Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Mahanadi

Original title: Mahanadhi
  • 1994
  • 2h 42m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
4.9K
YOUR RATING
Kamal Haasan, Cochin Hanifa, and Sukanya in Mahanadi (1994)
CrimeDrama

An innocent man is framed in a financial scam and imprisoned. After his release, he learns that his daughter was sold into prostitution and he struggles to free her.An innocent man is framed in a financial scam and imprisoned. After his release, he learns that his daughter was sold into prostitution and he struggles to free her.An innocent man is framed in a financial scam and imprisoned. After his release, he learns that his daughter was sold into prostitution and he struggles to free her.

  • Director
    • Santhana Bharathi
  • Writers
    • Kamal Haasan
    • Ra Ki Rangarajan
  • Stars
    • Kamal Haasan
    • Sukanya
    • Poornam Vishwanathan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.6/10
    4.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Santhana Bharathi
    • Writers
      • Kamal Haasan
      • Ra Ki Rangarajan
    • Stars
      • Kamal Haasan
      • Sukanya
      • Poornam Vishwanathan
    • 20User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins total

    Photos60

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 52
    View Poster

    Top cast14

    Edit
    Kamal Haasan
    Kamal Haasan
    • Krishna
    Sukanya
    Sukanya
    • Yamuna
    Poornam Vishwanathan
    • Panjapakesan Iyer (Krishna's Cellmate)
    Mahanadhi Shobana
    • Kaveri (Krishna's Daughter)
    Cochin Hanifa
    Cochin Hanifa
    • Dhanush
    • (as V.M.C. Hanifa)
    S.N. Lakshmi
    S.N. Lakshmi
    • Krishna's Mother-in-Law
    Tulasi
    • Manju
    Mahanadhi Shankar
    • Dulcana
    Rajesh
    • Muthusamy
    Thalaivasal Vijay
    Thalaivasal Vijay
    • Mannangkatti
    Sangeetha
    Sangeetha
    • Older Kaveri Krishnaswamy
    Mohan Ram
    Mohan Natarajan
    • Venkatachalam
    Shanmugasundari
    • Director
      • Santhana Bharathi
    • Writers
      • Kamal Haasan
      • Ra Ki Rangarajan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews20

    8.64.9K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    8life2dlees

    well enacted movie by Kamalahassan

    this is one of the Tamil movies which will appeal to international audience! Krishna(Kamalahassan) a widower,living happily with his two kids and his mother in a village near Srirangam! in a thrush of greed,brainwashed by an urban con man (v.M.C.Haneefa)he starts a financial company with his partnership, in the city Chennai. then the story shockingly reveals,how the city and its materialism ruins him and his family before his innocence comprehend its deceptive ways! Kamalahassan could challenge any actor in the world on any role! the scene when he finds his long lost daughter in a brothel in Calcutta, his emotional outburst, and the subsequent scene he trying to runaway carrying her in his arms through the mob of pimps,would substantiate that the statement made by me above is not an exaggeration! it may be a bit cinematic when he sets out for a revenge... and Yamuna(Suganya) may irritate you with a faulty Brahmin's dialect... apart from that its an excellent film utilizing fully the acting potentials of one of the world's best actor KAMALAHASSAN!
    10goldbergvariations

    great

    One of the best movies to have come out of India in the last ten years. Traces the story of a well-respected man in a small village who is conned into coming to the city and starting a business.

    He goes to jail for false charges of swindling money. He struggles to come to terms with life in jail. On the outside terrible things happen to his young son and daughter. The people who cheat him screw around with his kids further.

    To find out what happens next watch the movie. Watch out for Kamal Hasan's acting. He is a legend in his own right in India. Can't believe this movie bombed in the box office.
    9harineem-209-525488

    Not for emotionally weak

    I would not recommend this movie if you are emotionally fragile and get disturbed easily. This movie will shatter you to pieces in some scenes. I am not a KamalHassan fan but this is a performance which even Gods would come down to watch. Playing a middle class father having his life ripped apart by greedy men this is his best performance ever and maybe his best movie. I will never watch this movie again because I cant handle the intensity of some scenes where you will just breakdown in tears. A fantastic movie which should have easily won the Oscars or any international award.
    7vijaythepro

    Beautiful cruel world

    An innocent and naive father with two motherless children living a happy content life in a village gets lured by a shady townsman who claims to be a businessman and promises to make him rich. The naive father then goes through a series of kafkaesque events. One thing leads to another driving the man's life into a downward spiral. The height of which would be his thirteen year old daughter being trafficked into prostitution. There are ways in which the film appears to be an echo, Patterns of similar action takes place at different point throughout the film which makes us more familiar with the characters and the overall theme of the film hits us stronger, really putting us in the shoes of the protagonist and what insanity of a world he's experiencing. The continuous background of railways. The growth of the family dog. The repetitive shady men. And most importantly the daughters habit of speaking during sleep. We see her innocent dreams to her most traumatic. All rivers start from somewhere, then gets separated and in the end reunites. So do the characters in the film. Mahanadi is a cautionary tale for those who didn't already know and a social commentary for those who see the obvious. For me Mahanadi was all about the side effects of being naive and irrational in a cruel cruel world.
    7sahadev1988

    The most cruel movie I have ever watched

    This is one of the best movies made which shows the worst fate that can befall on a family. This movie will definitely affect your mind for at least a week. That is how intense this movie is. I would not recommend anyone to watch this movie even though it is very well directed and has amazing acting because this movie can really mess with your mind and can make you depressed. The most heart breaking scen of this movie is when kamal hassan finds his daughter to be a prostitute and learns her fate. That scene can literally crush anyone.

    Best Emmys Moments

    Best Emmys Moments
    Discover nominees and winners, red carpet looks, and more from the Emmys!

    More like this

    Kuruthipunal
    8.5
    Kuruthipunal
    Thevar Magan
    8.7
    Thevar Magan
    Apoorva Sagodharargal
    8.3
    Apoorva Sagodharargal
    Moondram Pirai
    8.6
    Moondram Pirai
    Guna
    8.2
    Guna
    Papanasam
    8.4
    Papanasam
    Panchatanthiram
    8.2
    Panchatanthiram
    Virumandi
    8.4
    Virumandi
    Michael Madana Kama Rajan
    8.5
    Michael Madana Kama Rajan
    Mouna Ragam
    8.4
    Mouna Ragam
    Mudhalvan
    8.4
    Mudhalvan
    Thillu Mullu
    8.5
    Thillu Mullu

    Related interests

    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The names of the lead characters are also the names of main rivers in india. Kamal:krishna The late mother(wife of Krishna) : Narmadha Suganya: yamuna Daughter: kaveri Son: bharani
    • Quotes

      Panjapakesan Iyer (Krishna's Cellmate): Krishna to not worry about the state of affairs in the world, since there is a God above who knows exactly how to deal with criminals and wrongdoers.

      Krishna: Could you please keep quiet, Sir? Both God and the Law are silently looking at what is happening to me.

      [Neenga konjam summa irunga Sir! Nindru kolra deivamum summa irukku; andru kollum sattamum summa irukku]

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ15

    • How long is Mahanadi?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 14, 1994 (India)
    • Country of origin
      • India
    • Language
      • Tamil
    • Also known as
      • The Great River
    • Production company
      • Sri Amman Creations
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • ₹25,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 42m(162 min)
    • Color
      • Color

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.