To Let (film)
| To Let | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Chezhiyan |
| Written by | Chezhiyan |
| Produced by | Prema Chezhiyan |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Chezhiyan |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
Production company | zha Cinema |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
To Let is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language drama film written, directed and filmed by Chezhiyan. Produced by his wife Prema, the film stars Santhosh Sreeram, Suseela and Dharun as a family living in a rented house who are ordered by their landlady (Aadhira Pandilakshmi) to vacate within 30 days.
To Let premiered in November 2017 at the Kolkata International Film Festival. At the 65th National Film Awards, it won in the category Best Feature Film in Tamil. The film was theatrically released on 21 February 2019.
Plot
In 2007, Illango is an assistant film director living with his wife Amudha and their five-year-old son Siddharth in a rented apartment. Their landlady is eager to lease that house to IT professionals for a higher rent, so she issues the family a 30-day notice to vacate.
Cast
- Santhosh Sreeram as Illango
- Sheela Rajkumar as Amudha
- Dharun as Siddharth
- Aadhira Pandilakshmi as the landlady
- Ravi Subramaniyan as the landlord
- T. Arul Ezhilan as Selva
- Arumuga Velu as Illango's friend
Production
To Let is the directorial debut of Chezhiyan, and was produced by his wife Prema under the couple's own company La Cinema.[1][2] Chezhiyan also handled the cinematography[1] and wrote the script. Unlike in most Tamil films, he avoided including songs, claiming, "As we move closely towards realistic cinema, the first element that make an exit is the music. The sound of radio and television, the conversation of people and an auto on the road compensate for the music". The film was completed in 25 days, and the cast were all newcomers.[3]
Release and reception
To Let premiered in November 2017 at the Kolkata International Film Festival,[4] and was screened at numerous film festivals in 2017 and 2018. It was theatrically released on 21 February 2019.[5] Baradwaj Rangan wrote, "Chezhian manages to put his premise through on his own terms".[6] At the 65th National Film Awards, it won in the category Best Feature Film in Tamil.[1] It won the Best Indian film award in the Kolkata International Film Festival.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Ramachandran, Mythily (18 April 2018). "Tamil film 'To Let' wins accolades". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ Jeshi, K. (16 April 2018). "Filmmaking is simple, says director Chezhiyan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 December 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ Kolappan, B. (20 November 2017). "Film that portrays the ordeal of house-hunting bags award". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (20 November 2017). "'Los Perros,' 'To Let' Win Kolkata Festival". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
- ^ "'To Let' to hit screens on February 21". The Times of India. 4 February 2019. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (21 February 2019). "To Let Movie Review: An Earnest Portrait Of A Family's Struggle To Find A Rented House". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
External links
- To Let at IMDb
- To Let at Rotten Tomatoes