List of Tamil films of 1997

Post-amendment to the Tamil Nadu Entertainments Tax Act 1939 on 1 April 1958, Gross jumped to 140 per cent of Nett ^[1] Commercial Taxes Department disclosed ₹108 crore in entertainment tax revenue for the year.^[2]

A list of films produced in the Tamil film industry in India in 1997 by release date.

List of released films

January — March

Opening		Title	Director	Cast	Studio	Ref
J A N	10	Sakthi	R. Raghu Raj	Vineeth, Yuvarani	Gentleman Film International
	14	Dharma Chakkaram	K. S. Ravikumar	Vijayakanth, Deepti Bhatnagar, Rambha	Lakshmi Movie Makers
		Iruvar	Mani Ratnam	Mohanlal, Aishwarya Rai, Prakash Raj, Gouthami, Revathi, Tabu	Madras Talkies	[3]
		Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen	R. Sundarrajan	Vijay, Dimple	M. G. Pictures
		Kathirunda Kadhal	Vijeshwaran	Arun Vijay, Suvalakshmi	Ganga Gowri Productions
		Minsara Kanavu	Rajiv Menon	Arvind Swamy, Prabhu Deva, Kajol	AVM Productions	[4]
		Nalla Manasukkaran	Jayarajendran	Pandiarajan, Jayaragini	Annai Sree Baalaambikai Creations
		Om Saravana Bhava	N. Krishnaswamy	Sowmyan, Vidyasri
		Periya Thambi	Chitra Lakshmanan	Prabhu, Nagma	Gayathri Films
	15	Bharathi Kannamma	Cheran	R. Parthiban, Meena	Pangaj Productions	[5]
		Gopura Deepam	Ramarajan	Ramarajan, Sukanya	Kashtoori Films International
		Nesam	K. Subash	Ajith Kumar, Maheswari	Dhanooja Films
	30	Pudhayal	Selva	Mammooty, Arvind Swamy, Aamani, Sakshi Shivanand	Cheran Cine Makers	[6]
F E B	12	Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga	R. Balu	Murali, Kausalya	Sivasakthi Movie Makers	[7]
	14	Ettupatti Rasa	Kasthuri Raja	Napoleon, Khushbu, Urvashi	Pyramid Films International
		Parama Pithaa	K. Alexander	Nizhalgal Ravi, Vijaya
		Vaimaye Vellum	P. Vasu	R. Parthiban, Rachana Banerjee	S. B. Films
	21	Mannava	L. M. Balaji	Prashanth, Sanghavi, Urvashi	Star Movies
		Maradha Uravu	Thiruvarangan	Rajiv, Rajam
	28	Adhipathi	Balaraja	Varunraj, Apsara
		Aravindhan	T. Nagarajan	Sarath Kumar, R. Parthiban, Nagma	Amma Creations
		Mappillai Gounder	Manivasagam	Prabhu, Sakshi Shivanand, Swathi	Janaki Films
M A R	6	Vivasaayi Magan	Ramarajan	Ramarajan, Devayani	Mahalakshmi International

April — June

Opening		Title	Director	Cast	Studio	Ref
A P R	10	Arunachalam	Sundar C	Rajinikanth, Soundarya, Rambha	Annamalai Cine Combines	[8]
		Thaali Pudhusu	Keyar	Ramki, Khushbu	Perumal Productions	[9]
	14	Dhinamum Ennai Gavani	A. R. Ramesh	Ramki, Sanghavi	Tamilannai Cine Creations
		My India	K. Alex Pandian	Shihan Hussaini, Vani Viswanath, Swathi	Deivaanai Movies
		Raasi	Muraliappas	Ajith Kumar, Rambha, Prakash Raj	NIC Arts	[10]
	18	Vallal	Rajkapoor	Sathyaraj, Meena, Roja, Sangeetha, Goundamani, Senthil	Raaj Films International
	25	Sishya	Selva	Karthik, Roshini	Tharangai V. Sunder
M A Y	9	Adimai Changili	R. K. Selvamani	Arjun, Roja, Rambha	Sai Roja Companies	[11]
		Love Today	Balasekaran	Vijay, Suvalakshmi, Manthra	Super Good Films	[12]
		Pistha	K. S. Ravikumar	Karthik, Nagma	Pyramid Films International	[13]
		Pongalo Pongal	V. Sekhar	Vignesh, Sangeetha, Vadivelu, Vivek	Thiruvalluvar Kalaikoodam
	23	Ullaasam	J. D.–Jerry	Ajith Kumar, Vikram, Maheswari	Amitabh Bachchan Corporation	[14]
J U N	6	Pasamulla Pandiyare	T. P. Gajendran	Rajkiran, Meena, Roja	Meenakshi Arts
	27	Devathai	Nassar	Nassar, Vineeth, Keerthi Reddy	Indus Film Factory	[15]
		Suryavamsam	Vikraman	Sarath Kumar, Devayani, Radhika, Priya Raman	R. B. Choudary	[16]

July — September

Opening		Title	Director	Cast	Studio	Ref
J U L	4	Nattupura Nayagan	Rama Narayanan	Selva, Swathi, Timea	Karumari Movies
		Once More	S. A. Chandrasekhar	Sivaji Ganesan, Vijay, Simran, Saroja Devi, Anju Aravind	Shree Ganesh Vision	[17]
		V. I. P	D. Sabhapathi	Prabhu Deva, Abbas, Simran, Rambha	Kalaipuli S. Dhanu	[18]
	11	Nandhini	Manobala	Prakash Raj, Suhasini, Keerthi Reddy	V. Natarajan
	25	Kaadhali	Sidhu	Vignesh, Devayani	Tara Creations
A U G	1	Pagaivan	Ramesh Balakrishnan	Ajith Kumar, Sathyaraj, Anjala Zhaveri	Viswas Films	[19]
	15	Anubhavam Pudhumai	S. Raj	Venki, Jothy	T. V. Productions
		Kadhal Palli	Pavithran	Vignesh, Suvaluxmi	N. R. D. Film Circuit
		Sathi Sanam	Jayaprakash	Mahesh, Ovia	Chozha Creations
	22	Periya Idathu Mappillai	Guru Dhanapal	Jayaram, Devayani, Manthra	Murugan Movies
		Raman Abdullah	Balu Mahendra	Sivakumar, Vignesh, Karan, Eshwari Rao, Rudra	Anand Cine Arts	[20]
S E P	5	Abhimanyu	K. Subash	R. Parthiban, Ravali	Sree Charan Films
		Kalyana Vaibhogam	N. Rathnam	Ramki, Khushbu, Sangita	Gomathi Shankar Films
		Nerrukku Ner	Vasanth	Vijay, Suriya, Simran, Kausalya,	Madras Talkies	[21]
	12	Adrasakkai Adrasakkai	V. C. Guhanathan	Pandiarajan, Sangita, Anusha	Victory Movies
		Ganga Gowri	Madheswaran	Arun Kumar, Sangeetha, Manthra	Ganga Gowri Production
		Naalaya Udhayam	K. R. Ranjith	K. R. Ranjith, Rani Chitra
	19	Aahaa Enna Porutham	C. Ranganathan	Ramki, Sanghavi	K.B Films
	26	Paththini	P. Vasu	Jayaram, Khushbu	Good Luck Films	[22]

October — December

Opening		Title	Director	Cast	Studio	Ref
O C T	10	Samrat	C. Dinakaran	Ramki, Vineetha, Rukma	Lakshmikaran Enterprises
	30	Aahaa..!	Suresh Krishna	Rajiv Krishna, Sulekha	Shogun Films	[23]
		Periya Manushan	Guru Dhanapal	Sathyaraj, Ravali	Guru Film International
		Porkkaalam	Cheran	Murali, Meena, Sanghavi, Manivannan, Vadivelu	Roja Combines	[24]
		Ratchagan	Praveen Kanth	Nagarjuna, Sushmita Sen	Gentleman Films	[25]
		Thedinen Vanthathu	Ravi Varma	Prabhu, Manthra, Goundamani	Shiva Shree Pictures
		Themmangu Paattukaaran	Gangai Amaren	Ramarajan, Aamani	Sree Devi Bahavathy Films
		Vasuke	Kasthuri Raja	Rajendra Prasad, Urvashi	Anand Movie Land
		Vidukadhai	Agathiyan	Prakash Raj, Neena	Kavithalayaa Productions	[26]
	31	Janakiraman	Sundar C	Sarath Kumar, Nagma, Rambha, Goundamani, Senthil	Malar Films	[27]
N O V	28	Thadayam	Ramesh Balakrishnan	Ramki, Vijayashanti, Indraja	Maruthi Movie Makers
		Veerapandi Kottayiley	Chandernath	Ramji, Maina
D E C	5	Kadavul	Velu Prabhakaran	Velu Prabhakaran, Arun Pandian, Roja	Deccan Pictures
		Roja Malare	Jayamurugan	Murali, Riva Bubber, Arun Pandian	Kamalam Movies	[28]
		Thambi Durai	Senthilnathan	Saravanan, Sukanya	Sree Maariamman Films
	12	Arasiyal	R. K. Selvamani	Mammootty, Shilpa Shirodkar, Roja	Motherland Movies Internationals	[29]
		Poochudava	Udayasankar	Abbas, Simran
		Rettai Jadai Vayasu	C. Sivakumar	Ajith Kumar, Manthra	Bhagyam Cine Combines
	19	Kadhalukku Mariyadhai	Fazil	Vijay, Shalini	Murugan Cine Arts	[30]
	26	Pudhalvan	Selva Vinayagam	Ramki, Pragathi, Vijayakumar	P. N. R. Pictures

Awards

Category/Organization	Cinema Express Awards 23 August 1998[31]	Dinakaran Cinema Awards 12 April 1998[32]	Filmfare Awards South August 1998[citation needed]	Tamil Nadu State Film Awards 27 November 1998[33]
Best Film	Suryavamsam	Suryavamsam	Bharathi Kannamma	Arunachalam / Suryavamsam
Best Director	Vikraman Suryavamsam	Cheran Porkkaalam	Cheran Bharathi Kannamma	Cheran / Vikraman Porkkaalam / Suryavamsam
Best Actor	Sarathkumar Suryavamsam	Sarathkumar Suryavamsam	Sarathkumar Suryavamsam	Parthiban / Vijay Bharathi Kannamma / Kadhalukku Mariyadhai
Best Actress	Meena Bharathi Kannamma	Devayani Suryavamsam	Meena Bharathi Kannamma	Meena / Devayani Porkkaalam / Suryavamsam
Best Music Director	S. A. Rajkumar Suryavamsam	A. R. Rahman Minsara Kanavu	A. R. Rahman Minsara Kanavu	S. A. Rajkumar Suryavamsam

Notable deaths

References

1. Government raised entertainment tax to 40% (from 33%) in 1958
2. CTD reports ₹108 crore ET collection in 1997-98
3. "Iruvar Review 2 - Mani Ratnam Page". Archived from the original on 5 March 2001.
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6. "Pudhayal Movie Review". Archived from the original on 20 April 1999.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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13. "Pistha Movie Review". Archived from the original on 20 April 1999.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
14. "Ullasam". Archived from the original on 7 March 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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18. "V.I.P." Archived from the original on 29 June 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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20. "Raaman Abdullah". Archived from the original on 29 June 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
21. "Nerukku Ner". Archived from the original on 7 March 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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25. "Ratchagan". Archived from the original on 22 February 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
26. "When a girl marries an old man". New Straits Times. 22 November 1997. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
27. "JanakiRaman". Archived from the original on 29 June 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
28. "New Page". Archived from the original on 29 June 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
29. "Arasiyal: Movie Review". Archived from the original on 3 March 2000.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
30. "Kaadhalukku Mariyaadhai: Movie Review". Archived from the original on 19 April 1999.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
31. "Dinakaran". Archived from the original on 3 February 1999. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
32. "Dinakaran". Archived from the original on 15 June 1998. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
33. "1996 Cinema State Awards". dinakaran.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 1998. Retrieved 30 June 2020.