Thondan (2017 film)

Last updated

Thondan
Thondan poster.jpg
Directed by Samuthirakani
Produced byR. Manikandan
Written bySamuthirakani
StarringSamuthirakani
Vikranth
Sunaina
Arthana Binu
Gouri Nair
Namo Narayana
Music by Justin Prabhakaran
Cinematography N. K. Ekambaram
Richard M. Nathan
Edited by A. L. Ramesh
Production
company
Vasundara Devi Cine Films
Distributed byVasundara Devi Cine Films
Release date
  • 26 May 2017 (2017-05-26)
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Thondan (transl. Votary) is a 2017 Indian Tamil vigilante drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani. The film features Samuthirakani himself in the lead role, with Vikranth, Sunaina, Arthana Binu, Gouri Nair, and Namo Narayana amongst others in pivotal roles. The music is composed by Justin Prabhakaran with editing by A. L. Ramesh. The venture began production in December 2016 and had a theatrical release on 26 May 2017.

Contents

Plot

Narayanan (Namo Narayana) is the son of Central Minister Pandiyanar (G. Gnanasambandam). Narayanan uses his father's name to make money by corruption, much to the latter's dismay. One day, some goons try to kill a man in daylight, as instructed by Narayanan. The man is lying in a pool of blood, and a local person witnesses this and informs this to the ambulance. The ambulance driver is Maha Vishnu (Samuthirakani), a kindhearted man who has never let anyone whom he has taken in his ambulance die. Vishnu admits the man in the hospital, and he is saved. Narayanan is angry with Vishnu for saving his enemy, for which he replies that saving the lives of people is his duty.

Vishnu is married to Bagalamugi (Sunaina). He has a father (Vela Ramamoorthy) and sister Mahishasuramardini (Arthana Binu). The latter is stalked by Vicky (Vikranth), a drunkard and jobless youth who happens to be a friend of Vishnu. Vishnu convinces Vicky to reform and attend the medical technician course. Vicky completes it successfully and saves people's lives, earning the love of Vishnu and his family. Mahi has a friend named Gowri (Gouri Nair), who is stalked by Narayanan's brother Chinna Pandi (Soundararaja), and she beats him in a bus. Insulted by this, Chinna Pandi beats Gowri up with a wooden log. Enraged, Mahi and the students kill him. Vishnu arrives with his ambulance to admit Chinna Pandi to the hospital. To avoid traffic, he takes the outer bypass, infuriating Narayanan. Chinna Pandi succumbs to the injury. Narayanan blames Vishnu for this and beats him up, but he is saved by the public. Narayanan vows to kill Vishnu.

Vishnu gets mad after his father loses his hearing ability and his wife suffers a miscarriage. Deeply saddened by this, he confronts Narayanan, who pleads that he is innocent. Vishnu believes that being a common man, he cannot do anything against a powerful man who has political support. Narayanan bribes Inspector Uthaman (Anil Murali) and three government officials and has them under his control. Vishnu is helped by Sub-Inspector Rahman (Poraali Dileepan). Vishnu plans to destroy Narayanan and bring him to justice. He gathers all the details of the properties owned by Narayanan and a video footage of him insulting Uthaman and the government officials while bribing from Narayanan's auditor, who helps Vishnu because he once saved his wife's life. Vishnu realizes that Narayanan used Pandiyanar's name to earn huge amounts of money and buy so many properties by corruption. Vishnu sends the evidences them to IT, Vigilance, and other departments. He also sends the video footage to Uthaman's wife and the government officials' wives, who lose respect among their family. Uthaman and the government officials decide to stop supporting Narayanan for his further actions.

The IT department raids Narayanan's house, confiscates all of his belongings, and arrests him. Narayanan tries to escape but meets with an accident. While he is struggling, Vishnu comes with his ambulance and saves him.

Cast

Production

In May 2016, Samuthirakani revealed that he was set to work with Jayam Ravi for the second time after Nimirndhu Nil on a project titled Thondan, using a script that he had initially written for Sasikumar. He stated that production would begin by the end of the year, with Allari Naresh also selected to play a role. [1] [2] However Jayam Ravi's busy schedule during 2016 and 2017 meant that the pair could not eventually work together. [3]

The film re-materialised during December 2016, with Vikranth signed on to portray the role originally assigned to Naresh, while Samuthirakani himself would play the lead role. Vikranth revealed that he would star in the project alongside commitments to work in Suseenthiran's ventures Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2 and Nenjil Thunivirundhal . Samuthirakani stated the film would be about "simple men, their lives, problems and pain" and "these are people who provide a service to the society; they might earn a less salaries, but they definitely get more satisfaction out of life". [4] He added that the film would tackle several social issues in India including demonetisation, corruption in politics, the farmers' plight, jallikattu and the harassment of women. [5] [6] Production began during early December 2016, with Sunaina added to the cast after Samuthirakani was impressed with her performance in Neerparavai (2012). [7] [8]

Soundtrack

Thondan
Soundtrack album by
Justin Prabhakaran
Released9 April 2017
Recorded2016–17
LanguageTamil
Label U1 Records
Justin Prabhakaran chronology
Kaalakkoothu
(2017)		Thondan
(2017)		 Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren
(2018)

The film's music was composed by Justin Prabhakaran and featured five songs. The album was released on 9 April 2017 through Yuvan Shankar Raja's U1 Records label.

Track list
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Thondan Thondan" Yugabharathi Diwakar 3:13
2."Chellakutti Joraa" Vivek Justin Prabhakaran, Prashanthini3:25
3."Poi Varavaa"Yugabharathi Sean Roldan 4:31
4."Ettoorum Kekkum"YugabharathiPradeep Kumar4:08
5."Vaasamulla Poovaa"Yugabharathi Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, Daya Bijibal3:21

Release

The film had a theatrical release across Tamil Nadu on 26 May 2017, alongside Radha Mohan's Brindavanam (2017 film) , and earned mixed to negative reviews. The satellite rights of the film were sold to Zee Tamil. [9] Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion wrote "All of which would be okay...if there was a grain of good filmmaking. But the utterly generic bring-down-the-bad-guy story is preposterous, and scenes go on and on." [10]

Reception

Anupama Subramaniam of the Deccan Chronicle wrote Thondan is an "interesting film sans entertainment values" and "all is well and good, but things do become a bit self-righteous and annoying when a fictional film begins to give you lessons on ethics and morality". [11] India Today's review stated that "Thondan is Samuthirakani's TED Talk in Tamil that runs for more than two hours", adding that it is "an uninteresting social commentary". [12] On a positive note, film critic Santhosh Mathevan wrote, "Kani documents a lot of true events, and he also comes out with some real time and cinematic references in his screenplay." He also criticised, "Usually, the mercury level of preaching would always touch the peak of thermometer in every of Kani's movie. But, Thondan has let the mercury bulb burst, as the film seems to be a 138 minute-tight-pack of loads of moral values to teach." [13] Sify.com stated the film was "filled with a plethora of messages in an over preachy tone". [14] A critic from The New Indian Express wrote the film was "a basket of moral lectures", concluding "Thondan is what you feared would happen once Appa (2016) did as well as it did". [15] Baradwaj Rangan rated the film 1 out of 5 and wrote, "As expected, actor and director Samuthirakani, delivers yet another sermon disguised as a movie". [16] The film took a lukewarm opening at the Chennai box office and fared averagely commercially.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Naadodigal</i>

Naadodigal (transl. Vagabonds) is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani and produced by S. Michael Rayappan under banner of Global Infotainment. The film stars Sasikumar along with Chennai 600028 fame Vijay Vasanth and Kalloori fame Bharani, with newcomers Ananya, Abhinaya and Malaysia-based Shanthini Deva enacting the lead female roles and Ganja Karuppu playing a pivotal role, providing comical relief.

Goripalayam is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Mayandi Kudumbathar fame Rasu Madhuravan. The film stars Vikranth, Harish, Ramakrishnan of Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum fame, Manivannan's son Raghuvannan, and Poongodi in lead roles. The film released on 7 May 2010 to moderate responses.

<i>Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu</i> 1999 film by T. K. Rajeev Kumar

Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu is a 1999 Indian Malayalam-language drama film, written and directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar, starring Manju Warrier, Thilakan, Biju Menon, Abbas and Kalabhavan Mani. The soundtrack was composed by M. G. Radhakrishnan while Sharreth composed the film score; Mohanlal had sung a song Kaithappoovin in the film. Manju Warrier received a National Film Award - Special Mention for her performance.

<i>Vamsam</i>

Vamsam is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action film, starring debutante Arulnidhi and Sunaina in lead roles. The film is produced by Arulnidhi's father and M. Karunanidhi's youngest son, M. K. Thamizharasu, and features Jayaprakash, Ganja Karuppu, Kishore, Anupama Kumar among others in supporting roles. The film released on 13 August 2010 to positive reviews and became a profitable venture at the box-office.

Uthaman is a 2001 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Anil - Babu and written by T. A. Razzaq, starring Jayaram, Sindhu Menon, and Siddique. The music was composed by Johnson.

<i>Kullanari Koottam</i> Indian Tamil romantic comedy film

Kullanari Koottam is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Sribalaji and produced by V. Ashish Jain. It stars Vishnu Vishal and Remya Nambeesan in the lead roles, while the crew of Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu reunited for this film, with V. Selvaganesh composing the film's score and J. Laxman and Kasi Viswanathan handling cinematography and editing, respectively. The film was released on 25 March 2011.

<i>Neerparavai</i>

Neerparavai (transl. Seabird) is a 2012 Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Seenu Ramasamy and produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin. It stars Vishnu and Sunaina in the lead roles, and Nandita Das plays the older version of the latter's character. Saranya Ponvannan, Samuthirakani, Varsha Ashwathi, and Anupama Kumar play supporting roles. The music is composed by N. R. Raghunanthan with cinematography by Balasubramaniem and editing by Kasi Viswanathan. The film released on 30 November 2012 to positive reviews from critics.

<i>Nimirndhu Nil</i>

Nimirndhu Nil is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani featuring Jayam Ravi and Amala Paul in the lead roles. It was produced by KS Sreenivasan's Vaasan Visual Ventures. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar. Ravi played a revolutionist for a social cause. This is the first time, Jayam Ravi played a double role in his career. The film, which was simultaneously made in Telugu as Janda Pai Kapiraju with Nani in place of Jayam Ravi, released on 8 March 2014 and received mostly positive reviews.

<i>Janda Pai Kapiraju</i>

Janda Pai Kapiraju is a 2015, Indian, Telugu-language political action drama film. Janda Pai Kapiraju was written and directed by Samuthirakani, and features Nani and Amala Paul in lead roles. The film's soundtrack and score were composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar. A second version was concurrently made in the Tamil language, titled Nimirndhu Nil, with Jayam Ravi in the main role. While the Tamil version with Jayam Ravi released in 2014, the Telugu version was released on March 21, 2015. Nani played a double role for the first time in his career. Despite already having a Tamil version, the Telugu version was dubbed and released in Tamil as Velan Ettuthikkum in 2018.

<i>Thani Oruvan</i> 2015 film directed by Mohan Raja

Thani Oruvan is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language epic action thriller film directed by Mohan Raja and written by Raja and Suresh and Balakrishnan. Produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram, S. Ganesh and S. Suresh under the studio AGS Entertainment, it stars Jayam Ravi, Arvind Swamy and Nayantara in the lead roles, whilst an ensemble cast featuring Ganesh Venkataraman, Harish Uthaman, Nassar, Thambi Ramaiah, Mugdha Godse, amongst others play supporting roles.

<i>Thakka Thakka</i>

Thakka Thakka is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Sanjeev, whose younger brother, Vikranth, plays the lead role. The film, earlier titled Piravi, also features Rahul Venkat, Abhinaya, Leema Babu and Parvati Nirban in lead roles. It was released by S. Thanu's Kalaipuli International on 28 August 2015. The film was dubbed into Hindi as Phir Se Mafiaraaj.

Namo Narayana is an Indian actor who has worked in Tamil films. He made a breakthrough as an actor with his performances in Naadodigal (2009) and Komban (2015).

<i>Bogan</i> (film)

Bogan is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language horror action thriller film written and directed by Lakshman and produced by Prabhu Deva and Ganesh. The film stars Jayam Ravi, Arvind Swamy and Hansika Motwani in the lead roles. Featuring music composed by D. Imman, the film began production during March 2016 and released on 2 February 2017. Jayam Ravi and Arvind Swamy portrayed both the protagonists and antagonists respectively.

<i>Vanamagan</i> 2017 film by A. L. Vijay

Vanamagan is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language action adventure film written and directed by A. L. Vijay. The film stars Jayam Ravi and Sayyeshaa in the lead roles, with Prakash Raj, Thambi Ramaiah, and Varun in supporting roles. The music was composed by Harris Jayaraj. with cinematography by Tirru and editing by Anthony. The venture began production in September 2016, and the film was released on 23 June 2017.

<i>Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2</i> 2019 Indian Tamil action sports drama film

Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu 2 is a 2019 Indian Tamil action sports drama film directed by Selva Sekaran. A sequel to Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009), the film is written by the original's director Suseenthiran and features Vikranth and Arthana Binu in the lead roles. An ensemble cast including Pasupathy, Kishore, Anupama Kumar, Soori, Appukutty, and Ganja Karuppu also plays pivotal roles. Featuring music composed by V. Selvaganesh, the venture began production in December 2016 and released on 12 July 2019.

<i>Nenjil Thunivirundhal</i>

Nenjil Thunivirundhal is a 2017 Indian bilingual action drama film written and directed by Suseenthiran. Shot in Tamil and Telugu languages, the film features Sundeep Kishan, Mehreen Pirzada, Vikranth, and Shathiga in the lead roles, with Soori, Satya, and Harish Uthaman also in pivotal roles. Featuring music composed by D. Imman, the venture began production in December 2016 and was released on 10 November 2017. The film is Dubbed into Hindi as C/o Surya in 2018.

<i>Kadaikutty Singam</i> 2018 film by Pandiraj

Kadaikutty Singam is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Pandiraj and produced by Suriya on his studio 2D Entertainment. The film stars Karthi, Sayyeshaa with a supporting cast including Sathyaraj, Bhanupriya, Viji Chandrasekhar, Soori, Deepa Shankar, Priya Bhavani Shankar and Arthana Binu. The film featured music composed by D. Imman and cinematography by Velraj. The film is released on 13 July 2018 along with its Telugu dubbed version titled Chinna Babu.

Arthana Binu is an Indian film actress, who works in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu film industry. Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, she made her debut in the 2016 Telugu film Seethamma Andalu Ramayya Sitralu. She is known for films such as Mudhugauv (2016), Thondan (2017), Semma (2018) and Kadaikutty Singam (2018). She is the daughter of actor Vijayakumar, who was active during the early 1990s.

<i>Naadodigal 2</i> 2020 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Samuthirakani

Naadodigal 2 is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani and produced by S Nandagopal under the banner of Madras Enterprises. It stars Sasikumar and Anjali. The film released on 31 January 2020. The film is a namesake sequel to the highly successful 2009 film Nadodigal.

<i>Comali</i> 2019 film directed by Pradeep Ranganathan

Comali (transl. Clown) is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language comedy film produced by Vels Film International and written and directed by Pradeep Ranganathan in his directorial debut. Also known by its working title during production, JR24, the film stars Jayam Ravi, Kajal Aggarwal, Yogi Babu, Samyuktha Hegde and K. S. Ravikumar. The film marks the first collaboration between Ravi and Aggarwal, and the second collaboration between Ravi and Hiphop Tamizha, after the 2015 film Thani Oruvan. The film was released on 15 August 2019. Comali follows Ravi, a coma patient who has missed 16 years of his life and struggles to adapt to the new improved world.The film opened to unanimously positive critical response and became a blockbuster, collecting over 80 crores, and became Jayam Ravi's second highest grossing movie after Thani Oruvan.

References

  1. ↑ "Planning a film with Jayam Ravi: Samuthirakani". 6 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Jayam Ravi's next film with Samuthirakani has been titled as Thondan".
  3. ↑ "Planning a film with Jayam Ravi: Samuthirakani". 6 July 2016 – via www.thehindu.com.
  4. ↑ "Samuthirakani: An ambulance driver - Times of India". The Times of India.
  5. ↑ "Samuthirakani, on his finest work till date". Deccan Herald. 20 May 2017.
  6. ↑ Subramanian, Anupama (7 April 2017). "Thondan is not a political film: Samuthirakani". Deccan Chronicle.
  7. ↑ "Sunaina joins the cast of Samuthirakani's Thondan with Vikranth". Behindwoods. 17 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "Samuthirakani: Not only in cinema, harassment against women happens everywhere". Sify.
  9. ↑ "Thondan Movie Premiere". tamiltvchannelexpress.blogspot.com. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  10. ↑ "Thondan Movie Review – Film Companion".
  11. ↑ Subramanian, Anupama (27 May 2017). "Thondon movie review: Interesting film sans entertainment values". Deccan Chronicle.
  12. ↑ ChennaiMay 28, Srivatsan; May 28, 2017UPDATED; Ist, 2017 10:11. "Thondan movie review: An unrealistic film with lots of 'messages'". India Today.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "Thondan: He serves too much for the community". www.santhoshmathevan.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "Thondan review: Old fashioned & Preachy". Sify.
  15. ↑ "Thondan movie review: A big basket of moral lectures". The New Indian Express.
  16. ↑ Rangan, Baradwaj (2 June 2017). "Thondan Movie Review". Film Companion. Retrieved 20 July 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
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.