Chinna Thambi

Chinna Thambi
Directed by	P. Vasu
Produced by	Balu
Written by	P. Vasu
Starring	Prabhu Kushboo Manorama Goundamani Radha Ravi
Music by	Ilaiyaraaja
Cinematography	Ravinder
Edited by	P. Mohanraj
Production company	Malar Combines
Distributed by	Malar Combines
Release date	12 April 1991
Running time	138 min
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Chinna Thambi is a 1991 Indian Tamil language romantic drama film starring Prabhu and Kushboo. The movie stars Prabhu as the titular role of Chinna Thambi, an uneducated village simpleton and Kushboo as Nandini, a home tutored wealthy girl and is a story of love, family bonds and typical south Indian village sentiments. The movie was remade in Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi languages as Ramachaari (1991),Chanti (1992), and Anari (1993), respectively. The film was one of Prabhu's biggest blockbusters and completed a 356-day run in 9 screens and 100-day run in 47 screens.

The movie starts with the birth of a baby girl, Nandini, in a rich family. Nandini's three brothers throw a feast in honor of the girl child. The young son of the local singer (who had died) is brought in to sing for the event. The three brothers raise Nandini like their own child as their parents had died. At the age of 5, an astrologer predicts that Nandini will bring much happiness to the family, but her marriage will based on her choice and not the choice of her brothers. This angers the brothers and to prevent this from happening, she is raised within the confines of the house.She is home schooled and when she does go out, all the men are warned to hide from Nandini and that seeing Nandini will be met with dire consequences.

Nandini Kushboo reaches puberty. The few males allowed around her are the service staff and her bodyguards.Meanwhile, the boy who sang, Chinna Thambi Prabhu grows up to be a naive and gullible simpleton with a heart of gold.He is raised by his widowed mother Manorama. He doesn't go to school and spends his time singing and entertaining the people of the village.

One day the bodyguards get into a fight with Chinna Thambi who defeats them. Impressed with Chinna Thambi's naivety and fighting skills, the Brothers hire Chinna Thambi to be Nandini's bodyguard and butler. Nandini meanwhile starts to resent her lack of freedom. She engages Chinna Thambi to show her the village without her brothers knowledge. Chinna Thambi complies with her wishes and shows her the village which results in Nandini getting sick. Chinna Thambi is blamed for Nandini getting sick and gets beaten up by the brothers. Nandini who has just started to like Chinna Thambi feels guilty for being the reason for him getting trashed. She shares her medicine with Chinna Thambi who inadvertently equates Nandini to his mother, as being the few people who truly care for him. This incident brings them closer together emotionally.