# Neerparavai

Neerparavai (transl. Seabird) is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed and co-written by Seenu Ramasamy, and produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin. It stars Vishnu and Sunaina, while Nandita Das plays the older version of the latter's character. Saranya Ponvannan, Samuthirakani, Varsha Ashwathi, and Anupama Kumar play supporting roles. The music is composed by N. R. Raghunanthan with cinematography by Balasubramaniem and editing by Kasi Viswanathan. The film was released on 30 November 2012 to positive reviews from critics and did well at the box-office.

## Plot

The film is introduced when an old lady's son and daughter-in-law come to stay in her house in a coastal village, where she lives by herself. The son asks his mother to sell off the house, so that he can build a house in the city with help from his father in law, but the old lady refuses to sell the house. The son and daughter-in-law notice that the lady often goes to the beach, and prays in the garden every night. When they ask her why she goes to the beach, she says that she is waiting for her husband to come. The son gets angry and reminds her that she has been waiting for 25 years, and he is not going to come. Whilst the mother goes to the beach, the couple digs the spot in the garden where she prays and find a skeleton. They report this to the police, and the case is handled by Inspector Agnes, who begins interrogating the old lady. The old lady tells her past.
Arulappasamy is a young man who is an alcoholic and wastrel and also a constant embarrassment to his hardworking adopted parents. Esther is an orphan girl who is adopted by a nun named Sister Benita, and she stays in the church. Arulappan slowly gets attracted to Esther, and his love for her changes him. He gives up drinking and wants to work so that he can marry Esther. However, the local fishermen do not allow him to go into the sea. The young man, due to his determination, buys a boat, marries his love, and life is all rosy until fate intervenes.
The married couple has a son. One day, Arulappan goes to fish, but after several days, he does not return. Esther is really worried about him. They find his body in a boat shot and bring him home. Esther says to keep him in the house, and it was all her fault because she is the one who sent him to work. The police releases the old lady but asks why she waits for her husband to come if she knows that he is dead. She says that only his body returned to shore, but his soul is still in the sea.

## Cast

* Vishnu as Arulappasamy: a fisherman and Esther’s late husband.
* Sunaina as younger Esther: Sister Benita’s adoptive daughter and Arulppasamy's wife (in younger days)
** Nandita Das as older Esther: Arulappsamy's widow
* Saranya Ponvannan as Mary
* Samuthirakani as Uduman Gani
* Varsha Ashwathi as Inspector Agnes
* Anupama Kumar as Sister Benita: Esther’s adoptive mother
* Azhagam Perumal as Church Father
* Poo Ram as Lourdhusamy
* Yogi Devaraj as Abraham
* Vadivukkarasi as Ebenezer
* Thambi Ramaiah as Joseph Bharathi
* Imman Annachi as Annachi
* Manochitra as Annachi's sister
* Pandi as Anthony
* Aruldoss as Fisherman
* Pasanga Sivakumar as Radhakrishnan
* Theepetti Ganesan
* Seenu Ramasamy as doctor (Cameo appearance)

## Production

Seenu Ramasamy chose B. Jeyamohan to pen the dialogues for his film. The lead male role was initially supposed to be enacted by Vimal. Later, Vishnu took over as Vimal was unable to allot dates. It was produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin under the Red Giant Movies banner. Bindu Madhavi was signed up to portray the lead female role in January 2012. However, she was subsequently replaced by Sunaina. Nandita Das, who previously appeared in critically acclaimed Tamil films including Azhagi and Kannathil Muthamittal, was announced to be joining the team in April 2012. Furthermore, Saranya Ponvannan, who previously worked with the director in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru which fetched her the National Film Award for Best Actress, was signed for a supporting role.
Major portions of the film were shot in Kanyakumari and Manapad. The film's shoot was delayed after Vishnu injured his arm while playing in the Celebrity Cricket League. By early June, Seenu Ramasamy had completed the shoot of the talking part of the film and the crew would be shooting fight sequences and song sequences for 25 days, starting from 15 June.

## Soundtrack

N. R. Raghunanthan composed the soundtrack, teaming up with Seenu Ramasamy for the second time. The soundtrack album consists of 7 tracks. The lyrics were written by Vairamuthu. The audio was launched at Sathyam Cinemas on 10 October 2012. A few lines in "Para Para" created controversy among Tamil Christians, which led them to protest against the song; thus, the objected lyrics were changed.

## Release

Neerparavai was initially scheduled to release on 23 November 2012, but was pushed by a week to 30 November. Ahead of release, the film was initially denied entertainment tax exemption despite meeting the eligibility requirements, prompting the director to go on fast and he even approached the commissioner of Chennai Police for help. After Udhayanidhi approached the Madras High Court, tax exemption was granted soon after.

### Critical reception

Sify gave 4 stars with a "good" verdict and said the film was "a moving drama that will undoubtedly leave you with a lump in your throat. And films like this are hard to find." Malathi Rangarajan from The Hindu called the film as "soaring high" and said, "If meaningful cinema matters to you, go for it," by adding, "as a producer, Udhayanidhi Stalin can be proud of having backed a purposeful film, and as a creator, Seenu Ramasamy makes the water bird preen, and soar with confidence." Pavithra Srinivasan from Rediff.com gave 3 out of 5 with a "go watch" tag and said "[It] is a beautiful record of the lives of a community, their hopes and dreams, and the harsh reality of their lives." IBNLive praised the film by saying, "This Tamil film deserves praise for conviction"

### Accolades

2nd South Indian International Movie Awards
* Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Saranya
* Nominated – Best Director – Seenu Ramasamy
* Nominated – Best Cinematographer – Balasubramaniem
* Nominated – Best Actor – Vishnu
* Nominated – Best Actor in a Supporting Role – "Poo" Ram
* Nominated – Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Nandita Das
* Nominated – Best Lyricist – Vairamuthu for "Para Para"
* Nominated – Best Male Playback Singer – G. V. Prakash Kumar for "Para Para"
Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards
* Vikatan Award For Best Male Character Artist – "Poo" Ram
60th Filmfare Awards South – 2013
* Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil
* Nominated – Best Actress – Tamil – Sunaina
* Nominated – Best Supporting Actress – Tamil – Nandita Das
* Won – Best Supporting Actress – Tamil – Saranya Ponvannan