{{More plot|date=February 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox film | image = Sundara Travels.jpg | caption = DVD cover | director = [[Thaha]] | writer = Govind Padman<br />Mahesh Mithra | starring = [[Murali (Tamil actor)|Murali]]<br />[[Radha (Sundara Travels actress)|Radha]]<br />[[Vadivelu]] | producer = S. V. Thangaraj | music = Bharani | editing = P. C. Mohanan | studio = Yuvasree Creations | cinematography = Selva R. | released = {{film date|df=yes|2002|8|30}} | runtime = 160 minutes | language = Tamil | country = India }}
'''''Sundara Travels''''' is a 2002 [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[comedy film]] directed by [[Thaha]]. The film stars [[Murali (Tamil actor)|Murali]], [[Radha (Sundara Travels actress)|Radha]], and [[Vadivelu]]. [[P. Vasu|Vasu]], [[Sabitha Anand]], and [[Vinu Chakravarthy]] appear in supporting roles. Written by Govind Padman and Mahesh Mithra, it is a remake of their Malayalam film ''[[Ee Parakkum Thalika]]'' (2001). The music was composed by [[Bharani (composer)|Bharani]], with editing done by P. C. Mohanan. The film released on 30 August 2002.
== Plot == Gopikrishna ([[Murali (Tamil actor)|Murali]]) owns and drives an old bus which was received as compensation for his father's road accident. Gopi now faces many consequences due to the bus's pathetic condition. He had sold many valuable things to maintain the bus, and his friend Azhagu ([[Vadivelu]]) was his only companion and the bus's cleaner. A mouse had eaten Azhagu's passport and spoiled his chances of going abroad. Some part of the film's comedy involves Azhagu running behind the mouse for revenge. A live TV show in which Gopi insults the City Traffic Commissioner ([[Vinu Chakravarthy]]) lands him in more trouble when the latter commands Gopi to leave the city with the bus. His other friends, lawyers, and well-wishers try to help him with a bank loan to convert his bus into a [[food truck]]. The plot took a turn when a girl named Vasanthi ([[Radha (Sundhara Travels actress)|Radha]]) enters the bus as a nomad, but she was actually Gayathri, the daughter of an influential and politically powerful minister ([[P. Vasu]]) in [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]. Her father forced her to join politics, which made her leave home. Initially, Gayathri declines to leave the bus, despite Azhagu's and Gopi's constant efforts. The police traces her and takes her back to her father's custody. Her father was making arrangements for her marriage with someone else. Meanwhile, Gopi realised that he could not live without Gayathri. Gopi and Azhagu secretly enter her house, and finally, all ends well as he wins over Gayathri's father.
== Cast == {{cast listing| *[[Murali (Tamil actor)|Murali]] as Gopikrishna *[[Radha (Sundhara Travels actress)|Radha]] as Gayathri / Vasanthi **[[Sanusha]] as young Gayathri *[[Vadivelu]] as Azhagu *[[P. Vasu]] as Santhanam, Gayathri's father *[[Sabitha Anand]] as Lakshmi, Gayathri's mother *[[Vinu Chakravarthy]] as City Traffic Commissioner Veerappan *[[Lavanya (actress)|Lavanya]] as TV Reporter *[[Manivannan]] as Mahendran *[[Delhi Ganesh]] as Krishnan Pillai *[[Madhan Bob]] as Moneylender *[[Ilavarasu]] as Parotta Master Kasi *[[Pandu (actor)|Pandu]] as Police Inspector *[[Bala Singh]] as Politician *[[Bonda Mani]] as Groom }}
== Production == The film's shooting commenced at Kodaikanal, and held at locations in Kerala and Thenkasi.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=9 July 2002 |title=Sundara Travels |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/location/stravel.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040826055319/http://www.chennaionline.com/location/stravel.asp |archive-date=26 August 2004 |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=Chennai Online}}</ref>
== Soundtrack == The soundtrack was composed by [[Bharani (composer)|Bharani]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sundhra Travels (2002) |url=https://www.raaga.com/tamil/movie/sundhra-travels-songs-T0000961 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219033217/https://www.raaga.com/tamil/movie/sundhra-travels-songs-T0000961 |archive-date=19 December 2024 |access-date=15 February 2025 |website=[[Raaga.com]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sunthara Travels Tamil Film Audio Cassette |url=https://mossymart.com/product/sunthara-travels-tamil-film-audio-cassette/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006005339/https://mossymart.com/product/sunthara-travels-tamil-film-audio-cassette/ |archive-date=6 October 2024 |access-date=15 February 2025 |website=Mossymart |language=en}}</ref> The song "Kannum Kannum" was later reused as "Ding Ding" in the Telugu film ''Siva Rama Raju''.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
{{track listing| | extra_column = Singer(s) | headline = Track listing | total_length = 28:14 | title1 = Adada Oorkulathil | extra1 = [[Swarnalatha]], [[Tippu (singer)|Tippu]] | lyrics1 = [[Pa. Vijay]] | length1 = 4:51 | title2 = Nee Sandhanam Poosiya | extra2 = [[P. Jayachandran]] | lyrics2 = Newton | length2 = 5:09 | title3 = Sundara Travels | extra3 = Tippu | lyrics3 = [[Snehan]] | length3 = 3:40 | title4 = En Nenjukkul Veesiya | extra4 = [[P. Unnikrishnan]] | lyrics4 = Newton | length4 = 5:09 | title5 = Malligai Poovukku | extra5 = P. Jayachandran | lyrics5 = Pa. Vijay | length5 = 4:52 | title6 = Kannum Kannum | extra6 = Krishnaraj | lyrics6 = Snehan | length6 = 4:33 }}
== Critical reception == Malini Mannath of ''Chennai Online'' wrote, "‘Sundara Travels' originally made in Malayalam as 'ee Parakkum Thaliga' was scripted and directed by [[Thaha]] and was a success in [[Kerala]]. So were its versions in Telugu and Kannada. Thaha directs the Tamil version, and probably to go with the so called ‘nativity’ factor, it is comedy that’s a bit too loud for comfort".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=6 September 2002 |title=Sundhara Travels |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/Moviereviews/tammov208.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040214155123/http://www.chennaionline.com/Moviereviews/tammov208.asp |archive-date=14 February 2004 |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=Chennai Online}}</ref>
S. R. Ashok Kumar of ''[[The Hindu]]'' wrote, "The director starts off very well but loses steam midway and presents something predictable".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=S. R. Ashok |date=6 September 2002 |title=Sundara Travels |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/09/06/stories/2002090601410201.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030630011008/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/09/06/stories/2002090601410201.htm |archive-date=30 June 2003 |access-date=1 December 2016 |website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb title}} *{{Rotten Tomatoes}}
{{Thaha}}
[[Category:2002 Indian films]] [[Category:2002 Tamil-language films]] [[Category:2002 comedy films]] [[Category:2002 films]] [[Category:Films scored by Bharani (composer)]] [[Category:Films shot in Kerala]] [[Category:Films shot in Kodaikanal]] [[Category:Indian comedy films]] [[Category:Tamil remakes of Malayalam films]] [[Category:Tamil-language comedy films]] [[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]