# Thendral (2004) is a Tamil romantic drama that leans heavily into the melodramatic conventions of early-2000s Kollywood, offering a straightforward tale of love tested by social and familial pressures. It is a film for viewers seeking traditional emotional stakes delivered without modern cynicism, and it knows exactly that audience.
**Thendral** (தென்றல்) is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Thangar Bachan, starring [R. Parthiban](https://www.edgepedia.org/r-parthiban) as the writer Nalangili and Uma Shankari as Thamaraichelvi, a young woman who grows up idolizing his books[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral). It was produced by Viswanathan Ravichandran for Aascar Films, with music by Vidyasagar, and released in Indian theaters on 6 February 2004[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral). The title translates as "Breeze" in academic writing on [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema)[2](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14746689.2015.1088499).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 6 February 2004, India, wide theatrical release[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral) |
| Director and cinematographer | Thangar Bachan held both roles[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral) |
| Lead cast | R. Parthiban as Nalangili; Uma Shankari as Thamaraichelvi; Ranjani as the younger Thamaraichelvi[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/thendral) |
| Production | Aascar Films, producer Viswanathan Ravichandran[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral) |
| Music | Vidyasagar, with lyrics by Na. Muthu Kumar; seven songs listed, including "Adi Thozhi"[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral) • [4](https://letterboxd.com/film/thendral-2004/details/) |
| Literary basis | Filmibeat describes the story as based on the real-life novelist Jayakanthan[5](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/thendral.html) |
| Availability | Streaming on Sun NXT in India[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/thendral) |
## Spoilers
### Story
The film follows a girl who grows up reading the books of a writer whom she loves and idolizes. Fate brings them together, but she does not express her feelings; after they are separated, they meet again under strange circumstances[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral). Rotten Tomatoes' synopsis adds that the writer is absorbed in his work and has no time for her, and that an unexpected event leads to her becoming pregnant by him[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thendral).
A contemporary viewer review fills in the arc: the poor girl Thaamarai falls in love with the prominent Tamil writer Nalankilli, loses her mother in a fire accident, is sent to Trichy for work under false pretenses, and is delivered to Nalankilli as a prostitute; she bears a son from the encounter, the boy later comes to live with the unknowing writer, and the story ends with a hospital tragedy after the mother's identity is revealed[7](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/thendral-review-sttromsmq). Flixjini's tag-based summary matches this shape, listing a devoted fan with a secret crush, a hidden son who learns his parentage, and a tragic passing that reveals the truth[8](https://www.flixjini.in/movie/thendral).
Filmibeat frames Nalankilli as a writer who wants to reform society through his writings, and states the film is based on the real-life novelist [Jayakanthan](https://www.edgepedia.org/jayakanthan)[5](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/thendral.html). A 2004 blog review reports the film carried the caption "Angalakku Azhagi, Pengalakku Thendral" (roughly, Azhagi for men, Thendral for women) and calls the Jayakanthan basis an allegation rather than a confirmed credit[9](https://darumuga.blogspot.com/2004/10/film-review-on-thendral.html).
## Cast and crew
R. Parthiban played Nalangili and Uma Shankari played Thamaraichelvi, with Ranjani as the younger Thamaraichelvi, Swathika as Sundari, Aravind Bachan as Killi Vallavan, Ravichandran as Singara Velu Nayagar, Ramesh Khanna as Sundarakanth, and Madhan Bob as Venkatrama Iyer[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/thendral). [Raghava Lawrence](https://www.edgepedia.org/raghava-lawrence) appeared in a special appearance[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral).
Thangar Bachan directed the film and also served as its director of photography[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral). Editing was shared by S. Satish and B. N. Harsha[4](https://letterboxd.com/film/thendral-2004/details/). Thendral followed his critically acclaimed romantic drama *Azhagi* (2002), and he cast Parthiban again after *Azhagi*[10](https://lk.bookmyshow.com/person/thangar-bachan/1551). Academic surveys of Tamil cinema group Thendral with *Azhagi*, *Solla Marandha Kadhai* (2002), and his later *Pallikoodam* (2007) and *Onbadhu Roobai Nottu* (2007) as part of his run of rural, family-centered dramas[2](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14746689.2015.1088499).
## Music
Vidyasagar composed the score and seven songs: "Adi Thozhi", "Aazhkadalu", "Putham Puthu Paattu", "Vanavilin", "Yeh Penne", "Pathirakotta mama", and "Pachaikili"[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral). The lyrics were written by Na. Muthu Kumar[4](https://letterboxd.com/film/thendral-2004/details/). A 2004 review called Vidyasagar's compositions the film's strength, noting that the songs are meaningful, that the lyrics remain clearly audible, and that "Adi thoziyae" is the pick of the lot[9](https://darumuga.blogspot.com/2004/10/film-review-on-thendral.html).
## Reception and context
BookMyShow's profile of Thangar Bachan states that Thendral received positive reviews[10](https://lk.bookmyshow.com/person/thangar-bachan/1551). The same 2004 blog review praised Parthiban's portrayal of a serious writer inclined toward the good of Tamil people, singled out Uma's expressive eyes and ease in emotional moments, and credited the child actor playing the son, while cautioning that the film moves slowly and requires patience from the viewer[9](https://darumuga.blogspot.com/2004/10/film-review-on-thendral.html). Reception was not uniform: a MouthShut review published in March 2004 scored the film 1.67 out of 5, arguing that Thangar Bachan had compromised reality for art and leaned on sustained weeping in place of dramatic development[7](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/thendral-review-sttromsmq). Aggregated ratings sit in the middle range: JustWatch's listing shows IMDb at 6.4[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/thendral), IMDb's own 2004 Tamil film search page shows 6.2[11](https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?languages=ta&title_type=feature&year=2004-01-01%2C2004-12-31), and Flixjini records a 6.0 rating with a negative-leaning Jini Score of 2.9[8](https://www.flixjini.in/movie/thendral).
The film appeared in a crowded February 2004 Tamil release window alongside *Varnajalam*, *Vayasu Pasanga*, and Cheran's *[Autograph](https://www.edgepedia.org/autograph-2004-film)*, in a year whose biggest hit was *Ghilli* in March[12](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies-by-year/2004.html). Scholars of Tamil cinema place Thangar Bachan, with Bala and Cheran, among the directors of the late 1990s and early 2000s whose low-budget, award-winning films stood apart from the type-hero mainstream[2](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14746689.2015.1088499).
## Runtime and availability
Sources disagree on the film's length: Moviebuff lists 2 hrs 41 mins[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral), Flixjini 162 minutes[8](https://www.flixjini.in/movie/thendral), Rotten Tomatoes 2h 28m[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thendral), and [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) 2h 15min[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/thendral). Release dates also vary slightly by listing, with 6 February 2004 the most common[1](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral) • [5](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/thendral.html) and 5 February 2004 given by [Letterboxd](https://www.edgepedia.org/letterboxd)[4](https://letterboxd.com/film/thendral-2004/details/).
The film is currently available for streaming on Sun NXT in India, with no free streaming options listed[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/thendral). It is also carried through Sun NXT on Airtel Xstream Play for eligible Airtel plans[13](https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/thendral/SUNNXT_MOVIE_8797).
## References
1. [Thendral (2004), Moviebuff](https://www.moviebuff.com/thendral)
2. [Spectacle spaces: Production of caste in recent Tamil films, South Asian Popular Culture Vol. 13 No. 2](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14746689.2015.1088499)
3. [Thendral streaming: where to watch movie online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/thendral)
4. [Thendral (2004), Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/film/thendral-2004/details/)
5. [Thendral 2004, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/thendral.html)
6. [Thendral, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thendral)
7. [After 'azhaki' this is 'azhugai' – THENDRAL Review, MouthShut](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/thendral-review-sttromsmq)
8. [Thendral Reviews, Ratings, Box Office, Trailers, Runtime, Flixjini](https://www.flixjini.in/movie/thendral)
9. [Film Review on Thendral, Dharma – My Passion & Thoughts (16 October 2004)](https://darumuga.blogspot.com/2004/10/film-review-on-thendral.html)
10. [Thangar Bachan – Movies, Biography, News, BookMyShow](https://lk.bookmyshow.com/person/thangar-bachan/1551)
11. [Tamil feature films of 2004, IMDb search](https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?languages=ta&title_type=feature&year=2004-01-01%2C2004-12-31)
12. [2004 Movies – Tamil Movies by Year, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies-by-year/2004.html)
13. [Thendral 2004 on Airtel Xstream Play via Sun NXT](https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/thendral/SUNNXT_MOVIE_8797)
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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 2000s › Tamil films of the early 2000s*
*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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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license