Nanban () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language coming-of-age comedy drama film directed by Shankar and produced by Gemini Film Circuit. The film stars Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth, Sathyaraj, Ileana D'Cruz, Sathyan and Anuya, with S. J. Suryah and Vijay Vasanth in cameo appearances. It is a remake of the Rajkumar Hirani's 2009 Hindi-language film 3 Idiots, which itself is based on Chetan Bhagat's novel Five Point Someone. The film follows Venkat, Senthil and Srivatsan, who are on the search for their long lost friend, Panchavan Parivendhan.

Gemini Film Circuit acquired the remake rights for 3 Idiots in January 2010. Several directors were approached to direct it, with Shankar finalised in that October. Vijay was signed to portray Aamir Khan's role in the film, however, he walked out due to schedule conflicts in December. After trying to get Suriya on board, which failed, Vijay was again brought on board. Casting process completed in February 2011, and principal photography commenced the same month. It was shot sporadically in several legs, before wrapping by late-October. Filming locations included Ooty, Dehradun, Pondicherry, Chennai, London and Buckingham. The film has music composed by Harris Jayaraj, cinematography handled by Manoj Paramahamsa and editing by Anthony Gonsalves.

Nanban released on 12 January 2012 worldwide in theatres to positive reviews from critics. The film was also screened at the Melbourne Film Festival. Indian Express reported the film grossed 1.50 billion at the box office.

Plot Wildlife photographer Venkat Ramakrishnan receives a call from his old college friend Srivatsan (Silencer), who claims to know the whereabouts of Venkat's long-lost college friend, Panchavan Pariventhan (Pari). Venkat and his another college friend, Sevarkodi Senthil, rush to meet Silencer, who reveals that Pari is in Ooty. They set off to find him.

In a flashback, Venkat is forced to study engineering by his father Ramakrishnan. Venkat befriends Senthil, whose family relies on him to escape poverty, and Pari, a carefree student passionate about engineering. Their college principal, Virumandi Santhanam (Virus), is strict and unsympathetic.

Paneerselvam Sivaprakasam (Paneer), another student like Pari who is also passionate about engineering, is denied graduation by Virus for missing a project submission deadline. Paneer explains to Virus that he had been delaying his submission of his project to focus on his dad's health. Pari, Venkat, and Senthil completes Paneer's project for Paneer but only for them to find out that Paneer committed suicide and died by hanging himself in his dormitory. Pari tries to change Virus's views on academic pressure and suicide but is rebuffed.

Virus sends letters to Venkat's and Senthil's families about their poor performance. The trio crashes Virus's daughter Shwetha's wedding for food and meets Ria, Virus's other daughter. Virus warns Venkat and Senthil that Pari is a bad influence. Senthil moves in with Silencer, who values rote learning. Pari and Venkat prank Silencer, leading to public humiliation and a bet on future success between Pari and Silencer.

Pari influences Ria to break up with her money minded fiancé Rakesh. Unfortunately Senthil's father has a heart attack, Pari and Ria helps save Senthil's father, leading Senthil to reconcile with Pari. Ria falls in love for Pari. The friends finish their examinations with Pari scoring the highest.

In the present, Venkat, Senthil, and Silencer reach Ooty and meet someone revealed to be the real Panchavan Pariventhan. Pari reveals that Venkat's and Senthil's college friend is actually Pappu, the son of the Pariventhan family's gardener, who assumed Pari's identity while the real Pari studied abroad. Pari tells Venkat and Senthil that Pappu is in Dhanushkodi and They head there.

During their final year of college, Pari and Ria begin a relationship. After a break-in at Virus's house, Virus threatens Senthil with expulsion unless he testifies against Pari. Unwilling to disappoint Senthil's family and Pari, Senthil attempts suicide but he is saved by Pari, Ria, and Venkat. Virus cancels Senthil's expulsion threat, and Senthil secures a job. Venkat convinces his father Ramakrishnan to let him pursue wildlife photography.

In the present, Venkat and Senthil bring Ria from her wedding in Madurai to find Pari. In the past, Virus decides to set a hard examination to fail Senthil and prevent Senthil from obtaining the job. Pari and Venkat steals the examination question papers without Virus's knowledge, but Senthil refuses to cheat and throws it away. Eventually, Virus notices that the examination question paper has been stolen from his office and he expels the trio from the college.

Following the trio's expulsion from the college, Ria, having given the office key to the trio, finally confronts her older sister, Shwetha, and her father by revealing that her brother, who was presumed to have died in a train accident, actually committed suicide due to the pressure his father had put him through into becoming an engineer, since he wanted to pursue his own dream by becoming a writer instead, but only to simply write a suicide note.

Later, Shwetha goes into labour during a flood and the roads to the hospital are inaccessible, but the trio successfully manage to help deliver Shwetha's child. As a result, Virus cancels the expulsion of the trio and he allows the trio to take their final examinations. After taking the final examinations, Pari disappears on the graduation day.

In Dhanushkodi, Venkat, Senthil, Ria, and Silencer reunite with Pari, now revealed as Kosaksi Pasapugazh, a successful entrepreneur. Silencer accepts defeat.

Cast

Vijay as impostor Panchavan Parivendhan (Pari) / Kosaksi Pasapugazh. He is a very intelligent student who knocked Silencer in exams, being the topper of the batch. He is always helpful. He fell in love with Ria. After graduation, he broke contact with all his friends. After a long search, his friends find him to be an entrepreneur who runs a school and is partially a teacher too. Jiiva as Sevarkodi Senthil: He is from a poor family with a mother as a retired teacher and a paralysed father. He was studying engineering to earn a good job and to get his sister Jaya married. Later he became a rich businessman after earning a job. Srikanth as Venkat Ramakrishnan: He is an amateur wildlife photographer. He loved photography but his father wanted him to become an engineer. Later, he became a good wildlife photographer and published several books on his photographs. Ileana D'Cruz as Ria Santhanam, Virus's younger daughter, a clever and smart doctor. She was in love with Pari. (Voice dubbed by Andrea Jeremiah) Sathyaraj as Virumandi Santhanam ('Virus'): Principal of the engineering college. He is very strict and disciplined. He initially hates Pari for questioning him against his rules and discipline, but warms up to him after he helps deliver Shwetha's son. Ria and Shwetha's father. Sathyan as Srivatsan alias Silencer: A topper student who was very well in all subjects. He was a little back in speaking Tamil. He too hated Pari but is shocked to find out that Pari is the very entrepreneur he is looking to sign a deal with for his company. Anuya as Swetha, Virumandi's first daughter, Ria's elder sister.Nanban (DVD): Title credits from 7.11 to 7.42 (Voice dubbed by Deepa Venkat) T. M. Karthik as Rakesh ('Pricetag'): Ria's money minded ex-fiancé. Manobala as Librarian Bose Uma as Mrs. Ramakrishnan, Venkat's mother, a loving and caring parent. Chandra as Senthil's mother Aadukalam Naren as Ramakrishnan (nicknamed Hitler Ramakrishnan by Pari, Venkat and Senthil), Venkat's father, a strict but loving parent who wants his son to be happy. Sreeja Ravi as Doctor Sreedevi Gengiah as Jaya, Senthil's sister Indrans as Govindan, Virus's assistant Balaji Venugopal as "Semester" Purai, a senior college student at IEC responsible for leading the ragging there.Nanban (DVD): End credits from 3:05:14 to 3:05:18 Venkat Sundar as Ragging Senior Poo Ramu as Paneer Selvam's Father Rinson Simon as younger Manimaran, nicknamed "Millimetre": an adolescent, he earns a small living by doing errands for students, such as laundry, finishing assignments, and getting groceries. Pari persuades him to buy a school uniform and sneak into school to gain an education. Dheenadhayal as professor during the "What is a machine?" lecture Shankar Sundaram as Examiner Ramanathan as Interviewer Chelladurai as Sweater seller

Cameo appearances S. J. Suryah as the real Panchavan Parivendhan. It is from him that Senthil and Venkat learn the truth: Panchavan's father sponsored an orphaned servant boy called 'Pappu', who had demonstrated his intelligence and love of learning, to earn a degree in Panchavan's name, while he was in London. He appreciates what Pappu did for him, and tells Senthil and Venkat where to find him. His sister Nimi was in love with Venkat. Vijay Vasanth as Paneer Selvam, a student with a passion for machines. After Virus tells him that he will not graduate, he commits suicide. Vikas as older Manimaran, nicknamed "Centimetre": assistant to Pari/Kosaksi Pasapugazh in Dhanushkodi Shanmugasundaram as Education Minister, who appears in the speech scene, where he gets insulted by Silencer, along with Virus Ajay Rathnam as Panchavan and Nimi's father Pooja Ramachandran as Paaru: Senthil's (Jeeva) wife Uncredited Venkatesh as Ambulance driver Rekhs (Subtitlist) as Srivatsan's mother S. Shankar as Director in "Asku Laska" songNanban – Asku lasku . YouTube (26 June 2016). Retrieved on 31 January 2017. Atlee as assistant director in "Asku Laska" song Shobi in "Asku Laska" song

Production

Pre-production Following Gemini Film Circuit's purchase of the remake rights for 3 Idiots in January 2010, there was much speculation in regards to the three title roles played by Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi in the original. Gemini Film Circuit approached noted directors Shankar, Vishnuvardhan and S. Dharani to replace Rajkumar Hirani as the director, with the approval from Shankar leading to him being signed. Despite speculation that he was set to pull out from directing his first remake as it would be a step down from his previous film, Enthiran, Shankar stated his commitment in October 2010. He later added that, "he came across 3 Idiots during the making of Endhiran, and it was that moment he decided to break his self-imposed rule – making only original movies – and decided to direct his first remake venture."

Development

Harris Jayaraj and Yuvan Shankar Raja were approached to compose the soundtrack, with Shankar settling for the former with whom he had worked in the 2005 film Anniyan earlier. Meanwhile, Manoj Paramahamsa, whose work in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa and Eeram had been critically acclaimed, was signed on as the cinematographer. Sound designer Resul Pookutty and visual effects designer V. Srinivas Mohan joined the crew, following a successful collaboration in Enthiran.

Casting