Samsaram Adhu Minsaram

Samsaram Adhu Minsaram
Poster
Directed by	Visu
Written by	Visu
Based on	Uravukku Kai Koduppom by Visu
Produced by	M. Saravanan M. Balasubramanian
Starring	See Cast
Cinematography	N. Balakrishnan
Edited by	A. Paul Duraisingam
Music by	Shankar–Ganesh
Production company	AVM Productions
Release date	18 July 1986 (1986-07-18)
Running time	145 minutes[1]
Country	India
Language	Tamil
Budget	₹1.5 million

Samsaram Adhu Minsaram (transl. Family life is like electricity) is a 1986 Indian Tamil-language drama film produced by AVM Productions, and written and directed by Visu. He also stars as part of an ensemble cast including Lakshmi, Chandrasekhar, Kishmu, Raghuvaran, Delhi Ganesh, Ilavarasi, Manorama, Madhuri, Kamala Kamesh, Dilip and Haja Sheriff. The film revolves around the splintering of a joint family, and the efforts made by the patriarch's eldest daughter-in-law to reunite them.

The story of Samsaram Adhu Minsaram was inspired by Visu's play Uravukku Kai Koduppom (transl. We shall give a helping hand to blood relatives), which had already been adapted into a 1975 film. Despite the failure of that film, the producer M. Saravanan liked the story, so it was reinvented into Samsaram Adhu Minsaram. The film was made on a then shoestring budget of ₹1.5 million, and the whole crew worked for 35 days. The cinematography was handled by N. Balakrishnan and the editing was done by A. Paul Duraisingham.

Samsaram Adhu Minsaram released on 18 July 1986. The film received critical acclaim and ran for 25 weeks in theatres. It won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment (the first Tamil film to do so), the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Film, three Cinema Express Awards (including Best Tamil Film and Best Tamil Actress for Lakshmi) and the Filmfans Association Awards for Best Film. In 1987, the film was remade in Hindi as Sansar, in Telugu as Samsaram Oka Chadarangam, in Kannada as Onde Goodina Hakkigalu and in Malayalam as Kudumbapuranam.