Thenavattu

Kailasam, a somber bigwig, performs the last rites of someone dear to him, while Kottai appears swinging a scythe. In a flashback from a few months ago in Ramnad, Kottai's mother cuts down logs while boasting about her son; a god that deserves to see the world. Kottai then journeys to Chennai in company with Vellaiayan, a dimwit friend. The two end up at a massive house of Kailasam, a local terror.

Kottai and Vellaiayan think that Kailasam only cuts up trees from their blacksmithing skills, but Kottai discovers that he was hired by Kailasam to make sickles to kill people. Kottai then feeds crying children milk and helping men with epileptic seizures. Later, he falls in love with kind-hearted music teacher Gayathri.

Santhosh, Kailasam's son who regularly rapes women, is helplessly watched by a cop called Suryaprakash. Kottai continues making arrivals until he sees Santhosh touching Gayathri inappropriately. Kottai then beats Santhosh to death, unbeknownst to him that he is Kailasam's son, when he learns about this, he attempts to get revenge on Kottai, but he and the minister is killed by him along with Suryaprakash. Kottai later returns back to his home.

{{cast listing|

• Jiiva as Kottai
• Poonam Bajwa as Gayathri (voice dubbed by Renuka Kathir)
• Ganja Karuppu as Vellaiayan
• P. Sai Kumar as Suryaprakash (voice dubbed by P. Ravi Shankar)
• Shafi as Santhosh
• Ravi Kale as Kailasam
• Rajan P. Dev as Minister
• Saranya as Kottai's mother
• Delhi Ganesh as Gayatri's father
• Manobala as a man who works under Kailasam
• Kovai Babu as a baby's father
• Vishalini as a baby's mother
• Bava Lakshmanan as Bonda Mani's lover
• Siva Narayana Murthy as priest
• A. Revathi as Transgender Chief
• Suja Varunee in a special appearance
• Vimal as Santhosh's henchman (uncredited)

}}

V. V. Kathir, a former assistant director of Seeman and Surya Prakash, narrated the script to R. B. Choudary, who liked it.{{cite web |date=3 August 2007 |title="My hero is a soft person" |url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/aug-07-01/03-08-07-thenavattu.html |website=Behindwoods |access-date=7 June 2012 |archive-date=27 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627144812/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/aug-07-01/03-08-07-thenavattu.html |url-status=live }} The lead role was offered to actor Jiiva who agreed to do the film. A photo session was completed in Pallavaram Hills.{{cite web |date=7 December 2006 |title=Jeeva's next, Thenavattu |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/27539.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208204329/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/27539.html |archive-date=8 December 2006 |website=IndiaGlitz |access-date=7 June 2012 }} Jiiva's older brother, Jithan Ramesh, had earlier starred in producer Anthony's Puli Varudhu (2007).

Bhavana was originally slated to play the female lead but she left the film for unknown reasons.{{cite web |date=24 May 2007 |title=Bhavana opposite Jeeva again |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/31318.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526042545/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/31318.html |archive-date=26 May 2007 |website=IndiaGlitz |access-date=7 June 2012 }} Poonam Bajwa (who was also shooting for Seval (2008) simultaneously) was then signed, thus making her debut in Tamil cinema. Saranya Ponvannan was then cast to play the mother of Jiiva's character.{{cite web |date=23 May 2008 |title=Saranya- The Godmother |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/38764.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525183932/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/38764.html |archive-date=25 May 2008 |website=IndiaGlitz |access-date=7 June 2012 }}

Art director Roobesh created a huge set at YMCA resembling Koothaandavar Temple.{{cite web |date=18 June 2007 |title=Recreating the famous temple in Chennai - Thenavattu |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/31845.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070620155410/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/31845.html |archive-date=20 June 2007 |website=IndiaGlitz |access-date=7 June 2012 }} Thenavattu was the first Tamil film which displayed respect and dignity towards the transgender section of the society.{{cite web |date=2 February 2008 |title=Transgender and Tamil cinema |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/36306.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203140511/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/36306.html |archive-date=3 February 2008 |website=IndiaGlitz |access-date=7 June 2012 }} The song "Usilampatti Sandhaiyile" was shot at Madurai and Theni.{{cite web|url=http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/10042008-4.shtml|date=10 April 2008|access-date=11 April 2025|website=Cinesouth|title=Song shot at Madurai, Theni for 'Thenavattu'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414200230/http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/10042008-4.shtml|archive-date=14 April 2008}}

The soundtrack was composed by Srikanth Deva in his second collaboration with Jiiva after E (2006).{{cite web|url=https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/thenavattu/OZAO0TQ3W5Q_|title=Thenavattu|website=Jio Saavn|date=January 2008 |access-date=1 September 2024}}

Thenavattu released to critical failure. Rediff called it "silly and ridiculous" and also added "the culprit here clearly is V. V. Kathir's half-baked script that manages to destroy Jiiva's credibility. This flick is all aruvaal and no brains".{{cite web |last=Srinivasan |first=Pavithra |date=21 November 2008 |title=Silly and ridiculous |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/nov/21silly-and-ridiculous.htm |website=Rediff.com |access-date=28 October 2009 |archive-date=15 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415184032/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/nov/21silly-and-ridiculous.htm |url-status=live }} Magimairajan of Kalki praised the acting of Jiiva and also praised the director for portraying transgenders in dignified manner but panned Srikanth Deva's music, Anal Arasu's stunt choreography and Ganja Karuppu's humour and felt the director who concentrated on racy dialogues should have done the same for screenplay.{{cite magazine|last=மகிமைராஜன் |title=தெனாவட்டு |access-date=1 September 2024|url=https://archive.org/details/kalki2008-12-07/page/32/mode/2up|page=32|date=7 December 2008|magazine=Kalki|language=ta}} Cinesouth wrote "Director Kadir has courageously used a far fetched story line and made a film out of it".{{cite web|url=http://www.cinesouth.com/scopes/reviews/new/thenavattue.shtml|title=Thenavattu|website=Cinesouth|access-date=2 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221120743/http://www.cinesouth.com/scopes/reviews/new/thenavattue.shtml|archive-date=21 December 2008}}

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Category:2000s Indian films

Category:2000s Tamil-language films

Category:2008 action drama films

Category:2008 directorial debut films

Category:2008 films

Category:2008 LGBTQ-related films

Category:Films about rape in India

Category:Films scored by Srikanth Deva

Category:Indian action drama films

Category:Indian LGBTQ-related films

Category:Tamil-language Indian films

Category:Transgender-related films