College Kumar is a 2020 Indian comedy film written and directed by Hari Santhosh. A remake of director's own 2017 Kannada film of the same name, it was simultaneously shot in Tamil and Telugu languages, with Prabhu starring in Tamil and Rajendra Prasad replacing him in Telugu. Rahul Vijay, Priya Vadlamani and Madhoo co-star in both versions. College Kumar was released on 6 March 2020 in both languages.
| College Kumar | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster in Tamil | |
| Directed by | Hari Santhosh |
| Screenplay by | Hari Santhosh[1] |
| Based on | College Kumar by Santhu |
| Produced by | L. Padmanabha[2] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Guru Prashanth Rai[1] |
| Edited by | K. M. Prakash (Tamil)[1] Garry BH (Telugu)[3] K. Pavan Kalyan (Telugu)[3] |
| Music by | Qutub-E-Kripa |
Production company | M. R. Pictures[2] |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Languages |
|
Plot
editThis article needs an improved plot summary. (December 2021) |
Thiru Kumaran / Sasi Kumar, a peon, wants to make his son an auditor because his employer, an arrogant auditor, insults him. As time passes by, his son, Shiva Kumar disappoints him by not being a bright student at college. Thiru / Sasi's wife Janaki too is upset over the same. He loses his cool when Kumar is terminated from college for indulging in malpractice. An infuriated Kumar vents his frustration to his father and challenges him to join college and earn a degree. How Thiru / Sasi takes up the challenge forms the rest of the story.
Cast
edit| Cast (Tamil) | Cast (Telugu) | Role (Tamil) | Role (Telugu) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prabhu | Rajendra Prasad | Thiru Kumaran | Sasi Kumar | [4][5] |
| Rahul Vijay | Shiva Kumar | [5] | ||
| Priya Vadlamani | Avantika | |||
| Madhoo | Janaki | [6] | ||
| Nassar | Santhosh Kumar G. | [7] | ||
| Manobala | K. Murthy | |||
| Chaams | Swami | |||
| Avinash | Kaliyamurthy | Madhava Rao | [4] | |
| Anchor Roshan | Student | |||
Production
editIn April 2019, it was reported that the Kannada film College Kumar would be remade in Tamil and Telugu languages, with both versions being shot simultaneously. Hari Santhosh was confirmed to be directing both remakes, while the producers of the original too would be retained. Principal photography began in the same month.[8] Though the cast was largely the same in both versions,[6][5] Prabhu was exclusive to the Tamil version and Rajendra Prasad to Telugu.[9] It was also the Tamil cinema debuts of Rahul Vijay and Priya Vadlamani.[10][4]
Themes
editHari Santhosh has stated that, through College Kumar, he intends to convey the message that "it's never too late to learn."[11]
Soundtrack
editThe soundtrack was composed by Qutub-E-Kripa. It was released via Sony Music India.[8][11]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "College Kumar" | Arivu | Nakul Abhyankar, Anthony Daasan | 4:30 |
| 2. | "Arrathi" | Mohan Raj | A. H. Kaashif, G. V. Prakash Kumar | 3:07 |
| 3. | "Baari Baari" | Arivu | Pavan, Haricharan, Abhijith Rao | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Needhan En Ulagam" | Mohan Raj | A. H. Kaashif, Nithin Rajaram Shastry | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Kelumbudaa Nanbaa" | Mohan Raj | Santhosh Dhayanidhi, Yazin Nizar | 3:51 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "College Kumar" | Sri Mani | Anurag Kulkarni | 4:31 |
| 2. | "Allade Allade" | Kittu Vissapragada | Anurag Kulkarni | 3:08 |
| 3. | "Baari Baari" | Sri Mani | Haricharan Seshadri, Abhijith Rao | 4:03 |
| 4. | "Kanulaaraa" | Kittu Vissapragada | Sathya Prakash | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Kannule Daate" | Kittu Vissapragada | Santhosh Dhayanidhi | 3:52 |
Release and reception
editCollege Kumar was released on 6 March 2020 in both Tamil and Telugu versions.[2][14] Reviewing the Telugu version, Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India rated it 2 stars out of 5, praising the premise but criticised its execution, saying it "makes it seem like leftover material from the 90s or early 2000s."[5] 123Telugu, reviewing the same version, opined that "Except for Rahul Vijay and Rajendra Prasad’s performance, there is nothing much to look forward to in this film which is like old wine in an old bottle".[3] Reviewing the Tamil version, Thinkal Menon of The Times of India also rated it 2 stars out of 5, saying, "College Kumar has the issues which most of the remake versions suffer. The project, which has been made simultaneously in [Telugu] as well, looks like a Telugu film in many scenes, thanks to the location and artistes who play the minor supporting roles."[6] Maalai Malar, however, reviewed the Tamil version more positively, praising its comedy.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c Sony Music South [@SonyMusicSouth] (5 March 2020). "#CollegeKumarFromTomorrow 🤩Book your tickets for the entertainer now! 🕺🎶" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c "5 Telugu films all set for release this Friday". The Times of India. 5 March 2020. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "Review : College Kumar – Lacks Basic Emotions". 123Telugu. 6 March 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Mannath, Malini (6 March 2020). "Review- College Kumar". Malini Mannath. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d Nyayapati, Neeshita (6 March 2020). "College Kumar Movie Review : A missed opportunity!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ a b c Menon, Thinkal (7 March 2020). "College Kumar Movie Review: The plot sounds okayish on paper, but the execution falters". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ a b "காலேஜ் குமார்". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 6 March 2020. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ a b Suresh, Sunanya (16 April 2019). "College Kumar is set to be remade in Tamil and Telugu". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ "Poster of Rahul Vijay's next 'College Kumar' released!". The Times of India. 8 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ Lakshmi, V (31 October 2019). "Directing a Tamil film has always been on my wish list: Hari Santhosh". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ a b Sudha, K. (4 March 2020). "Never too late to learn is the message of College Kumar: Director Hari Santhosh". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 6 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ "College Kumar (Tamil)". Gaana. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ "College Kumar (Telugu)". Gaana. Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ "Friday Fury – March 6". Sify. 6 March 2020. Archived from the original on 6 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.