Krishnaveni Panjaalai
What it is about...
Minveli Media Works' Krishnaveni Panjaalai is about mill workers who lived in Udumalpet region in the erstwhile Coimbatore District. The film has romance and humour in good measure. The friendship that develops among the families in the mill quarters and their joyful outings have been captured in an interesting way in the film. Hemachandran and Nandhana have played the lead, while Rajiv Krishna, Shamugaraja, M. S. Baskar, Ajayan Bala, Renuga, Thennavan, Balasingh, Poovitha and Hemalatha form the supporting cast. Suresh Bargav has handled the camera, while Kasi Viswanathan has edited the film. Dhanapal Padmanabhan has written the screenplay and directed the film. The music has been scored by N. R. Ragunanthan. The audio CD of Krishnaveni Panjaalai was released by director J. Mahendran and it was received by former President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
What they say…
Director Dhanapal Padmanabhan:Krishnaveni Panjaalai has a number of firsts to its credit — our former President receiving the first CD (it is the first ever film related event he has participated), a 30-day workshop preceding the film's shoot and actor Shanmugaraja being the first casting director in Tamil. Shanmugaraja chose the actors and conducted the workshop for important roles. This may be called a full-length film on mill workers. Incidentally, it is sort of a tribute to my father who was a mill worker.
Music director N. R. Ragunanthan: Krishnaveni Panjaalai is a period film. The narrative spans four decades from the Fifties and I've scored the music befitting each period. Those who've listened to the background score appreciated my effort. The songs have come out well, each one different in its own way.
Hero Hemachandran: Getting a period film early in one's career is a blessing. After Kavithai, Puzhal and Nandha Nanditha, I am happy to have landed this role. I worked in a mill for nearly a week to get a first-hand knowledge of how they work and study their mannerisms. As I am from the city, I didn't know much about their lifestyle. So it was an eye-opener for me. “Krishnaveni Panjaalai” will be memorable not only for me but for everyone who has worked on it.
Music highlights
There are four songs on the album. ‘Un Kankal,' the first one written by Thamarai and sung by Raman Mahadevan, Shreya Ghoshal and Renina Reddy, is melodious. It is repeated at the end. ‘Aalaikari,' penned by Vairamuthu and sung by Vijay Prakash, may become the anthem of the workers in future. Harish Ragavendra excels in ‘Aathaadi' written by Chithran along with Chithara. Jassie Gift has sung ‘Rojamalaiye,' another Vairamuthu number, well.
