Vetrimaaran is an Indian
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
, screenwriter and film producer, who works in the
Tamil film industry
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood ...
. As of 2021, he has won five
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...
, eight
Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards
Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards is an annual awards ceremony for people in the Tamil film industry. It is presented by the Tamil language weekly magazine ''ananda vikatan''. The awards were introduced in the year 2008, honouring the films that w ...
, two
Filmfare South Awards and the Amnesty International Italia Award from
72nd Venice Film Festival
The 72nd annual Venice International Film Festival took place from 2 to 12 September 2015. Alfonso Cuarón served as the President of the Jury for the main competition. A restored version of Federico Fellini's film '' Amarcord'' was shown at ...
.
Vetrimaaran made his directorial debut with the ''
Polladhavan'' (2007). His second feature film ''
Aadukalam
''Aadukalam'' (; ) is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Vetrimaran, who also co-wrote the screenplay and dialogues with Vikram Sugumaran from his story. Produced by Five Star Kathiresan and distributed by Sun Pictures, the fi ...
'' (2011) won six
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...
. He produces films under his production company,
Grass Root Film Company
Grass Root Film Company is an Indian film production and distribution company. Established by Indian director Vetrimaaran in 2012, it debuted with ''Udhayam NH4'', produced in collaboration with Meeka Entertainment. The company has collaborated ...
. His movie ''
Visaranai
''Visaranai'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language crime drama film written and directed by Vetrimaaran. It is based on the novel ''Lock Up'' by M. Chandrakumar. The film stars Dinesh, Anandhi, Samuthirakani, Aadukalam Murugadoss, Kishore, Pradhee ...
'' (2016) was selected as India's official entry to the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
. His film ''
Asuran'' (2019) received the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil
The Indian Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awa ...
.
Personal life
Vetrimaaran was born in
Cuddalore
Cuddalore, also spelt as Kadalur (), is the city and headquarters of the Cuddalore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Situated south of Chennai, Cuddalore was an important port during the British Raj.
While the early history of Cudda ...
in 1975. His father Dr. V. Chitravel was a
veterinary scientist
Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...
and his mother Megala Chitravel is a noted novelist. He has an older sister. He later moved to
Ranipet
Ranipet is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Ranipet (lit. Queen's colony) is an industrial hub of Southern Chennai city in southern India. It is located about from the Chennai city center. It is a major industrial town located on NH 4 Che ...
.
He is married to Aarthi whom he met at Loyola College where he was studying. They have two children, Poonthendrel and Kadiravan.
Career
Late 90s-2007: Beginning directions
While studying English literature at Loyola, he undertook a course on Television presentation at the end of which he had to make a film. While making the film, he learned of his inclination towards filmmaking. Later, he attended a seminar organised by
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 ...
, who at that time was a visiting professor at Loyola. Impressed by the veteran filmmaker Vetrimaaran decided that he'd learn filmmaking from him. Balu Mahendra then accepted him as one of his lead assistants. Following that he faced the dilemma of choosing between studies and Film. He opted for the latter which meant he had to opt out-of his course at Loyola. Balu Mahendra expanded his duties for the Tamil serial Kathai Neram (2000) and the Tamil films ''
En Iniya Ponnilave
''En Iniye Ponnilave'' is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Balu Mahendra, starring Pandiarajan and Mounika.
Cast
* Pandiarajan as Shiva
* Mounika as Rosie
*Suresh Chakravarthi
* Vichithra
* Vasanth
Soundtrack
Soundtrack was compo ...
'' (2001), ''
Julie Ganapathy
''Julie Ganapathi'' is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film written, photographed, edited and directed by Balu Mahendra, starring Saritha, Jayaram and Ramya Krishnan. It is based on the 1987 Stephen King novel '' Misery''. F ...
'' (2003), and ''
Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam
''Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Balu Mahendra. The film featured Dhanush and Priyamani , while Karunas and Delhi Ganesh played supporting roles. The music for the film was s ...
'' (2005). He has since credited Balu Mahendra as his mentor and the one who encouraged to follow his dream of becoming a director. He also acted in a brief role as
Richard Rishi
Richard Rishi is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Tamil and Telugu films and few Malayalam and Kannada films. He is known for Koottu, ''A Film by Aravind'' and his controversial caste movies with director Mohan G, namely '' Draupat ...
's assistant in
Kadhir
Kathir is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter who works predominantly in Tamil cinema.
Early life
Kathir was born in kalkarai, a small village in the Radhapuram Taluk of Tirunelveli District, state of Tamil Nadu, India. Kathir ...
's ''
Kadhal Virus
''Kaadhal'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film based on a true story, directed by Balaji Sakthivel, starring Bharath (in his first film as a main lead actor) and Sandhya. It was produced by S. Shankar and featured music co ...
'' (2002).
It was during the making of his mentor's ''
Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam
''Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Balu Mahendra. The film featured Dhanush and Priyamani , while Karunas and Delhi Ganesh played supporting roles. The music for the film was s ...
'' where Vetrimaaran became acquainted with the lead actor of the film,
Dhanush
Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja (born 28 July 1983), known professionally as Dhanush, is an Indian actor, producer, director, lyricist and playback singer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Starring in 46 films over his career, among hi ...
. He prepared a script for Dhanush who immediately accepted the offer after hearing the story. The film titled Desiya Nedunchalai 47 was initially launched with Yuvan Shankar Raja as the music director and Ekambaram as the cinematographer. After he found trouble finding producers with A. M. Rathnam and Salem Chandrasekhar leaving the project after initial interest, Dhanush's sister Dr. Vimala Geetha agreed to produce the film, but she also dropped the film. Dhanush's father Kasthuri Raja finally agreed to produce the film, and Kirat Bhattal was signed as heroine, while Harris Jayaraj was selected as music director. However, after two days of shoot, the film was shelved, and Dhanush opted to pursue other films after the surprise success of his Thiruvilayadal Arambam.
The film's collapse saw Vetrimaaran approach producer Kadiresan and narrated to him the stories he had prepared, but the producer did not like Desiya Nedunchaalai 47, but agreed to work on another project titled ''
Polladhavan'' (2007).
Vetrimaaran has since described that he had "ample time" for the production works of ''
Polladhavan'' as "Dhanush had confidence in him". Production designer Durai helped him rope in
G. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar is an Indian composer, actor, producer and singer known for his work in Tamil films and a few Telugu films as well. His first film was S Pictures' ''Veyil'' (2006) and he became popular in Tamil cinema by the early 2010s. He ...
to score the film's music, while Dhanush also recommended cinematographer
Velraj
Rajamani Velraj, ISC is an Indian cinematographer, director and writer who primarily works in Tamil and Hindi cinema. He is well known for his camera work in films like Asuran, Aadukalam, Vada Chennai, Kadaikutty Singam and Komban, and for dir ...
to Vetrimaaran after the pair had worked together in ''
Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram
''Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram'' () is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language crime action film directed by Suresh Krissna. It stars Dhanush, Meera Jasmine and Archana. The film is a remake of 2005 Kannada blockbuster film '' Jogi''. The film revolv ...
'' (2007). Vetrimaaran chose the Kannada language actor
Kishore to make his Tamil film debut after his assistant gave him rave reviews of the actor's performance in the unfinished
Prashanth
Prashanth Thiagarajan (born 6 April 1973), known professionally as Prashanth, is an Indian actor and businessman, known for his works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in few Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam fi ...
-starrer ''Petrol''. The team held test shoots with both
Kajal Aggarwal
Kajal Aggarwal (born 19 June 1985) is an Indian actress and model who mainly appears in Telugu and Tamil language films, in addition to a few Hindi films. Aggarwal has worked in more than 50 films and also received two South Indian Internatio ...
and
Poonam Bajwa
Poonam Bajwa is an Indian actress and model who appears in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. She made her acting debut in 2005 with the Telugu film '' Modati Cinema'', after that she was featured in more Telugu film, such as ''Boss'' ( ...
for the film and released the stills to the media, but Vetrimaaran was still unsatisfied and finished two schedules before finalising on
Divya Spandana
Divya Spandana (born 29 November 1982), better known by her screen name Ramya, is an Indian actress and politician. She served as the Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Mandya, Karnataka. She primarily works in Kannada, alongside Tami ...
. The director revealed that there was initially an issue with the actress after she got offended by his words and did not come for the shoot for three days, before Durai intervened. The film's story was inspired partly by the lost bike of his friend Andrew and the variety of experiences he had tracking down his vehicle. Vetrimaaran revealed that when he wrote the script, he made many changes to suit the visual medium and for Dhanush on his physical attributes while playing an action hero. The film opened in November 2007 to rave reviews, with the critic from Sify.com stating that "Vetri has made his mentor proud, and his style of narration and takings are very similar to the ace director Balu Mahendra, labelling that the film had shades of
Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement.
Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Sciuscià'' and ''Bicycle Thieves'' (honorary) ...
's 1948 Italian film, ''
Bicycle Thieves
''Bicycle Thieves'' ( it, Ladri di biciclette; sometimes known in the United States as ''The Bicycle Thief'') is a 1948 Italian neorealist drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It follows the story of a poor father searching in post-World War ...
''. When questioned about its relevance to ''
Bicycle Thieves
''Bicycle Thieves'' ( it, Ladri di biciclette; sometimes known in the United States as ''The Bicycle Thief'') is a 1948 Italian neorealist drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It follows the story of a poor father searching in post-World War ...
'', he stated that it "is a disgrace to ''Bicycle Thieves'' if it is compared with ''Polladhavan''". The reviewer 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 ...
stated that "at no point does ''Polladhavan'' sag and that writer-director Vetrimaaran has slogged through his screenplay and the result shows." The film subsequently went on to win four
Vijay Awards
The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held in ...
including
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
for Vetrimaaran.
2011-2015: Breakthrough and National acclaim
Following the success of ''
Polladhavan'', the entire team of that film: Vetrimaaran, Dhanush, Kishore, producer S. Kathiresan, and G. V. Prakash Kumar collaborated once again for ''
Aadukalam
''Aadukalam'' (; ) is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Vetrimaran, who also co-wrote the screenplay and dialogues with Vikram Sugumaran from his story. Produced by Five Star Kathiresan and distributed by Sun Pictures, the fi ...
'' (2011), which deals with the rivalry between cock-fighters in Madurai. During
Pre-production
Pre-production is the process of planning some of the elements involved in a film, television show, play, or other performance, as distinct from production and post-production. Pre-production ends when the planning ends and the content starts ...
and scripting, Vetrimaaran spent a period of two years in
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
to understand the local dialect and lifestyle of the people living there. ''Aadukalam'' was the first film of Vetrimaaran to have a production office set up outside of
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 ...
.
Vetrimaaran took a year to complete the screenplay, script, and dialogues for ''Aadukalam'' and held a bounded script for the venture, which is considered rare in Tamil films.
Vetrimaaran narrated only half of the film's script to Dhanush before the latter was impressed with it and agreed to act in the film. The film was initially titled ''Seval'', but since the rights to the title were already taken by director
Hari
Hari ( sa, हरि) is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress ...
for his
project with Bharath, Vetrimaaran decided to rename his film as ''Aadukalam''.
The film languished in production hell for two years due to constant changing in cast, crew and location, but Vetrimaaran, Dhanush, Kishore, Kathiresan and G. V. Prakash Kumar remained on. Vetrimaaran introduced two newcomers who made their Tamil debuts:
Taapsee Pannu
Taapsee Pannu (born 1 August 1987) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. She is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards.
After a brief modelling career, Pannu ventured into acting with the Telugu film ''Jh ...
and
Sri Lankan Tamil
Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pr ...
writer and
political commentator
A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport).
Origins
The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowledg ...
V. I. S. Jayapalan, while future Vetrimaaran collaborators
Dinesh
Dinesh (Devanagari: ') is a common Hindu male given name. The Sanskrit word ' is a compound of ' 'day' and ' 'lord', meaning 'day-lord', an epithet of the Sun. Notable people with the name include:
* Dinesh, Indian film actor
* Dinesh Baboo, Indi ...
,
Murugadoss and
Naren made their breakthroughs through this film.
Upon release, ''Aadukalam'' received critical acclaim and was a commercial success.
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 ...
called it "a gutsy and brilliant film" and mentioned that it " lives up to the expectation that the film carried and the credit goes to Vetrimaran whose research and hard work shows on screen". Behindwoods wrote "Aadukalam is an attempt that requires appreciation where the director has hacked his way through the path less trodden with aplomb". Karthik Subramanian of ''
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 ...
'' praised the film stating that "The detailing of every characters in the story is intricate. The narrative moves like a good novel where the first few chapters are all about etching and detailing the players, and the plot and the action unfold much later". Pavithra Srinivasan of
Rediff.com
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 ...
called it "one of Dhanush's best works to date". Tamil magazine ''
Ananda Vikatan
''Ananda Vikatan'' is a Tamil-language weekly magazine published from Chennai, India.
History and profile
''Ananda Vikatan'' was started by Late Pudhoor Vaidyanadhaiyar in February 1926 as a monthly publication. The issue for December 1927 wa ...
'' rated the film with 44 marks and mentioned that "This arena is new for presenting cultural nuances of a region and changes in human emotions beautifully". At the 58th National Film Awards ceremony, the film walked away with the maximum trophies, including Best Director and Best Screenplay for Vetrimaaran.
In 2012, Vetrimaaran launched his own production house called the Grass Root Film Company and launched his maiden project, ''
Udhayam NH4
''Udhayam NH4'' is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by debutant Manimaran, a former associate of Vetrimaaran. The film stars Siddharth and newcomer Ashrita Shetty. Vetrimaaran wrote the script, did the screenplay, and ...
'' (2013) with
Siddharth in the lead role and his associate
Manimaran
Manimaran is an Indian film director, working in the Tamil film industry.
Career
He made his directorial debut in Tamil, ''Udhayam NH4'' (2013) featuring Siddharth (actor), Siddharth and a newcomer Ashrita Shetty in lead roles. It was simul ...
as director. He wrote the dialogues of ''
Naan Rajavaga Pogiren
''Naan Rajavaga Pogiren'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by Prithvi Rajkumar. The film stars Nakul, Chandini Tamilarasan, and newcomer Avani Modi.
Plot
Jeeva is a Tamil-speaking young man living with his ...
'' (2013) directed by newcomer Prithvi Rajkumar. In 2014, his production ''
Poriyaalan
''Poriyaalan'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language thriller drama film directed by Thanukumar, written by Manimaran and produced by Vetrimaaran. The film features Harish Kalyan and Rakshita in the leading roles. Velraj is the cinematographer for ...
'', dubbed as a sort of sibling to''Polladhavan'' was released to critical appreciation. In 2015, the Children's film ''
Kaaka Muttai
''Kaaka Muttai'' (released internationally as ''The Crow's Egg'') is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film written, directed and filmed by M. Manikandan, in his directorial debut. Jointly produced by Dhanush's Wunderbar Films, Vetrimaa ...
'' (2015), directed by
Manikandan
Manikandan (born 1983) is an Indian actor, who has appeared in Tamil language films. He has acted in films including ''Boys (2003 film), Boys'' (2003) and ''Kicha Vayasu 16'' (2005).
Career
Manikanda, a visual communications graduate who had ...
and jointly produced by Dhanush's
Wunderbar Films
Wunderbar Films is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Actor Dhanush and his wife Aishwarya on 20 May 2010. Based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it mainly produces and distributes Tamil films, and occasionally Malayalam an ...
and Grassroot Film Company received critical acclaim from all around India and won the
Best Children's Film Award at the
62nd National Film Awards
The 62nd National Film Awards ceremony was an event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals presents its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2014 in the Cinema of India, Indian cinema. The awards were announced on 24 M ...
. This film proved to be a breakthrough for actress
Aishwarya Rajesh
Aishwarya Rajesh (born 10 January 1990) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Tamil films, alongside Telugu and Malayalam films. She is a recipient of four SIIMA Awards, one Filmfare Award South and one Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Aish ...
who later collaborated with Vetrimaaran in ''
Vada Chennai
''Vada Chennai'' () is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action crime drama film written and directed by Vetrimaaran in his fourth film as a director. It is the first instalment in a planned trilogy. Produced by A. Subaskaran's Lyca Productions an ...
''.
2016-present: Further success
Vetrimaaran's third venture was the crime-thriller ''
Visaranai
''Visaranai'' () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language crime drama film written and directed by Vetrimaaran. It is based on the novel ''Lock Up'' by M. Chandrakumar. The film stars Dinesh, Anandhi, Samuthirakani, Aadukalam Murugadoss, Kishore, Pradhee ...
'' (2015), which was produced by Dhanush's Wunderbar Productions, and based on M. Chandrakumar's novel ''Lock Up''. The film deals with the lives of a few Tamil laborers subject to horrific atrocities committed by the police in which they are unable to escape from. Vetrimaaran chose to begin the film before the schedule for his other venture ''
Vada Chennai
''Vada Chennai'' () is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action crime drama film written and directed by Vetrimaaran in his fourth film as a director. It is the first instalment in a planned trilogy. Produced by A. Subaskaran's Lyca Productions an ...
'' (2018) and reunited with actors
Dinesh
Dinesh (Devanagari: ') is a common Hindu male given name. The Sanskrit word ' is a compound of ' 'day' and ' 'lord', meaning 'day-lord', an epithet of the Sun. Notable people with the name include:
* Dinesh, Indian film actor
* Dinesh Baboo, Indi ...
,
Murugadoss and Kishore, where the first to play the two main Tamil laborers, while the latter plays an auditor. Though he had dubbed for Kishore in ''Aadukalam'',
Samuthirakani
Samuthirakani (born 26 April 1973) is an Indian actor and film director who predominantly works in Tamil films and Telugu films besides appearing in a number of Malayalam films. He worked as an assistant to director K Balachander. He won the N ...
made this film his maiden acting collaboration with Vetrimaaran, portraying as a hard nosed yet sympathetic police inspector, while Telugu film actor
Ajay Ghosh
Ajay Ghosh is an Indian actor who primarily appears in Telugu and Tamil-language films in negative roles. He is known for his roles in ''Jyothi Lakshmi'' (2015) and ''Visaranai'' (2016), '' Mookuthi Amman'' (2020) and '' Pushpa: The Rise'' (2021 ...
made his breakthrough as a Telugu soft speaking, yet "villainous" inspector in Guntur. The film earlier had the working titles of ''Kutravaali'' and ''Lock-Up'', during the first schedule in
Guindy
Guindy is one of the most important neighborhoods of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and is nicknamed as ''The Gateway to Chennai''. The Kathipara junction where Anna Salai, Mount-Poonamallee Road, Inner Ring Road, 100 Feet Road or Jawaharlal Nehru Roa ...
. The first half of the film was finished completely in September 2014 in locations across Hyderabad. The director later announced that the film would be an experimental film lasting only 60 minutes.
Upon release, ''Visaranai'' received universal acclaim. In India, IndiaGlitz.com had rated the film 4.5 out of 5 and said, "Visaranai is by no means only an art or docu film, but fits into the commercial arena as well as it has thrills, especially a nail biting climax, humour, action, a little painful love story in the background and above all filled with real life incidents which one can easily relate to".
Twitch Film
Screen Anarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...
viewed Visarnai as a top class film about reality comparable to
2012 Cannes favourite ''
Gangs of Wasseypur
''Gangs of Wasseypur'' is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language two-part crime film produced and directed by Anurag Kashyap, and written by Kashyap and Zeishan Quadri. Centered on the coal mafia (Mafia Raj) of Dhanbad, and the underlying power struggle ...
''.
Baradwaj Rangan
Baradwaj Rangan is an Indian film critic, writer, and formerly the deputy editor of ''The Hindu''. He later became a senior editor of Film Companion. Rangan won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2006. Before joining ''The Hindu'' ...
, then of ''The Hindu'' wrote "Visaranai is beautifully filmed, though there isn't much room for beauty. The frames appear to have been snatched from the back alleys of life. The verité illusion is aided by the utterly lifelike performances—even if the word "performance" seems wrong.". ''Rediff'' wrote "Director Vetrimaaran deserves credit for having extracted the best from all his actors. They are so remarkable you sense their terror as they stutter and stumble with their broken and bruised bodies. The hard-hitting screenplay is relentless, making no effort to shield you from the harsh realities of the ruthless world we live in today." ''Behindwoods'' wrote "Some may call Visaranai to be a violent film, while most of the others may say it is a brilliant piece of art that is so real and suspenseful. But if you’re a fan of crime thriller or film that depicts pain, do not miss it!" Overseas, Hollywood Reporter wrote "Vetri Maaran’s tense socio-political thriller lands a well-aimed punch at rampant police brutality and corruption, to which the only response from the viewer is towering indignation. It may not break new ground in its subject or style of narration, but it covers the old ground extremely well, and its premise is so convincing and realistic that it seems like non-fiction. The first part, at least, is non-fiction, while the film’s second half turns into a fast-paced thriller...Maaran and Kumar extend the horror to include the upper echelons in the police and government, who also need scapegoats to cover their crimes. This mirror plot becomes an ever more threatening nocturnal thriller, and takes the film much wider in terms of potential audience."
''Visaranai'' got a standing ovation at the 72nd Venice Film Festival and won the Amnesty International Italia Award. It was India's official entry in the Foreign Language film category at the 2017 Academy Awards, but failed to get nominated. In India, the film also won three National Film awards -
Best Feature Film in Tamil,
Best Supporting Actor for
Samuthirakani
Samuthirakani (born 26 April 1973) is an Indian actor and film director who predominantly works in Tamil films and Telugu films besides appearing in a number of Malayalam films. He worked as an assistant to director K Balachander. He won the N ...
and
Best Editing for
Kishore Te
Kishore Te (24 March 1978 – 6 March 2015) was an Indian film editor who worked in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films. For his work in ''Aadukalam'' (2011) and ''Visaranai'' (2015), he won the National Film Award for Best Editing.
Career
At age 2 ...
and G. B. Venkatesh and numerous awards at
Ananda Vikatan
''Ananda Vikatan'' is a Tamil-language weekly magazine published from Chennai, India.
History and profile
''Ananda Vikatan'' was started by Late Pudhoor Vaidyanadhaiyar in February 1926 as a monthly publication. The issue for December 1927 wa ...
and
Filmfare South.
Vetrimaaran also produced three films in a row with ''
Kodi
KODI (1400 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Cody, Wyoming, United States, the station is currently owned by the Big Horn Radio Network, a division of Legend Communications of Wyoming, LLC, and features programm ...
'' (2016), ''
Lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...
'' (2017) and ''
Annanukku Jai'' (2018).
Vetrimaaran's fourth directorial venture which he had been preparing for since 2009, ''
Vada Chennai
''Vada Chennai'' () is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action crime drama film written and directed by Vetrimaaran in his fourth film as a director. It is the first instalment in a planned trilogy. Produced by A. Subaskaran's Lyca Productions an ...
'' saw him reunite with Dhanush, Samuthirakani, Kishore,
Daniel Balaji
T. C. Balaji, better known by his stage name Daniel Balaji, is an Indian actor and writer, who predominantly appears in Tamil and Malayalam films.
Early life and career
Balaji studied a film direction course in Taramani film institute, Chenna ...
,
Pawan, cinematographer Velraj and editor G. B. Venkatesh. The film is about a skilled carrom player who becomes a reluctant participant in a gang war between two rival gangsters. Like ''Aadukalam'', the film went through production and development hell over a period of 9 years with huge changes in cast and crew and a lot of scouting and research, yet Vetrimaaran made sure it was not shelved. Actors
Ameer, Aishwarya Rajesh,
Radha Ravi
Madras Rajagopalan Radhakrishnan Ravi (born 29 July 1952) is an Indian actor and politician who played supporting roles throughout his career. He is the son of actor M. R. Radha and the uncle of Vasu Vikram and half-brother of Raadhika. He is a ...
and
Andrea Jeremiah
Andrea Maria Jeremiah is an Indian actress, playback singer, and a musician, who works predominantly in Tamil language, Tamil and Malayalam language films. She made her acting debut in Tamil language, Tamil film ''Pachaikili Muthucharam'' (2007 ...
and music director
Santhosh Narayanan
Santhosh Narayanan is an Indian composer and musician in the Tamil film industry.
Early life
Santhosh Narayanan was born in Tiruchirappalli, India. He is the younger of two children. He was educated at RSK Higher Secondary School, Tiruchirappa ...
made their maiden collaborations with Vetrimaaran through this film, though Radha Ravi and Andrea had dubbed for VIS Jayapal and Taapsee Pannu in ''Aadukalam'' earlier. The film ran into controversy from the fisherfolk community, because of a love-making scene between Ameer and Andrea filmed in a boat, which was considered to be offensive for the community. As a result, Vetrimaaran in a video statement, apologised to anyone who may have been hurt by the offensive scenes and agreed to remove them from the film.
After a long delay, ''Vada Chennai'' was released on 18 October 2018, opening with critical and commercial acclaim, with critics praising the story, screenplay and each of the actors' performance. Janani K, a critic from ''
India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new onl ...
'' gave a rating of 4 stars (out of 5) and said that "''Vada Chennai'' has everything you look for in a gangster thriller. But Vetri Maaran's display of twists and turns will win you over." ''
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
''-based critic Manoj Kumar R. assigned 5/5 rating for the film, saying "''Vada Chennai'' is the closest you can get to unforgiving underworld filled with insecurity, revenge, destiny, rage and insatiable urge for bloodshed. It is not the story that stands out in Vada Chennai. It is how beautifully Vetrimaaran has captured the lifestyle of a place, which is so close and yet so far away from the advancement of modern civilization."
Sowmya Rajendran
Sowmya Rajendran is an Indian writer. She is the winner of Sahitya Akademi's 2015 Bal Sahitya Puraskar and has written over 20 books. She has written young adult fiction, picture books and inspirational books for children.
Career
Rajendran's w ...
, editor-in-chief of ''
The News Minute
''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Dhanya Rajendran, Chitra Subramaniam and Vignesh Vellore in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, And ...
'' wrote "From the colourful curses of the street to each of the characters, the film gives us a very real glimpse of gang wars. Vetrimaaran-Dhanush delivers a brilliant gangster film."
Baradwaj Rangan
Baradwaj Rangan is an Indian film critic, writer, and formerly the deputy editor of ''The Hindu''. He later became a senior editor of Film Companion. Rangan won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2006. Before joining ''The Hindu'' ...
of ''
Film Companion South
Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
'' wrote "Dhanush's ascent to stardom has come alongside his growth as an actor, and there’s not one scene where he makes us doubt his character's actions. The actors are so good (Ameer is a standout) and the film's parts are so much greater than the whole that savouring them becomes its own kind of satisfaction. With his outstanding cinematographer Velraj, Vetrimaaran unleashes one flamboyant scene after another." Vada Chennai earned at the worldwide box office and Dhanush received numerous accolades for his role.
Producer
Kalaipuli S. Thanu
Kalaipuli S. Thanu is an Indian film producer, director and distributor, known for his films in Tamil cinema. He has produced several films through his two companies, V Creations and Kalaipuli Films International. Many of his films have been co ...
signed Vetrimaaran and Dhanush to a new film, ''
Asuran'' which saw the duo reunite with music director G. V. Prakash Kumar, Velraj along with
Naren, Pawan and
Munnar Ramesh
Munnar Ramesh is an Indian actor who works in Tamil-language films. He is known for his character and villain roles. He has acted in over 100 films. He is known for his frequent collaborations with Vetrimaaran.
Career
Ramesh worked in a tra ...
, the latter of whom has featured in all of Vetrimaaran's feature films from ''Polladhavan'' onwards. The film's plot is based on Poomani's novel ''Vekkai'' () and is influenced by the real-life
Kilvenmani massacre
The Kilvenmani massacre (or Keezhvenmani massacre) was an incident in Kizhavenmani village, Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu state in India on 25 December 1968 in which a group of around 44 people, the families of striking Dalit village labour ...
that occurred in 1968.
Dhanush plays a lower class farmer who has to protect his family when his youngest son murders a rich upper class landlord and would be seen in two looks: one as a young man in a flashback and the second as a middle-aged man in the present.
Manju Warrier
Manju Warrier (; born 10 September 1978) is an Indian actress, producer, classical dancer and playback singer who primarily appears in Malayalam language films. She is the recipient of several awards including one National Film Award, one Kera ...
made her Tamil debut with this film alongside young actors
Ken Karunas
Karunas (born 21 February 1970 as Karunanidhi Sethu) is an Indian actor, politician and comedian in the Tamil film industry. Appearing mostly in supporting roles, he has also played lead roles in films including ''Dindigul Sarathy'' (2008) an ...
, Teejay Arunasalam and
Ammu Abhirami
Abhirami Sundar better known by her stage name Ammu Abhirami is an Indian actress who has appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. She made her acting debut with 2017 Tamil film ''Bairavaa'', alongside Vijay. She is known for playing pivotal roles ...
and veteran actors
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam-language films, he is the recipient of several ...
and
Pasupathy
Pasupathy (born 5 September 1967) is an Indian actor. He appeared in critically acclaimed roles in many noted films in Tamil cinema, playing supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles.
His performance in '' E'' (2006) ear ...
making their maiden collaborations with Vetrimaaran. The film was shot at a brisk pace, starting from January 2019 at
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
and ended in June.
Upon release on October 4, 2019, the film received mixed to positive critical reviews. ''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'', rated 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating that "Vetri Maaran delivers yet another solid action drama that keeps us engrossed from start to finish."
S. Subhakeerthana from
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
rated the film 4 out of 5 and reviewed it as "With this Dhanush starrer, Vetrimaaran proves he's one of the finest directors in Indian cinema, yet again. Only a few filmmakers like him can pull off a mainstream cinema, balancing ‘realism’ and commercial elements." Sify rated the film 4.5 out of 5, summarising that "Asuran is a must-watch. Dhanush-Vetrimaaran combo who has once again delivered a raw, rustic, and riveting revenge drama. Don't miss this one!" Sreedhar Pillai from
Firstpost
''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18.
The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Raghav ...
rated the film 4 out of 5 and posted a verdict "'' Asuran'' is one of the best films of the year and a must-watch. Vetrimaran keeps the flag of good cinema flying high.". In contrast,
Baradwaj Rangan
Baradwaj Rangan is an Indian film critic, writer, and formerly the deputy editor of ''The Hindu''. He later became a senior editor of Film Companion. Rangan won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2006. Before joining ''The Hindu'' ...
of Film Companion South wrote, "None of the characters feel fully formed because the timelines feel rushed. We don’t feel time and lives weigh down on us the way it did in Vada Chennai or Visaranai. Maybe it’s the on/off voiceovers, which feel like hastily applied band-aids over sore spots in the storytelling. But the bigger absence is the lack of set pieces. Vetri Maaran seems to be holding back almost deliberately, as though mirroring his leading man". Gauthaman Baskaran from
News18
Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (formerly SGA Finance and Management Service and Network18 Fincap Limited) commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned b ...
, gave a rating of 2 out of 5, stating that "Coming at a time when graphic and lurid on-screen violence is being questioned and even condemned, Asuran would appear needlessly falling back to the old formula.".
Commercially, the film became a blockbuster at the box office, entering the club and is currently the highest-grossing film of Vetrimaaran's career.
It won numerous awards including 2 National Awards:
Best Feature Film in Tamil and
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to th ...
for Dhanush. In the same year, Vetrimaaran collaborated with Suresh Kamatchi for their production, ''
Miga Miga Avasaram
''Miga Miga Avasaram'' () is a 2019 Tamil language action drama film directed by Suresh Kamatchi, who previously produced ''Kangaroo''. The film stars Sri Priyanka and Harish. The film is based on the gender inequality and harassment faced by f ...
'' (2019).
On 27 September 2020, Vetrimaaran was honored by a Special Award "Thirai Asuran" in a virtual conference appreciating his effort talking about long time issue
Panchami Land
Panchami land is the assigned land which was distributed for Dalits in Tamil Nadu during the British rule in 1892. It can neither be sold nor re-classified.
History
In 1891, the Chingleput collector J. H. A. Tremenheere submitted his study on so ...
in his last movie ''Asuran'' by Ambedkar Makkal Iyakkam. He made a short film "Oor Iravu" starring
Sai Pallavi
Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan (born 9 May 1992), known by her stage name Sai Pallavi, is an Indian actress and dancer who works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam cinema. She has won several awards including four Filmfare Awards South, and was fea ...
and Prakash Raj for the anthology ''
Paava Kadhaigal
''Paava Kadhaigal'' () is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language anthology drama film consisting of four short films directed by Sudha Kongara, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Vetrimaaran and Vignesh Shivan. Through four unique stories, the film explores how prid ...
'' (2020). Each of the short films touches upon the issue of honour killing. "Oor Iravu" received positive acclaim with Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion South writing, "Vetri Maaran’s is the most powerful, most gut-churning installment. There’s a prolonged stretch of agony that seems endless: for the father, for the daughter, and for the audience. The house becomes a character of its own, with its clearly established geography...It may seem strange to say this, given Vetri Maaran’s terrific run of films, but Oor Iravu is his best-directed work." Filmmaker
Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian filmmaker and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to film, the Government of France a ...
in a conversation with Vetrimaaran told "Congratulations!, Vetri, I think, this is your most poignant work. I have not been so impacted and moved in such a long time. Also I think its one of your best work. This (film) is so assured and so confident in the sense that it looks like, its been put together and I'm seeing it the way it was shot"
Filmography
Film
Web series
Acting
*''
Kadhal Virus
''Kaadhal'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film based on a true story, directed by Balaji Sakthivel, starring Bharath (in his first film as a main lead actor) and Sandhya. It was produced by S. Shankar and featured music co ...
'' (2002) - Deepak's assistant (uncredited role)
*''
Jigarthanda'' (2014) - himself (Guest appearance)
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Tamil film directors
Living people
Film directors from Tamil Nadu
Film producers from Tamil Nadu
Best Director National Film Award winners
People from Cuddalore district
Tamil film producers
1975 births
Best Original Screenplay National Film Award winners
Indian film directors