Chennai Palani Mars

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Chennai Palani Mars
Chennai Palani Mars.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Biju Viswanath
Written byBiju Viswanath
Vijay Sethupathi (dialogues)
Produced byBiju Viswanath
Vijay Sethupathi
StarringPraveen Raja
Rajesh Giriprasad
Vasant Marimuthu
CinematographyBiju Viswanath
Edited byBiju Viswanath
Music byNiranjan Babu
Production
companies
Release date
  • 26 July 2019 (2019-07-26)
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Chennai Palani Mars is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language black comedy-drama film co-written, co-produced and directed by Biju Viswanath. The film is also co-written and co-produced by Vijay Sethupathi under his own production house. It stars Praveen Raja and Rajesh Giriprasad in the lead roles, alongside a cast featuring predominantly newcomers.

Contents

The film narrates the story of a cocaine addict who sets off on a road trip with a fellow junkie to realise his dream of reaching Mars via Chennai and Palani, after pinning hopes on a scientifically unstable concept. Featuring music composed by Niranjan Babu, the film was released on 26 July 2019.

Cast

Production

The film was publicly announced after the shoot had been completed during May 2019. Described as a rural comedy with a space connection, the film was jointly produced and written by Biju Viswanath and Vijay Sethupathi, who had earlier worked together in Orange Mittai (2015). [1] [2] As the actors were all newcomers, Biju gave them an acting workshop and shot scenes in handycam first before embarking on the shoot. [3] [4]

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack was composed by Niranjan Babu and lyrics written by Vignesh Jeyapal.

Release

The film won two international awards – the Best Narrative Platinum award at Pinnacle Film Awards, and Best Drama Grand Jury Gold award at the Los Angeles Film Festival. [5] The film had its theatrical release on 26 July 2019. [6] It was released on ZEE5 on 8 May 2020. [7]

Critical reception

Baradwaj Rangan, writing for Film Companion , praised the film for it unconventional approach, "If you can catch the film’s vibe, it’s a trip". [8] Pradeep Kumar from The Hindu wrote it a "bold first attempt at experimental film-making". [9] S Subhakeerthana from The Indian Express stated "what started off on a promising note, turns into an uninspiring story, eventually", suggesting it was an "experiment gone awry". [10] Arunkumar Shekhar from The New Indian Express wrote "Chennai Palani Mars, for all its faults, is one of the most outlandish films that has been written, shot and presented to the Tamil cinema audience in quite some time", adding it was an "outlandish travelogue that quickly runs out of fuel". [11]

References

  1. "Vijay Sethupathi's next as writer will be 'Chennai Palani Mars'". The News Minute . 21 May 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  2. "Vijay Sethupathi's next, Chennai Palani Mars". The New Indian Express . 20 June 2019. Archived from the original on 20 June 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  3. "'Chennai Palani Mars' is a fantasy fun thriller, says Biju Viswanath". News Today . 27 June 2019. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  4. Subramanian, Anupama (28 June 2019). "'There's a writer in Vijay Sethupathi'". Deccan Chronicle . Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  5. "Vijay Sethupathi's production, Chennai Palani Mars, gains international recognition". Cinema Express . 23 July 2019. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  6. "'Chennai Palani Mars' to release on July 26th". The Times of India . 19 July 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  7. "Chennai Palani Mars: 2019 Tamil film to stream on Zee5". The Envoy Web. 7 May 2020. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  8. Rangan, Baradwaj (11 May 2020). "A Rewind Of This Nicely Trippy Stoner Dramedy". Film Companion . Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  9. Kumar, Pradeep (27 July 2019). "Chennai Palani Mars' review: Can you travel to Mars using your mind?". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  10. Subhakeerthana, S (28 July 2019). "Chennai Palani Mars movie review: Experiment gone awry". The Indian Express . Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  11. Shekhar, Arunkumar (26 July 2019). "'Chennai Palani Mars' review: An outlandish travelogue that quickly runs out of fuel". The New Indian Express . Archived from the original on 20 October 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2024.