Autograph

Actually guys Cheran is a director turned actor. He's directed quite a lot of rural-India based movies and most of them captivating. Just to clarify I would like to say that the song sequences where Senthil and his gf dance is actually based on song sequences in tamil movies from about 30 years ago. The costumes, the way they dance and everything was made to look like those sequences were made in 1970 Kollywood. Also its kollywood not tollywood. There's a place called Kodambakkam in Chennai (4th largest city in India) which mirrors Hollywood in the sense that most of the tamil actors live there. So Kollywood obviously comes from the Ko in Kodambakkam.

ps: Wonderful Movie :)

I'm not a huge fan of Indian movies in general, but I let myself be talked into watching this one, expecting nothing more than an afternoon of fun with friends making fun of some cheesy dialogue. About 10 minutes into it, I was completely captivated by the touchingly sweet portrayal of a high school boy's first love. The movie begins with the viewer being told that a man who's about to be married shortly, is on his way to invite people to his wedding. So from the moment you meet his first love, you're drawn deep into the story, wanting to know more about what happened to each person he meets and most importantly who the woman is that he finally marries.

The rest of the movie is a series of vignettes on the years of his life leading up to the present. Every human emotion is treated so honestly with no melodrama (not to mention acted out superbly on screen), that you feel like you're making that journey with him. Rejoicing in his happiness and hurting with him in his sorrows.

There are very few movies (Indian or otherwise) that portray the ups and downs of growing up quite as well. This is definitely one of those.

This movie won the (Indian National) Golden Lotus Award for "Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment".

The movie is mostly told in long flashbacks. Senthil, the protagonist, is getting married soon. The movie follows Senthil as he revisits his past, as goes on a trip to the villages, towns, and cities he's lived in, and as he recalls and visits his past loves and crushes.

The film is notable for bypassing the usual Tamil movie clichés and formulaic story lines, while still being very commercially successful. The movie has a lot of quite charming moments, especially in the first half. I appreciated the slow pace of the movie, except when it occasionally became too slow.

The movie unfortunately eventually succumbs to considerable melodrama. I wish they had attempted a "life is beautiful", cutting out the melodrama entirely. In summary, I think the movie is good and unusual as Tamil movies go, but I would not call it a classic.

I don't watch much Tamil cinema (mostly because I'm not familiar with it), but when I was last in India I heard many people talking about this film. They were saying it was moving and touching, something which i generally equated to overwrought melodrama.

Almost eight months later, I came across the DVD for "Autograph" by accident, and decided to give it a try. I was shocked.

This was an excellent picture, done with care and a lot of heart. Sure there are a few (and only a rare few) overly melodramatic moments, but overall it really touched me. Anyone (especially men) who have gone through the turmoils of relationships broken or incomplete will feel a joyfully sorrow connection to this film. I was moved by its honesty and quite frank look at relationships, and it brought a smile to my face when the film reveled in the exuberance and innocence of childhood crushes and young infatuation.

I rarely recommend modern commercial Indian cinema (because most of it is unfortunately subpar), but this is a lovely little film, definitely an engaging romantic drama. Kudos to the director/ writer Cheran for doing excellent work with visuals and performances, and I hope he continues to make such honest films in the future. 8/10

I watched this show recently a decade later at its time of release

Autograph spotlights on the romantic escapades of a boy growing into a man. The story is told by the protagonist using the flashback method as he is on a trip down the memory lane inviting people whom he has come across in is life for his wedding. Be ready to plunge yourself in nostalgia even if u did not grew up in the time period shown in the movie. The events shown in the movie happens in every other person;s life regardless of the any time period. The presentation is refreshingly different for Tamil cinema and never done before on such a scale .

The film started off with a slow village scenario and gets interesting in the middle in the Cheran_Gopika episode. The other amazing aspect of the film is the debut performance of The Malayalee actress Gopika. Shecarries out her role with extreme ease like a seasoned actress it is hard not to get mesmerized by her natural beauty and natural performance.

The locales of Kerala, a treat for the eyes. The 'Hippi' hairstyles, 'Bell Bottom' Pants and 'Big Flap Collared' shirts should have been omitted and some unnecessary out of place commercial songs.

The background score is well done and addictive. This is Cheran's best film to date Overall a refreshing movie to watch with the family