En Jeevan Paduthu

Narmada joins a new college, as she feels so bored sitting alone in her house. Her father is a businessman. In college, she happens to see the paintings and books written by Surendran. She is very much fascinated by him, but unable to find him in college. She is shocked when she finds Surendran has already committed suicide. Narmada frequently visits his grave in the following days, and the ghost of Surendran appears, advising her to cease visiting his grave. Those around Narmada suspect that she is mentally ill, as nobody else can see Surendran.

Surendran tells Narmada he was duped into love by his colleague Philomina. He genuinely loved her, enough to convert to Christianity; Surendran's father dies of shock at the conversion. Philomina proves unfaithful, and marries Dr. Vijay, which results in Surendran committing suicide. Later it is revealed that Philomina dies during delivery.

Anand, a rich businessman, becomes attracted to Narmada and asks for her hand in marriage. Narmada's father approves of this marriage proposal, but Narmada is against this alliance as she is in love with Surendran. Narmada's father forcefully announces the marriage, but she escapes from the marriage hall and commits suicide to join Surendran in the afterlife.

{{cast listing|

• Karthik as Surendran
• Pratap Pothen as Dr. Vijay
• Kapil Dev as Anand
• Saranya as Narmada
• Sudha Swarnalakshmi as Philomena
• Manorama as Seetha
• Kovai Sarala
• Captain Raju as Chakravarthy
• A. R. Srinivasan as Jagannatham
• Usilai Mani
• Santhana Bharathi as Surendran's father
• Chinni Jayanth
• Thyagu
• Ennathe Kannaiah
• Jaishankar (guest appearance)

}}

The film began production in August 1986.{{Cite news |date=12 August 1986 |title=என் ஜீவன் பாடுது |url=https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_10_276/4.jp2/2657,4452,2837,2064/2837,2064/0/default.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/NA099 |archive-date=15 October 2024 |access-date=15 October 2024 |work=Anna |pages=4 |language=ta |via=Endangered Archives Programme}}

The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.{{Cite web |title=En Jeevan Paduthu Tamil film LP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraja |url=https://mossymart.com/product/en-jeevan-paduthu-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraja/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207030854/https://mossymart.com/product/en-jeevan-paduthu-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraja/ |archive-date=7 February 2022 |access-date=5 October 2021 |website=Mossymart}}{{Cite web |date=24 April 1988 |title=En Jeevan Paduthu |url=https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/en-jeevan-paduthu/b2NMuA7gaI0_ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302032100/https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/en-jeevan-paduthu/b2NMuA7gaI0_ |archive-date=2 March 2022 |access-date=2 March 2022 |website=JioSaavn}} The flute portions in the song "Ore Murai Un Dharisanam" were performed by Arunmozhi.{{Cite web |date=8 December 2021 |title=புல்லாங்குழலில் இருந்து தேன்குரலாய்… இளையராஜா சூட்டிய அந்தப் பெயர்…! |url=https://vellithirai.news/news/2584-a-journey-of-flute-master-to-a-singer-arunmozhi.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321195715/https://vellithirai.news/news/2584-a-journey-of-flute-master-to-a-singer-arunmozhi.html |archive-date=21 March 2023 |access-date=10 November 2023 |website=Vellithirai News |language=Ta}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Track listing

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| title1 = Aan Pillai Enraal Meesai

| lyrics1 = Panchu Arunachalam

| extra1 = S. Janaki, Mano, Chorus

| length1 = 4:43

| title2 = Engirundho Azhaikkum

| note2 = female

| lyrics2 = Ilaiyaraaja

| extra2 = Lata Mangeshkar

| length2 = 4:38

| title3 = Engirundho Azhaikkum

| note3 = male

| lyrics3 = Ilaiyaraaja

| extra3 = Ilaiyaraaja

| length3 = 4:40

| title4 = Engirundho Azhaikkum

| note4 = duet

| lyrics4 = Ilaiyaraaja

| extra4 = Mano, Lata Mangeshkar

| length4 = 3:00

| title5 = Kaadhal Vaanile

| lyrics5 = Panchu Arunachalam

| extra5 = S. Janaki

| length5 = 4:30

| title6 = Katti Vechukko Enthan Anbu Manasu

| lyrics6 = Panchu Arunachalam

| extra6 = Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki

| length6 = 4:35

| title7 = Mounam Yen Mounamey Vasantha Kaalama

| lyrics7 = Panchu Arunachalam

| extra7 = Mano

| length7 = 4:29

| title8 = Ore Murai Un Dharisanam

| lyrics8 = Panchu Arunachalam

| extra8 = S. Janaki

| length8 = 4:21

| total_length = 34:56

}}

N. Krishnaswamy of The Indian Express wrote, "Though director R. Sundarrajan is on very fragile ground and has to do some skating on thin ice playing the girl-ghost card as the audience sometimes tends to turn ghostbusters with catcalls, it is the humorous line — girl talking away to an invisible ghost to the incomprehension of her friends and these same friends in shivers when things seem suspended in thin air while the ghost is in fact holding them — that saves the day."{{Cite news |last=Krishnaswamy |first=N. |date=1 July 1988 |title=En Jeevan Paaduthu |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19880701&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=25 February 2019 |work=The Indian Express |pages=5 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}

{{Reflist}}

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{{R. Sundarrajan}}

Category:1980s ghost films

Category:1980s Indian films

Category:1980s Tamil-language films

Category:1988 films

Category:1988 romance films

Category:Films directed by R. Sundarrajan

Category:Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja

Category:Films shot in Ooty

Category:Indian ghost films

Category:Indian romance films

Category:Tamil-language Indian films

Category:Tamil-language romance films