| Minsara Kanavu | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rajiv Menon |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Rajiv Menon |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | |
| Edited by | Suresh Urs |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 153 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget | $1.5 million[2] |
Minsara Kanavu (transl. The electric dream) is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic comedy film that was co-written and directed by Rajiv Menon. The film stars Arvind Swamy, Prabhu Deva, and Kajol in her Tamil debut, and revolves around Priya (Kajol), a convent student who wants to become a nun. Having returned to India from his studies overseas, Thomas (Swamy)—Priya's childhood friend—falls in love with her following their first meeting at her convent. With the help of hairstylist Deva (Prabhu Deva), who is known for his ability to change woman's minds, Thomas tries to dissuade Priya from her ambition but Deva instead falls in love with her.
AVM Productions wanted to make a film to celebrate their golden jubilee in 1997. The project, which would be titled Minsara Kanavu, was produced by M. Saravanan, M. Balasubramanian, and M. S. Guhan. Menon responded to an advertisement for a director and cinematographer, and made his directorial debut with the film. Venu and Ravi K. Chandran completed the principal photography, and Prabhu Deva choreographed the film. A. R. Rahman composed the soundtrack, which received positive reviews, and the songs "Mana Madurai", "Strawberry", "Thanga Thamarai", and "Vennilave" became popular.
Minsara Kanavu premiered on 14 January 1997 during the Pongal festival and ran in theatres for over 175 days. The film was a commercial success in Tamil Nadu, though it initially opened to mediocre box-office earnings, but its dubbed versions performed poorly in North India and Telugu states.[3] Critical reception to the film was mixed-to-positive; the plot, the cast's performances—particularly that of the lead actors—the screenplay, the cinematography, and the soundtrack were praised. The film won several accolades, including two Cinema Express Awards, one Filmfare Awards South, four National Film Awards, one Screen Awards, and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
- ^ "Minsara Kanavu". Amazon Prime Video. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ Lall, Bhuva (30 May 1997). "Bollywood all bowled out". Screen International. p. 23.
- ^ Saravanan 2013, p. 346.