{{Short description|1999 film by S. A. Chandrasekhar}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox film | name = Nenjinile | image = Nenjinile poster.jpg | caption = Poster | director = [[S. A. Chandrasekhar]] | screenplay = S. A. Chandrasekhar | story = A. C. Jairam | producer = S. A. Chandrasekhar | starring = [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]]<br />[[Isha Koppikar]] | cinematography = [[Vijay Milton]] | editing = B. S. Vasu<br />Saleem | music = [[Deva (composer)|Deva]] | studio = [[V. V. Creations]] | released = {{film date|df=y|1999|6|25}} | runtime = 139 minutes | country = India | language = Tamil | gross = {{INR}}4.15 crore<ref name="boxoffice">{{Cite web |date=2022-09-21 |title=விஜய் – இஷா கோபிகர் நடிப்பில் வெளியான ‘நெஞ்சினிலே’… இப்படத்தின் மொத்த வசூல் எவ்ளோ தெரியுமா? |url=https://tamil.filmyfocus.com/vijays-nenjinile-movie-box-office-collection/amp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523183544/https://tamil.filmyfocus.com/vijays-nenjinile-movie-box-office-collection/amp |archive-date=2024-05-23 |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Filmy Focus |language=ta}}</ref> }}
'''''Nenjinile''''' ({{translation|In My Heart}}) is a 1999 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[crime action film]] written by A. C. Jairam and directed by [[S. A. Chandrasekhar]]. The film stars his son [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]] and [[Isha Koppikar]] in the lead roles, while [[Sonu Sood]], [[Sriman (actor)|Sriman]], [[Nizhalgal Ravi]], [[Devan (actor)|Devan]] and [[Manivannan]] play supporting roles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nenjinile |url=http://www.nenjinilae.8m.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426075331/http://www.nenjinilae.8m.com/ |archive-date=26 April 2012 |access-date=11 June 2014 |website=Nenjinilae.8m.com}}</ref> The film's music is composed by [[Deva (composer)|Deva]] with cinematography by [[Vijay Milton]]. The film is inspired by ''[[Abhimanyu (1991 film)|Abhimanyu]]'' (1991), which itself is based on the Hollywood film ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]'' (1983).<ref name="S">{{Cite web |title=Nenjinilae |url=http://sify.com/movies/tamil/review.php?id=6006711&ctid=5&cid=2429 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041229090514/http://sify.com/movies/tamil/review.php?id=6006711&ctid=5&cid=2429 |archive-date=29 December 2004 |access-date=15 December 2023 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref>
''Nenjinile'' was released on 25 June 1999. Even though the film received negative reviews, it grossed {{INRConvert|4.15|c|year=1999}} worldwide.<ref name="boxoffice" />
== Plot ==
Karunakaran is from an indebted family in [[Ambasamudram]]; who are looking for a groom for his younger sister. However, because of the family's financial status, all suitors are turned away and so, Karunakaran decides to go to Mumbai in order to get his passport and head to Dubai for work. In Mumbai, he stays with his elder sister who is estranged from their parents as she had eloped to marry. Karunakaran pays an agent from Tamil Nadu in [[Mumbai]], for obtaining visa for UAE but it turned out that he was a fraud. Knowing that he cannot return to his village empty-handed and happens to meet his childhood friend Chandru.
Chandru leads a comfortable life in Mumbai and while reluctant to introduce Karunakaran to his boss, Supari, but eventually does. Karunakaran is shocked to know that Chandru is a henchman for the gangster Supari but because of his financial situation, he agrees to join the gang. During one such instance of terrorising the city of Mumbai, he meets Nisha and she falls in love with him for saving her. Karunakaran also gets financially wealthy and is able to support his family, who have now renovated their house to look fancy and modern in the village.
Little does he know that Supari has a long term feud with Nisha’s father Samraj, and ends up killing Samraj and his wife by breaking into their house with his gang including Karunakaran, Chandru and Sonu. Nisha is shocked seeing Karunakaran there and runs for safety. While Supari orders to kill the entire family including Nisha, Karunakaran runs away with her and protects her and explains the circumstances, convincing her that he was not at fault.
Now Supari is desperately looking for Karunakaran and wants to kill Nisha and him. In the crossfire, Chandru is killed by Supari’s gang. In the meantime, Tamil Nadu police find out that Karunakaran is a gangster and come in search of him to his house, and the whole village gets to know that their luxurious life are because of the proceeds of crime. Karunakaran’s father is insulted in public by a villager and as a result, the family commits mass suicide, including his younger sister.
Karunakaran gets to know the news and is heartbroken, and in his desperation, manages to kill Supari and runs away to Tamil Nadu with Nisha. However, Sonu is still desperate for revenge and the two meet at a temple. Karunakaran gives a long speech on how they are all educated youngsters and should look into productive employment as they are all educated but circumstances forced them to be gangsters. Sonu reforms and decides to leave Karunakaran and Nisha in peace, as they get together in the temple, ready to be married.
== Cast == {{cast listing| *[[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]] as Karunakaran *[[Isha Koppikar]] as Nisha *[[Manivannan]] as Arumugam *[[Nizhalgal Ravi]] as Vaidyalingam, Karunakaran's father *[[Devan (actor)|Devan]] as Samraj, Nisha's father *[[Rami Reddy (actor)|Rami Reddy]] as Supari *[[Sonu Sood]] as Sonu *[[Sriman (actor)|Sriman]] as Chandru, Karunakaran's friend *[[Sathyapriya]] as Karunakaran's mother *[[Sindhu (actress)|Sindhu]] as Amudha *Sridevi as Vijaya, Karunakaran's sister *[[S. N. Surendar]] as Karunakaran's brother-in-law *[[S. A. Chandrasekhar]] as DCP Jai Dixit IPS *Karikalan as Villager *[[Sethu Vinayagam]] as Subramaniam *[[Mahanadi Shankar]] as Samraj's henchman *[[Thalapathy Dinesh]] as Supari's henchman *[[Chaplin Balu]] as Arumugam's assistant *Thadi Balaji as Balaji *[[Kovai Senthil]] as Villager *[[Rani (Tamil actress)|Rani]] in a special appearance *[[Roja Selvamani|Roja]] in a special appearance }}
== Production == [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]] recommended [[Isha Koppikar]] as the female lead to his father [[S. A. Chandrasekhar]] after being impressed with her performance in ''[[Kaadhal Kavithai]]'', despite her lack of understanding of [[Tamil language|Tamil]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vijai's Exclusive Interview (Part – 1) |url=http://biphome.spray.se/jeyam/vijai-in.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709073540/http://biphome.spray.se/jeyam/vijai-in.htm |archive-date=9 July 2012 |access-date=28 December 2011 |website=[[Dinakaran]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 August 1999 |title=Vijai's Exclusive Interview (Part-4) |url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/interviews/07-08-99/vijai4.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030804195540/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/interviews/07-08-99/vijai4.htm |archive-date=4 August 2003 |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=[[Dinakaran]]}}</ref> An [[item number]] was shot with actress [[Roja Selvamani|Roja]] in late March 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rajitha |date=26 July 1999 |title=For a song and dance |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/1999/jul/26ss.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512152621/https://www.rediff.com/movies/1999/jul/26ss.htm |archive-date=12 May 2023 |access-date=13 May 2023 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref> During the post-production stages, Chandrasekhar accused the son of [[K. Balachander]] of trying to make illegal copies of the film. The allegations prompted Vijay to pull out of a film he had agreed to act in under Balachander's production house.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rajitha |date=15 December 1999 |title=The war within |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/1999/dec/15mudal.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513050917/https://www.rediff.com/movies/1999/dec/15mudal.htm |archive-date=13 May 2023 |access-date=13 May 2023 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref>
== Soundtrack == The soundtrack was composed by [[Deva (composer)|Deva]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nenjinile (1999) |url=https://www.raaga.com/tamil/movie/nenjinile-songs-T0000114 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626134002/https://www.raaga.com/tamil/movie/nenjinile-songs-T0000114 |archive-date=26 June 2022 |access-date=13 May 2023 |website=[[Raaga.com]]}}</ref> {{Track listing | headline = Track listing | extra_column = Singer(s) | title1 = Manase Manase | extra1 = [[K. S. Chithra]], [[P. Unnikrishnan]] | lyrics1 = Ra. Ravikumar | length1 = 5:36 | title2 = Anbe Anbe | extra2 = [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]] | lyrics2 = Vijayan | length2 = 5:27 | title3 = Prime Minister | extra3 = [[S. N. Surendar]], [[Harini (singer)|Harini]] | lyrics3 = [[Palani Bharathi]] | length3 = 5:49 | title4 = Thanga Nirathuku | extra4 = [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]], [[Swarnalatha]] | lyrics4 = A. C. Jairam | length4 = 5:04 | title5 = Madras Dhost | extra5 = Krishnaraj, [[Anuradha Sriram]], Naveen | lyrics5 = [[Vaali (poet)|Vaali]] | length5 = 5:39 | title6 = Manasaey | extra6 = [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]], [[Sadhana Sargam]] | lyrics6 = Kalaikumar | length6 = 5:34 | title7 = Sariya Thappa | extra7 = [[Deva (composer)|Deva]] | lyrics7 = Vaali | length7 = 4:43 | total_length = 37:52 <!-- Automatically generated with User:JPxG/TrackSum.js --> }}
== Release and reception == The film was released on 25 June 1999. D. S. Ramanujam of ''[[The Hindu]]'' appreciated Vijay's performance, Chandrasekhar's screenplay and the fight choreography, but said Chandrasekhar "leaves much to be desired" in the comedy subplot.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ramanujam |first=D. S. |date=2 July 1999 |title=Film Reviews: Nenjinilae/Oruvan |url=http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/1999/07/02/stories/09020224.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010604205846/http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/1999/07/02/stories/09020224.htm |archive-date=4 June 2001 |access-date=27 July 2023 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> K. N. Vijiyan of ''[[New Straits Times]]'' wrote, "Those who go to see [''Nenjinile''] will either be fans of Vijay or those captivated by Isha".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vijiyan |first=K. N. |date=3 July 1999 |title=Message to youths that violence does not pay |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6XAWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tBQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3042%2C215835 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618085342/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6XAWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tBQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3042%2C215835 |archive-date=18 June 2024 |access-date=13 May 2023 |work=[[New Straits Times]] |pages=20 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> ''[[Ananda Vikatan]]'' rated the film 35 out of 100.<ref>{{Cite web |last=சார்லஸ் |first=தேவன் |date=22 June 2021 |title=பீஸ்ட் : 'நாளைய தீர்ப்பு' டு 'மாஸ்டர்'... விஜய்க்கு விகடனின் மார்க்கும், விமர்சனமும் என்ன? #Beast |url=https://cinema.vikatan.com/tamil-cinema/how-vijay-movies-scored-in-vikatan-reviews |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008100344/https://cinema.vikatan.com/amp/story/tamil-cinema/how-vijay-movies-scored-in-vikatan-reviews |archive-date=8 October 2021 |access-date=7 December 2021 |website=[[Ananda Vikatan]] |language=ta}}</ref> However K. P. S. of ''[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]]'' gave a positive review, saying both Vijay and Chandrasekhar created a [[jugalbandi]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=கே. பி. எஸ். |date=11 July 1999 |title=நெஞ்சினிலே |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1999-07-11/page/80/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230513045909/https://archive.org/details/kalki1999-07-11/page/80/mode/2up |archive-date=13 May 2023 |access-date=18 November 2022 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |page=81 |language=ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> A critic from ''[[Sify]]'' wrote that "Somewhere along the line Chandrasekar loses his senses and the screenplay takes twists and turns which only confuse the viewer and many times defy logic. [...] Choreography and cinematography are good and Vijay scores in dances and fights".<ref name="S" />
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
{{S. A. Chandrasekhar}}
[[Category:1990s crime action films]] [[Category:1999 Indian films]] [[Category:1999 Tamil-language films]] [[Category:1999 films]] [[Category:Films directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar]] [[Category:Films set in Mumbai]] [[Category:Films shot in Mumbai]] [[Category:Films with screenplays by S. A. Chandrasekhar]] [[Category:Indian crime action films]] [[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]