12B | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jeeva |
Written by | Sujatha (Dialogues) |
Screenplay by | Jeeva |
Story by | Jeeva |
Based on | Sliding Doors |
Produced by | Vikram Singh |
Starring | Shaam Simran Jyothika |
Cinematography | Jeeva |
Edited by | B. Lenin V. T. Vijayan |
Music by | Harris Jayaraj |
Production company | Film Works |
Distributed by | Media Dreams |
Release date |
|
Running time | 149 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Tamil |
12B is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language romance film directed and written by cinematographer Jeeva; it is his directorial debut. The film stars Shaam in his debut with Simran and Jyothika in lead roles. Hindi actors Suniel Shetty and Moon Moon Sen play supporting roles, and the music was composed by Harris Jayaraj. The film was released on 28 September 2001 to above-average reviews. Critics praised the new concept but criticised the narrative, which they found confusing.
The plot of 12B is loosely based on the 1998 British-American romantic drama film Sliding Doors . The film introduced the use of dual narrative to Tamil cinema; it depicts events in a man's life that depend on whether he catches a bus or not. The film gained attention for its casting of Simran and Jyothika, who were two of the leading female actors of Tamil cinema; it is also the first Tamil film in which Shetty and Sen appear.
12B introduced the concept of dual narrative to Tamil cinema, which was later used in the Tamil film Oh My Kadavule (2020).
One morning, Shakti leaves his house for a job interview when he sees a woman, Jyothika a.k.a. Jo, walking down the street. Shakti is distracted by Jo and begins to follow her. He misses his bus and gets mugged. The film then pauses as a voice-over tells the audience they are about to examine the impact of missing the bus on Shakti's life.
Shakti who catches the bus arrives on time for the job interview and is offered the job of a bank manager, and a beautiful young colleague Priya falls in love with him. Shakti, however, is still in love with Jho but something repeatedly prevents him from meeting her. The obstacle turns out to be his alternate self (the mechanic). Shakti the bank manager is well-off in life but is miserable because he cannot win the affections of Jo.
The Shakti who missed the bus arrives late at the interview and is thrown out. On his way home, he passes by a junkyard, where he meets his friend Madhan, who gives him a job as a mechanic. The next day, while crossing the street, he sees Jo and again follows her. He gains her attention and they begin a relationship. One day, Jo's uncle Rao Arvind visits, and it is revealed he too is in love with Jo and wants to marry her, much to Jo's dismay.
Due to a misunderstanding, Jo and Shakti the mechanic separate. Priya expresses her love for the Shakti the bank manager who, while reciprocating his love for Priya, has an accident. At the same moment, Shakti the mechanic is also seriously hurt in the same accident while he tries to repair his relationship with Jo. Both Shaktis are admitted to the hospital. While Priya is crying over the death of Shakti the bank manager, she glimpses Shakti the mechanic making up with Jo. The film ends with a voice-over concluding the film.
Parthiban provided the voice-over at the beginning of the film, [3] and Jeeva provided the voice-over at the end of the film.
"It's been a big thrill, directing a film, being captain of the ship. Having been a cinematographer definitely helped, I could execute the film faster. And also, I've drawn a lot of inspiration from the directors I've worked with, like Shankar, Surya, and my all-time favourite, Priyadarshan".
— Jeeva on the film, 2001 [4]
12B marked the directorial debut of cinematographer Jeeva and is narrated in a dual narrative format, one if Shakthi (the main hero) catches the 12B bus to his job interview and one if he misses the same bus. [5] [6] Jeeva said the film would be titled 12B after a bus he used to take during his college days. [lower-alpha 1] [4] [7] The basic premise of the film was taken from the 1998 English film Sliding Doors by Peter Howitt, which also follows the lead character's alternate timelines. [4] Film producer Vikram Singh opted to make his first foray into Tamil film production after being encouraged to by director Priyadarshan. [8]
Madhavan was initially considered for the lead role, but the actor was busy with other projects. [8] Newcomer Srikanth also auditioned for the role, but fellow rookie actor Shaam was selected to play the lead role. [9] Shaam had worked as a model in Bangalore for four years before model coordinator Biju Jayadevan introduced him to director Jeeva, who was auditioning a debutant actor for his debut venture, 12B. [10] Shaam had unsuccessfully auditioned for the lead role in Kadhalar Dhinam (1999); [10] he said during his first meeting with Jeeva, he handed over his portfolio and introduced himself in English. Jeeva said: "Repeat what you just said, in Tamil". Shaam did so and was signed on next day after a meeting with producer Vikram Singh. [11] [12] Since Shaam was looking for film offers for four years, Jeeva did not treat Shaam as a newcomer. [13]
Simran and Jyothika, two of the leading Tamil female actors at the time, were cast in the other lead roles; Jyothika got more screen time. [4] Simran called her role a "special appearance". [14] Thota Tharani worked as the art director for the film. [4] The promos of the film were critically praised; Shaam signed on to appear in several projects before 12B was released. [6] The film also featured Jeeva's assistant director, Srinath, in a supporting role. [15] After the first filming schedule, another actor tried to fill the lead role but Jeeva insisted on retaining Shaam. [16] Parthiban provided a voiceover for the film. [3]
A leading Hindi actor was revealed to play a cameo in the film. [4] The actor was later revealed to be Sunil Shetty, who was cast to play Jyothika's uncle. [17] Bengali actor Moon Moon Sen, mother of Riya Sen, was signed on to play Jyothika's mother in the film. [18] In 12B, Shaam's voice was dubbed; an uncommon practice for male actors in Tamil cinema at that time. [19] [20] The appearance of Sunil Shetty in a prominent role led the filmmakers to release it in Hindi. [18] Shiva, who later starred in Chennai 600028 (2007), made his acting debut with this film in a minor role. [1] Chennai-based model Manish Borundia played a background actor in the film. [2]
The soundtrack of 12B was composed by Harris Jayaraj. [21] The soundtrack became popular particularly the song "Oru Punnagai Poove". [3] [22] Premgi Amaran crooned the rap song "Anandam". [23]
All lyrics are written by Vairamuthu except where noted
No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Love Pannu (Oru Punnagai Poove)" | KK, Prashanthini | 4:40 |
2. | "Sariya Thavara" | Samantha Edward, Febi Mani, Mathangai | 5:02 |
3. | "Mutham Mutham" | KK, Mahalakshmi Iyer | 5:02 |
4. | "Poove Vai Pesum Pothu" | Mahalakshmi Iyer, Harish Raghavendra | 5:48 |
5. | "Jothi Neranjava" | Sukhwinder Singh, Febi Mani | 4:46 |
6. | "Anandam" | Premgi Amaren, Clinton Cerejo | 2:17 |
7. | "O Nenjae" | Sujatha Rao | 1:47 |
8. | "Oru Paarvai Paar" | Karthik | 2:22 |
9. | "Party Music" (Instrumental, Shehnai – S. Ballesh) | 1:32 | |
Total length: | 33:16 |
12B received pre-release publicity because it brought together Simran and Jyothika, two of the Tamil film industry's leading actresses of the period. [25] [26] [27] It performed modestly at the box office with average collections reported. [28] [10] Producer Vikram Singh revealed that he lost money producing the film although he felt it was worth it due to the film's unique script. [29] Jeeva later stating he felt the film had not been properly promoted and could have done better business if it had been. [30]
A critic from The Hindu said the film is like "moving through a maze, because for many it could be confusion confounded, at least for the most part of the first half". The critic added; "Shyam in the hero's garb is an apt choice and looks more like a Madhavan clone and for a newcomer, Shyam is absolutely at ease in dance and fights" and "Simran does a commendable job in the climax". [3] New Straits Times wrote; "The presence of Jyotika, Simran and Shyam saves this movie from boredom". [18] Rediff concluded its review; "full marks to the intention – considerably less for the execution", praised the film's performances and technical aspects and said a "drawback would be the languid pace—there is not enough tension built into the film and, for large chunks of time, the story remains static, with the result that you do not empathise with the characters". The reviewer said Simran's portrayal "continues with her policy of shifting gradually from glam roles to the more sedate, serious ones and proves to have what it takes". [31]
Sify wrote; "Ultimately it is very difficult for the audience to understand this superficial tale, as they cannot follow the thin line between reality and imagination. It is total confusion". The reviewer praised the Jayaraj's music for the film. [17] Malini Mannath of Chennai Online opined that "But Jeeva steers his script deftly, and offers a film that is different, giving enough food for thought and room for discussion even after the film is over". [32] Visual Dasan of Kalki criticised the film's story (which he felt was similar to Sliding Doors and the German film Run Lola Run ), called both roles of Shaam confusing and felt bad for Simran taking up such a role. He praised Vivek's comedy, Harris Jayaraj songs and the director for trying to take up a unique subject for his debut film. [33]
Run is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language romantic action film directed by N. Linguswamy and produced by A. M. Rathnam under Sri Surya Movies. It stars Madhavan and Meera Jasmine, Vivek, Atul Kulkarni, Raghuvaran and Anu Hasan. Vidyasagar composed the music, while Jeeva and V. T. Vijayan handled the cinematography and editing of the film. The film marks Meera Jasmine's Tamil debut.
Simran Bagga is an Indian actress and dancer who works predominantly in Tamil films. She has also appeared in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is the recipient of numerous accolades including three Filmfare Awards South and one Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Vaalee is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language psychological romantic thriller film written and directed by S. J. Suryah in his directorial debut. The film stars Ajith Kumar in dual roles with Simran and Jyothika in her Tamil debut while Vivek, Rajeev, Pandu and Sujitha appear in important supporting roles. A modern-day adaptation of the legend of Vali from the Ramayana, it revolves around Shiva and Deva, two identical twin brothers, with Deva being deaf-mute. When Shiva marries Priya, Deva becomes obsessed with and lusts for her.
Shamshuddin Ibrahim, known professionally as Shaam, is an Indian actor and model who mainly appears Tamil and Telugu-language films. Starting his career as a professional model, he soon made his acting debut in the film 12B (2001). He further appeared in lead roles in films such as Lesa Lesa (2003), Iyarkai (2003), and Ullam Ketkumae (2005). He garnered acclaim for his role in the Telugu film Kick (2009), which earned him the name Kick Shaam. Kick enabled Shaam to star in other prominent Telugu films such as Race Gurram (2014). After a hiatus, he returned to Tamil cinema with 6 (2013), Purampokku Engira Podhuvudamai (2015) and Varisu (2023).
Jyothika Saravanan is an Indian actress and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films in addition to Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. Jyothika has received several accolades including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and the Kalaimamani Award Jyothika is regarded as one of the most prolific actresses in Tamil cinema, and has been ranked among the best actresses of South India by the media.
Lesa Lesa..., also referred to as Laysa Laysa, is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Shaam and Trisha, while Vivek, Radharavi and Sreenivasan play supporting roles. Madhavan appears in a guest appearance. The music was composed by Harris Jayaraj. The film is a remake of the 1998 Malayalam film Summer in Bethlehem, which was written by Ranjith.
Ullam Ketkumae... is a 2005 Tamil-language romantic drama film directed and co-written by Jeeva, with dialogues by Sujatha. The film stars Shaam, Arya, Laila, Asin and Pooja as five college students. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Harris Jayaraj, while Vairamuthu penned the lyrics for the songs. The film tells the reunion of five friends who were together at college and exploring their relationships during the years. The film released after several delays in 2005 and went on to win critical and commercial success. The film marked the first successful film for Jeeva and Shaam while Arya and Asin received several film offers after the release of the film.
New is a 2004 Indian Tamil language science fiction comedy film directed, written and produced by S. J. Suryah in a dual role, who also stars alongside Simran. Kiran Rathod and Devayani play supporting roles. In the film, Pappu, an 8-year-old child gets an experiment done on him that requires him to live as himself during the day and like his 28-year-old self during the night. Chaos begins after he toggles between two roles simultaneously.
Thenali is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language comedy film co-written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jayaram, Devayani and Jyothika, with Delhi Ganesh, Charle, Ramesh Khanna and Madhan Bob in supporting roles. It revolves around the title character who follows his psychiatrist Kailash on vacation to cure his numerous phobias. When Thenali becomes closer to Kailash's family, Kailash becomes increasingly obsessed with getting rid of him.
Iyarkai is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by S. P. Jananathan in his directorial debut. The film stars Shaam and Radhika. Arun Vijay—who at the time was known as Arun Kumar—makes a cameo appearance and Bollywood actor Seema Biswas plays a supporting role. Iyarkai marks the debuts of Radhika and Biswas in Tamil cinema.
Unnale Unnale is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language romantic musical film.The movie is directed and co-written by Jeeva and produced by Oscar Ravichandran. It stars Vinay Rai, Sadha and Tanisha Mukherjee in lead roles; Srinath, Raju Sundaram and Sathish Krishnan in supporting roles; and Lekha Washington, Aravind Akash, Uma Padmanabhan, and Vasundhara Kashyap in cameo roles. Raju Sundaram also worked as a choreographer in the film. The Telugu dubbed version was titled Neevalle Neevalle and released simultaneously with the Tamil version. This film marked Vinay Rai's feature film debut and Tanisha's only Tamil film that she ever acted.
Kushi (transl. Happiness) is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by S. J. Suryah and produced by A. M. Rathnam. The film stars Vijay, Jyothika and Mumtaj, while Vijayakumar, Vivek and Nizhalgal Ravi and others in the supporting roles. The film's cinematography was done by Jeeva, while music was composed by Deva. The film was released on 19 May 2000. Kushi was remade in Telugu as under the same title, in Hindi as Khushi, and in Kannada as Eno Onthara. Jyothika went on to win the Filmfare Best Actress Award in Tamil and Cinema Express Award for Best Sensational Actress at the Cinema Express Awards, for her performance.
Inbaa is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language masala film directed by S.T. Vendan. The film stars Shaam and Sneha, with Arun Pandian in an antagonistic role. It was released on 21 March 2008. The film marks the third collaboration between Shaam and Sneha after Yai! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukey! and ABCD.
Herova? Zerova? is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language short docudrama produced by Suriya. Sponsored by the Ministry of Education of Tamil Nadu, the 5-minute film was directed by V. Priya with cinematography by K. V. Anand and music by Harris Jayaraj. It was featured on Kalaignar TV and officially uploaded to YouTube, but was later removed.
Savitha Radhakrishnan is a voice actor in the South Indian Cinema Industry.
K. S. Adhiyaman is an Indian film director and producer, who has directed Hindi and Tamil films.
Trisha Illana Nayanthara is a 2015 Indian Tamil language romantic comedy film written and directed by Adhik Ravichandran. The film stars G. V. Prakash Kumar, Manisha Yadav and Anandhi, with VTV Ganesh and Simran portraying supporting roles. The film was dubbed into Telugu as Trisha Leda Nayanthara.The movie was a box-office hit.
Vikram Singh is a film producer who works in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi-language films.
Jyothika is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil films. She also acted in some Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada films. She debuted in Bollywood in the Hindi film Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1997), directed by Priyadarshan. She starred in her first Tamil film Vaali (1999) and her first Telugu film Tagore (2003), opposite Chiranjeevi.She won one National Award, four Filmfare Awards, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, two Cinema Express Awards, one South Indian International Movie Award, International Tamil Film Award and four Dinakaran Awards. She is also a recipient of the Kalaimamani Award. She is regarded as one of the most prolific actresses in Tamil cinema. She has been ranked among the best actresses of South India by The Times of India and The Hindu.