Vaazhai

Vaazhai (Tamil pronunciation: [ʋaːɻaɪ] transl. Banana) is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language children's drama film written, directed and co-produced by Mari Selvaraj. It is produced by Disney+ Hotstar, Navvi Studios and Farmer's Master Plan Production. The film stars Ponvel M., Raghul R. (both debutants), Kalaiyarasan and Nikhila Vimal, with J. Satish Kumar, Dhivya Duraisamy, Karnan Janaki and Nivedita Rajappan in supporting roles. It revolves around Sivanaindhan, who works at a banana plantation while going to school; however, he hates working there. The film, the first production of Navvi Studios, was officially announced in November 2022. Principal photography commenced the same month. It was shot for the most part in Thoothukudi, and wrapped by January 2023. The film has music composed by Santhosh Narayanan, cinematography handled by Theni Eswar and editing by Suriya Pradhaman. Vaazhai was released in theatres worldwide on 23 August 2024. Upon release, it received positive reviews from critics and became a commercial success, grossing approximately ₹45 crore (US$4.7 million) against an estimated budget of ₹5 crore (US$520,000).