Muni (film series) explained

Muni
Director:Raghava Lawrence
Producer:Saran
(Muni)
Raghava Lawrence
(Kanchana, Kanchana 2)
Kalanidhi Maran
(Kanchana 3)
Screenplay:Raghava Lawrence
Story:Raghava Lawrence
Starring:Raghava Lawrence
Kovai Sarala
Rajkiran
Sarathkumar
Devadarshini
Sriman
Vedhika
Vinu Chakravarthy
Raai Laxmi
Nithya Menon
Taapsee
Renuka
Oviya
Nikki Tamboli
Ri Djavi Alexandra
Music:Original Songs:
Bharadwaj
(Muni)
S. Thaman
(Kanchana, Kanchana 2)
Leon James
(Kanchana 2)
C. Sathya
(Kanchana 2)
Ashwamithra
(Kanchana 2)
Doo Paa Doo
(Kanchana 3)
Background Score:
Sangeetharajan
(Muni)
S. Thaman
(Kanchana, Kanchana 2)
Doo Paa Doo
(Kanchana 3)
Cinematography:K. V. Guhan
(Muni)
Vetri
E. Krishnasamy
(Kanchana)
R. B. Gurudev
Rajavel Olhiveeran
(Kanchana 2)
Vetri
Sarvesh Murari
(Kanchana 3)
Editing:Suresh Urs
(Muni)
Kishore Te.
(Kanchana, Kanchana 2)
Studio:Gemini Productions
(Muni)
Raghavendra Productions
(Kanchana, Kanchana 2)
Sun Pictures
(Kanchana 3)
Distributor:Tamil:
Gemini Productions
(Muni)
Sri Thenandal Films
(Kanchana, Kanchana 2)
Sun Pictures
(Kanchana 2, Kanchana 3)
Released:
:
:
: :
Country:India
Language:Tamil
Budget: 49 crore (see release and revenue below)
Gross: 238 crore (see release and revenue below)

Muni is an Indian Tamil-language horror comedy film series created and directed by Raghava Lawrence who also appeared in lead roles in all the films. The first film is Muni (2007) and the second is (2011) with the third installment of the franchise titled Muni 3: Kanchana 2: Ganga (2015). The latest movie, the fourth instalment is Muni 4: Kanchana 3 (2019). and stars Raghava Lawrence and Kovai Sarala with Rajkiran, Sarathkumar, Devadarshini, Sriman, Vedhika, Vinu Chakravarthy, Raai Laxmi, Nithya Menon, Taapsee, Renuka, Oviya, Nikki Tamboli, Alexandra Ri Djavi. All films were successful at the box office, continuing the trend of the comedy-horror genre in Tamil cinema that began with Chandramukhi (2005).

All four films revolve around the same plot of a coward who gets possessed by a ghost to take revenge on the people who killed them, and the rest of the film shows how he takes revenge. Raghava Lawrence and Kovai Sarala are the only actors to appear in every installment of the series.

Synopsis

Muni (2007)

See main article: Muni (film). A young man, along with his wife and his parents, migrates to Chennai where he gets possessed by the spirit of a kind-hearted person who was murdered by an ambitious and corrupt political leader.

Muni 2: Kanchana (2011)

See main article: Kanchana (2011 film). When three spirits possess a timid young man and start making him act like a woman, his mother consults an exorcist who unearths a heartbreaking tale of societal injustice, murder and vengeance.

Muni 3: Kanchana 2 (2015)

See main article: Kanchana 2. A cameraman is petrified of ghosts but obliges when his director proposes a show on ghosts to revive their TV channel. However, strange things happen when they start working on the show.

Muni 4: Kanchana 3 (2019)

See main article: Kanchana 3. Raghava is a young man who lives happily with his family but is scared of ghosts. When he visits Coimbatore with his family, he is possessed by a vengeful ghost with a sinister past.

Films

FilmRelease dateDirectorScreenwriter(s)Story byProducer(s)
Muni9 March 2007Raghava LawrenceSaran
Muni 2: Kanchana22 July 2011Raghava Lawrence
Muni 3: Kanchana 217 April 2015
Muni 4: Kanchana 319 April 2019Kalanithi Maran, Raghava Lawrence
Muni:5 Kanchana 42025Raghava Lawrence

Muni (2007)

See main article: Muni (film). The first installment of the series, based on fictional incidents. A young man, along with his wife and his parents, migrates to Chennai where he gets possessed by the spirit of a kind-hearted person who was murdered by an ambitious and corrupt political leader. Muni was released on 9 March 2007 and gained positive response.[1] It earned ₹15 crore against a budget of ₹4 crore.[2]

Kanchana

See main article: Kanchana (2011 film). After the success of Muni Raghava and Sarala Re-unite once again for sequel. The film was titled as Muni 2: Kanchana and also second installment in this series.[3] The film was released on 22 July 2011 worldwide. The film's soundtrack was composed by S. Thaman.[4] Kanchana opened to mostly positive reviews.[5] The film grossed ₹68 crore worldwide[6] becoming the second highest grossing Tamil film of 2011.

Kanchana 2

See main article: Kanchana 2. A stand-alone sequel, Muni 3: Kanchana 2, was commissioned after the success of the previous films and was also directed by Raghava.[7] It stars Raghava, Taapsee and Sarala in lead roles.[8] And also the third installment in this series. It was released on 17 April 2015 in around 750 screens worldwide alongside Mani Ratnam's O Kadhal Kanmani. The Telugu version titled Ganga[9] was released later on 1 May 2015 in around 550 screens.[10] [11] Film received positive response from audience.[12] Proving to be similarly successful to the first entry in the series, the film emerged as a huge box office success, becoming the third highest grossing Tamil film of 2015.[13] [14] [15]

Kanchana 3

See main article: Kanchana 3. The fourth installment in this series, written and directed by Raghava.[16] The film was titled as Naagaa,[17] then changed to Muni 4: Kanchana 3, produced by Sun Pictures.[18] The film stars Raghava in a dual role with Oviya, Vedhika, Nikki Tamboli,[19] Keerthi Pandian and Ri Djavi Alexandra. While Kovai Sarala, Soori, Tarun Arora, and Kabir Duhan Singh play supporting roles. Kanchana 3 was released on Good Friday in 2019.[20] The film received mixed reviews from audiences, comparisons of Kanchana 1 and 2.[21] It earned ₹130 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹20 crore, becoming one of the fourth highest grossing Tamil film of 2019.[22]

Kanchana 4

See main article: Kanchana 4. Coming Soon

Future films

FilmRelease dateDirector(s)Screenwriter(s)Story byProducer(s)Status
Durga2024Raghava LawrenceFilming[23]
Muni 5: Kanchana 4Raghava LawrenceAnnounced[24]

Durga (2024)

A spin-off, Durga,was commissioned after the success of the previous film and directed by renowned stunt masters Anbarivu. It is a directional debut for the twins. The film stars Raghava Lawrence, Kovai Sarala, Sriman and Devadarshini in lead roles. The film will release theatrically worldwide in summer 2024.

Recurring cast and characters

This table lists the main characters who appear in the Muni film series.

ActorsFilms
MuniMuni 3: Kanchana 2Muni 4: Kanchana 3Muni 5: Kanchana 4
Raghava LawrenceGaneshRaghavaRaghava & Shiva (Dual role)Raghava & Kaali (Dual role)Raghava
Kovai SaralaSarala, Raghava's mother
VedhikaPriyaPriya
Raai LaxmiPriya
ViroshanSKA
SrimanPrasadDr. PrasadPrasad
DevadarshiniKamakshi
Yuvasri LakshmiPappa
RenukaNandini's sister-in-law
Taapsee PannuNandini
Nithya MenenGanga
Mayilsamyfake priestWatchman

Additional crew and production details

OccupationFilm
MuniMuni 3: Kanchana 2Muni 4: Kanchana 3
Producer(s)SaranRaghava LawrenceKalanithi Maran
Raghava Lawrence
DirectorRaghava Lawrence
Story writer
Screenplay writer
Dialogue writerRamesh KhannaRaghava Lawrence
Song composer(s)BharadwajS. ThamanDoo Paa Doo
Background ScoreSangeetharajanS. Thaman
Director of
photography
K. V. GuhanVetri,
E. Krishnasamy
Rajavel Oliveeran,
R. B. Gurudev
Vetri,
Sarvesh Murari
Editor(s)Suresh UrsKishore Te.Ruben
Art Director(s)Mohana MahendranJana
Stunt co-ordinatorSuper Subbarayan
Production companiesGemini ProductionsRaghavendra Productions
Raghavendra Productions,
Sun Pictures
Distributing companySun PicturesSun Pictures
Sri Thenandal FilmsWellborn International (Kerala)
Running time153 minutes170 minutes164 minutes166 minutes

Release and Revenue

Box office performance

The franchise has been notable for its profit, with Muni and its follow-up having earned a combined revenue of ₹238 crore, according to IBtimes.[25]

FilmRelease dateBudgetBox office revenueRef.
Muni9 March 2007
22 July 2011[26]
Muni 3: Kanchana 217 April 2015
Muni 4: Kanchana 319 April 2019[27]
Total

Remakes

YearFilmLanguageCastNotesRef.
2012KalpanaKannadaUpendra, Raai Laxmi, Saikumar, Babu AntonyRemake of Kanchana[28]
2016MayaSinhaleseRanjan Ramanayake, Pubudu Chathuranga, Giriraj Kaushalya, Nilmini Kottegoda and Upeksha Swarnamali[29]
2017Tar Tay GyiBurmeseNay Toe and Shwe Thamee[30]
MayabiniBengali BangladeshSymon Sadik, Airin Sultana, Amit Hasan
2020LaxmiiHindiAkshay Kumar, Kiara Advani, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Rajesh Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar and Sharad Kelkar[31] [32]
2016Kalpana 2KannadaUpendra, Priyamani and Avantika ShettyRemake of Kanchana 2[33]

Legacy

Along with Chandramukhi (2005), Muni became a trendsetter for horror comedy films. The success of the film inspired several other horror comedy films including the Aranmanai film series (2014) and Darling (2015).[34] [35] [36]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Muni . https://web.archive.org/web/20151224155526/http://www.sify.com/movies/muni-review-tamil-pclwmDegajaaa.html . dead . 24 December 2015 . .
  2. Web site: Muni Review – Three cheers to Saran and Larencce . IndiaGlitz . 2007-03-09 . 2012-08-06.
  3. Web site: Anupama Subramaniam DC chennai . Lawrence gearing up for a sequel . https://web.archive.org/web/20120301120718/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/kollywood/lawrence-gearing-sequel-993 . dead . 1 March 2012 . Deccan Chronicle . 2012-02-29 . 2012-08-06.
  4. Web site: Sheilah Wenning says . Kanchana Muni — Part 2 (2011) Tamil MP3 Songs, Soundtracks, Music Album Download . Download South MP3 . 2012-01-31 . 2012-08-06.
  5. Web site: Kanchana Review. Rohit. Ramachandran . Nowrunning.com . 2011-07-22 . 2012-08-06.
  6. Web site: Lawrence's Kanchana strikes gold . . 1 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140314042635/http://www.sify.com/movies/lawrence-s-kanchana-strikes-gold-news-tamil-libkKThadff.html . 14 March 2014 . dead .
  7. Web site: Make way for 'Munni 3'! - Tamil Movie News . https://web.archive.org/web/20120301080512/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/78724.html . dead . 1 March 2012 . IndiaGlitz . 2012-02-29 . 2012-08-06.
  8. Web site: Raghava Larencce and Tapsee in Muni 3 – Tamil Movie News . https://web.archive.org/web/20121206022741/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/88792.html . dead . 6 December 2012 . Indiaglitz.com . 3 December 2012 . 3 October 2013.
  9. Web site: 'Ganga' Rechristened 'Kanchana 2'. 23 February 2015. Indo-Asian News Service. 5 March 2015.
  10. News: 'Ok Kanmani', 'Kanchana 2' First Day Box Office Collection: Films of Mani Ratnam, Raghava Get Fantastic Openings Worldwide. IB Times. 18 April 2015.
  11. http://www.ibtimes.co.in/ganga-first-week-collection-ap-t-box-office-lawrence-starrer-grosses-19-3-crore-7-days-631817 'Ganga' First Week Collection at AP/T Box Office: Lawrence Starrer Grosses ₹19.3 Crore in 7 Days
  12. News: Kanchana-2 Movie Review. The Times of India. 17 April 2015.
  13. News: 'Kanchana 2' Box Office Collection: Raghava Lawrence's Film Crosses ₹50 Crore Mark. International Business Times. 6 May 2015.
  14. Web site: Ganga Final Total Collections. Andhra Box Office. 9 June 2015.
  15. Web site: 'Kanchana 2' and 'OK Kanmani' are super hits! . . 21 April 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151005050821/http://www.sify.com/movies/kanchana-2-and-ok-kanmani-are-super-hits-news-tamil-pevjEngjjhfde.html . 5 October 2015 .
  16. Web site: KANCHANA 3. British Board of Film Classification.
  17. Web site: Kanchana 3 is currently titled as Naagaa. 3 August 2015.
  18. Web site: Sun Pictures officially confirms Kanchana-3. https://web.archive.org/web/20170912072319/http://www.sify.com/movies/sun-pictures-officially-confirms-kanchana-3-news-tamil-rjjkMSfcaejbe.html. dead. 12 September 2017. .
  19. Web site: Oviya vedhika: Oviya, Vedhika team up with Lawrencce in 'Kanchana 3' . . 15 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180110083057/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/oviya-vedhika-team-up-with-lawrencce-in-kanchana-3/articleshow/60891104.cms . 10 January 2018 . dead .
  20. Web site: 2018-11-13. Raghava Lawrence's Kanchana 3 aka Muni 4 to release on April 19. 2020-07-25. Behindwoods.
  21. Web site: For Tamil film industry, 2019 was a mixed bag; Star power and content were key draws. V. NARAYANAN. @businessline. January 2020 . en. 2020-04-19.
  22. News: Tamil film 'Kanchana 3' hits the jackpot, mints Rs 100-crore in a week. 2019-04-27. The Economic Times. 2019-09-26.
  23. Web site: Raghava Lawrence's 'Durga' follows the Kanchana template?. https://web.archive.org/web/20210809165720/https://www.sify.com/movies/raghava-lawrences-durga-follows-the-kanchana-template-news-tamil-vijeMJfgcahhc.html. dead. 9 August 2021. .
  24. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/kanchana-4-on-cards-raghava-lawrence-initiates-scripting-work/articleshow/110757610.cms
  25. Web site: Bigil, Petta, Viswasam, Kanchana 3, Nerkonda Paarvai, Kaithi power Kollywood's theatrical takings in 2019 to Rs 1000 cr. Firstpost. 4 December 2019.
  26. Web site: Lawrence's Kanchana strikes gold . . 1 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140314042635/http://www.sify.com/movies/lawrence-s-kanchana-strikes-gold-news-tamil-libkKThadff.html . 14 March 2014 . dead .
  27. Web site: Bigil, Petta, Viswasam, Kanchana 3, Nerkonda Paarvai, Kaithi power Kollywood's theatrical takings in 2019 to Rs 1000 cr. Firstpost. 4 December 2019.
  28. Web site: Ramchander . Upendra to remake Kanchana? . Oneindia . 2011-11-03 . 2013-06-24.
  29. News: Srinivasan. Meera. 2017-10-28. Now, Mersal finds a supporter in Sri Lanka. en-IN. The Hindu. 2020-07-25. 0971-751X.
  30. Web site: 2018-06-07. 'New wave' directors take movie industry forward. 2020-07-25. Frontier Myanmar. en-US.
  31. News: Akshay Kumar in the remake of Kanchana. 27 November 2020. The Times of India. en. Lakshmi . V. .
  32. Web site: Disney Plus Hotstar Makes Strategic Choice to Bypass India's Theaters, Give More Movies Streaming Premieres . Variety . 29 June 2020 . 29 June 2020.
  33. News: Sequel time in Sandalwood. The Hindu. 9 May 2016. 18 May 2016. Khajane. Muralidhara.
  34. Web site: Aranmanai follows Chandramukhi and Kanchana . Behindwoods . 22 September 2014 . 10 May 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150510045610/http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-14/aranmanai-follows-chandramukhi-the-muni-series-and-yaamirukka-bayamey.html . 10 May 2015.
  35. Web site: The funny thing about horror . The Hindu . 8 May 2015 . 10 May 2015 . K. Jeshi . https://web.archive.org/web/20150510045633/http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/on-tamil-horrorcomedy-films/article7184988.ece . 10 May 2015.
  36. Web site: Darling: A familiar ghost serves as humour fodder, again . The Hindu . 16 January 2015 . 10 May 2015 . Srinivasan, Sudhir . https://web.archive.org/web/20150510045851/http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/darling-a-familiar-ghost-serves-as-humour-fodder-again/article6794215.ece . 10 May 2015.