Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu

''Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu Part I: The Kindling'', () is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir gangster film directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, written by B. Jeyamohan and produced by Ishari K. Ganesh. The film stars Silambarasan and Siddhi Idnani, with Raadhika Sarathkumar, Neeraj Madhav and Siddique in supporting roles, the film has music composed by A. R. Rahman.

Principal photography began in August 2021 and ended in April 2022. The film was released in theatres on 15 September 2022 to mostly positive reviews from critics and audience and became a blockbuster at the box office. A sequel is in development.

Plot

Muthuveeran is a B.Sc graduate from a village in Naduvakurichi in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu who spends his days picking thorns in the sun. When the field he works at catches fire, the owner threatens to call the police on Muthu. His mother, Latchumi, learns about his aggressive and impulsive behaviour when Muthu threatens to kill the owner with a sickle. Fearing for Muthu's life, Latchumi takes Muthu and his younger sister Gomathi to their uncle Chermadurai for finding him a job, elsewhere. Chermadurai arranges for Muthu's job in Chembur, Mumbai. After attending a phone call, Chermadurai is panic-stricken and gives Muthu a letter to post, as soon as possible

The next morning, Chermadurai is found dead in his room, having committed suicide. Instead of posting the letter, Muthu goes to the address mentioned in it, to Mumbai, where he takes up work in a parotta store owned by Esakki and starts earning money for his struggling family. During this time, another worker named Saravanan helps Muthu adjust to Mumbai. Muthu also falls in love with Paavai, who works in a garment shop opposite the store. Muthu and a bunch of the parotta store workers go to a movie where a scuffle ends up with Maasanam, one of the workers, shooting at the sky. Maasanam and Arunjunai, another worker, go to murder a man, they end up getting killed. Muthu learns from Saravanan that Esakki is working for Senthooran who in turn works for Karukkavel "Kaarji", a gangster from Tirunelveli.

Kaarji's main rival is a Malayali gangster named Kutty Krishnan Nair "Kutty Bhai" whose gang is constantly at odds with Kaarji's. Muthu also learns that Chermadurai used to work for Kaarji. When Kaarji and Kutty Bhai had a fallout, Kutty Bhai arranged an attack on him at a temple where Kaarji escaped and assumed Chermadurai to be a mole for Kutty Bhai since he had left for his hometown at the time. Unable to prove his innocence, Chermadurai took his own life. Realizing this, Muthu and Sridharan, a man Kutty Bhai uses as a sex slave, decide to leave Mumbai. However, Sridharan is caught and Muthu is forced to kill Kutty Bhai's henchmen who attack the parotta store during the night.

Muthu and the others hit back by killing Kutty Bhai's brother which impresses Kaarji, who appoints Muthu as his bodyguard. Muthu starts making money, which he sends to Latchumi and Gomathi. 6 months later, Muthu works with Kaarji as his bodyguard and becomes one of Kaarji's most trusted men. During what was supposed to be a meeting with an actress, Kaarji is ambushed by Kutty Bhai's men but Muthu fends them off and saves Kaarji. Kaarji orders Muthu and his men to kill Kutty Bhai but they fail. A meeting between Kaarji, Kutty Bhai and Rauf Bhai, the man controlling Mumbai is set up where Rauf Bhai says that if either Kaarji or Kutty Bhai dies, the other one will die as well. Meanwhile, Paavai meets Muthu again and despite learning about his profession, agrees to Muthu's marriage proposal and soon after, get married.

Kutty Bhai, in his anger for Kaarji however, hires a contract killer named Rawthar to kill Kaarji. Kutty Bhai has Rawthar kidnap and drug Paavai and Saravanan tells Muthu that Kaarji had taken her as a mistress. Muthu goes after Kaarji, intending to kill him and finds Paavai in Kaarji's hotel room. Kaarji is shocked to see Paavai and in the confusion, Rawthar jumps at Muthu, grabs his gun, shoots Kaarji and plants the gun in Muthu's hand. Kaarji's bodyguards arrive and word soon spreads that Muthu killed Kaarji. Muthu suspects Saravanan and finds out that he actually works for Kutty Bhai and was the reason behind Kaarji's death. Saravanan gets killed by his own men as they show their loyalty to Muthu.

Rawthar tries to kill Muthu and Paavai but only manages to sever one of Muthu's fingers before escaping. Muthu takes Paavai to a hospital. Esakki kidnaps Paavai's family as he thinks that Muthu killed Kaarji. Muthu goes to the parotta store and explains that he didn't kill Kaarji before leaving, having decided to lead a normal life. Simultaneously, Kutty Bhai is killed by Sridharan's girlfriend, as he harasses her while celebrating Kaarji's death. 5 years later, Muthu has become a highly respected gangster in Lucknow. Muthu is shown to have a son who had died. Apart from his daily life as a crime boss, Muthu led a happy life with Paavai and their son. However, their son is killed in an attack meant for Muthu.

With the help of Iyer, Muthu arranges a meeting with the gangsters in Allahabad and manages to kill them. Reeling from the loss of his son, Muthu stumbles upon Sridharan, who is married and working as a barber. Muthu's journey of becoming a crime boss and how Sridharan escaped from Kutty Bhai's henchmen will be continued in the sequel.

Cast

* Silambarasan as Muthuveeran (Muthu)
* Siddhi Idnani as Paavai, Muthu's love interest and wife
* Raadhika Sarathkumar as Latchumi, Muthu's mother
* Umesh Kaushik
* Neeraj Madhav as Sridharan
* Siddique as Kutty Krishnan Nair alias Kutty Bhai
* Delhi Ganesh as Iyer (Special appearance)
* Aadithya Baaskar as Adhi
* Shivamani as Rauf Bhai
* Deepak Dutt Sharma as Samir Bhai
* Aangelina Abraham as Gomathi, Muthu's younger sister
* Appukutty as Saravanan
* "Vikram" Jaffer Sadiq as Rawther (Muthu Raasa)
* Bava Chelladurai as Chermadurai
* Kavithalayaa Krishnan as Ganesh Iyer
* Tulasi as Durga
* Sara as Karukkuvel (Karjee)
* R Richard James Peter as Esakki
* Phathmen as Maasanam
* Mak Manigandan as Arunjunai
* Geeta Kailasam as Selvi
* Shrisha as Sapna
* Ajmina Kassim as MahaLatchumi
* Jaisinth as Arunachalam
* Sathya as Senthooran

Production

Development

In February 2018, Gautham Vasudev Menon announced a sequel to ''Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'' (2010) titled ''Ondraga'', which would focus on Karthik and his best friends from college travelling to the United States to attend a wedding ten years after the events of the first film. It had Silambarasan reprising his role from the original film, and had pulled out prominent names from South Indian film fraternity, but the film did not begin production. Later, Silambarasan and Menon worked on the short film ''Karthik Dial Seytha Yenn'', based on the characters from the first film which was shot during the COVID-19 lockdown in India.

Soon after its release, speculations arose that Silambarasan and Menon would collaborate for the sequel of ''Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'', or a fresh script written by Menon. In January 2021, Silambarasan announced his new project which will be directed by Menon with Ishari K. Ganesh of Vels Film International bankrolling the project, thus marking the third collaboration between Menon and Silambarasan. A. R. Rahman was announced as the music composer in early February 2021, with lyricist Thamarai also joining the technical team. On Menon's birthday (25 February 2021), the makers announced the film's title as ''Nadhigalile Neeradum Suriyan'', named after a line from the song "Ondra Renda Asaigal" from Menon's ''Kaakha Kaakha'' (2003).

Pre-production

During the production of ''Nadhigalile Neeradum Suriyan'', Silambarasan insisted Menon to work on a raw and rustic-toned script, leading to a change in the storyline as well as the film genre. Menon brought in the basic plotline of the novel ''Agni Kunjondru Kanden'' (inspired from a poem written by Subramania Bharati) by screenwriter B. Jeyamohan, instead of a fresh script he planned. On 6 August 2021, Menon announced the film's new title ''Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu'', also named from one of the lines from the same poem written by Bharati. The first look also released on the same day, featuring Silambarasan in a rustic avatar. He had reportedly lost 15 kilos for his role in the film. Ganesh described his role as "a character he hasn't done before". In the same month, Kayadu Lohar was announced as the lead actress. However, the role went to Siddhi Idnani in January 2022.

Director-cinematographer Siddhartha Nuni, who worked in the Kannada film '' Lucia'' (2013) was hired for the project, along with Anthony, who regularly collaborated with Menon in his previous ventures, handled the editing works. Silambarasan shared a picture on social media revealing his current transformation for the film, to quell rumours that the first look was " photoshopped". A report from ''The Times of India'' stated that the actor had hired a special instructor to reduce his weight for the past six months and had also trained for the stunt sequences too. The film's cast further included Malayalam actors Siddique and Neeraj Madhav, playing pivotal roles in the film.

The film revolves around the plight of migrant workers, which is Menon's first attempt on portraying the tale of marginalised section in the society. Menon also stated that Silambarasan would be seen in five different looks as the film narrates his journey from teenage to adulthood. Jeyamohan said the film would not be a full-fledged rural action drama like ''Asuran'', but a portion of it would be set in a rural backdrop, and the film will also feature urban portions. He added that the film would be rustic tonally, with the style of Menon's earlier directorial ventures. Menon stated that the film will be on the lines of ''Vaaranam Aayiram'', and will see Silambarasan in five different looks as the film progresses from his teenage to adulthood.

Filming

Principal photography began on 7 August 2021 at Tiruchendur. On 23 August 2021, shooting was suspended due to the tussle between Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), as several producers filed complaints against Silambarasan in the past over his failure to commit to the projects he signed and also demanded for compensation. Following Ganesh's assurance to compensate the producers, shooting resumed on 26 August, with the second schedule beginning in Chennai.

On 20 September 2021, the makers announced that the second schedule had been completed. The team took a brief break, following Silambarasan's involvement's in the post-production of ''Maanaadu'' and on 18 October, Silambarasan went to Mumbai to begin the third schedule. It was reported that the team had planned to resume the shooting in Chennai and had constructed a set resembling Mumbai, in a private film studio. Hollywood-based stunt choreographer Lee Whittaker was hired for the action sequences, joined the schedule in Mumbai on mid-October. The team had several complications on the film's production in Mumbai, citing the difficulties in travel due to pandemic and weather conditions, and decided to begin the final schedule in Chennai for more than 25 days. However, contrary to the earlier statements, the final schedule began on 7 December 2021 in Mumbai.

On 11 December, Silambarasan was hospitalised in Chennai due to a viral infection, resulting in shooting being stalled for a few days. A minor shooting schedule was later held in Chennai on 3 January 2022, and took place for 10 days. By 13 January 2022, the Chennai shooting schedule has been wrapped and was informed that the team will return to Mumbai for the final schedule which involves few patchwork scenes. A source from the production team stated that the shooting in Mumbai, will be stalled for some time due to the rise in COVID-19 infections in the city, and will be planned appropriately only after the restrictions being lifted. As of mid-January, 50% of the film has been completed. The third and final schedule began in Mumbai on 9 February 2022. Filming completely wrapped on 15 April 2022.

Music

The music for the film is composed by A. R. Rahman in his third collaboration with Menon after ''Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'' (2010) and ''Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada'' (2016) and fourth collaboration with Silambarasan after the former movies and ''Chekka Chivantha Vaanam'' (2018). The audio rights were purchased by Think Music. The first single "Kaalathukkum Nee Venum" was released on 6 May 2022.

Release

Theatrical

The film was released in theatres on 15 September 2022, by Red Giant Movies.

Home media

The satellite rights of the film are sold to Kalaignar TV. Initially, there were reports suggesting that the film's digital rights were acquired by Aha Tamil, but later it was acquired by Amazon Prime Video. The film was digitally streamed on Amazon Prime Video from 13 October 2022.

Reception

Critical response

''Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu'' received mostly positive reviews from critics and audience with praise for the Simbu's performance, screenplay, cinematography, action sequences, background score and soundtrack but criticized the climax .

Nidhima Taneja of ''The Print'' rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "It is the journey of the most incomprehensible — or an underdog if you will — man in the pyramid that makes ''Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu'' worth a watch". Sowmya Rajendran of ''The News Minute'' rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Gautham Vasudev Menon’s film has all the familiar material that you expect from a gangster film but also a few departures and inclusions that keep things engrossing". Karthik Keramalu of ''Firstpost'' rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "The movie humanizes the lives of gangsters who’re at the bottom of the chain". M. Suganth of ''The Times of India'' rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and called it "an uneven gangster saga that works in parts". Kirubhakar Purushothaman of ''The Indian Express'' rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "''Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu'' begins on a great note and keeps the momentum till the interval only to drop the ball in the climax. ''Pinkvilla'' rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "''Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu'' is an entertaining gangster drama that has some amazing performances in place". Janani K. of ''India Today'' rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "''Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu'' could have been Simbu’s ''Pudhupettai'', but it falls short by a few miles. The second half could have been more nuanced". Srivatsan S of ''The Hindu'' wrote "The biggest positive has got to be how well-rounded the screenplay structure is: where it begins is where the film also ends."

A critic for ''Deccan Herald'' rated 3 out of 5 and wrote "The template of a small-town man getting sucked into the criminal world isn’t new. Gautham reinvents it and he has a great partner in crime in Simbu. It’s a great combination." Sowndarya Athimuthu of ''The Quint'' rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Though ''Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu'' might come across as a usual gangster saga, it is a unique attempt from Gautham Vasudev Menon, who submits to writer Jeyamohan’s vision". Sudhir Srinivasan of ''Cinema Express'' rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "''VTK'' shows plenty of potential, and the disappointment is that it doesn’t quite hit as many highs as you would expect".

Box office

On the first day of its release, the film grossed over 12 crore worldwide with the film collecting over 8.25 crore in Tamil Nadu. The film grossed over crore worldwide and became one of the highest grossing Tamil films of the year.

Legal issues

Before the production of the film, several producers had filed a complaint against Silambarasan at the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) for not working on the projects he had advanced before the shoot. Global Infotainment's Michael Rayappan too criticised Silambarasan, after failing to compensate the losses incurred during the production of ''Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan'' (2017). As a result, the Tamil Film Producers Council issued a red card against Silambarasan following the complaints and also insisted the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) to stop the production works on the film. However, FEFSI had supported the film because Ishari K. Ganesh had helped the association in several ways during the COVID-19 lockdown. It eventually resulted in the split between TFPC and FEFSI, and the shooting was disrupted following this incident. Fans of Silambarasan eventually supported the actor and condemned TFPC's actions; they started using the hashtag "#SaveTamilCinemafromTFPC" eventually being trending for two days on Twitter. Later, on 26 August 2021, Ganesh admitted to pay the requested amount on behalf of the actor in order to resume shooting; an assurance letter was submitted to the producers council.

Sequel

The complete title ''Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu Part I: The Kindling'' was unveiled in early September, confirming that a sequel was in development.

References

External links

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{{Gautham Vasudev Menon

Film productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Films directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon
Films scored by A. R. Rahman
Indian action drama films
Indian gangster films