Manadhai Thirudivittai

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Manadhai Thirudivittai (You have stolen my heart) is a 2001 Tamil romantic comedy directed by R. D. Narayanamurthy in his debut. The film stars Prabhu Deva, Kausalya, and newcomer Gayatri Jayaraman, with Vadivelu, Vivek, Ranjith, and Sriman in supporting roles. The music is by Yuvan Shankar Raja, and the movie was released on 14 November 2001.

The story follows Deva, a post-graduate student in a music college in Ooty. He is an orphan being cared for by friends who sponsor his education. Deva falls in love with Shruthi, a popular undergraduate at the same college. Shruthi initially teases him but later accepts his love.

Deva’s life gets complicated when he meets Indhu, Ashok’s strong-willed sister. Indhu has a troubled past from a college trip, which makes her wary of men. Deva becomes friends with Indhu and invites her to sing in his band, trying to cheer her up. A miscommunication and a series of events lead to trouble: Deva is drunkenly drawn into a hotel room that isn’t what he thinks it is, and he ends up sharing a room with Indhu by mistake. This creates a big misunderstanding and hurts both Shruthi and Indhu.

As the truth starts to come out, Deva learns how his actions affected everyone. His friend Ranjith reveals various secrets, and Deva feels torn between Shruthi and Indhu. He even considers not marrying Shruthi. To help Indhu cope with her pain, Deva brings her favorite singer to her home, which makes Indhu feel cared for again.

In a twist during the wedding preparations, it seems like a bigger scandal could ruin Deva’s life. Shruthi pretends to react strongly to the situation, as Deva had asked her to do in order to protect everyone’s feelings. In the end, Deva marries Indhu, with Shruthi showing her support. The film closes with a sense of forgiveness and love, though Shruthi’s role in the wedding is revealed to be a deliberate plan to help Deva.

Manadhai Thirudivittai marked the directorial debut of Narayanamurthy. The production went through casting changes before Gayatri Jayaraman, a newcomer, joined the lead female role. Filming took place in Ooty. The soundtrack, released in September 2001, became popular, especially songs like All Day Jolly Day and Manja Kaattu Maina. The film received mixed reviews but was noted for its engaging moments and for Vadivelu’s memorable comedy.