Kandaen (கண்டேன்)
Kandaen (கண்டேன்; also spelled Kanden) is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed and written by A. C. Mugil, starring Shanthanu Bhagyaraj and Rashmi Gautam alongside the comedian Santhanam.1 • 2 The story follows Vasanth, a young man whose grandfather threatens to arrange his marriage, and who pretends to be blind to win the sympathy and love of Narmada.1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Kandaen (கண்டேன்); alternative title Kanden2 |
| Director and writer | A. C. Mugil, in his debut1 • 3 |
| Lead cast | Shanthanu Bhagyaraj as Vasanth, Rashmi Gautam as Narmada, Santhanam as Saami4 |
| Music | Vijay Ebenezer, also a debutant; seven-song soundtrack on the Photon Kathaas label4 • 5 |
| Release | 20 May 2011 (India, wide theatrical); one listing gives 10 May 20114 • 6 |
| Censor rating | U (India)4 |
| IMDb rating | 4.8/10 from 56 votes1 |
Spoilers
Plot
Vasanth (Shanthanu Bhagyaraj) is a young urban professional whose grandfather (Vijayakumar) summons him to the village under the pretense of illness, intending to marry him to a local girl. Vasanth escapes by claiming he already has a girlfriend in the city, and when the grandfather asks to meet her, he returns to Chennai to find a suitable woman.5
He settles on Narmada (Rashmi Gautam) and feigns blindness to gain her attention and sympathy, a ploy that works at first. When the deception is exposed, Narmada leaves him; the story follows how he loses her, wins her back, and then resorts to a second pretense after an unexpected turn of events.5 IMDb's synopsis adds that the grandfather's condition was that Vasanth marry within 30 days.1
Cast and crew
The credited cast includes Shanthanu Bhagyaraj (Vasanth), Rashmi Gautam (Narmada), Santhanam (Saami, Vasanth's buddy), Mythili (Chinmayi, Saami's girlfriend), Vijayakumar (Vasanth's grandfather), Ashish Vidyarthi (Narmada's father), Nirmela Kumari (Lakshmi), Nimmi (Doctor), and Muthukalai and Cool Suresh in supporting roles.4 • 7 • 8
Behind the camera, Prashanth D'Misale was the cinematographer, Anthony L Ruben the editor, and Vijay Ebenezer the composer, all working under debutant director A. C. Mugil.4 • 7 Production is credited to TCS by Letterboxd and Behindwoods, while Moviebuff lists the production company as Sri Sivaselvanayakiamman Movies.2 • 9 • 4
Music
Vijay Ebenezer's debut soundtrack contains seven songs, with lyrics by Thamarai, Krish, Vaali, and Ravindran and vocals including Chinmayi Sripada, Haricharan, Devan Ekambaram, Krish, and Rahul Nambiar. The tracklist comprises "Enge En Idhayam", "Oru Paaravai", "Narmada", "Ninaivugal", "Aa Hah", "Yavarakum Thalaivan", and "Cassanova", released on the Photon Kathaas label.4 Critics described the songs as peppy and well suited to the film's youthful feel; Behindwoods singled out "Unai Kandene" and "Eno Nenjam" as tunes that stay with the listener.5 • 9
Release and reception
The film was released theatrically in India on 20 May 2011, according to Moviebuff, Letterboxd, and Filmibeat; the Times of India's movie page gives 10 May 2011.4 • 2 • 10 • 6 Reported runtimes also differ between databases: 2 hours 12 minutes (Rotten Tomatoes, Moviebuff's later page), 2 hours 24 minutes (Moviebuff, IMDb-linked listings), 132 minutes (Filmibeat), and 144 minutes (Letterboxd).8 • 4 • 10 • 2 The film was certified U in India and was later dubbed into Telugu as Balapam Patti Bhama Odilo.4
Reviews were unfavorable to mixed. Behindwoods called it "strictly old-schoolish romance" and "another uninspired version of a candy floss romance", while crediting Santhanam's comic timing and the songs.9 The New Indian Express judged it an average fare with genuine but scattered fun moments, criticizing the predictable plot and uneven pace, and noting that some fight sequences seemed inserted to showcase the hero.5 On IMDb the film holds a rating of 4.8 out of 10 from 56 user votes.1 As of recent listings, the film is not available on major streaming services.11
References
- Kandaen (2011), IMDb
- Kandaen (2011), Letterboxd
- Stars at Kandaen's special screening, The Times of India (May 21, 2011)
- Kandaen (2011), Moviebuff
- Kandaen review, The New Indian Express (May 23, 2011)
- Kandaen movie details, The Times of India eTimes
- Kandaen (2011) full cast and crew, IMDb
- Kandaen cast and crew, Rotten Tomatoes
- Kanden movie review, Behindwoods
- Kanden (2011) movie, Filmibeat Tamil
- Kandaen where to watch, Moviefone
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 romantic films of the 2010s
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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