NGK (film)

Last updated

NGK
NGK film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Selvaraghavan
Written bySelvaraghavan
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Sivakumar Vijayan
Edited by Praveen K. L.
Music by Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production
company
Distributed by Reliance Entertainment
Release date
  • 31 May 2019 (2019-05-31)
Running time
150 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

NGK (an abbreviation for Nandha Gopalan Kumaran) is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language political action film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. Suriya stars in the title role with, Sai Pallavi, and Rakul Preet Singh as the lead actresses while Devaraj, Ponvannan, Nizhalgal Ravi, and Rajkumar play supporting roles. Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the music and Sivakumar Vijayan was the cinematographer. The film was produced by S. R. Prakashbabu and S. R. Prabhu of Dream Warrior Pictures.

Contents

Pre-production and principal photography commenced in January 2018, concluding the following year in January. The film was released on 31 May 2019 to a mixed reception from both critics and audience. [1]

Plot

Nandha Gopalan Kumaran is a social worker and do-gooder, specialised in organic farming. He has huge support from the youngsters in his hometown, Srivilliputhur, who were inspired by him quitting his high-profile job to serve his country. He lives with his mother Viji; his father Ramanan, a former military officer; and his possessive wife, Geetha Kumari, who is a major strength for him.

Kumaran happens to meet an old friend, Raja, the right hand man of the area MLA, while trying to solve the problem of a few youngsters. He gets a big shock upon finding that what he tried for a long time and failed was done by his friend through the area councillor in a single phone call. Meanwhile, a few shopkeepers, middlemen, and others who are alarmed by Kumaran's organic farming give him an ultimatum and later attack the people and burn their farms using chemicals when he refuses to give up. To make things good, Aruna Giri, a native, asks Kumaran to meet the MLA, Pandiyan, who happens to be a ruthless narcissist. He agrees to help if Kumaran joins his political party, KMK, along with 500 others from his villages, to which he is forced to comply. Pandiyan ill-treats Kumaran and asks him to clean his toilet, buy biriyani, and even bring a sex worker. Though furious at first, he decides to use the situation to gain Pandiyan's trust and, in the process do good for his village. He discovers that Raja is suffering from terminal cancer and will not live long.

Kumaran happens to meet Vanathi Thiagarajan, who was appointed by the party with a monthly income of 2 crore to help them win the upcoming elections. Impressed by Kumaran, she seeks his opinion and soon starts an affair with him, much to his wife's suspicion. Kumaran asks Vanathi to select Kesavamoorthy, the Home Minister, as their target. Despite threats from Killivazhavan "Killi," the Chief Minister, he manages to expose the ill deeds of Kesavamoorthy and arrange a scripted revolt for their party's benefit. However, Raja makes Kumaran kill him so as to intensify the people's emotions for their party and make the latter an important figure. Kumaran is arrested and later admitted to the hospital. Killi is shocked to find that Kumaran has turned the tide against him and decides to kill him. Kumaran is soon confronted by goons in doctors' disguise, whom he single-handedly defeats with great difficulty. The next day, he puts up a show in front of his villagers, gaining their trust. Pichai Muthu "Pichai", the leader of KMK, is alarmed by the popularity of Kumaran and also finds that Vanathi is helping him. He decides to nominate Kumaran as the candidate for the upcoming elections to the legislative assembly.

As his character became negative after being ill-treated by Pandiyan, Kumaran makes up a plot to kill his own family to become the chief minister. The night when he was to address his villagers, as per his plan, goons arranged by him attacked them, and his wife gets stabbed, but the goons could not kill her because Vanathi came to her rescue. However, the goons successfully kill his parents according to his plan. An angry Kumaran addresses the gathering by pretending to be with full vigour, causing them to kill Pichai and his accomplices while a bomb blasts. Vanathi decides to leave her relationship with Kumaran. Kumaran forms a new party, Makkal Munnetra Kazhakam, and wins the upcoming elections. He reunites with his wife. Kumaran becomes the new chief minister and while in a channel interview, he mentions strengthening his hold in the state.

Cast

Production

Development

On 17 November 2016, Suriya announced that his 36th film in the lead role, tentatively titled Suriya36, would be written and directed by Selvaraghavan and produced by S. R. Prakash Babu and S. R. Prabhu under Dream Warrior Pictures. [2] On 30 October, the makers announced that principal photography would commence in January 2018. [3] The cinematography was handled by Sivakumar Vijayan and the editing by Praveen K. L. [4] The official title NGK was announced on 5 March 2018, [5] and stands for the title character's name Nandha Gopalan Kumaran. [6]

Casting and filming

In late February 2017, it was reported that Rakul Preet Singh was in consideration for the lead actress role. [7] She reportedly signed the role in early August. [8] In mid December, Sai Pallavi was reported to play a crucial role. [9] Prabhu, during a media interaction in mid December, announced that Pallavi had signed the film, while Singh was still in talks. [10] On 6 January 2018, Singh was confirmed to be part of the cast. [11] Jagapathi Babu joined the cast that June. [12] Principal photography began in January 2018, [13] [14] and wrapped in January 2019. [15]

Soundtrack

NGK
Soundtrack album by
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Released29 April 2019
Recorded2018
Genre Soundtrack
Length14:08
Label Sony Music
Producer Yuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja chronology
Super Deluxe
(2019)		NGK
(2019)		 Sindhubaadh
(2019)
External audio
Nuvola apps arts.svg Official Audio Jukebox on YouTube
Nuvola apps arts.svg Official Audio Jukebox on YouTube

The score and soundtrack were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. [16] The first single "Thandalkaaran" was released on 12 April 2019. [17] The audio launch was held on 29 April 2019. [18]

Tamil Track-List
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Thandalkaaran" Kabilan Ranjith 3:38
2."Thimiranumda" Vignesh Shivan Jithin Raj 3:56
3."Anbe Peranbe"Uma Devi Sid Sriram, Shreya Ghoshal 4:30
4."Pothachaalum" Selvaraghavan Shivam2:04
Total length:14:08
Telugu Track-List
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Vaddeelodu Vachene"ChandraboseSathyan03:38
2."Thiragabadu"ChandraboseJithin Raj03:56
3."Prema O Premaa"ChandraboseSid Sriram, Hemambiga04:30
4."Anachivesinaa"Rajesh A MoorthySarath Santhosh02:04
Total length:14:08

Marketing

A Twitter emoji related to NGK was unveiled on 31 May 2019, and was active until 4 June. [4]

Release

NGK is the first Tamil film to release in South Korea. [19] The satellite rights were sold to Star Vijay and digital streaming rights were secured by Amazon Prime Video. [20] The film was released worldwide in theatres on 31 May 2019. [1]

Critical reception

Hindustan Times stated that "Despite all the hype, Suriya starrer NGK fails as a political thriller. NGK could have been darker but it is not. Also, the film lacks cohesiveness and it is evident in its writing". [21] M. Suganth of The Times of India gave it 2 out of 5 stars stating, "NGK is a letdown and doesn't fulfill any of the promises it has on paper". [22] Srinivasa Ramanujam of The Hindu called it an oddly put together mash up of a movie. He concluded by stating, "NGK is Suriya trying to deliver a Selvaraghavan-ish performance when the director himself is trying to deliver a Shankar/Murugadoss-ish film. The results aren't extremely pleasing". [23] S. Subakeerthana of The Indian Express rated the film 2.5/5 and stated, "Works to some extent, elevated by Suriya's performance... NGK, on the whole isn't satisfying. Simply put, it is neither a Selvaraghavan nor a Suriya film." [24] Sreedhar Pillai for Firstpost rated it 2.5/5 and stated that "NGK ends up becoming a compromise film which is neither massy nor classy." [25] News18 rated it 1.5/5 and stated that "We have seen this ever so often on screen." [26]

Reappraisal

Similar to the director's previous films Pudhupettai and Aayirathil Oruvan , the film initially received a mixed response from critics. Websites like Samayam and Sify have decoded the film for movie-goers to understand the hints present in the film. [27] [28]

Related Research Articles

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Selvaraghavan is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and actor who has directed and acted predominantly Tamil films and few Telugu films. He had his directorial debut with Thulluvadho Ilamai (2002). Still, his father is credited for business reasons, which stars his brother Dhanush, Selvaraghavan went on to make a series of romantic drama films with Kadhal Kondein (2003) and 7G Rainbow Colony (2004) before also venturing into coming-of-age films Pudhupettai (2006) and Mayakkam Enna (2011), both starring Dhanush. He has also ventured into making science fiction and fantasy films, such as depicting a fantasy Chola kingdom in Aayirathil Oruvan (2010) and a parallel universe in Irandam Ulagam (2013). He has been critically acclaimed for his directorial skills.

<i>Nandhaa</i> 2001 Indian action drama film by Bala

Nandhaa is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Bala. The film stars Suriya in the lead role, while Laila, Rajkiran, Saravanan, and Rajshree play other supporting roles. The film also marked the debut of comedian Karunas. The soundtrack was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja with cinematography by R. Rathnavelu and editing by Suresh Urs.

<i>Kaadhal Kondein</i> 2003 film by Selvaraghavan

Kaadhal Kondein is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic psychological thriller film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, credited as his directorial debut. The film stars his brother Dhanush and newcomers Sonia Agarwal and Sudeep Sarangi, while Nagesh and Daniel Balaji play supporting roles. The film, which has music scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja and cinematography handled by Arvind Krishna, was released on 4 July 2003, becoming a critical and commercial success upon release. The film is considered a major breakthrough for Dhanush as it catapulted him into the league of lead actors in the Tamil film industry.

<i>Pudhupettai</i> 2006 film by K. Selvaraghavan

Pudhupettai is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by Selvaraghavan starring his brother Dhanush in the lead role, while Sonia Agarwal and Sneha play supporting roles. It follows the story of a slum-dwelling student from Pudhupettai who rises to become a dreaded gangster in North Chennai as a means of survival.

<i>Mounam Pesiyadhe</i> 2002 Indian film

Mounam Pesiyadhe is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film, written and directed by Ameer in his directorial debut. It stars Suriya in the lead along with newcomers Nandha, Trisha, Neha Pendse and choreographer-turned-actor Anju Mahendra in supporting roles along with several other newcomers, while Laila appears in a cameo role during the climax. It also marks the first film for Trisha as lead actress after playing a cameo role in Jodi (1999). The major part of the film is shot in Pondicherry. The film, released on 13 December 2002 and turned out to be a hit at the box office. It was remade in Telugu as Aadanthe Ado Type (2003) and later dubbed in the same language as Kaanchu (2013).

<i>Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule</i> 2007 Indian film

Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule is a 2007 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. The film stars Venkatesh, K. Viswanath and Trisha while Sriram, Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sunil play supporting roles. The music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The film's title is based on a song from Missamma (1955), which is partially featured in this film.

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<i>Aayirathil Oruvan</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Selvaraghavan

Aayirathil Oruvan is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action-adventure film written and directed by Selvaraghavan and produced by R. Ravindran. The film stars Karthi, Reemma Sen and Andrea Jeremiah with Parthiban playing a pivotal role. It revolves around three characters, Muthu (Karthi), Lavanya, and Anitha who embark on an adventure to search for a missing archaeologist. It is inspired loosely by the historical decline of the Chola dynasty and the rise of the Pandya dynasty.

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<i>Mayakkam Enna</i> 2011 film directed by Selvaraghavan

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NGK may refer to :

<i>Mayakkam Enna</i> (soundtrack) 2011 soundtrack album by G. V. Prakash Kumar

Mayakkam Enna is the soundtrack to the 2011 film of the same name directed by Selvaraghavan starring Dhanush and Richa Gangopadhyay. The soundtrack is composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar with lyrics written by Dhanush and Selvaraghavan, the former in his songwriting debut. The soundtrack was released by Gemini Audio on 23 September 2011.

<i>Peranbu</i> (soundtrack) 2018 soundtrack album by Yuvan Shankar Raja

Peranbu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2019 film of the same name directed by Ram and produced by P. L. Thenappan starring Mammootty and Anjali. The film's soundtrack is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja with lyrics written by Vairamuthu, Sumathy Ram and Karunakaran. The soundtrack was released under the Saregama record label on 15 July 2018 to positive reviews from critics and Yuvan won the Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for Best Music Director and was nominated for the SIIMA Award for Best Music Director.

References

  1. 1 2 "NGK first reviews: Suriya-Selvaraghavan film gets mixed reactions from audience". India Today . 31 May 2019. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  2. ↑ "Suriya next with director Selvaraghavan". The Times of India . 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "Selvaraghavan to direct Suriya's next". The Times of India . 30 October 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 "After Salman Khan and Vijay, Suriya does it for NGK". Cinema Express . 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  5. ↑ "'NGK' first look: Suriya's film looks very intriguing". The Times of India . 5 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Aiyappan, Ashameera (22 July 2018). "NGK second look: Suriya is Nandha Gopalan Kumaran". The Indian Express . Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  7. ↑ "Rakul to sign for another big flick?". The Times of India . 20 February 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Rakul signs Suriya-Selvaraghavan film?". The Times of India . 4 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Sai Pallavi in Selvaraghavan's next?". The Times of India . 19 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "Sai Pallavi in Suriya's film with Selvaraghavan". The Times of India . 20 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "Rakul Preet Singh, Sai Pallavi in Suriya's next!". The Times of India . 6 January 2018. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  12. ↑ "Jagapathi Babu on board for Suriya's 'NGK'". The New Indian Express . 25 June 2018. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Suriya 36 starts rolling; makers confirm Diwali 2018 release". Hindustan Times . 2 January 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "'Suriya 36' starts rolling, makers eye Diwali release for the much-awaited film". The Times of India . 22 January 2018. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "Suriya's NGK shoot wrapped up". The Times of India . 13 January 2019. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "Yuvan Shankar Raja reworks on 'NGK' album". The Times of India . 20 September 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  17. ↑ "NGK single Thandalkaaran out: Yuvan Shankar Raja gifts a slow folk number". India Today . 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  18. ↑ "NGK trailer-audio launch". The Indian Express . 30 April 2019. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  19. ↑ "Surya's 'NGK' becomes the first Tamil film to release in South Korea". The Times of India . 27 May 2019. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  20. ↑ "Suriya's NGK satellite and digital rights sold to Vijay TV and Prime Video respectively". in.com . 26 May 2019. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  21. ↑ Kumar, Karthik (31 May 2019). "NGK movie review: This Suriya starrer is an uneven political thriller". Hindustan Times . Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  22. ↑ Suganth, M. (31 May 2019). "NGK Movie Review". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  23. ↑ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (31 May 2019). "'NGK' movie review: An oddly-put together mash-up of a movie". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  24. ↑ Subakeerthana, S. (31 May 2019). "NGK movie review: Works to some extent, elevated by Suriya's performance". The Indian Express . Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  25. ↑ Pillai, Sreedhar (31 May 2019). "NGK movie review: Suriya holds Selvaraghavan's uneven and confused film together". Firstpost . Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  26. ↑ Bhaskaran, Gautaman (31 May 2019). "NGK Movie Review: An Over-dramatic Suriya Spoils the Party That Has a Great Theme". News18 . Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  27. ↑ "என்ஜிகே படத்துல இத்தனை விஷயம் இருக்கா? இதெல்லாம் நோட் பண்ணாம படம் நல்லா இல்லன்னு சொல்லிட்டோமே...!". Samayam (in Tamil). 3 June 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  28. ↑ "A patriot's tale: A critical decoding of Selvaraghavan's NGK". Sify . 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
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