Kadhalikka Neramillai (காதலிக்க நேரமில்லை) (1964 film)
Kadhalikka Neramillai (காதலிக்க நேரமில்லை, "No Time for Love") is a 1964 Tamil-language romantic comedy film written, produced, and directed by C. V. Sridhar under his Chitralaya banner, released in India on 27 February 1964 with a runtime of 2 hours 39 minutes.1 • 2 It is remembered as one of the earliest Tamil films shot in Eastman Colour, for its songs by the Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy duo, and for launching the lead careers of Ravichandran and Kanchana.3 • 1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 27 February 1964, Tamil, 2 hrs 39 mins1 |
| Director / producer | C. V. Sridhar, who also wrote the story; produced under Chitralaya2 |
| Technical first | First Tamil film shot in Eastman Colour3 |
| Music | Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy; lyrics by Kannadasan, assisted by Panchu Arunachalam3 |
| Debuts | Ravichandran and Kanchana's first Tamil film1 |
| Remakes | Sridhar's own Hindi version Pyaar Kiye Jaa (1966); Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi versions by others4 |
| Reception | Silver jubilee run; commercially successful but won no awards4 |
Spoilers
Plot and cast
Ashok (Ravichandran), an assistant manager at the Chinnamalai Estate where cardamom is grown, loves Nirmala (Rajasree), daughter of the industrialist Vishwanathan (T. S. Balaiah), who is determined to marry his daughters to rich grooms. Ashok seeks the help of his wealthy friend Vasu (R. Muthuraman), who disguises himself as Ashok's father Chidambaram, leading to comic complications.7 • 3 In one twist, Muthuraman plays both Vasu and, in full disguise, the much-older Chidambaram, who woos Kanchana (playing a character of the same name, Vishwanathan's daughter) in the titular song.3
Nagesh plays Chellappa, Vishwanathan's son, an aspiring but penniless filmmaker who wants his indifferent father to fund his pet project; through Chellappa, Sridhar mocks the trendy films of the time.3 Sachu plays Meenalochini, the woman Chellappa finds as his heroine, and V. S. Raghavan plays Sachidanandam.3 • 8 The story is set in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Chinnamalai, with long-distance "trunk calls" between them driving much of the second half.3
Production background
Sridhar, who had made his directorial debut with Kalyana Parisu (1959) and followed it with films such as Nenjil Or Aalayam (1962) and Nenjam Marappathillai (1963), turned to a lighter register with this film.5 • 4 He deliberately cast none of the era's biggest stars; there is no MGR, Sivaji, or Gemini Ganesan in the film, a move contemporary audiences saw as bold and risky.3 The film marked Ravichandran's debut as a leading man and Kanchana's debut in Tamil cinema.6 • 1
The film was shot extravagantly in Eastman Colour, using outdoor locations in Ooty and brightly colored sets, with loud costume design and prominent display of cars such as a Plymouth to show off the new color technology.3
Music
The songs by M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy, with lyrics by Kannadasan assisted by Panchu Arunachalam, became lasting hits.3 The film opens with "Enna Paarvai Unthan Paarvai", featuring Muthuraman and the debutante Kanchana, following the then-customary practice of opening a film with a song while audiences were seated.3 Sirkazhi Govindarajan rendered the titular song, and "Ungal ponnana kaigal punnagalama" became a hit on college campuses.3 The Times of India counts the Viswanathan–Ramamurthy, Kannadasan, and Sridhar trio as having delivered eight evergreen hits together.4
Reception and legacy
The film was well received by audiences and ran as a silver jubilee hit.6 • 4 In 1964 a legislator raised the film in the state assembly as detrimental to public morality, apparently referring to the picturization of "Anubhavam Pudhumai", in which Rajasri expresses her love in a sensuous manner; the controversy added to the film's popularity.4 Despite its box-office success, the film never won awards.4
Remakes and influence. Sridhar remade the film in Hindi as Pyaar Kiye Jaa (1966), a slapstick comedy featuring one of Mehmood's most famous performances; others remade it in Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi.4 • 9 Elements of its story and characters recur in later Tamil comedies; in Ullathai Alli Thaa (1996), for example, the heroine's father is, as here, a Viswanathan and an estate owner.4 Sridhar's son Sanjay said rights for a Tamil remake were shelved because of the difficulty of finding actors who could match Balaiah and Nagesh's performances.4
More than sixty years after release, the film is still regarded as a symbol of youth, laughter, and romance in Tamil cinema, and its songs remain in circulation.4 • 3 A 2025 Tamil film of the same name, directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi and starring Ravi Mohan and Nithya Menen, derives its title from the 1964 film but tells a different, contemporary story.10
Attribution note
Most sources credit C. V. Sridhar as director and producer, with Chitralaya Gopu as co-writer of the dialogues.2 • 3 Rotten Tomatoes, however, lists Chitralaya Gopu as the film's director, producer, and screenwriter.7
References
- Kathalikka Neramillai (1964), Moviebuff
- Kadhalikka Neramillai (1964), Letterboxd
- 'Kadhalikka Neramillai': Why the 1964 comedy still makes us laugh, The News Minute (Nandhu Sundaram, 2019)
- 60 Years On, 'Kadhalikka Neramillai' is a Film That is Still Loved Happily Ever After, Times of India (2024)
- ஜெயலலிதாவின் முதல் தமிழ் படம்..., Indian Express Tamil (2023)
- எம்.ஜி.ஆர் நடிப்பில் தொடக்கம்... கமல் நடிப்பில் முடிவு, Indian Express Tamil (2023)
- Kadhalikka Neramillai (1964), Rotten Tomatoes
- Kadalikka Neramillai (1964) Full cast & crew, IMDb
- Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, entry on Sridhar
- Kadhalikka Neramillai review, Hindustan Times (Latha Srinivasan, 2025)
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026
Your notes
© 2026 Biostate AI. Free to use with credit under the Edgepedia Community License. Embed a reference card.