24 Mani Neram
| 24 Mani Neram | |
|---|---|
 VCD cover | |
| Directed by | Manivannan |
| Written by | Manivannan |
| Produced by | S. N. S. Thirumal |
| Starring | Mohan Sathyaraj Nalini |
| Cinematography | A. Sabapathi |
| Edited by | B. Kandasamy |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
Production company | Thirupathisamy Pictures |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
24 Mani Neram (read as "Irupatthi Naalu Mani Neram"; transl. 24 Hours) is a 1984 Indian Tamil-language thriller film written and directed by Manivannan, starring Mohan, Sathyaraj, and Nalini.[1] The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja with editing by B. Kandasamy and cinematography by A. Sabapathi.
The film was released on 18 July 1984 and was a commercial success, running for 27 weeks.[2] The film was remade in Kannada as Jayabheri (1989).[3]
Plot
Raj is a prisoner serving a life sentence. He befriends his cellmates and asks for their cooperation to escape from prison. When they ask him for a reason, he reveals his past.
Raj is a professional photographer and his wife Janaki is a doctor. He gets introduced to X. W. Ramarathinam, a wealthy businessman who sexually molests women and kills them to hide the truth. Ramarathinam's eyes turn towards Janaki, while celebrating her wedding anniversary at his luxury hotel. Ramarathinam attempts to manipulate her into becoming his mistress. Janaki rejects the offer and informs Raj, and he tries to expose Ramarathinam by writing about him in his magazine. Ramarathinam retaliates by molesting and killing Janaki’s death, and convicting Raj through a false witness.
Back to the present, Raj's cellmates agree to help him with his escape plan. During the escape, others get captured by the police and Raj alone escapes. He calls Ramarathinam and vows to kill him within 24 hours. Raj tracks the false witness who testified against him, only to find out Ramarathinam killed her as well. Ramarathinam's sidekick tries to kills Raj, but Raj escapes. Enraged, Ramarathinam kills his sidekick. The sidekick's sister Swapna, who is also Ramarathinam’s PA, helps Raj to escape from the police. Ramarathinam kills Swapna as well. However, Raj enters Ramarathinam's birthday celebrations as a waiter, and shoots him exactly when the 24-hr ultimatum ends.
Cast
- Mohan as Raj[4]
- Sathyaraj as X.W. Ramarathinam[4]
- Nalini as Janaki
- Jaishankar as Jailer Vijay (no spoken lines)
- Vadivukkarasi as Lakshmi, Raj's mother
- Swapna as Swapna
- Ilavarasi as Rekha
- Chinni Jayanth as Seenu
- Senthil as Sidekick
- Jyothi Lakshmi in a special appearance
- Jayamalini in a special appearance
- Anuradha in a special appearance
- Bayilvan Ranganathan as Marutha Muthu
Production
Manivannan retained three actors from his Nooravathu Naal – Mohan, Sathyaraj and Nalini – for this film.[5][6] Sathyaraj initially suggested S. Balachander or M. N. Nambiar for the role of the antagonist, but Manivannan urged him to do the role.[7]
Soundtrack
Lyrics were written by Pulamaipithan and composed by Ilaiyaraaja.[8][9]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kulikkum Pothile" | Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki | |
| 2. | "Kalloori Manavaraa" | S. Janaki, S. P. Sailaja |
Release and reception
24 Mani Neram was released on 20 July 1984.[5] Jayamanmadhan of Kalki said the story was old fashioned, but praised the manner in which it was told.[10] Balumani of Anna praised acting, music and cinematography and praised Manivannan for directing the film without losing the pace from beginning to end.[11] The film was a success, and is considered among the most significant projects for Mohan, Sathyaraj and Nalini.[2][12][13]
References
- ↑ "மறக்க முடியுமா? - மவுன ராகம்". Dinamalar (in Tamil). 30 January 2017. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- 1 2 "Happy Birthday, Mohan: 'Payanangal Mudivathillai' to 'Mouna Ragam', six films of the lovable star that had a Silver Jubilee in theaters". The Times of India. 23 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ↑ "Jayabheri – ಜಯಭೇರಿ (1989/೧೯೮೯)". Kannada Movies Info. 8 April 2013. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- 1 2 Venkatachari, Shashank (20 January 2023). "10 Riveting Kollywood Thrillers That Take Place In A Day". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- 1 2 "வெள்ளி விழா கண்ட மணிவண்ணனின் த்ரில்லர் திரைப்படம்". News18 (in Tamil). 20 July 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Sunil, K. P. (29 November 1987). "The Anti-Hero". The Illustrated Weekly of India. Vol. 108. The Times Group. pp. 40–41. Archived from the original on 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ↑ "மொட்டைத் தலையுடன் சத்யராஜ் நடித்த நூறாவது நாள்". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 8 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
- ↑ "24 Mani Neram Tamil FIlm EP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraja". Mossymart. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
- ↑ "24 Mani Neram (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single". Apple Music. 1 December 1984. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ↑ ஜெயமன்மதன் (5 August 1984). "24 மணி நேரம்". Kalki (in Tamil). pp. 82–83. Retrieved 13 November 2022 – via Internet Archive.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ பாலுமணி (22 July 1984). "24 மணி நேரம்". Anna (in Tamil). p. 3. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025 – via Endangered Archives Programme.
- ↑ Kesavan, N. (14 April 2016). "Villains with heroic pasts". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
- ↑ ராம்ஜி, வி. (5 December 2019). "ஒரே வருடத்தில் மோகன் 15 படங்கள்; ஒரேநாளில் 3 படம் ரிலீஸ்; அத்தனையும் ஹிட்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
