Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu, starring Akshara Haasan and Usha Uthup, to be premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 25 March

The Tamil coming-of-age dramedy Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu (The Myth of The Good Girl) will be premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 25 March.

Produced by Trend Loud and written and directed by Raja Ramamurthy, the film stars Akshara Haasan as 19-year-old Pavithra, who hails from a conservative family. Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu features Usha Uthup, Anjana Jayaprakash, Malgudi Subha, Janaki Sabesh and Suresh Chandra Menon.

The Tamil feature has been screened at several international film festivals such as HBO's South Asian International Film Festival, Caleidoscope Indian Film Festival at Boston, Chicago South Asian Film Festival, Atlanta Indian Film Festival, Tasveer South Asian Film Festival at Seattle and the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival in Canada.

The film’s title looks at the four ‘ideal’ qualities that every good Tamil girl must possess: achcham (fear), madam (innocence), naanam (coyness), payirppu (chastity). The press release for the feature states that Pavithra is in that “awkward stage between being a curious teenager and a smart woman and struggles to strike a balance between societal expectations and personal desires”.

Writer-director Raja Ramamurthy excitedly stated, “I am thrilled that my directorial debut Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu will be premiering on Amazon Prime Video. It is a very relatable story, narrated from a young girl’s point of view, which has never been attempted before in Tamil cinema.”

He continued, “I worked with a predominantly female cast and crew, and their inputs helped bring to life the female perspective brilliantly. It was an absolute pleasure directing the young and highly versatile Akshara and a seasoned veteran like Usha Uthup and I am honoured to work with them in my very first film. I am confident that viewers across the country will enjoy our labour of love.”

“When Raja narrated the story to me, I instantly knew I wanted to be a part of this film,” Akshara revealed. “Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu is a slice-of-life, light-hearted watch. It’s a coming-of-age drama where a young girl struggles to find a balance between her desires and family pressures. I believe that every young adult will relate to my character in the film."

She added, “I am absolutely elated with the love and appreciation the film has received at several international film festivals and I am certain that Prime Video viewers across the country will enjoy this film.”

Usha said, “Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu is truly special for me, as it marks my return to Tamil cinema after a decade. I am playing the role of Akshara's grandmother in the film who is also a veteran Carnatic singer so I got to do some singing as well. I am quite thrilled with the way the film has turned out. Not only is it an entertaining watch, but also has a very important message for the audience: to be honest with yourself and your feelings.”