Mitr. My Friend (मित्र. मै फ्रेंड) 2002

Published on April 26, 2013 in Cinema

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Crew
Cast
Plot
Box Office
Awards
Trailor(s)

Banner	Telephoto Entertainments Ltd., iDream Productions
Director	Revathy
Writer	V. Priya
Producer	Telephoto Entertainments Limited
Orginal music	Bhavatharini Ilaiyaraaja
Cinematography	Fowzia Fathima
Film Editing	Beena Paul
Art Director
Camera Operator
Assistant Cameramen
Playback Singers	Hariharan, Sunita Sarathy, Kavita Krishnamurthy , Bombay Jayashri , Vasundhara Das,

Character	Actor / Actress
Lakshmi	Shobana
Prithivi (as Nasir Abdullah)	Nassar Abdulla
Divya	Preeti Vissa
Steve (as Matthew Phillips)	Matt Phillips
Paul	Blake Ormsby
Pam	Shirley Bennett
Brian	Brian G. Linebaugh
Rachel	Janine Pibal
Robbie	Michael Bailey
Lakshimi's Mother	Chandralleman
Lakshmi's Father	Sreeninasan
Lakshimi's Brother	Karthik
Lakshimi's Friend (as Kokila)	Kokila Krishna
Lakshimi's Friend (as Pooja)	Pooja Vir
Lakshimi's Friend	Srilakshmi
Prithivi's Mother	Homai Barnia
Prithivi's Father	Ramchana Asrami
Prithivi's Grandmother	Mrs. Lalatihe
Relative (as Komal)	Poonam Sinha
Relative	Latila Kelunni
Relative	Major Kelunni
Relative	Radhika Menon
Relative	Randall Giles
Relative	Rasheeda
Title Dancer	Aparatitha
Title Dancer	Anvadortha
Title Dancer	Pavasaagari
Driver	Venugopal
Office Colleague	Carole Miranda
Office Colleague	Dawn Nott
Office Colleague	Jackoh Herzog
Office Colleague	Karl Do Pratz
Office Colleague	Keith Maupin
Office Colleague	Lorrie Rothen
Office Colleague	Mark Barkley
Office Colleague	Michael Chilcote
Office Colleague	Presiliano Miranda
Office Colleague	Tim Halpin
Grocery Store Cashier	Barbara Durston
Shopper	Elaine Nelson
Shopper	Rhonda Oxley
Divya's Friend (as Erin Hemenway)	Erin Neal
Divya's Friend	Jennifer Goodwin
Divya's Friend	Jeffrey Nelson
Divya's Friend	Krystal Amber
Divya's Friend	Sean Tyster
Soccer Coach	Shawn Flanagan
Soccer Team Mate	Ami Patel
Soccer Team Mate	Anna Kurklanrose
Soccer Team Mate	Jerrie Oeoumia
Soccer Team Mate	Kayta Karingayboa
Soccer Team Mate	Laura Koshy
Soccer Team Mate	Olivia Lee
Soccer Team Mate	Sawdnya Jacob
Student on Soccer Field	Angelica De Witt
Student on Soccer Field	Christopher Potter
Student on Soccer Field	Irma Rangel Alarcon
Student on Soccer Field	Jesse Hall
Student on Soccer Field	Julie Kanter
Student on Soccer Field	Katrina Meacham
Student on Soccer Field	Kevin Sifflet
Student on Soccer Field	Lisa Horst
Student on Soccer Field	Miles Ashlock
Student on Soccer Field	Rajeshi Rao
Carpentry Instructor	Joe Burman
Carpentry Student	Angre
Carpentry Student	T.J. Metz
Carpentry Student	Josha
Dance Instructor	Gina Da Guina
Tap Dancer	Andrea Virdell
Tap Dancer	Ashley Archer
Tap Dancer	Audrey Hurtaddi
Tap Dancer	Claire Viall
Tap Dancer	Cassie Virdell
Tap Dancer	Jenra Virdell
Tap Dancer	Jessie Schnell
Tap Dancer	Kimberly Pereria
Tap Dancer	Katie Kingson
Tap Dancer	Kristina Kingson
Tap Dancer	Mellisa Paragas
Tap Dancer	Tara Johnstone
Tap Dancer	Tricia Ignacio
Nurse	Anna Paris
Baby Divya	Iman Hassen
Divya (age 2)	Armaan
Lady in Clothing Shop	Alison Ormsex
Waitress at Warf	Amy Zarzana

"Mitr, My Friend" is a film about the plight of women who sacrifice their life for the betterment of their family. It also describes the cultural differences experienced by a small town girl on moving to a transposed environment.

The film opens with the marriage proceedings of a South Indian arranged marriage between Lakshmi (Shobhana) and Prithvi (Nasir Abdullah). Lakshmi is a typical South Indian girl from Chidambaram; Prithvi is a software engineer working in California. After the wedding, they move to the USA where Lakshmi gradually tries to fit into her new surroundings. The marriage is a happy union: Prithvi works hard at work, Lakshmi manages the home, and they grow to love one other deeply. Within a year, they are blessed with a baby girl Divya (Preeti Vissa).

The film flashes forward 17 years. Divya is a typical adolescent: she goes to school, plays soccer, and occasionally attends parties (not always with her parents' knowledge or permission). Lakshmi does not take to the partying very well, and tensions rise between mother and daughter. Divya aspires independence, and expresses herself by sidelining Lakshmi; Lakshmi wants her to be responsible, and expresses this by checking up on Divya a bit too much for Divya to be comfortable. Prithvi understands both sides, and tries to cope with Divya's growing up, but not always with full cognizance of Lakshmi's feelings. Things escalate one evening when Divya kisses her boyfriend Robbie outside her home. Lakshmi is furious, because of the traditional way that she was brought up, and drives Robbie away; Divya is furious at this kind of interference.

Divya moves out. Lakshmi is overwhelmed by this. Prithvi is angered because he finds out that Lakshmi had slapped Divya, and he is unable to do anything about it. He begins to drift away from Lakshmi. Amid this storm, Lakshmi seeks a shoulder in an Internet chat room, where she meets a "mitr" (Sanskrit: friend), with whom she is gradually able to share her thoughts and feelings. This connection yields another result: "mitr" points out Lakshmi is too committed to her family to indulge in herself. Lakshmi digests this and begins to explore her own interests in carpentry, dance, hairstyling, and thereby establishes a new identity and personality for herself. She becomes fast friends with her new neighbors Steve (a computer security consultant) and his kid brother Paul.

Prithvi keeps his distance, however. And he is chagrined that the new Lakshmi is not the over-doting new wife: she is still affectionate, but has now learned the notions of space and tacit distance. But while he is inwardly glad she is growing, he discovers there is depleting room for him, particularly at a time when he is coping with his daughter's absence. Things come to a head when he overhears Lakshmi laughing with Steve, assumes the worst, and uses a convenient work related excuse to move out for a few days.

The film takes a turn when Lakshmi, now alone at home, receives a call from the hospital. Divya has broken up with Robbie and is now hurt. Divya realizes the outcomes of her previous decisions and decides to return home. Mother and daughter spend some quality time and bond over Lakshmi"s narration of nostalgic stories about her arrival to a new life in the USA. She is in touch with her "mitr" all through.

The film builds to its climax when she asks, at Divya's urging, "mitr" to meet in person at the Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. All is revealed when "mitr" turns out to be Prithvi.