Nadunisi Naaygal

Last updated

Nadunisi Naaygal
Nadunisi Naaygal.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon
Written byGautham Vasudev Menon
Produced byReshma Ghatala
Venkat Somasundaram
Elred Kumar
Madan
Starring Veera
Sameera Reddy
Deva
Ashwin
Cinematography Manoj Paramahamsa
Edited by Anthony Gonsalves
Production
company
Distributed by RS Infotainment
Release date
  • 18 February 2011 (2011-02-18)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Budget₹1.5 crore (US$190,000) [1]
Box office2 cr

Nadunisi Naaygal (transl. Midnight Dogs) is a 2011 Tamil-language experimental psychological thriller film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon that stars Veera, Sameera Reddy and Deva, with Swapna Abraham and Ashwin (in his debut) in other pivotal roles. [2] [3] The film notably has no score, instead featuring sounds designed by Renganaath Ravee. Produced by Photon Kathaas Productions and R. S. Infotainment, Nadunissi Naaygal released on 18 February 2011, simultaneously dubbed and released in Telugu as Erra Gulabilu. [4] The title Nadunisi Naaygal is taken from the title of a poem of Sundara Ramasamy. [5]

Contents

Plot

Samar (Veera), an eight-year-old motherless boy lives with his father in Mumbai. The father leads a colourful life indulging his sexual passions. Samar is sexually abused by his father and is rescued by his neighbour, a middle aged single woman Meenakshi Amma (Swapna Abraham). She names him Veera, takes him under her wing and protects him. Daunted and chased by the ghosts of his painful past, Veera rapes Meenakshi Amma. She, though reluctant at first, indulges in the act. After coming back to her senses the next morning, she refuses Veera's apology and decides to marry her colleague. On her first night, where they consummate their marriage, Veera stabs the man brutally and sets him and the room on fire. Meenakshi Amma is injured in the fire. After treatment, he brings back the scar-faced woman to his bungalow. After a few weeks, Veera meets a girl named Priya (Priya) on the Internet and they fall for each other. He invites her home and they grow intimate, interrupted by a loud scream from Priya, because Meenakshi Amma stabs her brutally. She orders Veera to cut off Priya's hair as she wants it.

In the following years, Veera kidnaps women, rapes them and finally kills them in cold-blood. As the murders continue, Veera stumbles upon Sukanya (Sameera Reddy), a girl he fell in love with in 10th grade at a theatre with her boyfriend Arjun (Ashwin). He lies to her that he had gone with another girl and offers her a ride home. An upset Sukanya agrees but does not know that Veera had been stalking her. Veera suddenly slaps her, making her unconscious and kisses her. Disgusted and terrified, Sukanya then finds Arjun in a pool of blood, in the backseat of the car. Sukanya tries to escape, engages in a fist fight with Veera but is stabbed in the abdomen. Police surround the car and take Sukanya to a hospital.

A bystander who had sensed something fishy with Veera's car follows him to his bungalow and informs the Assistant Commissioner Vijay (Deva). Veera takes Sukanya to his bungalow and informs Meenakshi Amma that he loves this girl truly and is going to live the rest of his life with her. Sukanya tries to escape but is captured by Veera. Veera says to Sukanya that Samar is responsible for all these events and murdered all the victims and even Meenakshi Amma. He says Meenakshi Amma is actually dead, but Samar still thinks she is alive. In a few moments, Vijay arrives at the residence and is confronted by four Rottweilers ready to pounce on him.

Alarmed by this, Veera tries to fend him off. He returns to take Sukanya into a hidden basement, where another two girls are captives, with their heads half-tonsured. He locks her in the basement and fights with Vijay. Sukanya, meanwhile, finds a way into the bungalow, takes a gun and shoots at Veera. He is shocked as he thinks it was Meenakshi Amma who shot at him. All this is recorded on tape as Veera narrates it to the Assistant Commissioner. Finally he is taken to a mental asylum where another patient (Samantha) is also shown as a psychopath, victimised due to child sexual abuse and the end credits roll.

Cast

Production

Menon claimed that the film was inspired by a true event from the US, adding that a novel helped form the story of the film. The movie theme however is found to be very similar to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" [6] During production, he explicitly revealed that the film was for "the multiplex audience" and would face a limited release, citing that "it will not cater to all sections of the audience". [6]

Reception

The film opened to mixed reviews. A Sify critic rated the film as "above average", citing that "Don’t go expecting a typical Gautham romantic film laced with peppy songs, be prepared to try out something new and experimental." Further he stated that the film "is definitely not for the family audiences", while criticising that "there are too many loopholes in the story, raising doubts about logic". [7] Another reviewer from Sify gave the film 2.5 out of 5, while describing the film as an "unimpressive show by star director Menon, as it is neither convincing nor appealing, despite having some engrossing moments". [8] Rediff's Pavithra Srinivasan, too, gave the film 2.5 out of 5, citing that the film "has a serious premise and is pretty realistic. But if you've watched any kind of Hollywood thriller at all, then the appeal is lost". [9] Times of India in its review wrote that "in his earlier movies [...] Gautham Menon had pushed the envelope when it came to presentation and themes, but in Nadunisi Naaygal he takes it a bit too far. Best, let the sleeping dogs lie", giving it 2 out of 5. [10] Aravindan DI of Nowrunning.com gave the film a score of 2.5 on 5 deeming it as "An unimpressive show, as it is neither convincing nor appealing." [11] Siddhartha of Silentcritics.com in his review wrote that it was not worth the money and time. [12]

The film also went through harsh criticism for the intimate controversial scene between Veera and Swapna Abraham. Protests were staged in front of Menon's residence, who clarified that the scene is shown in an aesthetic manner and it is a sensitive story about a psychopath. When asked whether the scene would be removed from the film, Menon, as candid as ever, said the film would be removed soon from theatres as it was not doing good business. [13]

In contrast, Behindwoods gave it a positive review, giving it 3.5 out of 5. The reviewer labelled the film as a "differently made psychological thriller", adding that the film is "engaging right through and the desire of wanting to know 'what next' propels it in a uniform pace." Further praise was addressed to the director who "should also be applauded for not bowing down to any cinematic syntax", congratulating him "for the brave attempt to drive home a socially relevant point in a dignified manner". [14] Rohit Ramachandran of Nowrunning.com put it at No. 4 in his 'Best of 2011' list. [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Kandaen</i> 2011 Indian Tamil romantic comedy

Kandaen is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Mugil, and produced by TCS. It stars Shanthnoo Bhagyaraj and Rashmi Gautam in lead along with Santhanam, Vijayakumar, nirmala kumari and Ashish Vidyarthi in pivotal roles. The film, which was launched in May 2010, created curiosity after noted film-maker Gautham Vasudev Menon's newly launched audio label selected the film's soundtrack to be its first release. It was released on 20 May 2011 to average reviews from critics and was performed averagely at the box office, but Shanthnu's and Santhanam's comedy was appreciated. The film was dubbed and released in Telugu as Balapam Patti Bhama Odilo in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gautham Vasudev Menon</span> Indian filmmaker

Gautham Vasudev Menon is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor who predominantly works in Tamil film industry. He has also directed Telugu and Hindi films that either simultaneously shot with or remakes of his own Tamil films.

<i>Vaaranam Aayiram</i> 2008 film by Gautham Vasudev Menon

Vaaranam Aayiram is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon and produced by V. Ravichandran of Aascar Films. The film stars Suriya in dual lead roles as father and son, with Sameera Reddy, Simran and Divya Spandana in lead roles. The film features music composed by Harris Jayaraj, making Vaaranam Aayiram his last project with Menon before the formal break-up of their partnership, until they worked together again in Yennai Arindhaal (2015). Cinematography for the film has been handled by R. Rathnavelu and editing done by Anthony Gonsalvez.

Nepali is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir thriller film written and directed by V. Z. Durai and produced by Rama Saravanan. It stars Bharath and Meera Jasmine in the lead roles, while Govind Namdeo and Prem play supporting roles and Sangeetha in a guest appearance. The film marks Namdeo's Tamil debut. Bharath plays three different characters within one role in the movie. The film has music by Srikanth Deva, cinematography by Madhi and editing by Mathan Gunadeva. The film was shot in Ooty, Chennai and Hyderabad. It released on 10 April 2008.

Manoj Paramahamsa ISC is an Indian cinematographer, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam film industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. Venkatesh (director)</span> Indian film director

A. Venkatesh is an Indian film director and actor working in Tamil cinema. Beginning his career as an assistant, he directed his first film, Mahaprabhu, in 1996.

<i>Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa</i> 2010 film by Gautham Menon

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, starring Silambarasan and Trisha. Jointly produced by Elred Kumar, Jayaraman, VTV Ganesh and P. Madan under the banner Escape Artists Motion Pictures and RS Infotainment, the film was distributed by Udhayanidhi Stalin's Red Giant Movies. The story was simultaneously shot in Telugu as Ye Maaya Chesave, starring Naga Chaitanya and Samantha, however, with a different cast.

Veera is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language films. Closely associated with director Gautham Vasudev Menon, Veera has worked previously as Menon's assistant in the film Vaaranam Aayiram, before making his debut in the director's experimental thriller Nadunisi Naaygal (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photon Kathaas</span> Indian film production company

Photon Kathaas was an Indian film production company led by director Gautham Vasudev Menon. It was established in 2010 by Menon along with Venky Somasundaram and Reshma Ghatala, who worked as the co-promoters. Its name is derived from Gautham Menon's original company Photon Factory, which had previously co-produced several of Menon's films like Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu and Kaakha Kaakha, its Telugu remake Gharshana and Pachaikili Muthucharam.

<i>Vettai</i> 2012 Indian film

Vettai (transl. Hunt) is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film co produced, written and directed by N. Linguswamy. The film stars Arya, R.Madhavan,Sameera Reddy and Amala Paul in the supporting roles. The film score is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while cinematography is by Nirav Shah and editing handled by Anthony.

<i>Vedi</i> (film) 2011 Indian film

Vedi (transl. Cracker) is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Prabhu Deva. The film stars Vishal, Sameera Reddy and Poonam Kaur, while Vivek, Sayaji Shinde, and Urvashi play supporting roles. A remake of super hit Telugu film Souryam, the film was released on 30 September 2011 across 250 screens in Tamil Nadu, 62 screens in Kerala and 28 screens in Karnataka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashwin Kakumanu</span> Indian film actor

Ashwin Kakumanu is an Indian actor, who is best known for his role as Ganeshan in Venkat Prabhu's Mankatha.

<i>Vithagan</i> 2011 Indian film

Vithagan (transl. Trickster/Master) is a 2011 Tamil-language action film directed by R. Parthiban that features himself in the lead along with Poorna. The film, which has been in making since 2008, released on 18 November 2011. The film was the 50th film of Parthipan, has him in the role of a police officer, who is brainy as well as brawny. With an innovative tagline 'With the gun', 'Vithagan' has Poorna as heroine and music has been composed by Joshua Sridhar of 'Kadhal' fame. The film opened to extremely negative reviews and bombed at the box office.

<i>Thadaiyara Thaakka</i> 2012 Indian action thriller film

Thadaiyara Thaakka is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Magizh Thirumeni and produced under Feather Touch Entertainment. It stars Arun Vijay, Mamta Mohandas and Rakul Preet Singh. The title is derived from a devotional song titled Kanda Shasti Kavasam.

Elred KumarSanthanam is an Indian film director, writer, and producer, best known for his work on Ko, Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal, and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. His films were made under his production house, RS Infotainment.

<i>Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada</i> 2016 film by Gautham Menon

Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language romantic action thriller film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. The film stars Silambarasan and Manjima Mohan, while Baba Sehgal plays the role of a corrupt cop. The film revolves around a youngster who embarks on a road trip with his lady-love during which he meets with an accident which causes things to get out of control.

Udhay Avishek Karthik is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language films. Closely associated with director Gautham Vasudev Menon, Karthik has worked previously as Menon's assistant in the films Pachaikili Muthucharam (2007) and Vaaranam Aayiram (2008), before making a breakthrough as an actor through the director's experimental thriller Nadunisi Naaygal (2011).

Nalini Sriram is an Indian fashion costume designer and entrepreneur. She is considered one of the early pioneers of fashion designing for South Indian films.

<i>Kutty Story</i> 2021 Indian anthology film

Kutty Story is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language romantic anthology film, consisting of four short film segments directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, Vijay, Venkat Prabhu and Nalan Kumarasamy and produced by Ishari K. Ganesh under the banner of Vels Film International. The film stars Menon, Amala Paul, Vinoth Kishan, Amitash Pradhan, Megha Akash, Sunaina, Varun, Sakshi Agarwal, Vijay Sethupathi and Aditi Balan. The film was released on 12 February 2021.

The following is a list of unproduced Gautham Vasudev Menon projects in roughly chronological order. During his career, Indian film director Gautham Vasudev Menon has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the production stage under his direction. Some of these projects fell in development hell, were officially canceled, or would see life under a different production team.

References

  1. ↑ "The new darlings of Kollywood". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  2. ↑ Gautham Menon – Tamil Movie News – Gautham chooses Midnight Dogs – Gautham Menon | Sameera Reddy | Veera | Midnight Dogs – Behindwoods.com
  3. ↑ Gautham Menon – Tamil Movie News – Gautham Menon announces 2 films – Gautham Menon | Ajith | Nadunisi Naigal | Sameera Reddy | Veppam – Behindwoods.com
  4. ↑ Erra Gulabeelu Review | Erra Gulabeelu Movie Review | Telugu Movie Reviews
  5. ↑ கவுதம் வாசுதேவ் மேனனின் நடுநிசி நாய்கள்!
  6. 1 2 "Between Reviews: Shooting from the Lip « Baradwaj Rangan". Baradwajrangan.wordpress.com. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Movie Review:Nadunisi Naaygal
  8. ↑ 'Nadunisi Naaygal' an unimpressive show by star director Menon (Tamil Movie Review)
  9. ↑ Review: Nadunisi Naigal lacks thrills – Rediff.com Movies
  10. ↑ "Nadunisi Naaygal". The Times of India.
  11. ↑ 'Nadunisi Naaygal' an unimpressive show by star director Menon
  12. ↑ 'Nadunisi Naygal' Movie review
  13. ↑ "Protests For Nadunisi Naaygal – Nadunisi Naaygal – Gautham Vasudev Menon – Tamil Movie News". Behindwoods.com. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  14. ↑ Nadunisi Naaygal Review – Nadunisi Naaygal Movie Review
  15. ↑ "Best of 2011 – Tamil Films". Nowrunning.com. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.