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{{Short description|1977 film by C. V. Sridhar}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Meenava Nanban.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[C. V. Sridhar|Sridhar]]
| writer = Sridhar
| producer = K. R. Sadayappa Chettiar
| starring = [[M. G. Ramachandran]]<br />[[Latha (actress)|Latha]]<br />[[Vennira Aadai Nirmala]]
| cinematography = N. Balakrishnan
| editing = M. Umanath
| music = [[M. S. Viswanathan]]
| studio = Muthu Enterprise
| released = {{film date|df=y|1977|8|14}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Meenava Nanban''''' ({{Translation|Friend of fishermen}}) is a 1977 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[action drama film]] written and directed by [[C. V. Sridhar|Sridhar]]. The film stars [[M. G. Ramachandran]] and [[Latha (actress)|Latha]], with [[Vennira Aadai Nirmala]], [[M. N. Nambiar]], [[Nagesh]] among others enacting supporting roles. It was released on 14 August 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sri Kantha |first=Sachi |author-link=Sachi Sri Kantha |date=27 December 2019 |title=MGR Remembered – Part 54 {{!}} An Overview of the Final 31 movies of 1970s |url=https://sangam.org/mgr-remembered-part-54/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031005730/https://sangam.org/mgr-remembered-part-54/ |archive-date=31 October 2020 |access-date=5 April 2021 |website=[[Ilankai Tamil Sangam]]}}</ref>

== Plot ==
{{More plot|date=April 2023}}
Kumaran, an adventurer comes to a fishing enclave who help him. He meets the arrogant daughter of Nagaraj, Kamali, who treats them with disrespect and reforms her as they fall in love with each other in the process. He then takes it upon himself to defend the fishermen exploited by Nagaraj. Together with Kamali, they reform Nagaraj while saving him from the bad guys, Arun and Selvaraj, he associates with who turn on him.

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
*[[M. G. Ramachandran]] as Kumaran
*[[Latha (actress)|Latha]] as Kamali
*[[Vennira Aadai Nirmala]] as Shanti
*[[Sachu]] as Muthamma
*[[V. K. Ramasamy (actor)|V. K. Ramasamy]] as Nagaraj
*[[M. N. Nambiar]] as Arun
*[[P. S. Veerappa]] as Selvaraj
*[[Nagesh]] as Ratnam
*[[Thengai Srinivasan]] as Manickam
*K. Kannan as Mahi
*[[K. K. Soundar]] as In charge of Coolie
*Karikol Raju as Fisherman
*[[T. K. S. Natarajan]] as Varadhan
*[[Loose Mohan]] as Fisherman
*[[Rangammal]]
}}

== Production ==
After the success of ''[[Urimaikural]]'' (1974), [[C. V. Sridhar|Sridhar]] decided to make another film with [[M. G. Ramachandran]] titled ''Naanum Oru Thozhilali'' ({{Translation|I too am a worker}}); however it got dropped after Sridhar felt it lacked a strong plot.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=ஸ்ரீதர் |first=டைரக்டர் |author-link=C. V. Sridhar |date=25 October 1992 |title=உரிமைக்குரலின் வெற்றி! |url=https://archive.org/download/kalki1992-10-25/kalki1992-10-25.pdf |access-date=2024-04-09 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=73–74 |language=Ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Sadayappa Chettiar approached Sridhar expressing interest to produce a film with Ramachandran as lead actor and Sridhar directing. Sridhar named the film as ''Latchiya Kanavu'' ({{Translation|Ambitious dream}}) while simultaneously making another film with Ramachandran titled ''[[Anna Nee En Deivam]]''. Sridhar later changed the title from ''Latchiya Kanavu'' to ''Meenava Nanban'' as per Ramachandran's suggestion.<ref name="meenava" /> ''Meenava Nanban'' was the second and final collaboration of Ramachandran with Sridhar, after ''Urimaikural''. [[Santhana Bharathi]], who worked as assistant director, recalled that another famous director [[P. Vasu]] joined as assistant in the film's unit.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ashok Kumar |first=S.R. |date=16 November 2006 |title=This character artist's first love is direction |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/this-character-artists-first-love-is-direction/article3048491.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200403150421/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/this-character-artists-first-love-is-direction/article3048491.ece |archive-date=3 April 2020 |access-date=8 November 2020 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=6 April 1997 |title=மாதா பிதா குரு நண்பன் தெய்வம்... |url=https://ibb.co/9401DRd |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602074545/https://ibb.co/9401DRd |archive-date=2 June 2023 |access-date=2 June 2023 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=29–30 |language=Ta}}</ref> Angamuthu took care of art direction while Shyam Sunder handled the stunt choreography.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP372-6-23-1-31#?xywh=2282%2C5240%2C3761%2C2120&cv=2|date=31 July 1977|newspaper=Anna|access-date=3 May 2025|title=புரட்சித்தலைவரின் 'மீனவ நண்பன்'|language=ta}}</ref>

Ramachandran performed his own stunt in a scene by jumping from a {{Convert|12|m}} building, but sustained no injuries.<ref>{{Cite news |last=S |first=Srivatsan |date=15 June 2019 |title=When Sivaji Ganesan said 'MGR does better stunts' |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/when-sivaji-ganesan-said-mgr-does-better-stunts/article27948761.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223060435/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/when-sivaji-ganesan-said-mgr-does-better-stunts/article27948761.ece |archive-date=23 December 2022 |access-date=23 December 2022 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> A few scenes of ''Meenava Nanban'' were shot at Manipal. The filming was stopped for a few months because Sridhar met with an accident, damaging his left eye.<ref name="meenava" /> After the operation, Sridhar restarted both films – ''Meenava Nanban'' and ''Anna Nee En Deivam'' – at the same time. During that time, Ramachandran won the 1977 elections and became the [[List of chief ministers of Tamil Nadu|chief minister of Tamil Nadu]], due to which ''Anna Nee En Deivam'' was shelved after canning few scenes but Sridhar completed ''Meenava Nanban'' with climax was shot in a set of a boat resembling flood in studio.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=ஸ்ரீதர் |first=டைரக்டர் |author-link=C. V. Sridhar |date=8 November 1992 |title=படத்தை முடித்து கொடுத்த முதல்வர்! |url=https://archive.org/download/kalki1992-11-08/kalki1992-11-08.pdf |access-date=2 June 2023 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=59–61 |language=Ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Ramachandran wore a wig to portray his character, and ensured it remained consistent throughout the course of production to preserve continuity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kannan |first=Uma |date=27 June 2011 |title=Kollywood's make-up specialists of the 1960s |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/2011/jun/27/kollywoods-make-up-specialists-of-the-1960s-267023.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201100628/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/2011/jun/27/kollywoods-make-up-specialists-of-the-1960s-267023.html |archive-date=1 December 2021 |access-date=23 December 2022 |website=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
The soundtrack was composed by [[M. S. Viswanathan]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meenava Nanban Tamil Film EP Vinyl Record by M S Viswanathan |url=https://macsendisk.com/product/meenava-nanban-tamil-film-ep-vinyl-record-by-m-s-viswanathan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218030836/https://macsendisk.com/product/meenava-nanban-tamil-film-ep-vinyl-record-by-m-s-viswanathan/ |archive-date=18 December 2021 |access-date=24 September 2022 |website=Macsendisk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Meenava Nanban |url=https://gaana.com/album/meenava-nanban |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812033321/http://gaana.com/album/meenava-nanban |archive-date=12 August 2016 |access-date=5 April 2021 |website=[[Gaana (music streaming service)|Gaana]]}}</ref> [[Muthulingam (poet)|Muthulingam]] recalled that Ramachandran discovered that he did not write any song despite production being near completion, so he insisted him to write the song "Thangathil Mugam Eduthu".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Prasad |first=G. |date=22 March 2008 |title=Evergreen and universal appeal |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/Evergreen-and-universal-appeal/article15376009.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509174135/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/Evergreen-and-universal-appeal/article15376009.ece |archive-date=9 May 2021 |access-date=8 November 2020 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> The song "Pongum Kadalosai" is based on [[Valaji]] raga.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mani |first=Charulatha |author-link=Charulatha Mani |date=16 August 2013 |title=Wake up to Valaji |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/wake-up-to-valaji/article5028958.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223055812/https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/wake-up-to-valaji/article5028958.ece |archive-date=23 December 2022 |access-date=23 December 2022 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>

{{track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Nerukku Neraai
| extra1 = [[T. M. Soundararajan]]
| lyrics1 = [[Pulamaipithan]]
| length1 = 4:01
| title2 = Pongum Kadalosai
| extra2 = [[Vani Jairam]]
| lyrics2 = [[Vaali (poet)|Vaali]]
| length2 = 4:36
| title3 = Thangathil Mugameduthu
| extra3 = [[K. J. Yesudas]], Vani Jairam
| lyrics3 = [[Muthulingam (poet)|Muthulingam]]
| length3 = 3:15
| title4 = Pattathu Rajavum
| extra4 = T. M. Soundararajan
| lyrics4 = Vaali
| length4 = 4:32
| title5 = Neram Pournami
| extra5 = [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]], Vani Jairam
| lyrics5 = Vaali
| length5 = 4:26
| title6 = Kannazhagu Singarikku
| extra6 = T. M. Soundararajan, Vani Jairam
| lyrics6 = Pulamaipithan
| length6 = 3:07
| total_length = 23:57
}}

== Critical reception ==
''Anna'' reviewed the film in two halves; the first was published on 21 August 1977,<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 August 1977 |title=மீனவ நண்பன் |url=https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_1_51/4.jp2/full/1000,1364/0/default.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/gQ2kA |archive-date=2 March 2025 |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Anna |pages=4 |language=ta |via=[[Endangered Archives Programme]]}}</ref> and the second the following day.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 August 1977 |title=மீனவ நண்பன் |url=https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_1_52/4.jp2/full/1000,1367/0/default.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/tRvxD |archive-date=2 March 2025 |access-date=2 March 2025 |work=Anna |pages=4 |language=ta |via=[[Endangered Archives Programme]]}}</ref>

== References ==
<references>

<ref name="meenava">{{Cite magazine |last=ஸ்ரீதர் |first=டைரக்டர் |author-link=C. V. Sridhar |date=1 November 1992 |title=எம்.ஜி.ஆருடன் வாக்குவாதம்! |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1992-11-01/page/n51/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240409141603/https://archive.org/details/kalki1992-11-01/page/n51/mode/2up |archive-date=2024-04-09 |access-date=17 December 2022 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=50–51 |language=Ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

</references>

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{C. V. Sridhar}}

[[Category:1970s action drama films]]
[[Category:1977 Indian films]]
[[Category:1977 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1977 films]]
[[Category:Films about fishermen]]
[[Category:Films directed by C. V. Sridhar]]
[[Category:Films scored by M. S. Viswanathan]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by C. V. Sridhar]]
[[Category:Indian action drama films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language action drama films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]

Meenava Nanban - Revision history

BraydenBeeby640 at 04:48, 4 March 2026