96

Cinephile deep dive

The take

C. Prem Kumar directs. N. Shanmuga Sundaram behind the camera. Govindh Vasantha scores. R. Govindaraj cuts. Produced in India. Dialogue in Tamil.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Clocks in at 159 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
• 2Released 8 years ago.
• 3Directed by C. Prem Kumar, shot by N. Shanmuga Sundaram. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Govindh Vasantha. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor R. Govindaraj shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan and Aditya Baskar carry the top of the cast.
• 7IMDB entry: tt7019842 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography

N. Shanmuga Sundaram

Original score

Govindh Vasantha

Editing

R. Govindaraj

Sound

S. Alagia Koothan

Runtime

159 min · 2h 39m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

TA

IMDB

96 (2018) ↗

Also by

C. Prem Kumar

• 
  Meiyazhagan

  2024 · ★ 8.2
• 
  Jaanu

  2020 · ★ 6.1

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  96 Trailer | Vijay Sethupathi, Trisha | Madras Enterprises | C.Prem Kumar | Govind Vasantha

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• badelf2025-11-25
  ★ 9/10

  The soundtrack of "96" is so integral to the film that it's impossible to say whether the story was built around the music or the music composed for the story like a glove. Either way, Govind Vasantha's work doesn't just accompany the narrative—it is the narrative, carrying emotion that words cannot reach. This is a definite break from Bollywood convention—no dancing, no spectacle. Just excellent performances across the board, particularly from Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan, who convey years of longing and regret through the quietest gestures. This film works on two levels. On the surface, it's deeply emotional, a bittersweet reunion between first loves separated by time and circumstance. But on a deeper level, "96" is about the personal journey we all navigate, the questions we ask ourselves in quiet moments: What if I had done something different here? It echoes Robert Frost's two roads diverging in a yellow wood, and the choices that define us. Personally, I always fall back on Carlos Castaneda's shaman, Don Juan, who reminds us: "There are no wrong paths, so make sure you have chosen a path with heart." "96" understands this wisdom. It's not about regret for the road not taken, but about honoring the love that shaped us, even if we couldn't keep it.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• MA

  Madras Enterprises

Key crew

• Playback SingerNassar
• Playback SingerChinmayi Sripaada
• Playback SingerPradeep Kumar
• Playback SingerGovindh Vasantha
• Sound DesignerS. Alagia Koothan
• EditorR. Govindaraj
• Public RelationsMounam Ravi
• LyricistUma Devi
• ProducerS. Nandhagopal
• PublicistGopi Prasannaa
• DialogueC. Prem Kumar
• Production ExecutiveKovai Vijaya Kumar
• Costume DesignerSubhashree Kaarthik Vijay
• LyricistKarthik Netha
• Sound DesignerG. Suren
• Art DirectionVinoth Rajkumar
• Playback SingerKalyani Menon

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• school girl love
• school love

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical2018-10-04