Nenjuku Needhi

Vijaya Raghavan, an IPS officer, gets posted in a rural part of Tamil Nadu, where caste discrimination and untouchability are still in practice. Though Vijaya Raghavan has read about discrimination in many books, it gets difficult for him to confront these problems in real life. While he is still grappling with the ideologies of the people around him and trying to educate them, a mysterious case of three missing Dalit girls, who were employed in the local factory, makes his life more miserable. Two are found dead, but the case gets complicated, as there is no trace of the third one. Who is behind this heinous crime, and how Vijaya Raghavan takes this case forward despite pressure from his casteist higher officials forms the rest of the plot.

In September 2019, it was announced that Boney Kapoor had purchased the Tamil remake rights of the 2019 Hindi film Article 15.^[5] In August 2020, Kapoor confirmed that the remake was in development. It is Arunraja Kamaraj's second film as director after Kanaa (2019). Udhayanidhi Stalin was chosen to play the lead role originally done by Ayushman Khurrana;^[6] the director said Udhayanidhi's political background had nothing to do with his casting.^[7] Principal photography began in April 2021 in Pollachi.^[8] A week after filming began, Aari Arujunan joined the cast.^[9] The title Nenjuku Needhi, named after the autobiography of Udhayanidhi's grandfather M. Karunanidhi, was announced on 16 October 2021.^[10][11] Principal photography wrapped in mid-December.^[12]

The film's music is composed by Dhibu Ninan Thomas.^[13]

The Times of India gave a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and wrote, "A deeply-affecting and powerful film on caste disparities and inequality".^[18] Puthiya Thalaimurai felt the film would win because it spoke a lot of hard-hitting facts throughout.^[19] ABP Nadu wrote the filmmakers criticised the caste that politicians see and those who make a living by doing politics on the basis of caste; Udhayanidhi could be praised for that.^[20] Ananda Vikatan wrote that the film speaks of the pain of the oppressed, the guiltless power of the dominant forces, and the role that all of society has in the tyranny of untouchability.^[21] The New Indian Express gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "A heartfelt exploration of an important problem".^[22] The Hindu wrote "The remake is well-adapted to suit the social milieu of Tamil Nadu, but doesn't quite immerse you into its world like its original".^[23] The News Minute wrote, "Much like the Bollywood original, Nenjuku Needhi turns oppression into spectacle and denies dignity to the very people it claims to represent".^[24]

Ashameera Aiyappan from Firstpost gave 3 out of 5 rating and stated, "Udhayanidhi's presence makes these additions more significant -- the actor's political lineage and career are no secret. But there's also no denying that they are well-done. Udhayanidhi's involvement means we have a few shots of him against the rising sun. But thankfully, the film doesn't indulge in them too much. Udhayanidhi gives an earnest performance and is well-aided by the ensemble of excellent supporting actors."^[25] Aditya Shrikrishna form Mint noted that 'As much as Nenjukku Needhi is well-intentioned, it could have done with embellishments providing cultural and temporal context".^[26] Maalai Malar lauded the cast performances, direction, screenplay and background score.^[27] Dinamalar gave 3 out of 5 stars, appreciating the background score and cinematography but felt the film was slow paced, and was mildly critical of the screenplay.^[28] Zee News appreciated Arunraja Kamaraj for conveying the emotions of Article 15 without distorting its soul, and Udhayanidhi's performance.^[29]