Penngal

Penngal is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Raj Marudhu. The film stars Akash and Divyasree, with Santhoshi and Santhana Bharathi in supporting roles. Featuring music composed by Bharadwaj, the film was released on 8 December 2000.

Plot
A mother hides her daughter from the village pimp by enrolling her in an orphanage; when the daughter grows older, she goes back to the village to save other girls with the help of a reporter.

Cast

 * Akash as Bharath Nageswaran
 * Divyasree as Kaveri
 * Santhoshi as Amudhavalli
 * Santhana Bharathi
 * Manivannan
 * Ashwini
 * Sharmili
 * S. N. Parvathy
 * Vichithra

Production
The producers of the film were unhappy after actress Divyasree broke an exclusivity contract and she signed on for a film opposite actor Murali amid production.

Soundtrack
The music composed by Bharadwaj, with lyrics by Snehan.

Reception
Savitha Padmanabhan from The Hindu wrote, "films such as Penngal are required to make us a little more conscious of the social problems but they should be made with a little more care and sensitivity". She added, "one must commend the director for taking on such a theme", as "he brings to focus every aspect of these women's miserable existence - the desperation and dejection on the faces when a son is born, the fear when their young daughter is forcefully 'readied' for the 'occasion', the poverty and the diseases and the ostracism from the rest of the world". Visual Dasan of Kalki praised the director for taking up social issue in his debut film also praised sharp dialogues and Bharadwaj's music but panned Divya's acting and also felt the film has documentary feel in places. Malini Mannath of Chennai Online wrote, "It's a film that comes like a whiff of fresh air. Different in concept and narrative style. The scenes handled with sensitivity, the lines provocative and meaningful. The performances are well co-ordinated".