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] Selvaraghavan later announced his collaboration with Yuvan Shankar Raja for music, and Sivakumar Vijayan for cinematography. [4] [5] The official title NGK was announced on 5 March 2018, [6] and stands for the title character's name Nandha Gopalan Kumaran. [7]

Casting and filming

In late February 2017, it was reported that Rakul Preet Singh was in consideration for the lead actress role. [8] She reportedly signed the role in early August. [9] In mid December, Sai Pallavi was reported to play a crucial role. [10] Prabhu, during a media interaction in mid December, announced that Pallavi had signed the film, while Singh was still in talks. [11] On 6 January 2018, Singh was confirmed to be part of the cast. [12] Jagapathi Babu joined the cast that June. [13] Principal photography began in January 2018, [14] [15] and wrapped in January 2019. [16]

Soundtrack

NGK
Soundtrack album by
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 film's score and soundtrack were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. Shreya Ghoshal, Sid Sriram, and Ranjith are part of the album. [17]

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

Release

NGK is the first Tamil film to release in South Korea. [18] The satellite rights were sold to Star Vijay and digital streaming rights were secured by Amazon Prime Video. [19] The digital streaming rights for the Telugu version were secured by Aha Video IN.[ citation needed ]

The film was released worldwide on 31 May 2019.

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". [20] 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". [21] 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". [22] 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." [23] Behindwoods rated it 2.25/5 and stated that "NGK becomes a usual political drama but is watchable for Suriya's performance." [24] 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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuvan Shankar Raja</span> Indian composer and playback singer (born 1979)

Yuvan Shankar Raja is an Indian composer and playback singer. He mainly scores music for Tamil films along with few Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi films. Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use of Western music elements and often credited with having introduced hip hop to the Tamil film and music industry and started the "era of remixes" in Tamil Nadu which included mixed EDM and jazz. He is frequently referred to as the "BGM King" and the "Young Maestro" of Tamil Film Music. Yuvan has won two Filmfare Awards South, five Mirchi Music Awards South, three Vijay Awards and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suriya</span> Indian actor

Saravanan Sivakumar, known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor and film producer. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors. He has received numerous awards including two National Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards South and five Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Suriya has featured six times in the Celebrity 100 list of Forbes India, which takes into account the earnings of Indian celebrities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selvaraghavan</span> Indian actor and film director

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 K. Raja, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venkat Prabhu</span> Indian film director, actor, playback singer (born 1975)

Venkat Kumar Gangai Amaren, better known by his stage name Venkat Prabhu, is an Indian film director, actor and playback singer in Tamil cinema. After completing his education, he began pursuing an acting career, with his first three ventures featuring him in a starring role, failing to release, following which he began appearing in character roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jyothika</span> Indian actress

Jyothika Saravanan, known mononyomusly as Jyothika, is an Indian actress and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films in addition to Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. Appeared in over 50 Films, Jyothika has received several accolades including a National Film Award, five Filmfare Awards South, four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and the Kalaimamani Award. Jyothika is regarded as one of the most prolific actresses in Tamil cinema, and has been ranked among the best actresses of South India by the media.

<i>M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi</i> 2004 film by M. Raja

M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language sports dramedy film directed by M. Raja, starring Jayam Ravi, Asin, Nadhiya, and Prakash Raj, while Vivek and Subbaraju play supporting roles. This marks the Tamil debut of Asin and the first of several Tamil films she has acted in. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Srikanth Deva. The film became a blockbuster and one of the most profitable movies of 2004. It is a remake of the Telugu film Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi. It was Nadhiya's comeback movie, after a 10 years of hiatus from the 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. V. Prakash Kumar</span> Indian composer and actor (born 1987)

G. V. Prakash Kumar is an Indian composer, playback singer, actor, and film producer known for his work in Tamil cinema. His first film was S Pictures' Veyil (2006) and he gained fame in Tamil films by the early 2010s. He made his debut in acting on 2015 through Darling. He has won one National Award, three Filmfare Awards and three SIIMA Awards in his film career.

<i>Yaaradi Nee Mohini</i> 2008 film by Mithran Jawahar

Yaaradi Nee Mohini is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Mithran Jawahar in his directorial debut. It is a remake of the 2007 Telugu hit Selvaraghavan's Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule and stars Dhanush and Nayanthara in lead roles, whilst Karthik Kumar, Raghuvaran, Telugu film director K. Vishwanath, Karunas, and Saranya Mohan play supporting roles and slightly different climax. The music was scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The title is derived from a song from the 1958 film Uthama Puthiran.

<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.

<i>Thulluvadho Ilamai</i> 2002 film by Kasthuri Raja

Thulluvadho Ilamai is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language teen drama film written by Selvaraghavan, with direction credited to his father Kasthuri Raja. The film marks the acting debut of Selvaraghavan's brother Dhanush, who plays the lead role. The film also features newcomers Abhinay, Sherin, Ramesh, Shilpa and Gangeshwari in major roles, and features prominent film personalities Vijayakumar, Ramesh Khanna, and Pyramid Natarajan playing supporting roles.

<i>Avan Ivan</i> 2011 Indian film

Avan Ivan is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film written and directed by Bala, who with this project directs his fifth feature film. The film stars Vishal, Arya, while G. M. Kumar, R. K., Madhu Shalini, Janani Iyer, and Ambika play supporting roles. The film, produced by Kalpathi S. Agoram's AGS Entertainment, features music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematography by Arthur A. Wilson, and editing by Suresh Urs. Set in the backdrops of Theni, Avan Ivan illustrates the relationship between two boisterously playful half-brothers. According to Eros International, it was successful at the box office.

Mithran R. Jawahar is an Indian film director who works predominantly in Tamil cinema.

<i>Irandaam Ulagam</i> 2013 Indian film

Irandaam Ulagam is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic fantasy film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. Starring Arya and Anushka Shetty, the film's soundtrack was composed by Harris Jayaraj, with a score composed by Anirudh Ravichander and cinematography handled by Ramji. After several months of production, the film was released worldwide on 22 November 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rakul Preet Singh</span> Indian actress (born 1990)

Rakul Preet Singh is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil films. She has won several awards including a South Indian International Movie Award, in addition to four nominations at the Filmfare Awards South.

<i>Massu Engira Masilamani</i> 2015 film by Venkat Prabhu

Masss is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action horror comedy thriller film directed by Venkat Prabhu, who co-wrote the script with Madhan Karky. It was produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja's Studio Green and Aadnah Arts. The film stars Suriya in dual roles, alongside Nayanthara, Pranitha Subhash, Premgi, Parthiban, and Samuthirakani. It follows Masss, a con artist, who starts interacting with ghosts. During one such encounter, he stumbles upon Shakthi, a ghost who wants to seek revenge against his family's killers.

<i>Anjaan</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack album by Yuvan Shankar Raja

Anjaan is the soundtrack composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja for the 2014 Tamil film of the same name. Its Telugu version is titled Sikander. The soundtrack album features five songs, with lyrics written by four lyricists for the Tamil version, while Viveka had written two songs, Madhan Karky, Na. Muthukumar and Kabilan had written one each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sai Pallavi</span> Indian actress (born 1992)

Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. She has received numerous accolades, including six Filmfare Awards South and two South Indian International Movie Awards. She was featured by Forbes magazine as one of India's 30 Under 30 in 2020.

<i>Nenjam Marappathillai</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Selvaraghavan

Nenjam Marappathillai is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language horror film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. Jointly produced by Escape Artists Motion Pictures and GLO Studios, the film stars S. J. Suryah, Nandita Swetha, and Regina Cassandra. Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the film score and soundtrack, with cinematography and editing handled respectively by Arvind Krishna and Prasanna GK.

<i>Maari 2</i> 2018 film directed by Balaji Mohan

Maari 2 is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Balaji Mohan. It is a sequel to his 2015 film Maari. Dhanush, besides producing the film under his company Wunderbar Films, also stars as the title character, continuing his role from the first film. The film also stars Tovino Thomas,Sai Pallavi, Krishna and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar. The music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, the cinematography was done by Om Prakash and editing by Prasanna GK. The film was released on 21 December 2018 and received mixed reviews from critics, becoming a box office failure.

References

  1. "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. "IT IS OFFICIAL: 'YES..THE JOURNEY BEGINS'". Behindwoods. 22 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  5. "BREAKING NEWS: MUSIC DIRECTOR OF SURIYA-SELVARAGHAVAN FILM ANNOUNCED". Behindwoods. 20 January 2018. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  6. "'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.
  7. "BREAKING: SURIYA 36 – NGK'S FULL FORM REVEALED!". Behindwoods. 5 March 2018. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  8. "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.
  9. "Rakul signs Suriya-Selvaraghavan film?". The Times of India . 4 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. "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.
  11. "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.
  12. "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.
  13. "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.
  14. "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.
  15. "'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.
  16. "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.
  17. "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.
  18. "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.
  19. "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.
  20. "NGK movie review: This Suriya starrer is an uneven political thriller". Hindustan Times . 31 May 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  21. "NGK Review". The Times of India . 31 May 2019. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  22. 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.
  23. "NGK movie review: Works to some extent, elevated by Suriya's performance". The Indian Express . 31 May 2019. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  24. "NGK MOVIE REVIEW". Behindwoods. 31 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  25. "NGK movie review: Suriya holds Selvaraghavan's uneven and confused film together". Firstpost . 31 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  26. "NGK Movie Review: An Over-dramatic Suriya Spoils the Party That Has a Great Theme". News18 . 31 May 2019. 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.