Kushi

"Kushi" (2000) is one of the finest movies in Tamil cinema, by director S.J. Suryah. It stars Vijay and Jyothika as leads. The movie focuses on two college friends, Jenny and Shiva, whose friendship is shattered by a miscommunication. While they love each other dearly and understand that life is missing something essential without the other, their bravado and obstinacy prevent them from reuniting.

The film opens with the birth of Shiva in Calcutta and Jennifer “Jenny” in Tamil Nadu. In their childhoods, they meet without realizing it. Shiva, on the eve of turning 21, aspires to study in Canada but meets with an accident that shatters his dreams. Jenny has academic ambitions of her own, but her father first intends for her to marry off. After her wedding is called off, he allows her to pursue education, but she must marry afterwards.


Both are students at Madras Christian College but do not become friends until they bump into each other at a temple. This friendship comes crashing down when Jenny catches Shiva back-masking her, igniting a decade-long battle between the two that would make even Godzilla proud. Though they’d prefer to stay out of each other’s way, their new friendship has them teaming up to protect their pals Babu and Shanthi from the threats posed by Shanthi’s wealthy, corrupt dad Ambareesh.

When Jenny gets hurt trying to save Shiva, they acknowledge that they love each other but keep it secret from each other. They assist Babu and Shanthi to get married and are then told they need to resolve their relationship. Once graduate, they try to tell each other how much they care, unwittingly passing each other on the train platforms and communicating through letters instead. In an ironic twist, it is Jenny who uncovers the fiancé situation and they are to be wed, securing a happy ending for the pair.

“Kushi” is an exhilarating romantic comedy that exuberantly depicts the mischievous but messy tangle of young love and fraternal friendship. The funny, smart script strikes a perfect balance between comedic moments and contemplative reflection, making for a genuinely entertaining, relatable experience that has touched everyone who’s experienced the highs and lows of falling in and out of love. Surprisingly beautiful and quite unforgettable.