| '96 | |
| Director: | C. Prem Kumar |
| Producer: | S. Nanthagopal |
| Music: | Govind Vasantha |
| Editing: | R. Govindaraj |
| Studio: | Madras Enterprises |
| Distributor: | Seven Screen Studio Khafa Exports (Overseas) |
| Runtime: | 158 minutes[1] |
| Country: | India |
| Language: | Tamil |
| Budget: | crore[2] |
96 is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film[3] written and directed by C. Prem Kumar in his directorial debut. Produced by S. Nanthagopal of Madras Enterprises, the film was distributed by Lalit Kumar under his banner, Seven Screen Studio. Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan are in the prominent roles as Ram and Jaanu, while newcomers Gouri G. Kishan and Aadithya Bhaskar played the younger versions. The film also stars an ensemble cast including Bagavathi Perumal, Devadarshini, Aadukalam Murugadoss, and others. The film revolves around the reunion of former students from the batch of 1996, twenty-two years after their graduation. The reunion also serves as an opportunity for two former lovers, Ram and Jaanu, to resolve issues surrounding their separation.[4]
Prem Kumar wrote the script in December 2015, during the period of Chennai floods and completed the entire script within 20 days, which revolved around his life at his high school reunion. After the official announcement, the principal photography of the film commenced on 12 June 2017 at Kumbakonam, and was shot across various locations in Chennai and Pondicherry, while also being filmed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kolkata, Rajasthan, and Kullu–Manali. The cinematography was handled by Mahendiran Jayaraju and N. Shanmuga Sundaram, with editing being handled by R. Govindaraju. The music and background score were composed by Govind Vasantha.
96 was released worldwide on 4 October 2018. The film received acclaim from critics, who praised the script, direction, music, cinematography, the nostalgic setting of the film, and the performances of Sethupathi and Trisha. It was a commercial blockbuster, grossing .[5] In addition, the film won six Norway Tamil Film Festival, five Filmfare, Ananda Vikatan, four SIIMA, Edison, Behindwoods awards each, and also won an Asiavision, Asianet and Vanitha film award for Trisha. The film was remade by Preetham Gubbi in Kannada as 99 (2019), and by Prem Kumar himself in Telugu as Jaanu (2020).
Ramachandran, aka Ram, is a travel photographer. He visits his high school and is overcome by memories. He had been inducted into their batch WhatsApp group, a reunion is arranged through their school WhatsApp group. At the reunion, his friends Murali, Subhashini, and Sathish catch up with him. Murali hesitantly mentions that Janaki aka Jaanu (Ram's childhood love), is visiting from Singapore.
In 1996, Ram and Jaanu were friends and classmates in 10th grade. Jaanu was a talented singer. Ram developed feelings for Jaanu, and she reciprocated. Once their board exams were over, they had a moment with each other where Jaanu asked him not to forget her until they meet again.
Back in the present, Jaanu arrives at the reunion and searches for Ram. When Subha points Ram to her, Jaanu walks towards him. She reminisces about the first day of 11th grade when she eagerly awaited for Ram, but he did not show up. She finds that Ram has left the school because his father had financial difficulties and his family relocated to Madras (now Chennai). Jaanu was inconsolable and pined for Ram until she completed school.
Back in the present, Ram and Jaanu finally meet and find it uncomfortable to interact with each other, but gradually get along. Their friends talk about Jaanu's married life in Singapore and disclose that Ram is still single and has not moved on. After the reunion party, both go out on a drive. Jaanu reveals how she could not forget Ram and would have traded anything just to have met him once back then. She narrates how circumstances forced her to marry someone else. Then, Ram asks Jaanu if she really does not remember the day he came to her college to meet her. Ram says that he and Murali waited in front of Jaanu's college to meet her and passed on a message through a student. Jaanu refused to meet Ram and forbade him to contact her again. He returned sadly, and hadn't tried to meet her since then. Jaanu is devastated after listening to this and reveals that she never saw them at her college and thought it was her stalker who was troubling her. Ram says that except for the mistake of assuming that she hated him, he knew everything about her life. Jaanu is heartbroken because she felt his presence and expected him to come for her until the last minute. Both feel sad about their misfortune and, finally, come to terms with everything that has happened in their lives. Jaanu expresses her desire to spend the final few hours with Ram before she catches the flight back home.
They go out into the city to catch up on more memories. There, they meet Ram's photography students, who assume Jaanu is his wife, and request her to share their story. Jaanu obliges and narrates an improvised version of the time when Ram tried to meet Jaanu at her college. She tells about how they finally met and made up and have been together ever since. Despite feeling awkward, Ram tries his best to play along. The students leave, and Ram suggests Jaanu to rest at his apartment. On the way, they get drenched in the rain, and Ram gives Jaanu some of his dry clothes.
At his apartment, Jaanu is visibly upset that Ram does not have a love life and requests that he move on. She finally sings Ram's favourite song, "Yamunai Aatrile" from the film Thalapathi (1991). Ram shows Jaanu a collection of their old memories, like love poems, dried flowers, and their school uniforms. They realise that time is running out and go to Jaanu's hotel so she can get ready for her flight in a few hours. Jaanu is sad that she'll leave Ram very soon. At the Chennai Airport, Ram escorts Jaanu to the boarding gate, and they bid a teary farewell.
Back at his home, Ram finds Jaanu's clothes that he had put to dry the previous night. He folds them neatly, puts them along with his treasured collection of school memories, and shuts the suitcase as the screen cuts to black.