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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

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    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
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    Featured reviews

    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.
    10maheshraveendran

    Best Ever in Tamil

    MAHANADHI..., its one of the best movie ever came in Tamil and also in future no movie can defeat this.. the role Krishna, could never played by any other actor. None can control their tears, when they watch this movie at any number of times. Movie clearly shown how a normal man get attracted by money and how he lose his happiness. also how some rich people were greedy about money, gals,etc. the scenes took place inside prison were awesome. no other movie shown the actual scenes like that.

    A great try by Kamalhasan (god of Tamil cinema). actually Oscar missed this movie... not this movie missed Oscar.

    the villain role played by Hanifa is fantastic. whenever i used to see him in any other movies, i felt angry with him. we cannot see any blunder in this whole movie. Music by Maestro, is a strong backbone for this movie. we can feel the romance and sadness of krishna from the background score. feel proud to write review for mahanadhi..
    aparna

    Under-rated classic

    Kamal Hassan has delivered a knockout performance in this under-rated classic. Its the story of the father of two, played by Kamal Hassan who falls for deceit and ends up in Jail. Kamal Hassan is a wealthy villager who makes acquaintance with a crooked guy from the city. Kamal Hassan trusts this man implicitly and invests all his money. By the time, he realises his folly, its too late and he ends up in a jail. In the meanwhile, his daughter is forced into prostitution and his son lands up in a touring circus troupe. On returning from jail, he goes searching for his daughter who is found in a brothel in Calcutta. This scene will make anyone cry. Kamal Hassan also finds his son and he is so mad that his whole life was shattered by the guy whom he trusted. This movie has Kamal Hassan at its best with excellent music from Ilayaraja and is exceedingly well directed. This movie shows that, no khan from bollywood can match the talent of kamal hassan, the greatest actor, india has ever produced.
    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.
    10seenpriyan

    Not all movies can be this one

    As the summary suggests, not all movies can be like Mahandi. This is a movie of different caliber. I personally never had a chance to watch this movie to appreciate its content until the movie was played on TV. This movie is worth watching for its songs, Kamal Hassan's acting, entire crew who made a very serious movie happen. The movie begins with a respected small town man Krishna played by Kamal Hassan with his perfect family minus his wife. His two kids Cauvery(played by Mahanadi Shobana), Bharani(Notice all the character names are rivers in India). Having met his Childhood friend , he is allured into living in a bigger city. Decides to start a business in big city with wrong people. The wrong people really screw his life, he ends up in prison for the false charges of fraud. He has hard time in Prison with his honesty, having completed his term he if out of the prison to find out his kids are missing, act of Wrong people. Watch this movie to find out what really happens next , does he find his kids ? Music is worth listening, has got a touch of folk and classic. Worth watching. Alls well ends well... is it? Alls not well doesn't end well? Find out more than debating the correctness of previous statement.

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    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]

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    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

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