Mudhalvan
A man accepts a challenge to act as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for one day only, and makes such a success of it that soon he is embroiled in political intrigue.
Directed by S. Shankar · Action · Drama · Thriller · 169 min · 1999
Director
S. Shankar
Studio
S Films
Release
07 Nov 1999
Runtime
169 min
Genres
Action, Drama, Thriller
Full Plot
A young journalist, N. Pugazhendi, secretly records a video of the corrupt Chief Minister ordering police inaction during a violent riot. He challenges the politician on live TV, sparking a dramatic confrontation that leads to an unexpected wager: assume the role of Chief Minister for 24 hours. Pugazh's brief tenure brings about sweeping reforms and corruption charges against the ruling party, but at great personal risk.
Cast & Characters
Aranganathar
Raghuvaran
Kalakkal Shuba
Laila
Sushmita Sen in item number "Shakalaka Baby" (special appearance)
Minister Thirupathisamy, coalition party leader
S. V. Ramadoss
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $7.4M, Mudhalvan has grossed $22.0M worldwide — about 3.0x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
S. Shankar has directed 8 films in our catalog, including I, Indian 2.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Arjun Sarja appears in 21 films in our catalog, including Mankatha, Nibunan.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know that S. Shankar chose to make a political action film after the success of Jeans (1998)?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know that Rajinikanth was initially considered for the lead role but turned it down?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know that Manisha Koirala was selected as the lead actress after S. Shankar opted against casting Meena due to her conflicting schedule?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know that the film's release prints were unusually long?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Critical Assessment
Mudhalvan holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (8,729 votes).
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 31, 2026
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (8,729 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mudhalvan's IMDb rating?+
Mudhalvan has a 8.4/10 rating on IMDb from 8,729 votes.
Is Mudhalvan good? What are critics saying?+
Mudhalvan holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (8,729 votes).
How long is Mudhalvan?+
Mudhalvan has a runtime of 169 min.
Who directed Mudhalvan?+
Mudhalvan was directed by S. Shankar.
