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
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.
