Pudhupettai | |
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![]() Film poster | |
Directed by | Selvaraghavan |
Screenplay by | Selvaraghavan Balakumaran (Dialogue) |
Story by | Selvaraghavan |
Produced by | K. Muralidharan V. Swaminathan G. Venugopal |
Starring | Dhanush Sonia Agarwal Sneha |
Cinematography | Arvind Krishna |
Edited by | Kola Bhaskar |
Music by | Yuvan Shankar Raja |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 179 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Tamil |
Pudhupettai (transl. New Hood) 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.
The music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja with cinematography by Arvind Krishna and editing by Kola Bhaskar. The film released on 26 May 2006. Initially upon release, it had an average opening at the box office. However, it attained cult status in subsequent years.
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Kumar is a secondary school student living in the slums of Pudhupettai. After coming home from the cinema theatre one day, he sees his mother's dead body. She was killed by his father, following an argument. After overhearing a conversation between his father and his friend that they plan on killing him too, as he is a witness, Kumar flees from home. Homeless, he resorts to begging, and is arrested under false charges. After being released on bail, he befriends Mani, who works for a gangster named Anbu, who in turn works for the opposition party's leader Thamizhselvan, who is also a criminal. They take Kumar under their wing and give him petty jobs. During a confrontation with rival gangsters led by the ruling party's politician Murthy, Kumar kills Murthy's brother single-handedly amidst 100 goons, earning the respect of his gang. Anbu makes him join a gang consisting of professional killers. There, Kumar learns the way of being a killer while surviving attacks from Murthy's men. The gang refuses to help Kumar avoid Murthy's men since their intervention would spark a gang war. Kumar murders several of his opponents singlehandedly, earning respect from the others.
Krishnaveni is a prostitute who works under Anbu. Kumar likes her and asks Anbu to release her. Anbu is shocked at Kumar's audacity and refuses his request. He thrashes Krishnaveni and orders his men to kill Kumar. Kumar approaches Anbu and begs to be pardoned, but when Anbu refuses, Kumar kills him. Thamizhselvan allows Kumar to take over Anbu's business only if he can survive the night from Anbu's men, which he does. After killing his opposition, as well as his father, Kumar becomes a feared don in North Chennai. Murthy is paralyzed by Kumar's men for refusing a truce. Kumar then meets Mani's sister Selvi and marries her forcibly on the eve of her wedding. Mani tries to kill Kumar unsuccessfully then joins Murthy's gang. Meanwhile, Krishnaveni reveals that she is pregnant with Kumar's child, and Kumar marries her as well.
Mani becomes an informant and testifies in court over Kumar's killings; Kumar threatens Selvi and her mother and thus avoids charges through witness intimidation. Kumar is then given a post in the party by Thamizhselvan to prevent him from defecting. Due to his increasing crime record and fear of being killed, Kumar asks for Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) seat but is ridiculed by everyone, including Thamizhselvan, and ultimately removed after he threatens to kill the other members with an aruval. Murthy learns about this and plans to assassinate Kumar and his family. Fearing for their safety, Kumar sends Krishnaveni and their newborn son away, but Murthy's men intercept them, kill her, and take the baby. He requests Selvi to ask Mani for help, but she refuses and reveals her displeasure at how Kumar ruined her life and that she plans to return to her former fiancé. Mani is compassionate enough to return the baby safely to Kumar, and is hung to death by Murthy in return. Kumar then gives the baby to a kindhearted woman without revealing himself as the father of the child. The woman is married with two children and earns her living by working as a housemaid. Kumar decides to exact revenge and kills Murthy's henchmen in his residence, but his right hand is crippled during a fight. Murthy ultimately commits suicide, which is then followed by Kumar’s arrest.
In the present day, the police and prison warden come to retrieve Kumar from his cell, with Kumar under the impression that he is to be hanged. However, during the epilogue, it is revealed that the incumbent Chief Minister arranged Kumar’s release and named him as an MLA candidate in the following election. Kumar praises Murthy and ironically states that he would have killed the people responsible for Murthy's death had India not been the birthplace of Gandhi.
In the epilogue, it is revealed that Kumar served three times as an MLA and twice as the Finance Minister of Tamil Nadu. Despite his political growth, he still could not find his son. Thamizhselvan retired from politics and has settled abroad with his daughter and grandchildren. Selvi had married her former fiance, who went missing two months later, and then she had been committed to a mental asylum.
Selvaraghavan originally intended to make a film titled Oru Naal Oru Kanavu for Lakshmi Movie Makers, but shelved the venture and continued working with the same producers and cast as the scrapped film, consisting of Dhanush, Sonia Agarwal and Sneha. R. K. Suresh was cast in a minor role as a criminal, but his father made him back out of the film. [1]
The film was launched on 6 March 2005, with Aravind Krishna as its cinematographer. [2] Selva first approached Harris Jayaraj for the movie's music, but he refused as it is not his type of genre. [3] After his refusal, Selva finalised Yuvan Shankar Raja as the composer.
Selvaraghavan called the film "an experiment" and stated it had "one of the most complicated screenplays", while revealing he was more nervous about the final product than his previous ventures. [4] [5]
It was also the first Tamil film to be shot in Super 35 mm instead of the Cinemascope format, as well as the first to be released in digital format. [6] [7]
This film marked the first major appearance of actor Vijay Sethupathi, prior to his role in Pizza. [8] [9] [10]
After the release of Pattiyal whose theme was the same as Pudhupettai, Selvaraghavan wanted to redo many of the scenes to avoid unintended comparisons, resulting in the film’s release being delayed. The re-recording was done in Bangkok, with everyone involved working overtime. [11]
Yuvan Shankar Raja and Selvaraghavan renewed their association with this film, who had earlier teamed up to create music for the films Thulluvadho Ilamai (2001), Kaadhal Kondein (2004) and 7G Rainbow Colony (2005). Both the soundtrack and score were composed in Thailand, where Yuvan Shankar Raja worked with the Chao Phraya Symphony Orchestra of Bangkok. [12]
The soundtrack was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and released on 15 December 2005. [13] [14] [15] [16] The lyrics were written by Na. Muthukumar, who had previously written the lyrics for Selvaraghavan's earlier films.
Song | Singer(s) | Length | Notes |
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Pudhupettai Main Theme: "Survival Of The Fittest" | Instrumental | 2:51 | |
Peek Into Assassin's Life: "Neruppu Vaayinil" | Kamal Haasan | 5:01 | |
Our Story: "Enga Yeriya" | Dhanush, Premji Amaran, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Raju Krishnamurthy | 5:19 | Incorporates elements of the songs "Kunguma Pottin Mangalam" from the 1968 film Kudiyiruntha Kovil , composed by M. S. Viswanathan and "Tharaimel Pirakka" from the 1964 film Padagotti , composed by Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy |
Selling Dope: "The Beginning" | Instrumental | 2:52 | |
It All Comes Down To This!: "Oru Naalil" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 6:25 | Not featured in the film |
Going Thru Emotions!: "Prelude" | Instrumental | 3:17 | |
Gangster's Marriage Party: "Pul Pesum Poo Pesum" | Vijay Yesudas, Tanvi Shah, Premji Amaran, Yuvan Shankar Raja | 5:26 | |
Night Life: "Varriyaa" | Narayan, Naveen Madhav, Ranjith, Vasu | 3:28 | |
Clash Of The Titans: "The War Cry" | Instrumental | 3:44 | |
"Oru Naalil": Composer's Dream Mix | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 5:23 | Remixed by DJ Rafiq Not featured in the film |
The film received mixed to positive reviews, although critics pointed out the film's slow pace. [17] A reviewer from Sify said it was "heartbreakingly disappointing and is nowhere in the league of his earlier films", and that it "doesn't unfold quickly and moves at snail pace (sic), puffs and pants with too many characters, subplots and (is) quite long for a gangster genre film". [18] A reviewer from The Hindu wrote, "Selvaraghavan dishes out a protracted bloodbath and somehow you feel he has let you down", [19] while the critic at Rediff.com stated that "coming from a director like Selvaraghavan, Puthupettai is unbelievable. He loses grip over the plot and the narration goes haywire". [20] Lajjavathi of Kalki praised Balakumaran's short dialogues, Kola Bhaskar's sharp editing, Aravind Krishna's cinematography adding new dimension to the film while also praising Yuvan's music as new experience but felt his score resembled western cinema which was minus and felt Dhanush's physique was unsuitable for gangster's role and called scenes of Sonia Agarwal as forced and concluded saying it is true that Selvaraghavan wants to move Tamil cinema to foreign films but for that, 'making' alone is not enough. [21]
Pudhupettai took the best ever opening for a Selvaraghavan film at the time, netting nearly ₹27.55 lakh (US$33,000) from five Chennai screens in three days, including ₹9.8 lakh (US$12,000) from Sathyam Cinemas. [22] It went on to have an average run at the box office despite taking a grand opening, with Behindwoods suggesting that excessively violent scenes might have kept family audiences away. [23]
Despite its average performance during its initial theatrical release, Pudhupettai attained cult status in subsequent years. [24] 10 years after its release, critic Baradwaj Rangan retrospectively praised the film, stating that "Ten years on, we still haven’t seen another film so unapologetic about the truth that crime does pay." [25] Dhanush made a cameo appearance in the 2015 film Vai Raja Vai directed by his then wife Aishwarya, reprising his role of Kokki Kumar. [26] The dialogues "Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru" (You have to work like fire, Kumar) and "Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru" (God is there, Kumar) inspired the 2013 and 2016 films of the same names, respectively. [27] [28] The dialogue "Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru" was also reused by Santhanam in Boss Engira Bhaskaran (2010). [27] In 2024, Selvaraghavan announced a sequel. [29] The song Oru Naalil was re-used by Yuvan Shankar Raja in Star (2024).
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.
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.
7G Rainbow Colony is a 2004 Indian romantic drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. The film was shot simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu; the latter titled 7G Brindavan Colony. It stars debutant Ravi Krishna and Sonia Agarwal. The music was scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja, whilst Arvind Krishna performed the cinematography. The film deals with unrequited love of a boy towards a girl.
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 breakthrough for Dhanush as it catapulted him into the league of lead actors in the Tamil film industry.
Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja, known professionally as Dhanush, is an Indian actor, producer, director, lyricist and playback singer who primarily works in Tamil cinema. Having starred in 50 films over his career, his accolades include four National Film Awards, fourteen SIIMA Awards, eight Filmfare Awards South and a Filmfare Award. One of the highest paid actors in Indian cinema, he has been included in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list six times.
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.
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.
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.
Thottal Poo Malarum is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language romance film written and directed by P. Vasu, starring his son Sakthi Vasu and Gowri Munjal, two newcomers. Rajkiran, Sukanya, Nassar, Vadivelu and Santhanam played supporting roles. The music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The film was released on 3 August 2007 and became an average grosser. The film's title is based on a song from Padagotti (1964).
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.
Mayakkam Enna is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language psychological drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan and produced by Gemini Film Circuit in association with Aum Productions its own banner. It stars his brother Dhanush, along with newcomer Richa Gangopadhyay, and features music scored by G. V. Prakash Kumar while the cinematography was handled by Ramji. The film revolves around an aspiring photographer and the problems he faces, causing him to fall into distress. How he manages to achieve his goals from thereafter forms the rest of the story.
Mithran R. Jawahar is an Indian film director who works predominantly in Tamil cinema.
Yuvan – Live in Concert is a concert by Indian musician Yuvan Shankar Raja. The concert, Yuvan's second in his career, took place on Pongal, 16 January 2011 at the YMCA Grounds, Nandanam, Chennai. Following the announcement, popular Tamil television STAR Vijay agreed to collaborate, sponsoring, organising and marketing the concert, while airing a special television series about Yuvan Shankar Raja, with family members and prominent celebrities closely associated to him participating, besides producing a promotional music video, titled "I'll be there for you". The five-hour show, which was attended by 20,000 people, including several noted film personalities, was received very positively and considered a highly successful event. The concert was aired on 11 and 12 February, Friday and Saturday at 2000 hrs on Vijay TV.
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.
Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Gitanjali Selvaraghavan and written by her husband Selvaraghavan. Featuring newcomers Balakrishna Kola and Wamiqa Gabbi. The film is produced by Kola Bhaskar and has music composed by Amrit. Having had several false starts since 2006, the film released on 1 January 2016 to positive reviews. The film was dubbed and released in Telugu as Nannu Vadili Neevu Polevule.
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.
Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan, also known as AAA, is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language romantic action comedy film, directed by Adhik Ravichandran and produced by S. Michael Rayappan. The film stars Silambarasan in a triple role, along with Tamannaah Bhatia and Shriya Saran. The film has music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, with Krishnan Vasant and Ruben handling the cinematography and editing, respectively.
NGK 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.
Naane Varuvean is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language horror thriller film directed by Selvaraghavan and produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu under V Creations. The film stars Dhanush in dual roles as the hero and villain, alongside Indhuja Ravichandran, Elli AvrRam, Prabhu, and Yogi Babu, while Selvaraghavan makes a cameo appearance.
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.