Amarkalam

Amarkalam is a Tamil film starring Ajith and Shalini in the lead roles. It was released in 1999 and was a silver jubilee movie.

Ajith plays Vasu, a drunken rowdy who lives in a cinema theater owned by Vinu Chakravarthy. He had a tortured childhood and spends his days drinking, fighting, and sleeping. During the beginning altercations, Vasu's friend, Dhamu, loses a reel of the movie Annamalai to Mohana (Shalini). Vasu and Mohana clash when he goes to retrieve the reel. Not only that, Mohana's family is made up entirely of cops, headed up by Birla Bose (Nasser), Mohana's father.

At this point, an ex-Mafia "thaathaa" who spent many years in jail because of Nasser, Tulasi Das (Raghuvaran), comes to the theater. Because he doesn't like Bose, and therefore hires Vasu to kidnap Mohana and take her away somewhere. When he does, at one point, he screams out his agonies in the superb song "Satham Illatha." Mohana falls in love with him, hearing his pain.

When Tulasi Das realizes Mohana loves Vasu, he hires Vasu further to pretend he loves her back. At first, with Vasu, it's just pretend, and then he, too, begins to love her. More surprises await the audience as the movie unfolds.

The film opened in 171 screens throughout Tamil Nadu. It grossed Rs.29 million in the first week of release. It played for 225 days before being replaced by the next Ajith film - Mugavari. It was later dubbed into Telugu as Adhbutam.