WITH ULAGANAYAGAN, BEGAN THE NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR 'INNOCENCE'

There have been a lot of films based on children in the past and we will surely come across many more in the future as well. Children do have the power of determining which film a family would opt for. It is important for any commercial actor to impress kids to sustain in the current competitive market.

With Manikandan’s Kaakka Muttai, which won the National Film Award for the Best Children’s Film, set to release coming Friday, the 5th of June, we thought of revisiting some of the memorable Tamil films made for and with children.

Anjali, Saivam, Enna Satham Indha Neram, Anbulla Rajinikanth, My Dear Kuttichathan, Poovarasam Peepee, Raja Chinna Roja, Haiku, Malli, Pasanga, Goli Soda, Marina, Kutty and Bommukutty Ammavukku among others are few films that are children-centric.

Some of these movies have been critically acclaimed while some have turned out to be commercially successful.
 

Then child actors like Kamal Haasan, Kutty Padmini and Rajkumar were honored for starring in National Award winning films for the Best Feature Film - Tamil, Kalathur Kannamma (1959), Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum (1965) and Ramu (1966) respectively. Apparently the National Award for Best Child Artist category was instituted in 1968. Baby Rani was the first to be conferred with this coveted award for Kuzhanthaikkaga (1967).

And below is the list of child artistes who have won National Awards in the Best Child Artist category.
 

Baby Rani - Kuzhanthaikkaga  - 1967

Shamili, Tarun & Shruthi - Anjali - 1990

P. Shwetha - Malli - 1998

Udaya Raj - Nilaa Kaalam - 2000

P. Shwetha - Kutty - 2001

P. S. Keerthana - Kannathil Muthamittal - 2002

Kishore and Sri Ram - Pasanga - 2009

Baby Sadhana  - Thanga Meenkal - 2013

Ramesh Thilaganathan & J. Vignesh - Kaakka Muttai - 2014