kuthu

{{Infobox film

| image = Kuthu DVD cover.jpg

| caption = DVD cover

| director = A. Venkatesh

| writer = V. Prabhakar (dialogues)

| story = V. V. Vinayak

| based_on = Dil (Telugu)

| producer = K. C. N. Chandrasekar
Amudha Durairaj

| starring = Silambarasan
Ramya
Kalabhavan Mani

| cinematography = A. Venkatesh

| editing = V. T. Vijayan

| music = Srikanth Deva

| studio = Deivanai Movies

| released = {{film date|df=y|2004|4|2}}

| runtime = 146 minutes{{Cite web |title=Kuthu |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/kuthu-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mdy3nzc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250104163254/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/kuthu-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mdy3nzc |archive-date=4 January 2025 |access-date=23 November 2024 |website=British Board of Film Classification}}

| country = India

| language = Tamil

}}

Kuthu ({{translation|Punch}}) is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language romantic action comedy film directed by A. Venkatesh, starring Silambarasan, Ramya and Kalabhavan Mani. It is a remake of the 2003 Telugu film Dil. The music was composed by Srikanth Deva, with cinematography by A. Venkatesh (not the director) and editing by V. T. Vijayan.

Kuthu was released on 2 April 2004{{Cite web |title=Kuthu / குத்து |url=https://screen4screen.com/movies/kuthu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250127112340/https://screen4screen.com/movies/kuthu |archive-date=27 January 2025 |access-date=27 January 2025 |website=Screen4Screen}} and became a commercial success. Ramya was credited in later Tamil films by her birth name Divya Spandana because she disliked the nickname "Kuthu Ramya" that emerged after the release of this film.{{Cite web |title="I have always been in love with Suriya" |url=https://www.behindwoods.com/features/Interviews/interview-5/actress/divya-spandana.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250116025820/https://www.behindwoods.com/features/Interviews/interview-5/actress/divya-spandana.html |archive-date=16 January 2025 |access-date=16 January 2025 |website=Behindwoods.com}}

Plot

Gurumoorthy "Guru" is a sociable boy from a middle-class family. He lives with his parents- a doting mother and a strict but well-meaning father- and a playful maternal uncle, Senthil. He enrolls at the VOC College of Arts and Sciences, and falls in love with Anjali, a fellow student, who doesn't reciprocate his affections.

Anjali's father is the rich and powerful gangster Veerabahu, who is extremely protective of his daughter to the point that he brutally beats up a boy at a temple for brushing past her by accident. A misunderstanding results in Guru being beaten up by Veerabahu's men, who suspect that he and Anjali are lovers. After this, he vows to win Anjali's love for real. In due course, she falls in love with him too. How the lovers stand strong in the face of Veerabahu's increasingly desperate attempts to separate them forms the rest of the story.

Cast

{{cast listing|

Silambarasan as Gurumoorthy (Guru)
Ramya as Anjali
Kalabhavan Mani as Veerabahu, Anjali's father
Livingston as Adhi Kesav, College Principal
Vijayakumar as Guru's father
Karunas as Senthil, Guru's friend
Kuyili as Guru's mother
Aishwarya as Meenakshi, Anjali's mother
Kota Srinivasa Rao as Annamalai, Anjali's grandfather
Manorama as Anjali's grandmother
Ilavarasu as Arunachalam
Besant Ravi as Veerabahu's henchman
Suman Setty as Ramanathan Jr. (Raja Ramanathan Bahadur's Grandson and a Board Member)
Ramya Krishnan (item number in the song "Pottu Thaakku")
Mumtaj (item number in the song "Otha Viral Kattuna")
Ruthu as Anjali's friend
Robert as himself (cameo appearance in the song "Pottu Thaakku")
Ashok Raja as himself (cameo appearance in the song "Otha Viral Kattuna")

}}

Production

The film was announced in September 2003.{{Cite web |date=12 September 2003 |title=Simbu's next film 'Kutthu'! |url=http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/12092003-17.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031212014056/http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/12092003-17.shtml |archive-date=12 December 2003 |access-date=19 April 2025 |website=Cinesouth}} Kannada actress Divya Spandana made her debut in Tamil with this film under the name "Ramya".{{Cite web |last=Nasreen |first=Raisa |date=29 November 2023 |title=DYK Divya Spandana Did NOT Like Being Called 'Kuthu Ramya' By Fans. Here's Why |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/tamil/dyk-divya-spandana-did-not-like-being-called-kuthu-ramya-by-fans-heres-why-article-105600449 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207191449/https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/tamil/dyk-divya-spandana-did-not-like-being-called-kuthu-ramya-by-fans-heres-why-article-105600449 |archive-date=7 December 2023 |access-date=4 January 2025 |website=Times Now |language=en}} A song was picturised with the lead pair in studios with an erected set costing {{INRConvert|10|l|year=2004}} while another song was shot at Thirumayam Kottai near Karaikudi with Ramya Krishnan which took three days to complete. The fight scene was shot at SRM College Grounds for 10 days.{{Cite web |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=18 February 2004 |title=Kuthu |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/location/kuthu.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040614234705/http://www.chennaionline.com/location/kuthu.asp |archive-date=14 June 2004 |access-date=2 April 2013 |website=Chennai Online}} The songs were shot at Lebanon.{{Cite web |date=15 March 2004 |title=Kuthu |url=https://www.sify.com/movies/kuthu-review-tamil-pclv1kbicejcf.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170128064246/http://www.sify.com/movies/kuthu-review-tamil-pclv1kbicejcf.html |archive-date=28 January 2017 |access-date=29 September 2019 |website=Sify}}

Soundtrack

Soundtrack was composed by Srikanth Deva.{{Cite web |date=2 April 2004 |title=Kuthu |url=https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/kuthu/Bga6lNIvOiA_ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926171358/https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/kuthu/Bga6lNIvOiA_ |archive-date=26 September 2024 |access-date=29 September 2019 |website=JioSaavn}}{{Cite web |title=Kuthu - Settai Tamil Film Audio CD |url=https://mossymart.com/product/kuthu-settai-tamil-film-audio-cd/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116030350/https://mossymart.com/product/kuthu-settai-tamil-film-audio-cd/ |archive-date=16 January 2025 |access-date=16 January 2025 |website=Mossymart |language=en-US}}

{{track listing

| headline = Track listing

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 35:04

| title1 = Otha Viral Kattuna

| lyrics1 = Pa. Vijay

| extra1 = Shankar Mahadevan

| length1 = 5:31

| title2 = Nibuna Nibuna

| lyrics2 = Kalaikumar

| extra2 = Sadhana Sargam

| length2 = 5:39

| title3 = Sappida Vada

| lyrics3 = Kalaikumar

| extra3 = Udit Narayan, Malathy Lakshman

| length3 = 5:33

| title4 = Pottu Thakku

| lyrics4 = Vaali

| extra4 = Silambarasan, Roshini

| length4 = 5:08

| title5 = Pachai Kili

| lyrics5 = Palani Bharathi

| extra5 = Kunal Ganjawala, Srilekha Parthasarathy

| length5 = 4:48

| title6 = Assana Assana

| lyrics6 = Snehan

| extra6 = Zubeen Garg, Mahalakshmi Iyer

| length6 = 4:58

| title7 = Ennai Theendi Vittai

| lyrics7 = Thamarai

| extra7 = Prasanna Rao, Chinmayi

| length7 = 3:27

}}

Critical reception

Malini Mannath of Chennai Online wrote, "A spirited youth falling in love with a local don's daughter and the hurdles he crosses... This subject has been hacked to death in quite a few films recently. That 'Kuthu' comes from the Telugu hit 'Dhil' is no excuse to push it down the throat of the viewers again!".{{Cite web |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=9 April 2004 |title=Kuthu |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/film/moviereviews/tammov339.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061016075135/http://www.chennaionline.com/film/moviereviews/tammov339.asp |archive-date=16 October 2006 |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=Chennai Online}} Cinesouth wrote, "Director VEnkatesh has whipped up a formula for commercial success. 'Kuthu' sticks to it".{{Cite web |title=Kuthu |url=http://www.cinesouth.com/scopes/reviews/new/kuthu.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040804043759/http://www.cinesouth.com/scopes/reviews/new/kuthu.shtml |archive-date=4 August 2004 |access-date=13 July 2024 |website=Cinesouth}} Sify wrote, "For city slickers it is an ordeal to watch Kuthu meant strictly for the frontbenchers".{{Cite web |title=Kuthu |url=http://sify.com/movies/tamil/review.php?id=13446373&ctid=5&cid=2429 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603053035/http://sify.com/movies/tamil/review.php?id=13446373&ctid=5&cid=2429 |archive-date=3 June 2004 |access-date=4 January 2025 |website=Sify}}