Vikram (2021 Film)
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''Vikram'' () is a 2022 Indian
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
-language
action thriller film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
directed by
Lokesh Kanagaraj Lokesh Kanagaraj (; born 14 March 1986) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works in Tamil cinema. He started his career with a short film in the 2016 anthology '' Aviyal,'' he later directed his first feature film '' Maan ...
. Produced by
Raaj Kamal Films International Raaj Kamal Films International is an Indian film production and distribution company founded and headed by Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker ...
, and distributed by
Red Giant Movies Red Giant Movies is an Indian film production and film distribution company headed by Udhayanidhi Stalin. It has distributed nearly all major films in Tamil Nadu in the last few years, and is often accused of having a monopoly in Tamil cinema. ...
, it is the second instalment in
Lokesh Cinematic Universe The Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), also known as the Lokiverse, is an Indian media franchise and shared universe of Tamil-language action thriller films created by Lokesh Kanagaraj. It is currently the highest-grossing Tamil film franchise. ...
. A spiritual successor to the 1986 film of the same name, the film stars
Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Considered as one of the most accomplished actors of Indian Cinema, Haas ...
in the titular role, alongside
Vijay Sethupathi Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu (born 16 January 1978) is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, Tamil films. Sethupathi is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Awards, National F ...
and
Fahadh Faasil Abdul Hameed Mohammed Fahad Fazil (born 8 August 1982), professionally known as Fahadh Faasil, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Malayalam films. Noted for his diverse portrayals, Fahadh is among the highest-paid and most ...
with
Narain Narayana (also rendered Narayane, Narayanan, Narain, Narayankar or Narine) (from Sanskrit wikt:नारायण, नारायण, ''nārāyaṇá'', literally "eternal man") is an Indian name. It is identical in form to the name of the deity ...
,
Kalidas Jayaram Kalidas Jayaram (born 16 December 1993) is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Tamil and Malayalam films. The son of film actors Jayaram and Parvathy, Kalidas made his debut in the Malayalam film '' Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal'' (2000) ...
,
Gayathrie Gayathrie Shankar is an Indian actress who primarily appears in Tamil films. She made her acting debut with the Tamil film '' 18 Vayasu'' (2018). Her notable films include '' Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom'' (2012), '' Puriyadha Pudhir'' (201 ...
,
Chemban Vinod Jose Chemban Vinod Jose (born 24 May 1976) is an Indian actor, film producer and screenwriter, who predominantly works in Malayalam films. He is a physiotherapist by profession.Santhana Bharathi Santhana Bharathi is an Indian film director and actor who has primarily worked in Tamil cinema. He directed '' Gunaa'' (1991), which won third prize for the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film. He also directed '' Mahanadhi'' (1994), ...
and
Elango Kumaravel Elango Kumaravel is an Indian actor and writer. He is also a co-founder of the Chennai based theatre group "Magic Lantern". He is an alumnus of Pondicherry University's Sankaradas Swamigal School of Performing Arts and the Chennai-based theatre ...
in support roles. It revolves around the former commander of a black-ops squad's pilot batch, and his efforts to take down the runner of a drug syndicate Vetti Vagaiyara. The film was officially announced in September 2020 under the tentative title ''Kamal Haasan 232'', as it is the actor's 232nd film as the lead actor, and the official title was announced in November 2020.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
commenced in July 2021. It was shot in locations including
Karaikudi Karaikudi is the largest city of Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the centre of the Karaikudi Metropolitan Area, the 21st largest urban Agglomeration of Tamil Nadu based on 2011 census data. It is part of the area ...
,
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
,
Pondicherry Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...
,
Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...
, and wrapped by late-February 2022. The music was composed by
Anirudh Ravichander Anirudh Ravichander (born 16 October 1990), also credited mononymously as Anirudh, is an Indian composer and playback singer who works primarily in Tamil cinema, in addition to Telugu and Hindi films. He has won two Filmfare Awards South, ten ...
, cinematography handled by Girish Gangadharan and editing by
Philomin Raj Philomin Raj is a film editor who works in Tamil films. He is a frequent collaborator of Lokesh Kanagaraj, T. J. Gnanavel and Madonne Ashwin. Career Philomin Raj worked as an editor for the third season of ''Naalaya Iyukunar''. He worked as a ...
. ''Vikram'' was released worldwide on 3 June 2022 in theatres to positive reviews from critics. It set several box-office records, emerging as the fourth highest-grossing Indian film of 2022, the second highest-grossing Tamil film of 2022, the fifth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, and the fifth highest-grossing film in Tamil Nadu.


Plot

Amar, the leader of a
black ops A covert operation or undercover operation is a military or police operation involving a covert agent or troops acting under an assumed cover to conceal the identity of the party responsible. US law Under US law, the Central Intelligence Ag ...
squad, is called upon by Police Commissioner Jose to bring justice against a group of masked vigilantes responsible for the murder of Stephen Raj, ACP Prabhanjan and his foster father, Karnan. The gang killed Stephen after being arrested and subsequently released following his imprisonment for assisting criminals Adaikalam and Anbu. Amar leads the investigation by digging into Karnan's life, as he finds the murder out of place since Karnan was an ordinary man while the other two were high-ranking NCB officials. Amar discovers Karnan's addiction to alcohol and prostitutes while overprotecting his foster grandson. He found two drug containers missing that Sandhanam, who runs a larger syndicate than Adaikalam, called ''Vettai Vagaiyara'', is hunting. The other two containers were part of a shipment to Rolex, Sandhanam's boss, who promised to help form his government if he received the drugs. If not, Rolex would kill Sandhanam and his family. Amar discovers Karnan's addictions are a ruse to cover a covert operation he was running. Meanwhile, Veerapandian, a
Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
(PWD) officer, and a contractor named Rudra Prathap plot to take the drug containers to Sandhanam, but the masked vigilantes arrive and kill Veerapandian at a theatre. Amar and his team capture Bejoy, one of the vigilantes. Bejoy reveals the syndicate killed his family for his role in leading a drug bust at
Trichy Tiruchirappalli (), also known as Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with being the best livable and the cleanest city of T ...
, leading him to join the vigilantes. Amar and his team realise Rudra Prathap is the vigilantes' next target, and they sneak into Rudra Prathap's daughter's wedding ceremony. Rudra Prathap invites Sandhanam for protection. The masked men and his gang arrive at the wedding and threaten him. The leader drags Rudra Prathap and escapes on a bike. Amar chases and catches the vigilantes' leader and reveals himself as Karnan, who had faked his death. Karnan kills Rudra Prathap by slitting his throat and escapes the police. Amar tells Jose that Karnan is Vikram, the former commander of the black ops squad's 1986 pilot batch. Only Vikram and three other team members survived after the government tried to kill them because of a botched mission in 1991. Amar also theorises Jose is Sandhanam's mole in the department and was involved in Prabhanjan's death. Amar organises a bomb blast at Sandhanam's bungalow that destroys it and a drug lab. Jose hears of the bombing and informs Sandhanam. Jose tells Sandhanam about Vikram's and Amar's identities. Vikram frees Bejoy and his team from prison, stating that his vengeance for Prabhanjan's death did not drive his actions; he wanted to bust a drug syndicate in the city. He claims Prabhanjan is his biological son and knows Vikram's true identity. Sandhanam kills Amar's wife, Gayathri, and sends his men to kill Vikram's daughter-in-law and grandson at Prabhanjan's house. Agent Tina, disguised as Vikram's housekeeper, Valiammal, kills the gang and dies in the process. Amar kills Jose, avenging Gayathri's death. Vikram and his grandson reach
Chennai Port Chennai Port, formerly known as Madras Port, is the second largest container port of India, behind Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Nhava Sheva. The port is the largest one in the Bay of Bengal. It is the thir ...
, where the hidden containers are stored. Sandhanam learns about the containers' location and attacks Vikram. Vikram kills Sandhanam's men with a cannon and an
M2 Browning The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning. While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered ...
, but the remaining members of his black ops squad, Agents Uppiliappan and Lawrence die in the scuffle. After a fistfight with Sandhanam, Vikram triggers a massive blast at the port that kills Sandhanam and destroys the drug containers. A week later, Adaikalam and Anbu arrive with their men at
Sassoon Docks Sassoon Docks, built in 1875, is one of the oldest docks in Mumbai and was the first wet dock constructed in Bombay. It is one of the few docks in the city open to the public. It is situated in Mumbai harbour in South Mumbai area of Colaba. It ...
,
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, and meet with the gangsters affiliated with Sandhanam for a meeting with Rolex. Adaikalam and Anbu explain Dilli's involvement in the Trichy drug ambush, and Sandhanam's men reveal Vikram's and Amar's involvement in destroying their drug syndicate. After Gayathri's funeral in
Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge ...
, Amar joins Vikram's gang to continue building a drug-free society. Anbu informs Rolex that Dilli is hiding somewhere in
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
, while Sandhanam's men tell him Vikram's family are abroad (shown to be in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
). Rolex announces a massive bounty for the execution of Amar, Dilli, and Vikram's team. Unknown to everyone else, Vikram is at the meeting and walks away after learning about the bounty placed on all of them.


Cast


Production


Development

Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Considered as one of the most accomplished actors of Indian Cinema, Haas ...
's production house
Raaj Kamal Films International Raaj Kamal Films International is an Indian film production and distribution company founded and headed by Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker ...
signed
Lokesh Kanagaraj Lokesh Kanagaraj (; born 14 March 1986) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works in Tamil cinema. He started his career with a short film in the 2016 anthology '' Aviyal,'' he later directed his first feature film '' Maan ...
to direct a film for the studio during November 2019. Lokesh had previously mentioned his admiration of Haasan's work, noting the actor's films ''
Sathyaa ''Sathyaa'' is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language gangster film directed by Suresh Krissna in his directorial debut and produced by Kamal Haasan under Raaj Kamal Films International. A remake of the 1985 Hindi film '' Arjun'', the film stars Kamal H ...
'' (1988) and ''
Virumaandi ''Virumaandi'' is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written, co-edited, produced, and directed by Kamal Haasan, who also performed in the title role. The cast also includes Pasupathy, Napoleon, Abhirami, Rohini, Shanmugarajan a ...
'' (2004) had influenced him to become a film director. Despite agreeing terms, Lokesh and the studio opted to prioritise other films before beginning production work. Lokesh narrated the script of the proposed film to
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...
in December 2019. The project, which was tentatively titled ''Thalaivar 169'', was scheduled to be launched in March 2020. Despite the progress of discussions, the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
delayed the film's launch. In September 2020, Lokesh announced a different project that would feature Haasan in the lead role. The film's official poster was released on 16 September 2020, which had the working titles ''Kamal Haasan 232'' and ''Evanendru Ninaithaai'', a line from the title song from Haasan's ''
Vishwaroopam ''Vishwaroopam'' (titled ''Vishwaroop'' in Hindi; ) is a 2013 Indian action spy film co-written, directed and produced by Kamal Haasan, who also enacts the lead role. The film also stars Rahul Bose, Shekhar Kapur, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremia ...
'' (2013). In October 2020, the team made a promotional teaser of the film in Chennai, adhering to the Indian government's
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
safety regulations. Coinciding with the actor's 66th birthday on 7 November 2020, the makers released a title teaser of the film, featuring Kamal Haasan, in which the film's title was revealed to be ''Vikram'', the same title as a 1986 film that also stars Haasan. On 7 April, after Haasan's commitments during the
2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election The Sixteenth Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election was held on 6 April 2021, to elect Member of the Legislative Assembly (India), representatives from the List of constituencies of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, 234 constituencies in ...
, Lokesh shared a post through his social media accounts announcing pre-production work for the film had begun. Because Haasan had decided to shoot for the film only after the election results, in which he contested the Coimbatore South constituency, he demanded Lokesh alter the script; but the pandemic delayed this. Initially, the project was planned with a single 60-day filming schedule with a new, undisclosed technology that would shorten film production but this did not happen as planned. Haasan was reported to be playing a retired police officer and media reports stated he would wear a khaki uniform for this film after 15 years since ''
Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu ''Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu'' () is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. The film stars Kamal Haasan and Jyothika, while Kamalinee Mukherjee, Prakash Raj, Daniel Balaji, and ...
'' (2006). He was reported to sport a thick beard in the film. For the flashback portions, Lokesh would use de-aging technology. In April 2022, Lokesh submitted the film's script to the Copyright Office, New Delhi, for legal copyrights.


Casting

Lokesh chose to work with his norm technicians, cinematographer Sathyan Sooryan and editor
Philomin Raj Philomin Raj is a film editor who works in Tamil films. He is a frequent collaborator of Lokesh Kanagaraj, T. J. Gnanavel and Madonne Ashwin. Career Philomin Raj worked as an editor for the third season of ''Naalaya Iyukunar''. He worked as a ...
, with whom he worked on ''
Kaithi Kaithi (), also called Kayathi (), Kayasthi (), or Kayastani, is a Brahmic script historically used across parts of Northern and Eastern India. It was prevalent in regions corresponding to modern-day Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The s ...
'' (2019) and ''
Master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...
'' (2021). Due to scheduling conflicts, Sooryan left the production and was replaced by Girish Gangadharan, who had made his debut in
Tamil cinema Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a Ch ...
with '' Sarkar'' (2018). Twin stunt choreographers Anbariv were announced as part of the film's technical crew, marking their second collaboration with Lokesh after ''
Kaithi Kaithi (), also called Kayathi (), Kayasthi (), or Kayastani, is a Brahmic script historically used across parts of Northern and Eastern India. It was prevalent in regions corresponding to modern-day Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The s ...
'' (2019). In December 2020
Prabhu Deva Prabhu Deva (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer and actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu language, Telugu language films also appeared in few Kannada and Malayal ...
was announced to play an important role in the film but declined the role due to scheduling conflicts. In April 2021,
Fahadh Faasil Abdul Hameed Mohammed Fahad Fazil (born 8 August 1982), professionally known as Fahadh Faasil, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Malayalam films. Noted for his diverse portrayals, Fahadh is among the highest-paid and most ...
confirmed his presence in the film, making it his third project in Tamil after '' Velaikkaran'' (2017) and ''
Super Deluxe Super Deluxe was an entertainment company owned by Turner Broadcasting. Founded by Wolfgang Hammer in 2007, the company's main output was in online video, television series, and documentaries. History Turner Broadcasting System announced the l ...
'' (2019).
Raghava Lawrence Raghava Lawrence (born Lawrence Murugaiyan) is an Indian actor, choreographer, film director, composer, playback singer, lyricist, film producer and philanthropist known for his works primarily in Tamil cinema. After making his debut as a dance ...
has stated he was the original choice for the antagonist, which he declined because he felt the character's violent nature would alienate family audiences so the role went to
Vijay Sethupathi Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu (born 16 January 1978) is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, Tamil films. Sethupathi is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Awards, National F ...
.
Narain Narayana (also rendered Narayane, Narayanan, Narain, Narayankar or Narine) (from Sanskrit wikt:नारायण, नारायण, ''nārāyaṇá'', literally "eternal man") is an Indian name. It is identical in form to the name of the deity ...
, who appeared in a pivotal role in Lokesh's ''Kaithi'', signed the project in June 2021.
Kalidas Jayaram Kalidas Jayaram (born 16 December 1993) is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Tamil and Malayalam films. The son of film actors Jayaram and Parvathy, Kalidas made his debut in the Malayalam film '' Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal'' (2000) ...
was approached to be cast as Haasan's son, a pivotal role, in July 2021. It was later revealed
Arjun Das Arjun Das is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He has garnered major attention for his bass voice. Early life Arjun Das was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He was working for Incline ...
also was approached for a role in the film, his third-consecutive association with Lokesh after ''Kaithi'' and ''Master''. Later, it was confirmed he would have a cameo role, reprising his character from ''Kaithi''. In August 2021,
Shivani Narayanan Shivani Narayanan is an Indian actress who predominantly works in the Tamil films and television industry. In 2020, she was a contestant on the reality series '' Bigg Boss 4 Tamil''. Career Shivani Narayanan made her television debut in 2016 Vi ...
was chosen to play one of the three female leads opposite Sethupathi's character. In September, Mynaa Nandhini and Maheshwari Chanakyan were confirmed as the other two female actors. Swathishta Krishnan and Malayalam actor
Chemban Vinod Jose Chemban Vinod Jose (born 24 May 1976) is an Indian actor, film producer and screenwriter, who predominantly works in Malayalam films. He is a physiotherapist by profession.YouTube channel YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in San B ...
Village Cooking Channel team—M. Periyathambi, the grandson V. Subramanian, and his cousins—were cast in the film during the third schedule for a wedding sequence. In November 2021,
Hareesh Peradi Hareesh Peradi is an Indian actor who acts predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films. Career Hareesh Peradi is also a theatre artist in Kerala, having made a mark in stage and also in TV and cinema. Even though he has acted in 36 films so ...
was also confirmed to star in a pivotal role. In early January 2022,
Santhana Bharathi Santhana Bharathi is an Indian film director and actor who has primarily worked in Tamil cinema. He directed '' Gunaa'' (1991), which won third prize for the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film. He also directed '' Mahanadhi'' (1994), ...
joined the film.
Suriya Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known professionally as Suriya, is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Tamil films. One of the highest-paid Tamil actors, Suriya is considered as one of the finest actors of Indian ...
confirmed he would also be seen in a cameo. Haasan talked about Suriya's role at the ''
Film Companion Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-defunct digital platform Film Compani ...
'' at
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
, stating: "It's no more a rumour. We had to put up our hand and admit that Suriya is playing an incredible last minute appearance. That should take the story a little further, probably into part 3." Suriya charged no fee for acting in the film, and only received a
Rolex Rolex () is a Swiss watch brand and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as ''Wilsdorf and Davis'' by German businessman Hans Wilsdorf and his eventual brother-in-law Alfred Davis in London, the company registered ''Rolex ...
watch for playing a character named Rolex.
Karthi Karthik Sivakumar (born 25 May 1977), credited as Karthi, is an Indian actor who works in Tamil Cinema. He is son of veteran actor Sivakumar who began his career as an assistant director in his elder brother Suriya's film '' Aayutha Ezhuthu ...
had been offered to reprise his role from ''Kaithi'' but was then filming the two-part production ''
Ponniyin Selvan ''Ponniyin Selvan'' () is a Tamil language historical fiction novel by Indian author Kalki Krishnamurthy. It was first serialised in the weekly editions of ''Kalki'', a Tamil magazine, from 29 October 1950 to 16 May 1954 and later integrated ...
'' (2022 and 2023) and could not change looks; he only has a vocal cameo in ''Vikram''.


Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began on 16 July 2021. The team began the film's first schedule in
Karaikudi Karaikudi is the largest city of Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the centre of the Karaikudi Metropolitan Area, the 21st largest urban Agglomeration of Tamil Nadu based on 2011 census data. It is part of the area ...
on 6 August, which was delayed by the filming of Suriya's ''
Etharkkum Thunindhavan ''Etharkkum Thunindhavan'' (), also known by the initialism ''ET'', is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film, written and directed by Pandiraj, and produced by Sun Pictures. The film stars Suriya, Vinay Rai and Priyanka Mohan. D. ...
'' at the same location and, to comply with COVID-19 safety regulations, the crew had to wait until the ''Etharkkum Thunindhavan'' crew had finished filming and left the location. The first schedule began in Karaikudi on 20 August and filming continued for a month. The second schedule of the film began in Chennai on 19 September and later moved to
Pondicherry Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...
. The second schedule ended on 2 October 2021. On 13 October, the third schedule began. The team planned to film two sequences for four days at Tamil Nadu Police Museum, including two days of set work on 24–25 October, and two days of filming on 27–28 October 2021 but officials denied permission to film there, citing pandemic restrictions. The filmmakers later decided to postpone the shoot because they needed an alternative location. The team began the final month-long schedule on 17 November 2021 in
Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...
, filming scenes featuring Haasan, Sethupathi and Fahadh. Filming was halted after Haasan was diagnosed with COVID-19 after visiting the United States for the inauguration of his clothing brand. This resulted in the team filmting major stunt sequences indoors. A set work with more than 50 damaged cars had been filmed in Coimbatore during this schedule; following the actor's diagnosis, the team decided to shift location to Binny Mills for continuity. Filming resumed on 10 December 2021 with important sequences with other actors. Haasan joined the sets on 22 December. In late December 2021, the production quickly filmed sequences at a house in
East Coast Road East Coast Road (ECR), combination of SH-49, NH-332A, NH-32, officially known as Mutthamizh Arignar Kalaignar Road, is a two-lane highway (now being partially widened to four lanes from Chennai to Mamallapuram) in Tamil Nadu, India, built alo ...
but in early January, filming stopped after some technicians working on the film were diagnosed with COVID-19. The production cost increased because the cost of renting the house, even on non-filming days, was enormous. Haasan's medical commitments and his participation in ''
Bigg Boss Ultimate ''Bigg Boss Ultimate'' (or ''BB Ultimate'' for short) is a spin-off Indian Tamil-language reality streaming television show that airs exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar. Hosted by Silambarasan. The first season of the show premiered on 30 Januar ...
'' further delayed filming, which resulted in the team skipping an entire schedule. Due to the rise in COVID-19 infections in Tamil Nadu, the team planned film with a minimal crew. On 24 January 2022, the team filmed sequences at the Vettri Theatres in Chromepet, Chennai. The final schedule began on 5 February 2022 with 15 days' filming of face-off scenes with Haasan and Sethupathi. To prioritise the filming, Haasan stepped down as the host for ''Bigg Boss Ultimate''. Principal photography wrapped at the end of February.


Music

The music and background score is composed by
Anirudh Ravichander Anirudh Ravichander (born 16 October 1990), also credited mononymously as Anirudh, is an Indian composer and playback singer who works primarily in Tamil cinema, in addition to Telugu and Hindi films. He has won two Filmfare Awards South, ten ...
, in his first collaboration with Haasan; and second with Lokesh after ''
Master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...
'' (2021).
Sony Music India Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian music record label operated by Sony and headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company began operations in 1997 and was the first record company in India to be fully foreign-owned, with ...
purchased the music rights. The film's audio launch took place at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, on 15 May 2022.


Marketing

A 45-second teaser trailer depicting an action sequence set in a prison was released on 7 November 2021. In April 2022, the teaser was attached to prints of '' KGF: Chapter 2'' and ''
Beast Beast most often refers to: * Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia * The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation * Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
'' in theatres. As part of ''Vikram'' promotion, in collaboration with Southern Railways, the production's marketing team placed advertisements on locomotives travelling across India. The film's trailer was released at the audio launch event on 15 May 2022 and within 24 hours, it exceeded 12 million views. Raajkamal Films International collaborated with Vistas Media Capital's Fantico and Lotus Metaentertainment for the film's launch in the
metaverse The metaverse is a loosely defined term referring to virtual worlds in which users represented by avatars interact, usually in 3D and focused on social and economic connection. The term ''metaverse'' originated in the 1992 science fiction ...
platform Vistaverse. Vistaverse announced the launch of utilities through
non-fungible token A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that is recorded on a blockchain and is used to certify ownership and authenticity. It cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the blockchai ...
s (NFT) at the
2022 Cannes Film Festival The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival is a film festival that took place from 17 to 28 May 2022. French actor Vincent Lindon served as jury president for the main competition. French actress Virginie Efira hosted the opening and closing ceremon ...
on 18 May 2022. Raajkamal led the film's marketing campaign; pre-release events were held in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, New Delhi,
Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
,
Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
,
Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
,
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
and Malaysia. Haasan promoted the film on ''
The Kapil Sharma Show ''The Kapil Sharma Show'', also known as TKSS, is an Indian Hindi language stand-up comedy and talk show broadcast by Sony Entertainment Television. Hosted by Kapil Sharma, the first season of the show premiered on 23 April 2016. The series ...
'', Super Singer 8, the fourth season of '' Bigg Boss Malayalam'', and in his YouTube debut on Village Cooking Channel, which appears in one of the film's scenes. At a pre-release event held at PVR Priya-Vasant Vihar theatre in Delhi,
PVR Cinemas PVR INOX Limited is an Indian multiplex chain. It was formed in 2023 as a result of the merger between PVR Cinemas and INOX Leisure Limited. PVR pioneered the multiplex revolution in India by establishing the first multiplex cinema in 1997 ...
in collaboration with Raajkamal Films announced all theatres in Delhi owned by PVR would be rebranded as "PVR Vikram Hitlist". The film's Kerala distributor Shibu Thameens hosted a pre-release event at
Lulu International Shopping Mall, Kochi LuLu Mall, Kochi is a shopping mall located in Edappally, Kochi, Kerala. It is one of the largest shopping malls in the country spanning across 2 million square feet It contains more than 300 outlets, including food courts, restaurants, famil ...
, on 27 May 2022. On 28 May, an event was held in Mumbai to promote the film's Hindi version. On 29 May, the film's press screening was held in Malaysia with opposition leader
Anwar Ibrahim Anwar bin Ibrahim (; born 10 August 1947), also known by his abbreviation as DSAI and PMX, is a Malaysian politician who is the 10th prime minister of Malaysia since 2022. A member of the People's Justice Party (Malaysia), People's Justice P ...
as the chief guest. On 31 May, a pre-release event with
Venkatesh Venkatesh is a given name and family name from the Indian subcontinent derived from Venkateswara, a Hindu deity. Notable persons with the name include: * A. Venkatesh Naik (1936 - 2015), member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India * A. Venkatesh (direc ...
and
Nithiin Nithin Kumar Reddy (born 30 March 1983), known professionally as Nithiin, is an Indian film actor, distributor and producer who primarily works in Telugu cinema, Telugu films. Nithiin is a recipient of several accolades including a Filmfare Awa ...
in attendance was held in
Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
. On 1 June, Haasan attended the film's pre-release event in Dubai and the theatrical trailer was screened at
Burj Khalifa The Burj Khalifa (known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration) is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding the antenna, but inc ...
. The packaged water company
Bisleri Bisleri International (formerly Parle Exports and Parle Bisleri) is an Indian multinational company which is best known for the eponymous brand of bottled water. The company was started in the 1970s by Ramesh Chauhan, and sells bottled water a ...
unveiled a limited-edition bottle featuring the cast of ''Vikram''. The film's official
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
emoji was released on 23 May 2022. On 27 May 2022, a special promotion teasing the conference-call sequence from Haasan's fim '' Panchatanthiram'' (2002) was released; it featured lead actors from the original film
Jayaram Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965), is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, in addition to Tamil cinema, Tamil, Telugu cinema, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Bhojpuri language films. He is also a chenda ...
,
Yugi Sethu Yugi Sethu is an Indian actor, filmmaker, writer, and television presenter who has worked in the Tamil film industry. He has been conferred doctorate (PhD) in cinema by the Madras University in July 2015, for his Thesis entitled: 'Development o ...
,
Ramesh Aravind Ramesh Aravind (born 10 September 1964), known mononymously as Ramesh, is an Indian actor, director, screenwriter and television presenter. Ramesh has predominantly worked in Kannada and Tamil films along with a few Telugu and Hindi films. He ...
and Sriman. Post-release, ''Vikram'' was promoted at
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
, New York City.
Amul The Anand Milk Union Limited commonly known as Amul is an Indian dairy brand owned by the cooperative society, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), based in Anand, Gujarat. GCMMF is controlled by 3.6 million milk producers. ...
released a doodle inspired by the film to celebrate its success.


Release


Theatrical

''Vikram'' was released in theatres on 3 June 2022. It was initially scheduled for release in mid-April but was preponed to 31 March, postponed to 29 April, and then to June 2022, both times after the producers adjusted the release date due to the scheduling of several other big-budget films and production delays caused by the pandemic. ''Vikram'' was dubbed in Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam under the title ''Vikram Hitlist''.


Screenings and statistics

According to Tiruppur Subramanian, president of Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association (TNTOA), ''Vikram'' received the "widest ever release for a Kamal Haasan film". ''Vikram'' opened in 700–800 screens in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. 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 Indi ...
, 100 screens in
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
and 200 screens in
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
. The Hindi-dubbed version was released in over 1,000–1,500 screens in North India, competing with ''
Samrat Prithviraj ''Samrat Prithviraj'' () is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language epic historical action drama film written and directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. The film is based on ''Prithviraj Raso'', a Braj langu ...
'' and ''
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
''. Prime Media, which acquired the theatrical rights in the United States, hosted special shows in the country on 2 June, ahead of its Indian release. The film was screened in on over 2,000 screens in 500 theatres. Rakesh Gowthaman, managing director of Vettri Theatres, stated anticipation form ''Vikram'' was attributed to rigorous promotions from the team. Film distributor and exhibitor Akshaye Rathi talked about the possibilities of the film's performance in the Northern belt, stating: "Vikram has an urban look and feel but the storytelling syntax seems very mass friendly. Kamal's recent movies were abstract and intellectually inaccessible for many. Vikram is a simple, hard-hitting, commercial cinema. It is as mainstream as it gets." The film earned over from pre-ticket sales, according to
Asianet News Asianet News is an Indian Malayalam-language free-to-air news channel, operated by the Asianet News Network, a subsidiary of Asianxt Digital Technologies. The channel is based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Asianet News is currently one of th ...
. Early morning shows were held at 4:00 a.m. across Tamil Nadu. In May 2022, a petition was filed to stop screening of 4:00 a.m. shows of the film; the petition said theatre owners may charge high prices for the tickets and alleged tax evasion on these shows that would cause a huge loss for the government, though the issue was later resolved. Horizon Studios, which distributed the film in Karnataka, allotted early morning shows beginning at 6:30 a.m. Tony Raj, the film's distributor, said he estimated the film would receive over 1,200 shows a day in the state. A week ahead of its release,
Madras High Court The High Court of Judicature at Madras is a High Courts of India, High Court located in Chennai, India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry. It is one of ...
restrained Internet service providers (ISPs) and over 1,000 unauthorised piracy sites from illegally streaming and downloading of ''Vikram'' after one of the production company's executives filed an
affidavit An ( ; Medieval Latin for "he has declared under oath") is a written statement voluntarily made by an ''affiant'' or ''deposition (law), deponent'' under an oath or affirmation which is administered by a person who is authorized to do so by la ...
ordering the websites not to screen the film.


Distribution

According to Sify, ''Vikram'' was "hot in the trade". Before its release, ''Vikram'' earned about from theatrical and non-theatrical revenues, including sales of its satellite, digital, audio and Hindi-dubbing rights. In late-March 2022,
Udhayanidhi Stalin Udhayanidhi Stalin (born 27 November 1977) is an Indian politician, film producer and former actor who has been the 3rd and current deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu since 2024, serving under Chief Ministe ...
's firm
Red Giant Movies Red Giant Movies is an Indian film production and film distribution company headed by Udhayanidhi Stalin. It has distributed nearly all major films in Tamil Nadu in the last few years, and is often accused of having a monopoly in Tamil cinema. ...
acquired the film's theatrical distribution rights in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. 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 Indi ...
.
Jayantilal Gada Jayantilal Gada (Not to be confused with Jayantilal from TMKOC) is an Indian film producer and distributor. He ventured into film production under his production company, Popular Entertainment Network (PEN) India Ltd. He is known for produci ...
's company
Pen Studios Pen Studios (formerly Popular Entertainment Network) is an Cinema of India, Indian film production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company established by Dr. Jayantilal Gada on 31 March 1987. Based in Mumbai, it mainly pr ...
acquired the theatrical rights for the Hindi-dubbed version, which it distributed through its division Pen Marudhar Entertainment. Shibu Thameens' firm HR Pictures acquired ''Vikram'' distribution right for Kerala for . Shree Karpaga Vinayaga Film Circuits acquired the film's
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
distribution rights, Sreshth Movies acquired the
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
and
Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
distribution rights.


Home media and screenplay

In late February 2022, the film's satellite and
digital distribution Digital distribution, also referred to as content delivery, online distribution, or electronic software distribution, among others, is the delivery or distribution of information or materials through digital platforms. The distribution of digital ...
rights were sold to
Star India Disney Star (also known as JioStar), registered as JioStar India Private Limited, is an Indian media conglomerate joint venture owned with a share of 16.34% by Reliance Industries, 46.82% by Viacom18 and 36.84% by Disney India. On 14 Nove ...
Network for . ''Vikram'' began streaming on
Disney+ Hotstar Disney+ Hotstar, also known as JioHotstar or simply Hotstar, is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Disney Star. The brand was introduced as Hotstar for a streaming service carrying content from Di ...
from 8 July 2022 in Tamil and dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada languages; and on 13 September 2022, streaming in all five languages started on
ZEE5 ZEE5 or Z5 is an Indian subscription video on demand and over-the-top streaming service, owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched in India on 14 February 2018 with content in 12 languages. The ZEE5 mobile app is available on We ...
. The Telugu-language version ''Vikram'' premiered on television on 11 September 2022 on
Star Maa Star Maa is an Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language general entertainment pay television channel owned by JioStar, a joint venture between Viacom18 and Disney India. It primarily telecasts programmes such as serials, reality shows and Telugu ...
. The Hindi-language version premiered on 24 September 2022 on Star Gold. The original Tamil-language version premiered on 24 October 2022 on
Star Vijay Star Vijay is an Indian Tamil language general entertainment pay television channel owned by JioStar, a joint venture between Viacom18 and Disney India. The channel telecasts programmes such as serials, reality shows & Tamil films. History T ...
, coinciding with the
Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...
festival. The Malayalam-dubbed version of the film had its television premiere on 6 November 2022 on
Asianet Asianet may refer to: JioStar channels * JioStar, is an Indian media conglomerate wholly owned by Disney India. ** Asianet, a Malayalam language general entertainment channel ** Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertainment channel ** As ...
. In January 2023, Pesamozhi Publications published the film's screenplay in book form.


Film festival

The film made it to the "Open Cinema" section of the
27th Busan International Film Festival The 27th Busan International Film Festival () was held from October 5 at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea till October 14. This year, the festival restarted events and program sections which were not conducted due to COVID-19 for l ...
and was screened at an outdoor theatre on 7 October 2022.


Reception


Box office

On the first day of its release, ''Vikram'' earned 66
crore Crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes the quantity ten million (107) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. In many international contexts, the decimal quantity is formatted as 10,000,000, but when used in the context of the India ...
worldwide, including in Tamil Nadu, in Kerala, in Karnataka, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and in other territories of India. Within two days of its release, the film had earned . It had collected worldwide at the end of its third day, including in India. At the end of seven days, ''Vikram'' had grossed over , and close to at the end of 14 days. According to ''India Today'', on the 27th day of its release, the film's worldwide box-office revenue was approaching . ''Vikram'' broke several records, becoming the first Tamil film to garner share in Tamil Nadu with a gross collection in the state of nearly . ''
Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an English-language daily newspaper based in Hyderabad, India. Founded in 1938, it was initially launched as a Weekly newspaper, weekly and later converted into a daily. The newspaper's name reflects its origins in the ...
'' reported the worldwide collection to be ( million). ''Bollywood Hungama'' estimated the film had earned a gross of ( million), ''The Telegraph India'' estimated its revenue at ( million), and ''Asianet News Tamil'' estimated earnings of ( million). According to ''Hindustan Times'', at the end of its 113-day theatrical run, ''Vikram'' became the highest-grossing film ever in Tamil Nadu, registered a record attendance and grossed over worldwide.


Critical reception

Critics gave ''Vikram'' generally positive reviews. Divya Nair of ''
Rediff Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...
'' rated the film four stars out of five, and wrote: "With ample whistle podu moments, ''Vikram'' is a macho blockbuster that shouldn't be missed". Soundarya Athimuthu of ''
The Quint ''The Quint'' is an English and Hindi language Indian general news and opinion website founded by Raghav Bahl and Ritu Kapur after their exit from Network18. The publication's journalists have won three Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism ...
'' rated the film four stars out of five, and wrote; "Lokesh Kanagaraj has loaded ''Vikram'' with a battalion of characters but he has ensured that all of them have their due scope to perform, even though some might have lesser screen time including Ulaganaayagan". A critic for ''
Pinkvilla Pinkvilla is an Indian entertainment and lifestyle platform. As of June 2022, Pinkvilla has over 50,000,000 visitors on its website and app. Overview Pinkvilla covers entertainment and lifestyle stories. Its coverage extends to Hindi cinema, ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "Kamal Haasan is a visual delight in this action thriller". Ashameera Aiyappan of ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' also rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "One glimpse of Kamal Haasan in Lokesh Kanagaraj's ''Vikram'' and you just know he is the G.O.A.T". Sowmya Rajendran of ''
The News Minute ''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Vignesh Vellore who is also the current CEO in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "Lokesh must be applauded for not wasting time on fanboy tributes to the superstar on board, and sticking to telling the story". Manoj Kumar R of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five and wrote: "''Vikram'' is only the beginning. In the climax, Lokesh teases at least three separate movies that could branch out from this one". A critic for ''
Zee News Zee News is an Indian Hindi-language right-wing news channel owned by Subhash Chandra's Essel Group. It launched on 27 August 1999 and is the flagship channel of the Zee Media Corporation. The channel has been involved in several controve ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "''Vikram'' works if one looks at it as just an action entertainer". Vivek M V of ''
Deccan Herald ''Deccan Herald'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from the Indian state of Karnataka. It was founded by businessman K. N. Guruswamy and launched on 17 June 1948. It is published by The Printers Mysore, a privately hel ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "Lokesh has found his own voice and his fast yet admirable growth promises exciting things going forward". Josh Hurtado of ''
The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogra ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "An incredible booming background score from Anirudh Ravichander, and some very fun surprises throughout, Vikram is definitely among the year's best Tamil films". Haricharan Pudipeddi of ''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'' stated: "Anirudh Ravichander's music, especially the background score, plays a pivotal role in amplifying the overall experience of watching Vikram on the big screen, apart from the terrific action sequences. Suriya's brief but powerful cameo is just the high one needs as you step out of Vikram". Srivatsan S of ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
'' stated: "The new ''Vikram'' disappoints the fans of the 1986 original and could have been a standalone film with Fahadh Faasil carrying on the legacy of the agent like in the James Bond films". Lakshmi Subramanian of ''
The Week ''The Week'' is a weekly news magazine with editions in the United Kingdom and United States. The British publication was founded in 1995 and the American edition in 2001. An Australian edition was published from 2008 to 2012. A children's edi ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "Vikram is packed with thrilling moments from the very first minute. With technical superiority and terrific casting, the first half is an interesting watch, while the narration and a few long rants tire you in the second half".
Saibal Chatterjee Saibal Chatterjee is an Indian film critic, editor and documentary screenwriter. He was a columnist at ''BBC News'', ''Business Standard'', ''Hindustan Times'' and '' The Financial Express''. He has also written for ''The Telegraph'', ''The Tim ...
of ''
NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. It was founded in 1984 by economist Prannoy Roy and journalist Radhika Roy. NDTV began as a production house for news segments, ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "Kamal Haasan is fabulous. Vijay Sethupathi fleshes out an edgy criminal whose frazzled heart and addled mind push him in startling directions." M Suganth of ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' rated the film three-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "In a film filled with action heroes, the biggest mass moment comes in a stunt scene involving a female character. ''Vikram'' needed a few more such moments to have been truly memorable". Janani K of ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, 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'' laun ...
'' rated the film three stars out of five, and wrote: "''Vikram'' has several whistle-worthy moments. But, the plot becomes too generic after a point". Gautaman Bhaskaran of ''
News 18 Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (d/b/a Network18 Group) is an Indian media conglomerate owned by the Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani. Rahul Joshi is the managing director, chief executive officer and group editor-in-chief, a ...
'' rated the film two-and-a-half stars out of five, and wrote: "''Vikram'' is drama, drama, drama all the way in which the director has not only bitten more than he can chew but exhibits his diehard admiration for Kamal Haasan". Sudhir Srinivasan of ''
The New Indian Express ''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu ...
'' rated the film three out of five, and wrote: "Much like the morality of both characters, I'll have to say it lies somewhere in between, and much like those two men, the film does tilt towards the good". ''
Ananda Vikatan ''Ananda Vikatan'' is a Tamil-language weekly magazine published from Chennai, India. History ''Ananda Vikatan'' was started by Late Pudhoor Vaidyanadhaiyar in February 1926 as a monthly publication. The issue for December 1927 was not publishe ...
'' rated the film 44 out of 100. ''
The Hans India ''The Hans India'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as in New Delhi. The newspaper was launched on 15 July 2011 and is owned to Hyderabad Media House Ltd., which also ...
'' gave it three stars out of five, and wrote: "On the whole, ''Vikram'' is all for action lovers and movie buffs as it is the best entertaining movie that hit the screens these days! A perfect concoction of action and mystery turned it out into a blockbuster!" ''
Dinamalar ''Dinamalar'' is an Indian Tamil daily newspaper. It was founded in 1951 by T. V. Ramasubba Iyer. ''Dinamalar'' has an average circulation of 689,773 ( ABC Jan–Jun 2022). History Dinamalar was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer on 6 September ...
'' rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Accolades

At the
Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards The Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards are annual awards in recognition for cinematic merit in the Tamil film industry. The awards ceremony is presented by the Tamil language weekly magazine ''Ananda Vikatan''. The awards were introduced in the year ...
, Haasan won the award for Best Actor and the film won the award for Best Crew.


Future

Owing to the film's success, Kamal Haasan told ''
Pinkvilla Pinkvilla is an Indian entertainment and lifestyle platform. As of June 2022, Pinkvilla has over 50,000,000 visitors on its website and app. Overview Pinkvilla covers entertainment and lifestyle stories. Its coverage extends to Hindi cinema, ...
'' there was a possibility of a sequel to ''Vikram'', and there were also reports stating a third sequel to ''Vikram'', which will be part of the
Lokesh Cinematic Universe The Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), also known as the Lokiverse, is an Indian media franchise and shared universe of Tamil-language action thriller films created by Lokesh Kanagaraj. It is currently the highest-grossing Tamil film franchise. ...
(LCU), might be produced. In ''
Leo Leo is the Latin word for lion. It most often refers to: * Leo (constellation), a constellation of stars in the night sky * Leo (astrology), an astrological sign of the zodiac * Leo (given name), a given name in several languages, usually mas ...
'' (2023), the third instalment of the LCU, Haasan reprised his role as Vikram in a voice-over and Maya S. Krishnan reprised her ''Vikram'' role in a cameo.


Notes


References


External links

* {{Lokesh Kanagaraj 2020s gangster films 2020s Indian films 2020s police films 2020s spy action films 2020s spy thriller films 2020s Tamil-language films 2020s vigilante films 2022 action thriller films 2022 crime action films 2022 crime thriller films 2022 films Fictional portrayals of the Tamil Nadu Police Films about drugs Films about organised crime in India Films about special forces Films about the illegal drug trade Films about the Narcotics Control Bureau Films about the Research and Analysis Wing Films directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj Films scored by Anirudh Ravichander Films set in 1987 Films set in 2019 Films set in Chennai Films set in Mumbai Films set in San Francisco Films set in Uttar Pradesh Films shot in Chennai Films shot in Coimbatore Films shot in Karaikudi Films shot in Mumbai Films shot in Puducherry Indian action thriller films Indian crime thriller films Indian films about revenge Indian gangster films Indian intellectual property law Indian neo-noir films Indian nonlinear narrative films Indian police films Indian sequel films Indian spy action films Indian spy thriller films Indian vigilante films Intelligence Bureau (India) in fiction Tamil-language Indian films Indian crime action films