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Thulladha Manamum Thullum (துள்ளாத மனமும் துள்ளும்)

Thulladha Manamum Thullum (துள்ளாத மனமும் துள்ளும்; transl. Even hearts that do not bounce, will bounce) is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by debutant Ezhil, starring Vijay and Simran. Produced by R. B. Choudary for Super Good Films, it was released on 29 January 1999 and became a major commercial success, running for over 200 days in theaters across Tamil Nadu.1 • 2

Key factDetail
Release29 January 1999 (India), Tamil language3
Director / writerEzhil, in his directorial debut; dialogues by N. Prasanna Kumar1
Lead castVijay as Kutty, Simran as Rukmani (Rukku)1
ProductionR. B. Choudary, Super Good Films1
MusicS. A. Rajkumar; cinematography by R. Selva; editing by V. Jaishankar1
Runtime2 hours 50 minutes (170 minutes)3
Box officeRan over 200 days in Tamil Nadu theaters; described by TamilMDb as the highest-grossing Tamil film of 19992 • 4
Audience rating8.3/10 on IMDb from about 7,400 votes3

Spoilers

Plot

Kutty (Vijay) is a good-hearted aspiring singer who works in an audio shop run by Mani (Manivannan). His songs are appreciated by a college student, Rukmani (Simran), but each time she wishes to meet him, circumstances make him appear to her as a ruffian. Kutty becomes the cause of Rukmani losing her eyesight and repents for it, and he comes to love her.5

The story turns on a chain of sacrifices. When Kutty's mother dies, she donates her eyes to Rukmani; to pay for the transplant, Kutty offers his kidney to a rich man based in Pune. On his way home he is inadvertently drawn into an explosives plot and is arrested. Rukmani regains her vision and, having studied for the IAS, becomes a District Collector; when Kutty tries to contact her, she still remembers him as a rowdy.5 Rotten Tomatoes' synopsis completes the arc: the girl regains her vision, realizes the sacrifice he has made, and reciprocates his love.6

Development and casting

A Chaplin inspiration. Ezhil has said that he wrote the story based on Charlie Chaplin's City Lights (1931), which he had watched during a film festival, and that he added commercial elements to the story as it developed.7 • 8

The lead role did not begin with Vijay. According to IMDb trivia, Ezhil initially wanted the comedian Vadivelu to play the lead, but Vadivelu, impressed with the story, told the director he was not confident the film would work with him in the role.3 A Tamil-language account of the film's 25th anniversary adds that Ezhil narrated the story to several producers who declined it, citing its negative climax, before R. B. Choudary accepted it and asked whether the ending could be made positive; the story was then reshaped once Vijay came on board.9

The supporting cast included Manivannan as Mani, Dhamu as Madhan, Vaiyapuri as Kalyana Sundaram, Madhan Bob as Dr. Ganesh, Ponnambalam, Paari Venkat as Trouser Pandi, and Thadi Balaji as Balaji.1

Music

The score and soundtrack were composed by S. A. Rajkumar, with lyrics by Vairamuthu, and playback singing by K. S. Chithra, Hariharan, and Unnikrishnan.1 • 10 All of the songs were well received; a 2024 Indian Express Tamil report records Rajkumar saying that the tune for the song "Thodu Thoduvene" was ready in just five minutes.11 Rajkumar went on to compose for Ezhil's next film as well.12

Reception

The film received highly positive reviews, with praise for the performances of Vijay, Simran, Manivannan, and Charle.4

Commercially the film ran for over 200 days in theaters across Tamil Nadu, and TamilMDb describes it as the highest-grossing Tamil film of 1999.2 • 4 Simran received the Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Actress for her role as the blind-but-spirited Rukmani.13 On IMDb the film holds a rating of 8.3/10 from about 7,400 votes, and Rotten Tomatoes records a 92% audience score.3 • 6

Legacy

The film marked Ezhil's debut as a director and is counted among the early hits that established Vijay's career in heartwarming dramas before his later mass-action films.7 • 14 It was referenced in the 2015 film Masss.3 On its 25th anniversary in January 2024, Ezhil met R. B. Choudary to thank him for the opportunity, and Vijay and Simran both greeted him on the occasion.15 The film remains available for streaming on Sun NXT.16

References

  1. Thulladha Manamum Thullum | Tamil Romantic Film | Vijay, Simran | Super Good Films | Full HD, Super Good Films (YouTube)
  2. துள்ளாத மனமும் துள்ளும் - உன்னைத் தேடி box office clash report, Puthiyathalaimurai
  3. Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1999), IMDb
  4. Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1999), TamilMDb
  5. Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1999), Moviebuff
  6. Thulladha Manamum Thullum, Rotten Tomatoes
  7. எழில் இயக்குநராகி 25 வருடங்கள்: சென்னையில் விழா, Hindu Tamil
  8. 20 Years Of Thulladha Manamum Thullum, StarBiz
  9. Thulladha Manamum Thullum: 25வது ஆண்டில் துள்ளாத மனமும் துள்ளும், ABP Live Tamil
  10. Thulladha Manamum Thullum full cast & crew, IMDb
  11. எஸ்.ஏ.ராஜ்குமார் ஓபன் டாக், Indian Express Tamil
  12. தமிழகத்தில் இன்று | film review - pennin manathai thottu, Oneindia Tamil
  13. Cinema - One True Love, JFW Magazine, September 2019
  14. Indian Chronicle Daily e-paper, 8 January 2026
  15. துள்ளாத மனமும் துள்ளும் வெளியாகி 25 ஆண்டுகள் நிறைவு, Puthiyathalaimurai
  16. Thulladha Manamum Thullum streaming, JustWatch

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026

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