Nagesh, Goundamani-Senthil, Vadivelu, Vivek, Santhanam – Tamil cinema boasts of being the home ground for talented actor-comedians who have carved a niche with their distinctive brand of comedy. Their work is far from being politically correct, and whether it should be put under the microscope and called out for being problematic is a debate for another day. However, many of their one-liners and catchphrases have become an integral part of Tamilians’ day-to-day conversations.
Hilarious dialogues from Tamil movies – both old and new – are commonplace in daily lingo and memes. Distress, joy, shock or fear, you are likely to find a Tamil dialogue that is both relatable and makes you break into peals of laughter. For the uninitiated, here is an induction into the world of most commonly used one-liners from Tamil cinema.
Enna Koduma Saravanan Idhu: There are a number of phrases from Tamil movies that are commonly used when one is sad or in distress. “Enna Koduma Saravanan Idhu” probably tops the list. The dialogue is uttered by actor Prabhu in the 2005 horror movie Chandramukhi when he discovers that a spirit has entered his wife Ganga (Jyotika’s) body and that she is suffering from split personality disorder.
Forced to attend online classes on a public holiday? Overwhelmed with work? “Enna Koduma Saravanan idhu” is the dialogue you’re looking for.
No Comments Simbly Waste: At times when one is emotionally drained and tired of responding, actor Senthil’s “No Comments, Simbly Waste” is the dialogue that comes to mind. Senthil says this while responding to reporters in a scene from the 1996 Tamil movie Mahaprabhu where he pretends to be a celebrity.
Indha Ranagalathilaiyum oru gilugilipu kekutha unnaku: Responding to people who choose to live in denial or who prefer eating a tub of ice cream when the world is crumbling around them becomes easier with this dialogue. It roughly translates to: ‘Why do you care for entertainment when in distress’. It is likely to resonate with Gen Alpha and Gen Z folks. The dialogue is from 2003 Tamil movie Winner.
Laip ah Tholachitiye Da: In Vada Chennai, a morose Daniel Balaji says this to Dhanush when the latter makes an impulse decision. ‘Laip ah Tholachitiye Da!’ (meaning, Alas! You almost lost your life) is used widely in memes.
Kadupethrar, My Lord: Lawyers are admired for their strategic and logical thinking and well- rounded arguments. Now, imagine Vadivelu in the role of a lawyer. In a hilarious turn of events in a courtroom sequence from 2008 movie Ellam Avan Seyal, “Kadupethrar, My Lord” which translates to ‘He is annoying me, my Lord!’ is uttered by a goofy Vandu Murugan while defending his client.
Sodhikadinga da Ennaya: Another Vadivelu dialogue, “Sodhikadinga Da Ennaya”, meaning, ‘Don’t test my patience’ is said by the comedian in the film Ponnu Velayira Bhoomi, in a sequence where he is stressed and clearly on the verge of a breakdown.
Asingama Pochu Kumaru: As influencers and creators often discuss on social, if the mistakes you made as a kid or any embarrassing moments from the past come back to haunt you in the middle of the night, “Asingama Pochu Kumaru” (which roughly translates to ‘That was embarrassing’) can be used to get the feeling off your chest. The dialogue is from an emotional scene in gangster drama Pudhupettai starring Dhanush in the lead.
Thappu Chellam: In popular Tamil sports drama Ghilli that released in 2004, Prakash Raj who appears as the obnoxious antagonist Muthupandi stole our hearts with hilarious punchlines. “Thappu Chellam” (That’s wrong, dear) can come in handy when you are trying to be subtle while expressing your disagreement.
Pleasantly surprised or taken aback, Tamil cinema has a number of dialogues in store that encapsulate the emotion.
Ahaan: Like many of Vadivelu’s expressions, “Ahaan” too can be used as a response to a range of situations. The comedian’s snarky “Ahaan” is what we use to respond to fake news and one-sided arguments. The expression first appeared in the 2007 Tamil movie Thavam.
Sivakarthikeyan’s “Nee Paatha” from Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam and “Ennana Soldran Parunga” from Tamil YouTube channel Paridhabangal are often used as alternatives to “Ahaan”.
Yov Military, Nee Enga Ya Inga?: A memorable Goundamani dialogue from Sundar C’s comedy drama Ullathai Allitha, “Yov Military, Nee Enga Ya Inga?” is the ideal phrase to use when you run into a friend unexpectedly. After Instagram influencers who expressed their aversion to other social media platforms shifted to Twitter during a recent Instagram outage in 2021, this dialogue was used as a retort by Twitter memers.
Amitabh Maama, Neengala?: Looking for a light-hearted yet sarcastic response when someone takes a dig at you? Here is a two-step guide to use this dialogue as a comeback.
A: Be it a movie mogul or business tycoon, identify a bigwig from the respective industry.
B: Replace the name of that person with ‘Amitabh Maama’. Example: If a friend mocks you for being broke, you could get back at them with: “Mukesh Ambani, Neengala?”
The dialogue featured in the Tamil movie Kalakalappu.
Harry Potter also dealing same problem: Tamil dialogues from older movies remain popular till date because of their recall value. In the 2007 Tamil movie Pollaadhavan, Dhanush discusses his love life with his friends. At this point, his friend Karunas, who is pretending to read a book, chimes in: “Harry Potter also dealing same problem!”
As shown in the popular Drake meme template, instead of explaining how you resonate with a situation, we advise you to use Karunas’s one-liner.
Apo Naa Nenachadula Thappu Ilaye: When stuck in situations where you cannot help but wonder whether you are alone in this, Vivek’s dialogue from Dhanush-starrer VIP comes as a glimmer of hope. In a comedy sequence from the film, when the boss calls Azhagasundaram (Vivek) for a meeting and shares that he is about to announce a new promotion, he assumes that he is being considered for the position. However, his superior later reveals that Azhagasundaram’s junior Raghuvaran (Dhanush) is the one who has been selected for the new role. At this point, a disappointed Azhagasundaram turns to Raghuvaran to check if he jumped the gun. When Raghuvaran shares that he also assumed Azhagasundaram was the candidate who’d be taking over the new role, the latter says, “Apo Naa Nenachadula Thappu Ilaye” (It was not wrong for me to come to that conclusion, right?).
Some Kollywood films are credited for popularising rare words or even coining new terms. ‘Mersalaayiten’, meaning, stunned, became a part of everyday conversations after a song that goes by the same title from Shankar’s 2015 Tamil movie I. The term ‘Appatakkar’, which is usually used synonymously with big shot, is frequently used by Tamil actor-comedian Santhanam. Dhanush, who says ‘Senjiduven’ as a quirky gangster in Balaji Mohan’s Maari, stunned fans with the word. ‘You are so done’ might be the closest substitute to the word. Some on the internet even drew parallels between the gesture Dhanush uses and Fleming’s right hand rule.
‘Topi Topi’ from Chandramukhi is used by Rajinikanth in a flashback sequence where he laughs at a minister who drops his hat. After pulling a prank, ‘Topi Topi’ can be used instead of ‘Gotcha’.
Although the term ‘Magizhchi’ (meaning, I’m happy or Good to Know) has been in use for long, it became popular after Rajinikanth used it in director Ranjith’s Kabali. Schools have decided to postpone exams because of mild rainfall? Mainstream films have better gender representation? ‘Magizhchi’ indeed!
And then come terms like ‘Thelpathrising’ and ‘Shroov’ which even have urban dictionary pages dedicated to define them and understand the context in which they are used. In the Tamil movie Rendu, Madhavan and Vadivelu steal equipment from Thelpathri Singh’s auto and sell it in pawn shops. The gullible auto driver’s name turned to ‘Thelpathrising’ in memes. Similarly, the term ‘Shroov’ which is used in actor Karan’s movie to express jealousy became viral after a clip from the film Coimbatore Mappillai was widely circulated.
Expressions like ‘Vathiyar’ from Sarpatta Parambarai, ‘Thalaivare’ from Maanaadu, ‘Thambi Thambi’ from Kumki, ‘Brother’ from Raja Rani, ‘Mutton Kuskava’ from Oru Kal Oru Kannadi and ‘Govaalu’ from Chandramukhi are also commonly used by people based on the context in which they were placed in the Tamil movies.
> “I am your Best-u Friend-u” by Vadivelu in Manadhai Thirudivittai
> “Apo Puriyala Ipo Puriyudhu” by Silambarasan TR in Manmadhan
> “Ivaru Yaru Unga Wife ah” by Charlie in Friends
> “Ivanukum Oru Payasatha Potra Vendiyadhan” by Theni Kunjarammal in Whistle
> “Kochiktiya Kochiktiya Kochiko Kochiko” by Karunas in Polladhavan
> “Laden kitta pesuriya?” by Vadivelu in Muruga
> “Idhuku Paruthimoota Godown Laye Irundhurkalame” by Vimal in Kalakalappu
> “Naanum Rowdy Dhaan” by Vadivelu in Thalai Nagaram
> “Joke Joke! Ila Ila” by Vivek in Aethirree