the conflict, though it noted that Amala Paul's voice was dubbed by Uma and that the second half grows overtly emotional.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/amma-kanakku/movie-review/52912447.cms) The Hindustan Times rated it 2.5 out of 5, writing that the film suffers in comparison because its actors do not match their Hindi counterparts, [Swara Bhasker](https://www.edgepedia.org/swara-bhasker) and Ratna Pathak.[12](https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/amma-kanakku-a-good-effort-despite-poor-performances/story-aM9A4o78TIhSu58NDluagI.html) An IANS review carried by The New Indian Express called it a soulless remake, criticizing the frame-to-frame recreation of scenes and Samuthirakani's imitation of [Pankaj Tripathi](https://www.edgepedia.org/pankaj-tripathi)'s principal character from the original.[13](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2016/Jun/24/amma-kannaku-review-a-soulless-remake-884672.html) Deccan Chronicle, by contrast, called it a modest feel-good film worth a watch, delivering the message that everyone has the right to dream.[6](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/250616/amma-kanakku-movie-review-a-modest-feel-good-film-worth-a-watch.html)
Audience aggregates have been moderately positive: IMDb lists a 6.9/10 rating from 485 votes,[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5832922/) and [BookMyShow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bookmyshow) shows 7.3/10 from more than 540 votes.[14](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/amma-kanakku/ET00039861) The film became available for rent or purchase on Prime Video, with a streaming release date of 22 May 2017 listed by Rotten Tomatoes.[15](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/amma_kanakku)
## Remake chain
*Amma Kanakku* sits in the middle of a multilingual chain: it remakes the Hindi *Nil Battey Sannata*, and was itself remade in Malayalam as *Udhaharanam Sujatha* with [Manju Warrier](https://www.edgepedia.org/manju-warrier) in the lead role.[5](https://www.moviebuff.com/amma-kanakku) Dhanush described the Tamil version as almost a scene-to-scene remake of the Hindi film.[10](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2016/amma-kanakku-is-must-watch-for-parents-their-children-dhanush-231075.html)
## References
1. [Amma Kanakku Movie | Amala Paul Amma Kanakku 2016 Tamil Movie | Amma Kanakku Tamil Movie: Release Date, Cast, Story, Ott, Trailer, Photos, Videos - Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/amma-kanakku.html)
2. [Amma Kanakku Tamil Movie, Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/18319/tamil/amma-kanakku/)
3. [Amma Kanakku Movie Review, Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/amma-kanakku/amma-kanakku-review.html)
4. [Amma Kanakku (2016), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5832922/)
5. [Amma Kanakku on Moviebuff.com](https://www.moviebuff.com/amma-kanakku)
6. [Amma Kanakku movie review, Deccan Chronicle](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/250616/amma-kanakku-movie-review-a-modest-feel-good-film-worth-a-watch.html)
7. [Amma Kanakku Movie Review {3/5}, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/amma-kanakku/movie-review/52912447.cms)
8. [Amma Kanakku study guide, Insights II](https://chdmlka.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Insights-II-.pdf)
9. [நான் விருதுக்காக படம் எடுப்பதில்லை: தனுஷ், Maalai Malar](https://www.maalaimalar.com/cinema/i-made-the-film-for-the-award-dhanush)
10. ['Amma Kanakku' Is A Must-watch For All Parents: Dhanush, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2016/amma-kanakku-is-must-watch-for-parents-their-children-dhanush-231075.html)
11. [Dhanush Felt Nil Battey Sannata Should be Remade in Tamil, NDTV](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/dhanush-felt-nil-battey-sannata-should-be-remade-in-tamil-says-director-1287830)
12. [Amma Kanakku: A good effort, despite poor performances, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/amma-kanakku-a-good-effort-despite-poor-performances/story-aM9A4o78TIhSu58NDluagI.html)
13. ['Amma Kannaku' review: A soulless remake, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2016/Jun/24/amma-kannaku-review-a-soulless-remake-884672.html)
14. [Amma Kanakku, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/amma-kanakku/ET00039861)
15. [Amma Kanakku, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/amma_kanakku)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Tamil films of the 2010s › Tamil comedy films of the 2010s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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