''Avan Ivan'' () is a 2011 Indian
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
-language
comedy drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple co ...
film written and directed by
Bala, who with this project directs his fifth feature film. The film stars
Vishal,
Arya
Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...
,
while
G. M. Kumar
G. M. Kumar is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language films. He won Nandi Award for Best Story Writer, Nandi Award for Second Best Story Writer film Muvva Gopaludu (1987) its an official remake of his own film ''Aruvadai Naal''
Per ...
,
R. K.,
Madhu Shalini
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
,
Janani Iyer
Janani (formerly known as Janani Iyer) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil and Malayalam movies. She made her cinematic debut with the Tamil feature film ''Avan Ivan'' (2011). Her notable films including ''Thegidi'' (2014) ...
, and
Ambika
Ambika may refer to:
Mythology
* Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti
* Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess
* Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...
play supporting roles. The film, produced by Kalpathi S. Agoram's
AGS Entertainment
AGS Entertainment is an Indian film production, distribution company and multiplex chain in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was established in 2006 by three brothers Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S.Ganesh and Kalpathi S. Suresh.
History
AGS Entertain ...
, features music by
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja or Abdul Haliq (born 31 August 1979) is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer-songwriter. He mainly scores music for Tamil films. Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use of Wes ...
, cinematography by
Arthur A. Wilson
Arthur A. Wilson (born 16 March 1968) is an Indian cinematographer. He has predominantly worked in south Indian films of languages such as Tamil and Telugu. He is best known for his successful movies ''Anbe Sivam'', ''Naan Kadavul'', and '' Ims ...
, and editing by Suresh Urs. Set in the backdrops of
Theni
Theni is a valley town situated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu at the foothills of Western Ghats. It is the headquarters of the Theni district, located in a distance of 70km from Madurai. It is known for the large-scale trading of garlic, c ...
, ''Avan Ivan'' illustrates the relationship between two boisterously playful half-brothers. According to Eros International, it was successful at the box office.
Plot
Walter Vanangamudi (
Vishal) and Kumbudren Saamy (
Arya
Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...
) are half-brothers who constantly fight and try to outdo each other. Both brothers are petty thieves and get encouragement from their respective mothers. Walter's mother Maryamma (
Ambika
Ambika may refer to:
Mythology
* Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti
* Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess
* Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...
) encourages her son to steal and continue their "family tradition". However, Walter, an effeminate aspiring actor, is rather interested in arts than committing crimes.
The
Zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
, Thirthapathi (
G. M. Kumar
G. M. Kumar is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language films. He won Nandi Award for Best Story Writer, Nandi Award for Second Best Story Writer film Muvva Gopaludu (1987) its an official remake of his own film ''Aruvadai Naal''
Per ...
), referred to as "Highness" by the community, takes an affinity towards Saamy and Walter and treats them as his own family. He constantly encourages Walter to take up acting seriously and be friendly towards his brother. Walter is smitten by
Police Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
Baby (
Janani Iyer
Janani (formerly known as Janani Iyer) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil and Malayalam movies. She made her cinematic debut with the Tamil feature film ''Avan Ivan'' (2011). Her notable films including ''Thegidi'' (2014) ...
), from whom he attempts to steal after being dared by his brother to prove himself. She finds him completely amusing and eventually falls for him. He returns several stolen goods from his home and from Saamy to rescue her from being dismissed and goes to great lengths to impress her. Saamy falls for a college student named Thenmozhi (
Madhu Shalini
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
), who is initially intimidated by his rough ways but eventually reciprocates his love.
One day, a
police inspector
Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it.
Australia
In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
(Chevvalai Rasu) who had insulted Thirthapathi is tracked down and punished by Saamy and Walter. While Walter takes the police truck and dumps it in the forest, Saamy is caught by the police inspector. He acts like he swallowed a blade so that he can see Thenmozhi once before going to jail. He is rushed to the hospital; on the way, he does see her and fools the entire police force, although Baby is quite suspicious. Saamy tries to bribe the doctor to lie, but she tells the police constable, who only pleads with him but later gives up and releases him. Actor
Suriya
Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter and a philanthropist. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors. He received numerou ...
attends a school function in the town to promote educational awareness through his
Agaram Foundation
Agaram Foundation is an educational foundation located in Tamil Nadu, India founded on 25 September 2006 by Tamil film actor Suriya to help improve the socio-economic status of rural society in Tamil Nadu by offering education to students.
A ...
. Just as he is about to leave, Thirthapathi requests him to stay and witness Walter's acting skills, who shows off his depictions of the nine emotions (
Navarasa
Indian art evolved with an emphasis on inducing special spiritual or philosophical states in the audience, or with representing them symbolically.
Rasas in the performing arts
The theory of rasas still forms the aesthetic underpinning of al ...
s) and impresses everyone, especially Saamy, who is moved to tears by his performance. During drunken revelries later, Saamy reveals to Thirthapathi that he actually does love his brother, and that all the anger and hate is just an act.
Meanwhile, Thirthapathi exposes the illegal activities of a cattle smuggler (
R. K.). The smuggler loses his animal farm and is taken into custody by the police. Saamy brings Thenmozhi to Thirthapathi's house to introduce them to each other. Unfortunately, Walter recognizes Thenmozhi as Thirthapathi's enemy's daughter, although Saamy was unaware of this. When Thirthapathi tells him to break up with her, Saamy refuses and attacks him verbally. He tells him that he would not understand, having no family of his own, and that no one loves him. An angered Thirthapathi throws out Saamy. Walter defends his brother and is also thrown out. Thirthapathi gets extremely drunk.
Later that evening, both brothers make up with Thirthapathi and invite him to their home. Thirthapathi even willingly signs over his land to Thenmozhi's father, who has been trying to get a hold of it. He also organizes their marriage. A few days later, the smuggler returns, kidnaps Thirthapathi, strips him naked in the rain and flogs him into unconsciousness before hanging him to death from a tree. Walter and Saamy are devastated. While Saamy fails in his attempt to take revenge, getting flogged and injured severely, Walter manages to bash up the smuggler and his men. During Thirthapathi's cremation, we see that the smuggler has been tied down under the platform carrying Thirthapathi's body. He is burnt alive along with Thirthapathi's body, while both brothers dance madly.
Cast
*
Vishal as Walter Vanangamudi, the elder brother
*
Arya
Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...
as Kumbudren Saamy, the younger brother
*
G. M. Kumar
G. M. Kumar is an Indian actor who has appeared in Tamil language films. He won Nandi Award for Best Story Writer, Nandi Award for Second Best Story Writer film Muvva Gopaludu (1987) its an official remake of his own film ''Aruvadai Naal''
Per ...
as "Highness" Zamindar Thirthapathi
*
R. K. as a cattle smuggler
*
Janani Iyer
Janani (formerly known as Janani Iyer) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil and Malayalam movies. She made her cinematic debut with the Tamil feature film ''Avan Ivan'' (2011). Her notable films including ''Thegidi'' (2014) ...
as Police Constable Baby, Walter's love interest
*
Madhu Shalini
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
as Thenmozhi, a college student and Saamy's love interest
*
Ambika
Ambika may refer to:
Mythology
* Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti
* Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess
* Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...
as Maryamma, Walter's mother
*
Ananth Vaidyanathan
Ananth Vaidyanathan (born 1 November 1957) is an Indian singing trainer, who is popular for his appearances on reality singing television shows. He is often regarded as India's leading voice expert. He has also worked on few films as an actor a ...
as Srikanth
* Chevvalai Rasu as a police inspector
*
Prabha Ramesh as Saamy's mother
* Ramaraj as Police Inspector
* Vimalraj Ganesan as Kannan
*
Suriya
Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter and a philanthropist. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors. He received numerou ...
as himself (guest appearance)
*
Bala as auto driver (cameo)
Production
Development
After finishing and releasing his magnum opus ''
Naan Kadavul
''Naan Kadavul'' () is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language action drama film co-written and directed by Bala. The film is based on the Tamil novel ''Yezhaam Ulagam'' by Jeyamohan, who also penned the dialogues for the film. The film stars Arya and ...
'' in February 2009,
Bala, whose previous feature films had all been tragedy drama films dealing with serious and dark subjects,
announced that for his next directorial, he would be moving away from such films and make a full-length light-hearted comedy film.
He was working on its script in the following months, whilst declaring that it will be a double hero subject. Allegedly Bala had come to this decision, since his earlier films, despite receiving critical acclaim, garnered poor or only average box office returns.
During the
post-production
Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments.
The ...
phase, Bala disclosed that the film was "fun till the last 15 minutes, after which it turns serious", adding that he decided to "change tracks", after several people including his mentor
Balu Mahendra
Balanathan Benjamin Mahendran (19 May 1939 13 February 2014), commonly known as Balu Mahendra, was a Sri Lankan-born Indian cinematographer, director, screenwriter and film editor who worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. Widely regarded as ...
advised him to do so.
Though initially
Soundarya Rajinikanth
Soundarya Rajinikanth (born Shaku Bai Rao Gaikwad; 20 September 1984) is an Indian graphic designer, film producer and director who primarily works in the Tamil film industry. She is the founder and owner of Ocher Picture Productions. Soundar ...
's
Ocher Studios
Soundarya Rajinikanth (born Shaku Bai Rao Gaikwad; 20 September 1984) is an Indian graphic designer, film producer and director who primarily works in the Tamil film industry. She is the founder and owner of Ocher Picture Productions. Soun ...
were reported to be the producer of the film,
Kalpathi S. Agoram finally took up the project and decided to produce it under the banner of
AGS Entertainment
AGS Entertainment is an Indian film production, distribution company and multiplex chain in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was established in 2006 by three brothers Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S.Ganesh and Kalpathi S. Suresh.
History
AGS Entertain ...
. On 25 January 2010, an official press meet was held, where the film's official title was finally revealed and the film's lead female actress as well as the technicians were announced, with which the project official commenced.
During the launch, Bala told that unlike his earlier films, ''Avan Ivan'' would have an "extra dose of comedy, besides action and family sentiments."
He had also disclosed that, unlike his earlier films, he will complete ''Avan Ivan'' within eight months of time and be ready for a release in late 2010.
According to sources, Bala intended to name the film as ''Avana Ivan'' first, but as it was already registered by director Bharath, who was not willing to give away the title, he changed the title to ''Avan Ivan''.
Casting
For the two lead male characters, who play
stepbrother
Step-siblings are children born of two different families who have been joined by marriage, A male step-sibling is a stepbrother and a female is a stepsister. The step-siblings relationship is connected through law and is not a blood relation.
...
s in the film,
several actors from the Tamil film industry were considered. Real-life siblings
Surya
Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a m ...
and
Karthi
Karthik Sivakumar (born 25 May 1977), better known by his stage name Karthi, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. He has won three Filmfare Awards South, an Edison Award, a SIIMA Award and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award. ...
,
as well as
Jeeva and
Githan Ramesh
Ramesh Choudary also known by his stage name Jithan Ramesh, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Tamil cinema. He is the third son of film producer R. B. Choudary and elder brother of actor Jiiva. He made his breakthrough with the ...
were considered for the roles,
which were at last won by
Arya
Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...
, renewing his association with Bala after ''Naan Kadavul'', and
Vishal Krishna
Vishal Krishna Reddy (born 29 August 1977), also known as Vishal, is an Indian actor and film producer from Tamil cinema. The younger son of film producer G. K. Reddy, Vishal studied Visual Communications at Loyola College, Chennai. Best known ...
.
Vishal later credited Arya, who were friends even before entering the film industry, for becoming part of the project.
Both actors had to change their looks; they reportedly
tonsure
Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...
d their heads for their roles and kept their looks secretive, avoiding public appearances. Vishal stated that he sports a
squint
Squinting is the action of looking at something with partially closed eyes.
Squinting is most often practiced by people who suffer from refractive errors of the eye who either do not have or are not using their glasses. Squinting helps momentari ...
and wore
braces throughout the film. He reportedly became the first ever actor to attempt a squint look in a feature film,
which was considered for an entry in
The Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
.
Regarding the lead female roles, Bala and his close associates had travelled across entire
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
, searching for the right person, who should be preferably a new face and fluent in Tamil language. In late November 2009 in association with Indiaglitz.com, a "heroine hunting" program was conducted through the
internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
, where women, who were 18 years old and could understand Tamil, could apply for the role. In November 2009,
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar (born 5 March 1985) is an Indian actress who appears in Tamil and Telugu films, in addition to Kannada and Malayalam films. She made her debut with the Tamil film ''Podaa Podi'' (2012).
Early life and family
Varalaxmi w ...
, daughter of actor
Sarath Kumar
Sarathkumar Ramanathan (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, politician, filmmaker, and singer. He has acted in more than 130 Tamil language, Tamil, Telugu language, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. He has won two Tamil Nadu State Film A ...
, who would later debut in ''
Podaa Podi
''Podaa Podi'' ( Go boy, go girl) is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic comedy film written and directed by debutant Vignesh Shivan, starring Silambarasan and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar. The score and soundtrack of the film were composed ...
'' alongside
Silambarasan
Silambarasan Thesingu Rajendar, nicknamed as Simbu or his initials S. T. R., is an Indian actor, filmmaker and musician in Tamil cinema. He began his acting career by playing roles as a child artist in films directed by his father T. Rajendar, b ...
, was reportedly roped in for the role. However, at the official press meet in late January 2009, it was revealed that
Janani Iyer
Janani (formerly known as Janani Iyer) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil and Malayalam movies. She made her cinematic debut with the Tamil feature film ''Avan Ivan'' (2011). Her notable films including ''Thegidi'' (2014) ...
, a
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
-based model, who had appeared in several
television advertisements
A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
, was chosen for the role. For another lead female character,
Pooja Umashankar
Pooja Gauthami Umashankar, mononymously known as Pooja, is an Indian-Sri Lankan actress, who has primarily appeared in Tamil, Sinhala and Malayalam language films.
Early and personal life
Pooja's mother, Sandhya, is a Sri Lankan Sinhalese and h ...
, who was also part of Bala's ''Naan Kadavul'', and
Nivedhitha
Niveditha, formerly known and credited as Smitha, is an Indian actress, who predominantly appears in Kannada films. She attracted notable attention with her performance in the film '' Avva'' (2008) that fetched her the Karnataka State Film Awar ...
, who had starred in small-budget films ''
Kathai'' and ''
Porkkalam
''Porkkalam'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action film Directed, Saroj Kumar. Starring Kishore of '' Polladhavan'' and ''Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu'' fame, Tinnu Anand, who starred in Mani Ratnam's ''Nayakan'' and ''Bombay'', comedy actor Sath ...
'' were initially considered.
Eventually, former Telugu
VJ, model and actress
Madhu Shalini
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
was finalised,
to portray the role of a college student and the love interest of Arya's character, while she was also made by Bala to
dub for herself. Meanwhile, businessman-turned-actor
R. K. was chosen to play a villainous role. In May 2010,
Suriya
Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter and a philanthropist. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors. He received numerou ...
was signed to appear in a guest role as himself.
Furthermore,
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja or Abdul Haliq (born 31 August 1979) is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer-songwriter. He mainly scores music for Tamil films. Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use of Wes ...
was announced as the music director of the film, joining Bala again after the successful ''
Nandha
''Nandha'' is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Bala. The film stars Suriya in the lead role, while Rajkiran, Laila, Saravanan and Rajshree play other supporting roles. The film also marked the debut of co ...
'' in 2001.
About replacing his usual music director
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...
by his son, Bala said that since it was a youth-centric film, Yuvan Shankar Raja can "bring the right feel".
Suresh Urs, who had worked on all Bala films since ''Nandha'', was roped in as the film's editor, while
Arthur A. Wilson
Arthur A. Wilson (born 16 March 1968) is an Indian cinematographer. He has predominantly worked in south Indian films of languages such as Tamil and Telugu. He is best known for his successful movies ''Anbe Sivam'', ''Naan Kadavul'', and '' Ims ...
remained the cinematographer.
S. Ramakrishnan
S. Ramakrishnan is a writer from Tamil Nadu, India. He is a full-time writer who has been active over the last 27 years in diverse areas of Tamil literature like short stories, novels, plays, children's literature and translations. He has w ...
was assigned to write the dialogues, after J. S. Ragavan and professor Gnanasambanthan were approached.
Filming
Bala, whose films usually take several years to get completed and released, disclosed that this film, however, would be finished in eight months time.
The film's shooting, which was supposed to commence on 10 February 2010 in
Tenkasi
Tenkasi is a town and headquarters of the Tenkasi district in Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Being one of the most significant spiritual and cultural places in South Tamilnadu,Tenkasi houses The Kutraleeshwarar temple (Chitra Sabha), one of the ...
and
Shenkottah
Sengottai (also known as Shencottah, Chenkotta or Shenkottai) is a town in the Tenkasi district, of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the gateway to southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Spread over an area of 2.68 km2 with a population of over 26,823, t ...
and to be completed in two schedules,
started with a slight delay nine days later in
Courtallam
Courtallam is a panchayat town situated at a mean elevation of in the foothills of the Western Ghats in Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu, India. The Coutrallam Falls on the Chittar River is a major tourist attraction.
Demographics
India cens ...
, where a major portion was shot.
Almost the entire film was shot in and across
Theni
Theni is a valley town situated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu at the foothills of Western Ghats. It is the headquarters of the Theni district, located in a distance of 70km from Madurai. It is known for the large-scale trading of garlic, c ...
,
with minor portions being filmed in
Ambasamudram
Ambasamudram is the principal town of the Ambasamudram taluk in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The entire taluk had a population of 392,226 as of 2001, with 42.5% classified as rural. The town of Ambasamudram had a popu ...
, and
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
at the
Kilpauk Medical College
Government Kilpauk Medical College (GKMC), founded in 1960, is a government medical institution in India. There are four hospitals attached to GKMC - Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. They are Government Royapettah Hospital, Govern ...
Hospital. The climax part was filmed at the last, which was completed by late January 2011 and with which Vishal had finished his portion. The entire shooting was completed in early February, with Vishal later confessing that he was the sole reason for the delay in completion. The film took almost 200 days to complete but became Bala's fastest shoot nonetheless. From 10 February 2011, the
dubbing
Dubbing (re-recording and mixing) is a post-production process used in filmmaking and video production, often in concert with sound design, in which additional or supplementary recordings are lip-synced and "mixed" with original production sou ...
and
post-production
Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments.
The ...
works commenced.
Soundtrack
''Avan Ivan''s soundtrack is composed by
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja or Abdul Haliq (born 31 August 1979) is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer-songwriter. He mainly scores music for Tamil films. Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use of Wes ...
and marks his second collaboration with Bala, following a highly critically acclaimed work in ''
Nandha
''Nandha'' is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Bala. The film stars Suriya in the lead role, while Rajkiran, Laila, Saravanan and Rajshree play other supporting roles. The film also marked the debut of co ...
''. Deviating from his usual style of composing, he did not use any
Western musical elements such as
synths
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
and
auto-tune
Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances.
Auto-Tu ...
, but only "pure ethnic (Indian) sounds",
further disclosing that the entire album and score was
recorded live
''Recorded Live'' is the third live album by British blues rock musicians Ten Years After, which was released as a double LP in 1973.
This album, containing no overdubs or additives, was recorded over four nights in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, F ...
.
Yuvan Shankar recorded the whole
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
in one take, after few
rehearsal
A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of practising, to ensure t ...
s. In August 2010, an intense
pathos
Pathos (, ; plural: ''pathea'' or ''pathê''; , for "suffering" or "experience") appeals to the emotions and ideals of the audience and elicits feelings that already reside in them. Pathos is a term used most often in rhetoric (in which it is c ...
song was recorded in the voice of
Vijay Prakash
Vijay Prakash (born 21 February 1976) is an Indian Playback singer and also a Music Composer from Karnataka. He has given his voice for predominantly Kannada and Telugu language films. In addition, he has also sung in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam an ...
,
while the following month, he recorded several different
Indian folk drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s with 40 people.
Yuvan revealed that he was given over two months time for each song,
while Bala later commented that Yuvan's job for ''Avan Ivan'' was of "international standard".
The
Master recording
Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via met ...
was handed over by Yuvan Shankar Raja on 18 March 2011.
The soundtrack album was released exactly one month later, on 18 April 2011 by Bala's mentor
Balu Mahendra
Balanathan Benjamin Mahendran (19 May 1939 13 February 2014), commonly known as Balu Mahendra, was a Sri Lankan-born Indian cinematographer, director, screenwriter and film editor who worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. Widely regarded as ...
in a grand event held at the Residency Towers, Chennai.
Controversially, the songs had been leaked to the Internet few days before the official release, after Sony Music had sent the master copies to abroad earlier. The album consists of 5 tracks, four songs and an instrumental,
with lyrics penned by
Na. Muthukumar
Nagarajan Muthukumar (12 July 1975 – 14 August 2016) was a Tamil poet, lyricist, and author. Best known for his Tamil language film songs, he received the most Filmfare Awards for Best Lyricist in Tamil and was a two-time recipient of the Nat ...
. The lyrics for the Telugu version of the soundtrack, which was released on 1 June 2011 at Taj Banjara Hotel in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
, were written by
Ananth Sreeram and
Chandrabose. The song "Oru Malayoram" featured vocals by children Priyanka,
Srinisha Jayaseelan and Nithyashree, who were participants in the second season of the reality-based singing-competition
Airtel Super Singer Junior
Bharti Airtel Limited, commonly known as (d/b/a) Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Currently, ...
. Only one songs from the soundtrack, "Dia Dia Dole", was used in its entirety, along with an altered shorter version of "Rasathi" and parts of "Mudhal Murai", while "Avanapathi" and "Oru Malayoram" were completely left out.
The film, however, featured two additional tracks, not included in the soundtrack, which would be released in a second edition.
The album received positive reviews from music critics. Richard Mahesh from Behindwoods gave a 2.5/5 rating and said "Yuvan Shankar Raja has experimented with a new-dimensional music that sounds good on the whole. While 'Avanapathi' and 'Rasathi' turning us irresistibly addictive to its tunes, 'Oru Malayoram' will be a melodic hit of this season." describing the album as "different but a laudable show by Yuvan"
[ Pavithra Srinivasan from ]Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
gave a 3/5 rating and said "When it comes to Avan Ivan, it looks like Yuvan has voluntarily tried to move out of his comfort zone, given up on his template and experimented, particularly with the instrumental arrangement and most times, it works. Go for it."[ Indiaglitz said "Songs from Bala's films never failed to disappoint us. The director has repeated the magic this time too and the credit goes to Yuvan Shankar Raja."
]
Release
Prior to release, ''Avan Ivan'' was given a U/A (Parental Guidance) rating by the Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provision ...
. It was reported to be distributed and marketed by Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures is an Indian film distribution and production studio based in Chennai, India. It is a unit of Sun TV Network a part of the Sun Group. Founded in 2000, it started producing the TV film ''Siragugal
''Siragugal'' () is an Indi ...
, however following the 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
The Fourteenth Legislative Assembly Election was held on 13 April 2011 to elect members from 234 constituencies in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Results were released on 13 May 2011. Two major parties Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All In ...
the production studio AGS Entertainment
AGS Entertainment is an Indian film production, distribution company and multiplex chain in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was established in 2006 by three brothers Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S.Ganesh and Kalpathi S. Suresh.
History
AGS Entertain ...
decided to release the film directly. Initially planned to release in January 2011, the release was pushed to April, before eventually releasing on 17 June 2011. The film was released by GK Media in 20 screens in the United States and reportedly became the biggest overseas release for Bala as well as Arya and Vishal . The film, which was dubbed in Telugu as ''Vaadu Veedu'', released worldwide on 17 June 2011 simultaneously along with the Tamil version, to mixed critical response. Owing to Vishal's popularity in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
, Vishal's brother, Vikram Krishna
Vikram Krishna Reddy, credited in films as Ajay, is an Indian film producer and former actor in Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Ta ...
, decided to dub the film into Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
as '' Vaadu Veedu'' and release it under his GK Films Corporation banner.
Reception
Critical response
The film received mixed reviews from critics. ''Behindwoods'' gave two and a half out of five stars citing that the film had a "loose screenplay" but was compensated by a "power packed performance" by the actors. The reviewer compared Arya
Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...
and Vishal Krishna
Vishal Krishna Reddy (born 29 August 1977), also known as Vishal, is an Indian actor and film producer from Tamil cinema. The younger son of film producer G. K. Reddy, Vishal studied Visual Communications at Loyola College, Chennai. Best known ...
saying "Unlike Vishal, Arya doesn’t have much scope over performance, but manages to remain under spotlights with his rib-tickling comedy tracks and dialogue delivery. Although we have the signature as 'A Film By Bala' during final credits, it's worth mentioning that the film completely belongs to Vishal." A reviewer from ''in.com'' gave three and half out of five and said that the movie is a "definite watch for Bala's followers and to watch the new Vishal emerge as a performer". Further praising Vishal, the critic stats, "there is no doubt that from the beginning of the making of the film, there has been so much riding on Vishal's character as he has been playing the role of a squint and has done a fab job." Rohit Ramachandran of ''nowrunning.com'' gave it two out of five stars stating that "''Avan Ivan'', in the end, is Vishal and Arya battling for recognition in the acting arena." ''Supergoodmovies'' also gave three and a half stars and concluded that "''Avan Ivan'' will not let down the audience. Though not a typical Bala film, a feel of joy creeps as we watch the film. It is one of the best technically made movies by Bala so far."
''Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
'' gave two and a half out of five and wrote that "''Avan Ivan'' does have, at its heart, a nice storyline with plenty of comic elements. But director Bala doesn't really capitalize on its strengths, and never pulls you into the story except in parts which is disappointing, as he is among today's trend-setters in Tamil cinema." Malathi Rangarajan from ''The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' claimed that "the intermission leaves you wondering at the frivolousness and facileness of the story that's very much unlike Bala. Nothing much happens in the first hour or so. Thankfully, he makes amends with a riveting climax." A critic from ''Oneindia.in
Oneindia.com is an Indian website established in January 2006 by BG Mahesh. The website provides news updates, information on sports, events, travel, entertainment, business, lifestyle, videos, and classifieds in seven different Indian language ...
'' cited: "Watch the film for the expression of 'Nava Rasas' just after the interval bang and the climax scene and you will get a feel that it is a 100 per cent paisa vasool." ''Chennai Online''s reviewer stated that Bala had "attempted to provide us with a film that has comical elements as its major strength. He has gone overboard and failed to present it with coherent script. As a result the movie turns out to be a disappointing experience despite having stunning performances", while ''Indiaglitz'' commented: "All said, ''Avan Ivan'' is not a typical Bala film, and it has its own dull moments, courtesy clichéd scenes and dragging second half. But it also has many ingredients to entertain the masses." ''CNN-IBN
CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides internationa ...
'' wrote: "Overall ''Avan Ivan'' suffers from a sloppy script despite having some fine performances. The lack of balance between Bala's emphatic portrayal of different kind of life and his effort to provide fun is the major problem of the movie. The fun becomes farce and the seriousness turns out to be ineffective."
The movie naturally transits to a strong climax which leaves an impact for a while in the viewers.
Box-office
''Avan Ivan'' had a solo release on 17 June 2011 in almost 700 screens worldwide. The film opened across 350 screens in Tamil Nadu and collected 8.9 million in the opening weekend at the Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
box office. According to Sify
Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
, the film had earned a distributor share of 8.3 million from 18 Chennai screens. At the end of the third weekend, the film had earned 46.5 million in Chennai. Its dubbed Telugu version, ''Vaadu Veedu'' released simultaneously with the Tamil version, and grossed an estimated 15 million in the opening weekend in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
, while collecting around 5 million in Nizam
The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
area only, which was considered a remarkable figure for a dubbed release. The dubbed version had reportedly earned 40 million in Andhra Pradesh, outclassing original Telugu ventures. In the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, the film was released by Ayngaran International
Ayngaran International is a film distribution and production company, based in the United Kingdom. Historically, Tamil films from India have been distributed to overseas theaters and for home media consumption by Ayngaran. The chairman of the ...
across 14 screens and collected $49,921 in the first three days, opening at 15th place. At the end of the second weekend, the film had earned $80,933 overall in UK. FiveStar distributed the film in Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
in 32 theatres, where it grossed $232,781 in the first weekend, opening at fourth.
References
External links
*
{{AGS Entertainment
2011 films
Indian comedy-drama films
2011 comedy-drama films
Films directed by Bala (director)
Films scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja
2010s Tamil-language films
Indian films about revenge
Films shot in Tamil Nadu