# Sweetheart!

Sweetheart! is an 2025 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Swineeth S. Sukumar in his directorial debut, starring Rio Raj and Gopika Ramesh in the lead roles, alongside Renji Panicker, Redin Kingsley, Arunachaleswaran Pa, Tulasi, Fouziee, Suresh Chakravarthy and others in supporting roles. The film has music composed and produced by Yuvan Shankar Raja under his YSR Films banner.
Sweetheart! released in theatres on 14 March 2025. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the lead cast's performances (especially Rio Raj, Gopika Ramesh, Arunachaleswaran Pa and Fouziee), Yuvan's songs and background score, emotional scenes, interval scene and climax.

## Synopsis

Vasu and Manu are lovers who meet at a concert and get into a relationship. But given their difference of opinions when it comes to commitment, they part ways. In between all this, Manu is grounded after her family catches her along with Vasu in an intimate circumstance. But what happens when she makes a call to Vasu to tell her that she is pregnant and cannot step out of the house due to her strict household?

## Cast

* Rio Raj as Vasu
* Gopika Ramesh as Manu
* Renji Panicker as Manu's father
* Redin Kingsley
* Arunachaleswaran Pa as Vasu's friend
* Tulasi as Vasu's mother
* Fouziee as Manu's friend
* Suresh Chakravarthy as Manu's uncle
* Aashik Gopinath as Manu's fiancee
* Reshmi Karthigeyan as Vasu's sister

## Production

In late-July 2024, Yuvan Shankar Raja announced his fourth production venture after Pyaar Prema Kaadhal (2018), Maamanithan (2022) and Pon Ondru Kanden (2024) titled Sweetheart under YSR Films banner. The contemporary love film is written and directed by debutant Swineeth S. Sukumar, starring Rio Raj and Gopika Ramesh in the lead roles, alongside Renji Panicker in his Tamil debut. The film also stars Redin Kingsley, Arunachaleswaran Pa, Tulasi, Fouziee, Suresh Chakravarthy and others in important roles. The technical team consists of the film's producer Yuvan Shankar Raja to score the music and Balaji Subramanyam to handle the cinematography, and Tamil Arasan in charge of the editing.
On 6 August 2024, it was announced that Rio had begun dubbing for his portions.

## Music

The film has music and background composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The first single "Awsum Kissa" released on 11 February 2025. The second single "Kadhavai Thirandhaye" released on 24 February 2025.

## Release
### Theatrical

Sweetheart! released in theatres on 14 March 2025. The film received a 'U/A' certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification.

## Reception
### Critical response

Sweetheart! received positive reviews from critics, who praised the lead cast's performances (especially Rio Raj and Gopika Ramesh, Arunachaleswaran Pa and Fouziee), Yuvan's songs and background score, emotional scenes, interval scene and climax.
Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Director Swineeth S. Kumar seems allergic to narrative economy, transforming what should be straightforward plot points into marathon sequences. [...] Sweetheart promises more than it delivers, like a beautifully wrapped gift box containing socks. A rom-com that forgot the com and misplaced the rom." Anusha Sundar of OTTPlay gave 2/5 stars and wrote "There is a visible attempt in Sweetheart to make it a film that works for today’s times and romance. It does want to be that progressive film about complicated romances where the lovers themselves form their obstacles. But when it comes down to the last-minute silliness as a solution to the chaos it created, Sweetheart becomes sour." Sreejith Mullappilly of Cinema Express gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Sweetheart! tries to make up for its flaws with a screenplay structure that reveals information intermittently—almost like a nonlinear structure. The narrative tries to make the film look smart and profound, but the deeper you look at it, the more hollow it appears."