Alai Payuthey

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• R. Madhavan as Karthik Varadharajan
• Shalini as Dr. Shakthi
• Jayasudha as Saroja
• Swarnamalya as Poorni
• Vivek as Sethu
• Pyramid Natarajan as Varadharajan
• Raviprakash as Selvaraj
• Sriranjani as Karthik’s sister-in-law
• Venu Arvind as Arumugam
• K. P. A. C. Lalitha as Karthik’s mother
• Sukumari as Sakthi’s aunt
• Azhagam Perumal as Nayar
• Hari Nair as Raghuraman
• Karthik Kumar as Shyam
• Medha Raghunath as Karthik’s colleague
• R. Sundaramoorthy as Nadar
• Kumar Natarajan as Ganesh
• Prema as Prema
• Chitra as Chitra
• Raj Naveen as Raj
• Arvind Swamy as Ram (guest appearance)
• Khushbu as Meena Ram (guest appearance)
• Sophiya Haque (special appearance in the song “September Madham”)
• Rangammal (special appearance in the song “Yaaro Yaarodi Unnoda Purushan”)

Storyline:

The story primarily unfolds through flashbacks narrated by Karthik (Madhavan), detailing his romance with Shakthi (Shalini). Despite parental opposition, they fall in love and decide to marry. However, they soon face the harsh realities of married life, which tests their relationship and maturity. The film poignantly portrays the transition from youthful romance to the responsibilities and challenges that come with marriage.

About Movie:

Alai Payuthey is a Tamil romantic musical film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars R. Madhavan and Shalini in lead roles and explores the complexities of married life for young couples who elope, set against the backdrop of urban India grappling with the challenges of tradition versus modernity.

Upon its release, Alai Payuthey received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its storytelling, performances, and music. The film’s portrayal of love and marriage resonated with audiences, making it a significant entry in Tamil cinema.

Alai Payuthey made its European premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2001 and was showcased at various national and international film festivals. It was dubbed in Telugu as Sakhi. The film’s success led to a Hindi remake, Saathiya, released in 2002, further popularizing the story.