Veerappan | |
---|---|
Directed by | Ram Gopal Varma |
Written by | R. D. Tailang |
Screenplay by | Ram Gopal Varma |
Story by | Ram Gopal Varma |
Produced by | Raina Sachin Joshi |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Aniket Khandagale |
Edited by | Anwar Ali |
Music by | Songs: Jeet Gannguli Shaarib-Toshi Background Score: John Stewart Eduri |
Production company | Viking Media & Entertainment |
Distributed by | AA Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 125 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Hindi |
Veerappan is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical action crime film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film is based on the real-life Indian bandit Veerappan and the events leading to Operation Cocoon, a mission to capture and kill him. [1] [2] [3] [4] The film is a remake of the Kannada film Killing Veerappan (2016) starring Shiva Rajkumar. [5] The film stars Sandeep Bharadwaj (who reprises his role from the original), Sachiin J Joshi, Lisa Ray and Usha Jadhav. [4] [6]
The film was released on May 27, 2016. [7] Veerappan received positive reviews with critics praising the narration, production design, direction and performances of Sandeep Bharadwaj, and Usha Jadav. [8]
Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, during his teenage years starts working as an assistant to his relative Sevi Gounder, a notorious poacher and sandalwood smuggler. His father and relatives, whose village lay in the forest area, were also known to be poachers and smugglers. Veerappan (Sandeep Bharadwaj), dominant in Sathyamangalam Forest in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, defies the governments, and Indian Border Security paramilitary forces, and maintains a small army. He is wanted for killing approximately 184 people, about half of whom were police officers, including senior police and forest officials. He was also wanted for poaching about 200 elephants and smuggling ivory worth US$2,600,000 and about 10,000 tonnes of sandalwood worth approximately US$22,000,000.
In 1991, Veerappan and his chief Intel Gandhi, beheaded IFS Officer P. Srinivas. Years later, Veerappan avenges the death of his close associate Gandhi by misleading Special Task Force (STF) personnel in their covert operation, through Gandhi's unnamed notorious informer. The covert mission led by T. Harikrishna S.P., and his informant S.I. Shakeel Ahmed to kill Veerappan fails miserably. Veerappan and his army brutally assassinate all the STF officers in the operation and snatch their arms.
The Tamil Nadu STF chief K. Vijay Kumar I.P.S. appoints his associate, an undercover I.P.S. spy in the Karnataka region, a master-strategist (Sachiin J Joshi), who puts in place Operation Cocoon through a network of tribals, and informers, such as a deputy spy, a woman STF spy and landlord (Lisa Ray), who befriends and rents out a house to Muthulakshmi-the wife of Veerappan (Usha Jadhav). On the other hand, a team of loyal undercover cops led by Rambo Krishna, leaves Palar base of STF, near M. M. Hills, 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Kollegal of Karnataka along with a team of 41 members which includes police from two states, forest officials, forest watchers and informers. The team travels in two vehicles, of which one is a bus carrying most of the team members, and a jeep carrying K. Gopalakrishnan, the IPS officer. Veerappan's gang plants landmines on the road in more than 14 places to halt their approach, and during the Palar blast, K. Gopalakrishnan, standing on the footboard of the jeep, is thrown out, and suffers severe injuries, leaving the police to retaliate and ultimately prevent the snatching of arms.
After a few failed attempts, including the one led by another undercover cop, disguised as a subordinate to Islamic underworld don - Kadaani, to negotiate an arms deal with Veerappan's gang, the STF team led by master-strategist, and an ex-spy turned timberyard owner-Kumar, finally succeeded on 18 October 2004. On that day, Veerappan is escorted out of the forest by Kumar, who earlier infiltrates Veerappan's gang in disguise to negotiate another arms deal with Velupillai Prabhakaran. Subsequently, Veerappan and his men board an ambulance stationed at Papparapatti village in Dharmapuri district. Veerappan and his men are first warned and then asked to surrender, which was denied, and the men start firing at the STF personnel. The STF retaliate by firing grenades and gunfire, subsequently, Veerappan and his men are killed on the spot.
Pratik Vijay Redij is the production designer for the film. Following the success of Ram Gopal Varma's second docudrama, Killing Veerappan , Varma met with Sachiin J Joshi, and emphasized his interest in developing an international biopic version in Hindi language with a new cast and crew. The biopic depicts the dramatic rise of Veerappan. [9] [10] In an Interview with "Indian Express" Varma stated that “Making Veerappan is not about glorifying a criminal, but it is to put a mirror to how he was allowed to happen in the first place”. [11]
Upon its release, Veerappan received mixed reviews with critics praising narration, production design, direction and performances of Sandeep Bharadwaj, and Usha Jadav. [8] In an Interview with "Indian Express" Varma stated that “Making Veerappan is not about glorifying a criminal, but it is to put a mirror to how he was allowed to happen in the first place”. [11] The CBFC has cleared the film with a single cut. [7] The "Times of India" gave the film 3.5/5 for its visual appeal, and 3/5 for direction. [12] [13] The Song Khallas was directly lifted from Get Low, by DJ Snake.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Muchhi Re" | Manoj Muntashir | Jeet Gannguli | Mohan Kanan | 3:08 |
2. | "Veer Veer Veerappan" | Manoj Yadav | Shaarib-Toshi | Payal Dev, Toshi Sabri, Vee | 3:51 |
3. | "Khallas" | Manoj Yadav | Shaarib-Toshi | Jasmine Sandlas, Toshi Sabri | 3:02 |
4. | "Veer Veer Veerappan (Rap Version)" | Manoj Yadav | Shaarib-Toshi | Payal Dev, Toshi Sabri, Vee | 4:13 |
Koose Munusamy Veerappan(Tamil-வீரப்பன்) was an Indian poacher, smuggler, domestic terrorist and bandit who was active for 36 years, and kidnapped major politicians for ransom. He was charged with sandalwood smuggling and poaching of elephants in the scrub lands and forests in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. He was wanted for killing approximately 184 people, about half of whom were police officers and forest officials. He was also responsible for poaching approximately 500 of the 2000 elephants killed in the peninsular region where he was active and for smuggling ivory worth US$2.6 million and about 65 tons of sandalwood worth approximately US$22 million.
Muthulakshmi was the wife of bandit Veerappan, who was killed by Special Task Force police in 2004. She lived in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. She was born in Neruppore village, Dharmapuri District to a farming family.
Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma, often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema in addition to Hindi, Kannada language films, and television. Varma has directed films across multiple genres, including parallel cinema and docudrama noted for their gritty realism, technical finesse, and craft. Regarded as one of the pioneers of new age Indian cinema, he was featured in the BBC World series Bollywood Bosses in 2004. In 2006, Grady Hendrix of Film Comment, published by the Film at Lincoln Center cited Varma as "Bombay's Most Successful Maverick" for his works on experimental films.
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Ab Tak Chhappan is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film directed by Shimit Amin. It was written by Sandeep Shrivastava and produced by Ram Gopal Varma. It stars Nana Patekar, Revathi, Yashpal Sharma, Mohan Agashe, Nakul Vaid, and Hrishitaa Bhatt.
K Vijay Kumar, IPS, is a retired IPS officer. He was the chief of the Special Task Force of Tamil Nadu that was involved in the death of the Veerappan during Operation Cocoon of 2004. He had also been the senior advisor to Home Ministry for the Left Wing Extremism areas. He served as the Advisor to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir with Home, Forest, Ecology & Environment, Health & Medical Education, Youth Services & Sports, Hospitality & Protocol, Civil Aviation, Estates and Information portfolios. Currently he has joined back as senior security adviser in Ministry of Home Affairs in December 2018.
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Attahasa (transl. Defiance) is a 2013 Indian Kannada-language biographical film directed by A. M. R. Ramesh, based on the notorious forest brigand Veerappan. Kishore plays the role of Veerappan in the film, whilst featuring Arjun Sarja and Suresh Oberoi. After much delay in the theatrical release the film was opened to screens on 14 February 2013 all across the southern states of India to positive reviews. The film was partially reshot in Tamil as Vana Yuddham. The film was dubbed into Telugu as Veerappan.
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Operation Cocoon was an operation launched by the Special Task Force of Tamil Nadu Police to capture the forest brigand Veerappan and his associates, who were dominant in Sathyamangalam Forest in the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The operation was headed by K. Vijay Kumar, and N. K. Senthamarai Kannan.
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Killing Veerappan is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language biographical crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, who co-wrote the film with K. Balaji. The film is based on the events leading to Operation Cocoon to capture or kill Indian bandit Veerappan. Featuring Shiva Rajkumar in the central role touted to be based on N. K. Senthamarai Kannan, the then Superintendent of police, with the Indian Special Task Force, and the spy who masterminded Operation Cocoon.
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