Muni | |
---|---|
Directed by | Raghava Lawrence |
Written by | Dialogues: Raghava Lawrence (Kanchana, Kanchana 2, Kanchana 3) Ramesh Khanna (Muni) |
Screenplay by | Raghava Lawrence |
Story by | Raghava Lawrence |
Produced by | Saran (Muni) Raghava Lawrence (Kanchana, Kanchana 2) Kalanidhi Maran (Kanchana 3) |
Starring | Raghava Lawrence Kovai Sarala Rajkiran Sarathkumar Devadarshini Sriman Vedhika Vinu Chakravarthy Raai Laxmi Nithya Menon Taapsee Renuka Oviya Nikki Tamboli Ri Djavi Alexandra |
Cinematography | K. V. Guhan (Muni) Vetri E. Krishnasamy (Kanchana) R. B. Gurudev Rajavel Olhiveeran (Kanchana 2) Vetri Sarvesh Murari (Kanchana 3) |
Edited by | Suresh Urs (Muni) Kishore Te. (Kanchana, Kanchana 2) |
Music by | Original Songs: Bharadwaj (Muni) S. Thaman (Kanchana, Kanchana 2) Leon James (Kanchana 2) C. Sathya (Kanchana 2) Ashwamithra (Kanchana 2) Doo Paa Doo (Kanchana 3) Background Score: Sangeetharajan (Muni) S. Thaman (Kanchana, Kanchana 2) Doo Paa Doo (Kanchana 3) |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Tamil: Gemini Productions (Muni) Sri Thenandal Films (Kanchana, Kanchana 2) Sun Pictures (Kanchana 2, Kanchana 3) |
Release dates | 1 : 9 March 2007 2 : 22 July 2011 3 : 17 April 2015 4 : 19 April 2019 5 : TBA |
Country | India |
Language | Tamil |
Budget | ₹ 49 crore (see release and revenue below) |
Box office | ₹ 238 crore (see release and revenue below) |
Muni is an Indian Tamil-language horror comedy film series created and directed by Raghava Lawrence who also appeared in lead roles in all the films. The first film is Muni (2007) and the second is Muni 2: Kanchana (2011) with the third installment of the franchise titled Muni 3: Kanchana 2: Ganga (2015). The latest movie, the fourth instalment is Muni 4: Kanchana 3 (2019). and stars Raghava Lawrence and Kovai Sarala with Rajkiran, Sarathkumar, Devadarshini, Sriman, Vedhika, Vinu Chakravarthy, Raai Laxmi, Nithya Menon, Taapsee, Renuka, Oviya, Nikki Tamboli, Alexandra Ri Djavi. All films were successful at the box office, continuing the trend of the comedy-horror genre in Tamil cinema that began with Chandramukhi (2005).
All four films revolve around the same plot of a coward who gets possessed by a ghost to take revenge on the people who killed them, and the rest of the film shows how he takes revenge. Raghava Lawrence and Kovai Sarala are the only actors to appear in every installment of the series.
A young man, along with his wife and his parents, migrates to Chennai where he gets possessed by the spirit of a kind-hearted person who was murdered by an ambitious and corrupt political leader.
When three spirits possess a timid young man and start making him act like a woman, his mother consults an exorcist who unearths a heartbreaking tale of societal injustice, murder and vengeance.
A cameraman is petrified of ghosts but obliges when his director proposes a show on ghosts to revive their TV channel. However, strange things happen when they start working on the show.
Raghava is a young man who lives happily with his family but is scared of ghosts. When he visits Coimbatore with his family, he is possessed by a vengeful ghost with a sinister past.
Film | Release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Muni | 9 March 2007 | Raghava Lawrence | Saran | ||
Muni 2: Kanchana | 22 July 2011 | Raghava Lawrence | |||
Muni 3: Kanchana 2 | 17 April 2015 | ||||
Muni 4: Kanchana 3 | 19 April 2019 | Kalanithi Maran, Raghava Lawrence | |||
Muni 5: Kanchana 4 | 2025 | Raghava Lawrence |
The first installment of the series, based on fictional incidents. A young man, along with his wife and his parents, migrates to Chennai where he gets possessed by the spirit of a kind-hearted person who was murdered by an ambitious and corrupt political leader. Muni was released on 9 March 2007 and gained positive response. [1] It earned ₹15 crore against a budget of ₹4 crore. [2]
After the success of Muni Raghava and Sarala Re-unite once again for sequel. The film was titled as Muni 2: Kanchana and also second installment in this series. [3] The film was released on 22 July 2011 worldwide. The film's soundtrack was composed by S. Thaman. [4] Kanchana opened to mostly positive reviews. [5] The film grossed ₹68 crore worldwide [6] becoming the second highest grossing Tamil film of 2011.
A stand-alone sequel, Muni 3: Kanchana 2, was commissioned after the success of the previous films and was also directed by Raghava. [7] It stars Raghava, Taapsee and Sarala in lead roles. [8] And also the third installment in this series. It was released on 17 April 2015 in around 750 screens worldwide alongside Mani Ratnam's O Kadhal Kanmani . The Telugu version titled Ganga [9] was released later on 1 May 2015 in around 550 screens. [10] [11] Film received positive response from audience. [12] Proving to be similarly successful to the first entry in the series, the film emerged as a huge box office success, becoming the third highest grossing Tamil film of 2015. [13] [14] [15]
The fourth installment in this series, written and directed by Raghava. [16] The film was titled as Naagaa, [17] then changed to Muni 4: Kanchana 3, produced by Sun Pictures. [18] The film stars Raghava in a dual role with Oviya, Vedhika, Nikki Tamboli, [19] Keerthi Pandian and Ri Djavi Alexandra. While Kovai Sarala, Soori, Tarun Arora, and Kabir Duhan Singh play supporting roles. Kanchana 3 was released on Good Friday in 2019. [20] The film received mixed reviews from audiences, comparisons of Kanchana 1 and 2. [21] [22] It earned ₹130 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹20 crore, becoming one of the fourth highest grossing Tamil film of 2019. [23]
The fifth installment in this series, written and directed by Raghava.
Film | Release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Durga | 2024 | TBA | Raghava Lawrence | Filming [24] | ||
Muni 5: Kanchana 4 | TBA | Raghava Lawrence | TBA | Announced [25] |
A spin-off, Durga ,was commissioned after the success of the previous film and directed by renowned stunt masters Anbarivu. It is a directional debut for the twins. The film stars Raghava Lawrence, Kovai Sarala, Sriman and Devadarshini in lead roles. The film will release theatrically worldwide in summer 2024. [24]
This table lists the main characters who appear in the Muni film series.
Actors | Films | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Muni | Muni 2: Kanchana | Muni 3: Kanchana 2 | Muni 4: Kanchana 3 | Muni 5: Kanchana 4 | |
2007 | 2011 | 2015 | 2019 | 2025 | |
Raghava Lawrence | Ganesh | Raghava | Raghava & Shiva (Dual role) | Raghava & Kaali (Dual role) | Raghava ( Dual role) |
Kovai Sarala | Sarala, Raghava's mother | ||||
Vedhika | Priya | Priya | |||
Raai Laxmi | Priya | TBA | |||
ViroshanSKA | TBA | ||||
Sriman | Prasad | Dr. Prasad | Prasad | ||
Devadarshini | Kamakshi | ||||
Yuvasri Lakshmi | Pappa | ||||
Renuka | Nandini's sister-in-law | ||||
Taapsee Pannu | Nandini | TBA | |||
Nithya Menen | Ganga | TBA | |||
Mayilsamy | fake priest | Watchman |
Occupation | Film | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Muni | Muni 2: Kanchana | Muni 3: Kanchana 2 | Muni 4: Kanchana 3 | |
2007 | 2011 | 2015 | 2019 | |
Producer(s) | Saran | Raghava Lawrence | Kalanithi Maran Raghava Lawrence | |
Director | Raghava Lawrence | |||
Story writer | ||||
Screenplay writer | ||||
Dialogue writer | Ramesh Khanna | Raghava Lawrence | ||
Song composer(s) | Bharadwaj | S. Thaman |
| Doo Paa Doo |
Background Score | Sangeetharajan | S. Thaman | ||
Director of photography | K. V. Guhan | Vetri, E. Krishnasamy | Rajavel Oliveeran, R. B. Gurudev | Vetri, Sarvesh Murari |
Editor(s) | Suresh Urs | Kishore Te. | Ruben | |
Art Director(s) | Mohana Mahendran | Jana | ||
Stunt co-ordinator | Super Subbarayan | |||
Production companies | Gemini Productions | Raghavendra Productions, Sri Thenandal Films | Raghavendra Productions | Raghavendra Productions, Sun Pictures |
Distributing company | Sun Pictures | Sun Pictures | ||
Sri Thenandal Films | Wellborn International (Kerala) | |||
Running time | 153 minutes | 170 minutes | 164 minutes | 166 minutes |
The franchise has been notable for its profit, with Muni [2] and its follow-up having earned a combined revenue of ₹238 crore, according to IBtimes. [26]
Film | Release date | Budget | Box office revenue | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Muni | 9 March 2007 | ₹4 crore (US$480,000) | ₹15 crore (US$1.8 million) | [2] |
Muni 2: Kanchana | 22 July 2011 | ₹7 crore (US$840,000) | ₹35 crore (US$4.1 million) | [6] |
Muni 3: Kanchana 2 | 17 April 2015 | ₹18 crore (US$2.2 million) | ₹108 crore (US$13 million) | |
Muni 4: Kanchana 3 | 19 April 2019 | ₹20 crore (US$2.4 million) | ₹130 crore (US$16 million) | [26] |
Total | ₹49 crore (US$5.9 million) (four films) | ₹238 crore (US$29 million) (four films) |
Year | Film | Language | Cast | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Kalpana | Kannada | Upendra, Raai Laxmi, Saikumar, Babu Antony | Remake of Kanchana | [27] |
2016 | Maya | Sinhalese | Ranjan Ramanayake, Pubudu Chathuranga, Giriraj Kaushalya, Nilmini Kottegoda and Upeksha Swarnamali | [28] | |
2017 | Tar Tay Gyi | Burmese | Nay Toe and Shwe Thamee | [29] | |
Mayabini | Bengali Bangladesh | Symon Sadik, Airin Sultana, Amit Hasan | [ citation needed ] | ||
2020 | Laxmii | Hindi | Akshay Kumar, Kiara Advani, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Rajesh Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar and Sharad Kelkar | [30] [31] | |
2016 | Kalpana 2 | Kannada | Upendra, Priyamani and Avantika Shetty | Remake of Kanchana 2 | [32] |
Along with Chandramukhi (2005), Muni became a trendsetter for horror comedy films. The success of the film inspired several other horror comedy films including the Aranmanai film series (2014) and Darling (2015). [33] [34] [35]
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language psychological horror comedy film written and directed by P. Vasu. It is a remake of Vasu's Kannada film Apthamitra (2004) which itself is based on the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu (1993).The film stars Rajinikanth, Prabhu and Jyothika along with an ensemble supporting cast, including Vadivelu, Nayanthara, Nassar and Sheela. It revolves around a woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder that affects a family, and a psychiatrist who intends to solve the case while risking his life.
Raghava Lawrence is an Indian actor, choreographer, film director, composer, playback singer, lyricist, film producer and philanthropist known for his works primarily in Tamil cinema. After making his debut as a dance choreographer in 1993, he began looking for acting opportunities. He began his career as an actor in 1998, in a Telugu film. He adopted the name "Raghava" in 2001, and worked for many prominent actors and directors in Tamil cinema throughout his career. He got his breakthrough with Telugu film Style and then Muni. Lawrence is also known for his intricate hip-hop and westernised dance moves and has won four Filmfare Awards, three Nandi Awards and two Tamil Nadu State Film Award for best choreography.
Kanchana may refer to:
Muni (transl. Sage) is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language comedy horror film directed by Raghava Lawrence and produced by Gemini Productions. The film stars Rajkiran in the titular role, alongside Raghava, Vedhika, Vinu Chakravarthy, Kovai Sarala, Kadhal Dhandapani, Rahul Dev, Naasar, Delhi Ganesh, Meera Krishnan and Scissor Manohar. It is the first installment in the Muni film series, and a spiritual sequel, Kanchana, was released in 2011. The film follows Ganesh, a young man with phasmophobia, who gets possessed by Muniyandi "Muni" who tries to kill Dhandapani after he tricked and killed him.
Vedhika Kumar, known mononymously as Vedhika is an Indian actress and model who has established a career in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films.
Kovai Sarala is an Indian actress and comedian, who plays supporting roles in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. She has won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian three times, for her performances in Sathi Leelavathi (1995), Poovellam Un Vasam (2001) and Uliyin Osai (2008). She has also won two Nandi Awards for Best Female Comedian and the Vijay Award for Best Comedian for her performance in Kanchana (2011). She is now part of Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam Party.
Helen Nelson, better known professionally by her stage name Oviya, is an Indian actress who works in the Tamil and Malayalam films. She made her breakthrough as an actress in Sarkunam's rural romantic comedy Kalavani (2010), before appearing in other films including Pandiraj's Marina (2012), Moodar Koodam (2013) and Madha Yaanai Koottam (2013). Oviya has also enjoyed box office success through her roles in Sundar C's Kalakalappu (2012) and the horror comedy Yaamirukka Bayamey (2014). In 2017, Oviya appeared on the reality series Bigg Boss Tamil 1.
Kanchana is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language horror comedy film written, produced and directed by Raghava Lawrence. It is a sequel to his previous venture, Muni (2007) and the second installment in the Muni . The film stars Lawrence alongside Sarathkumar in the title role alongside Kovai Sarala and Lakshmi Rai while Devadarshini and Sriman play supporting roles.
Kalpana is a 2012 Indian Kannada-language comedy horror film starring Upendra, Saikumar and Lakshmi Rai in the lead roles. Film maker Rama Narayanan directed and produced this movie under his banner Sri Thenaandal Films. The film is a remake of the 2011 Tamil film Kanchana. Saikumar reprises the role of a transgender Kalpana, originally played by Sarath Kumar in the Tamil version. Shruti and Umashri play supporting roles originally played by Devadarshini and Kovai Sarala.
Kanchana 2 is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language horror comedy film written, produced and directed by Raghava Lawrence, who enactes in dual role and reprises his role. Alongside him, the film stars Taapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen, Renuka, Jayaprakash, Rajendran, Suhasini Maniratnam, Sriman, Mayilsamy, with Kovai Sarala also reprising her role. It is the third instalment in the Muni film series, and is the sequel to Kanchana (2011). The film was remade in Kannada as Kalpana 2 (2016) starring Upendra.
Aranmanai (transl. Palace) is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language horror-masala film written and directed by Sundar C. The film stars Sundar alongside an ensemble cast including Hansika Motwani, Vinay Rai, Andrea Jeremiah, Raai Laxmi, Santhanam, Kovai Sarala, Manobala, Chitra Lakshmanan and Nithin Sathya. This film was the first installment in Aranmanai film series. In the film, a family returns to their hometown to sell their ancestral palace. However, their arrival is marked by supernatural events, and Ravi, a relative of the family, decides to uncover the truth.
Kanchana 3 is a 2019 Indian Tamil language action-comedy horror film co-produced, written and directed by Raghava Lawrence. The film stars Raghava Lawrence in a dual role with Oviya, Vedhika, Nikki Tamboli and Ri Djavi Alexandra. While Kovai Sarala, Soori, Tarun Arora, and Kabir Duhan Singh play supporting roles. Produced by Sun Pictures, the fourth installment in the Muni , the film began production during October 2018 and released on 19 April 2019. Later, the film was dubbed in Hindi as K3: Kaali Ka Karishma.
Aranmanai 2 is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language horror-masala film directed and co-written by Sundar C. The film stars Sundar, Siddharth, Trisha Krishnan, Hansika Motwani, Poonam Bajwa, Soori, Kovai Sarala, Manobala, Chitra Lakshmanan, Radha Ravi and Vaibhav Reddy. The film is the second installment in the Aranmanai. The film revolves around Murali (Siddharth) who returns to his ancestral home along with his fiancée Anitha (Trisha) when his father lands in a coma under mysterious circumstances. His life takes a turn when he uncovers his family's dark secrets with Ravi (Sundar).
O Kadhal Kanmani, also known as OK Kanmani, is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written, directed and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen, portraying a young couple in a live-in relationship in Mumbai. Prakash Raj and Leela Samson play supporting roles as an older couple in the film, portraying the younger couple's landlords. The film was said to be a "reflection of the modern mindset of urban India", dealing with issues such as marriage and traditional values. The film featured music composed by A. R. Rahman, cinematography by P. C. Sreeram and editing by Sreekar Prasad.
Leon James is an Indian film composer and singer who works in Tamil and Telugu films. He made his debut by composing two songs for the Tamil film, Kanchana 2 (2015) directed by Raghava Lawrence, before being noticed for his work in Ko 2 (2016).
Shivalinga is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language horror thriller film written and directed by P. Vasu. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Vedhika and Shakthi Vasudevan with Sadhu Kokila and Urvashi in supporting roles. Produced by K. A. Suresh, the film's music is composed by V. Harikrishna. The film's cinematography and editing was handled by PKH Das and Suresh Urs respectively. The film revolves around Rahim who died a mysterious death.
Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva is 2017 Indian Tamil-language action masala film written and directed by Sai Ramani. The film stars Raghava Lawrence and Nikki Galrani, while Sathyaraj and Ashutosh Rana play supporting roles. It is a remake of the 2015 Telugu film Pataas with Ashutosh Rana reprising his role from the original. The music was composed by Amresh Ganesh with editing done by Praveen K. L. and cinematography by Sarvesh Murari. The film was released on 9 March 2017 and received widespread negative reviews. Most of the peoples criticized the movie for its title card Makkal Super Star Raghava Lawrence
Shivalinga is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language comedy horror mystery film directed by P. Vasu, starring Raghava Lawrence, Ritika Singh and Shakthi Vasudevan with Vadivelu and Urvashi in supporting roles.
Aranmanai (transl. Palace) is an Indian Tamil-language comedy horror film series created and directed by Sundar C, consisting of Aranmanai (2014), Aranmanai 2 (2016), Aranmanai 3 (2021) and Aranmanai 4 (2024). All films were successful at the box office, continuing the trend of the comedy horror genre in Kollywood that began with Chandramukhi (2005).
Chandramukhi 2 is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language comedy horror film written and directed by P. Vasu, and produced by Subaskaran Allirajah under Lyca Productions. It is a sequel to the 2005 film Chandramukhi. The film stars Raghava Lawrence, Kangana Ranaut and Lakshmi Menon along with an ensemble supporting cast, that includes Vadivelu who reprises his role from the predecessor, Radhika Sarathkumar, Mahima Nambiar, Srushti Dange, Rao Ramesh, Subiksha Krishnan, Suresh Chandra Menon, Ravi Mariya, Vignesh, and Y. G. Mahendran in pivotal roles.