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A Peck on the Cheek

Play trailer Poster for A Peck on the Cheek 2002 2h 16m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
On her ninth birthday Amudha (P.S. Keerthana), after learning that she was adopted, resolves to find her birth mother. Her parents Thiruchelvan (Madhavan) and Indra (Simran) insist on accompanying her, and so together they leave the comfort of their home in India to venture into the jungles of Sri Lanka, where they witness the violence and brutality of civil war. Eventually they discover Shyama (Nandita Das), who explains that she gave up her daughter to fight for the separatist cause.

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A Peck on the Cheek

Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Curiel San Francisco Chronicle 05/27/2005
3.5/4
In A Peck on the Cheek, we get Ratnam at his best, albeit with a few glitches. Go to Full Review
Adam Nayman eye WEEKLY 04/28/2003
3/5
This lavish Indian comedy-drama is unsure of what it wants to be, but still manages to be charming and consistently entertaining. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 07/05/2007
C+
Looks too commercially slick in its presentation to really touch one's heart. Go to Full Review
Jason Gorber Film Scouts 06/21/2007
A-
The clash of styles works very well, and the uncompromising picture was a treat to see. Go to Full Review
Arthur Lazere culturevulture.net 04/28/2003
Unabashed, unapologetic sentimentality. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Priyan B 02/16/2024 Movie was below average and overrated as fuck screenplay felt so flat and the characters aren't deep enough See more 05/17/2021 Kannathil Muthamittal - 10/10. When I was 9, I remember coming back from the tamil store with a dvd copy of Kannathil Muthamittal. All I knew was that Madhavan, Simran, and Prakash Raj were in it, with music by A.R. Rahman and the movie being directed by Mani Ratnam. This was before the rise of internet reviews, so my only knowledge was through the posters at the store. When we got home and watched it, it quickly became one of my favourite films of all time. In fact, the impact the movie had on me was so immense that it was the sole reason why I wanted to visit Sri Lanka (which I ended up visiting that 2002 summer). After recently revisiting the film after nearly a decade, it made me realize how perfect of a movie it is. As a kid, I didn't fully realize what Ratnam had crafted with this film. I loved the story and music when I was a kid, but now rewatching it made me realize the power the film possessed. The beauty of adoption/giving second life to a child, but also, the confusion and pain that child would go through knowing they're adopted. The horrors of war. The cause and effects it has on people who have to go through that setting (Amutha's biological mother has to leave her baby at the refugee camp due to her having to go back to her war torn country). The impact that literature has (the story that Madhavan's character writes about baby Amutha changes not only his life, but creates the spark for the love Simran's character has). Ratnam made a film that is deeply layered and very to the point. During a time when films rarely shown anything related to the war in Sri Lanka, he chose to take on the topic. In my opinion, it's one of his top 3 best films, and certainly is one of the best films since the turn of the millennium. It also features the best performances in Madhavan and Simran's careers. Keerthana, who retired from acting after this film, gives such a great performance for a child star. Ravi K. Chandran captures the darkness of war and also the brightness of hope with his brilliant cinematography. The soundtrack is classic Rahman, with deep music that hits the soul. A must watch for any cinema lover. An all time classic. See more 06/05/2019 Intense, emotional and touching... See more 12/28/2018 Great movie because It talk about What Sri Lankan Tamil expericanced See more 06/24/2018 This amazing movie is a must watch due to its technical greatnesses. See more 02/13/2017 #ManiRatnam at his best. It is a peck on the cheek... See more Read all reviews
A Peck on the Cheek

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Movie Info

Synopsis On her ninth birthday Amudha (P.S. Keerthana), after learning that she was adopted, resolves to find her birth mother. Her parents Thiruchelvan (Madhavan) and Indra (Simran) insist on accompanying her, and so together they leave the comfort of their home in India to venture into the jungles of Sri Lanka, where they witness the violence and brutality of civil war. Eventually they discover Shyama (Nandita Das), who explains that she gave up her daughter to fight for the separatist cause.
Director
Mani Ratnam
Producer
Mani Ratnam, G. Srinivasan
Screenwriter
Mani Ratnam, Sujatha
Production Co
Madras Talkies
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Tamil
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 14, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 16, 2016
Runtime
2h 16m
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