# Nanban (நண்பன்) (2012 film)
**Nanban** (நண்பன், "Friend") is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by [S. Shankar](https://www.edgepedia.org/s-shankar) and starring Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth, and [Ileana D'Cruz](https://www.edgepedia.org/ileana-dcruz). It is a remake of [Rajkumar Hirani](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajkumar-hirani)'s Hindi film *3 Idiots* (2009), which in turn was adapted from Chetan Bhagat's 2004 debut novel *Five Point Someone*, and it was released on 12 January 2012 as one of the Pongal festival releases.[1](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/gautaman-bhaskaran-s-review-nanban/story-OqRVFtqEiQ7Ais8SvUmT3L.html) • [2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director | S. Shankar, in his first remake[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) |
| Cast | Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth, Ileana D'Cruz, Sathyaraj, Sathyan[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) |
| Release | 12 January 2012 (Pongal); running time 188 minutes[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) • [3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2180477/) |
| Music and crew | Music by Harris Jayaraj, cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa, editing by Anthony[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) |
| Production | Gemini Film Circuit, which acquired the remake rights in January 2010[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) • [4](https://www.vettrithalapathy.com/cinema/nanban-2012.html) |
| Box office | $15,007,076 worldwide, including $13,715,455 in India[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2180477/) |
| Other versions | Telugu dubbed version titled *Snehithudu*; later remade in Mexico as *3 Idiotas*[5](https://www.galaxyimrj.com/V10/n1/Saleh.pdf) • [2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Ten years after leaving college, Venkat (Srikanth) receives a call from a former classmate, Srivathsan (Sathyan), saying their long-lost friend Paari (Vijay) has been found. Venkat fakes a heart problem to leave a flight and picks up another friend, Senthil (Jiiva), on the way to their alma mater, the Ideal College of Engineering.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Nanban/movie-review/11496400.cms) As the two search for Paari, they reminisce about their college years and how Paari questioned the teaching methods in their classes.[8](https://indiaeuropefilmconnections.com/title-item/nanban/) Paari, an engineering student who rebelled against an education system that celebrated cramming while mocking knowledge, had disappeared soon after graduation; the friends eventually find him running a school in [Dhanushkodi](https://www.edgepedia.org/dhanushkodi) that defies conventional methods of education.[1](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/gautaman-bhaskaran-s-review-nanban/story-OqRVFtqEiQ7Ais8SvUmT3L.html) • [8](https://indiaeuropefilmconnections.com/title-item/nanban/)
Sathyaraj plays Professor Virumandi Sandhanam, known as Virus, the dean of the engineering college, a role played by [Boman Irani](https://www.edgepedia.org/boman-irani) in the original, and Sathyan reprises the Chatur Ramalingam role played by [Omi Vaidya](https://www.edgepedia.org/omi-vaidya), including the speech scene.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Nanban/movie-review/11496400.cms)
## Production
Nanban was produced by Gemini Film Circuit, which acquired the remake rights to *3 Idiots* in January 2010.[4](https://www.vettrithalapathy.com/cinema/nanban-2012.html) It was the first remake of Shankar's career; according to the director, the moment he saw the Hindi film he decided to break his practice of making only original films and remake it in Tamil.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) • [5](https://www.galaxyimrj.com/V10/n1/Saleh.pdf) The announcement drew skepticism from observers who wondered why a filmmaker known for original productions had turned to remaking.[6](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/reviews/nanban-review-13-aid0136.html)
The film's music was composed by [Harris Jayaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/harris-jayaraj), with cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa and editing by Anthony. The audio launch was held in [Coimbatore](https://www.edgepedia.org/coimbatore).[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) Ileana D'Cruz, who had made her Tamil debut with Jyothi Krishna's *Kedi*, returned to [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema) with this film.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms)
## Reception
**Critical response.** The Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5, writing that Shankar's retelling of *3 Idiots* "retains its soul and has its heart in the right place" and praising the casting of Vijay, Srikanth, and Jiiva as the three buddies.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Nanban/movie-review/11496400.cms) The New Indian Express called it a satisfying Pongal fare and credited Shankar with capturing the essence and soul of the original in his first remake.[9](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2012/Jan/15/nanban-330148.html) Gautaman Bhaskaran's review in [Hindustan Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindustan-times) was far less favorable, rating the film 1.5 stars and calling it a near-exact remake whose vehicle "batters your intelligence".[1](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/gautaman-bhaskaran-s-review-nanban/story-OqRVFtqEiQ7Ais8SvUmT3L.html) On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a Tomatometer of 95% based on 2 reviews, with over 1,000 audience ratings.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nanban)
**Pre-release concerns.** Before release, film experts quoted by The New Indian Express worried that the film's success in Hindi might limit its Tamil viewership, since Tamil audiences had mostly already seen *3 Idiots*, and noted that Vijay was coming off five recent box-office duds.[11](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/tamil/2011/Apr/23/uneasy-vibes-from-nanban-247163.html)
## Box office
[Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) records a worldwide gross of $15,007,076 for the film, all from international markets in its accounting, with $13,715,455 from India, $872,498 from Malaysia, $340,011 from the United Kingdom, and $79,112 from Australia. Its earliest release date is listed as January 12, 2012, with a running time of 3 hours 8 minutes.[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2180477/)
## Legacy
The film was screened at the Melbourne Film Festival.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) *3 Idiots* was later remade in Mexico as *3 Idiotas*, making Nanban part of a chain of adaptations running from Bhagat's novel through the Hindi film to its Tamil and Mexican versions.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms) A Telugu dubbed version was released under the title *Snehithudu*.[5](https://www.galaxyimrj.com/V10/n1/Saleh.pdf) At the [Filmfare Awards South](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-awards-south) 2013, the song "Asku Laska" received a nomination.[12](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2180477/awards/)
## References
1. [Gautaman Bhaskaran's review: Nanban, Hindustan Times (16 January 2012)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/gautaman-bhaskaran-s-review-nanban/story-OqRVFtqEiQ7Ais8SvUmT3L.html)
2. [Ten years of Nanban: Interesting facts about the film, The Times of India (8 January 2022)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ten-years-of-nanban-interesting-facts-about-the-film/amp_etphotostory/88759939.cms)
3. [Nanban (2012), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2180477/)
4. [Nanban (2012) — Vijay Film #53 — Cast & Story, VettriThalapathy](https://www.vettrithalapathy.com/cinema/nanban-2012.html)
5. [Abu Saleh, "Adaptation, Remake, Representation: Five Point Someone – 3 Idiots – Nanban (Snehithudu)", Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, Vol. 10, Issue-I (January 2021)](https://www.galaxyimrj.com/V10/n1/Saleh.pdf)
6. [நண்பன் – சிறப்பு விமர்சனம், Tamil Filmibeat (13 January 2012)](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/reviews/nanban-review-13-aid0136.html)
7. [Nanban Movie Review {3.5/5}, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Nanban/movie-review/11496400.cms)
8. [Nanban, India-Europe Film Connections](https://indiaeuropefilmconnections.com/title-item/nanban/)
9. [Nanban review, The New Indian Express (15 January 2012)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2012/Jan/15/nanban-330148.html)
10. [Nanban, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nanban)
11. [Uneasy vibes from 'Nanban', The New Indian Express (23 April 2011)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/tamil/2011/Apr/23/uneasy-vibes-from-nanban-247163.html)
12. [Nanban (2012) – Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2180477/awards/)
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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; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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