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Kaakha Kaakha

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Kaakha Kaakha (transl. To Protect; titled The Police in the UK)[1] is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written & directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon and produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu. It stars Suriya and Jyothika, alongside Jeevan, Daniel Balaji, Devadarshini, Yog Japee, Vivek Anand and Sethu Rajan. The music was composed by Harris Jayaraj, while cinematography and editing were handled by R. D. Rajasekhar and Anthony.

Kaakha Kaakha
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGautham Vasudev Menon
Written byGautham Vasudev Menon
Produced byKalaipuli S. Thanu
StarringSuriya
Jyothika
Jeevan
Narrated bySathyaraj
CinematographyR. D. Rajasekhar
Edited byAnthony
Music byHarris Jayaraj
Production
company
Release date
  • 1 August 2003 (2003-08-01)
Running time
153 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Kaakha Kaakha released on 1 August 2003 to highly positive reviews from critics and became a commercial success at the box office. It was considered as a breakthrough film for both Suriya and Menon.[2]

Plot

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Anbuselvan, an orphan and an honest stone-hearted IPS officer in the Chennai City Police, works as the ACP in the Crime Branch. Anbuselvan and his IPS friends Shrikanth, Arul and Ilamaran are recruited as a part of a special unit of police officers, who are battling organised crime in Chennai. Anbuselvan is violent and laconic in his duties and finds little patience for his personal life. The unit is ruthless in its confrontation with criminals, going as far as assassinating gang members. The unit is finally disbanded by human rights authorities when they assassinate five gangsters in three months, believing that killing them is more beneficial than arresting them and dealing with the legal system, and so Anbuselvan is posted to duties in the control room.

One day, Maya, a school teacher, rebuffs Anbuselvan's routine questions regarding safety, not knowing about his profession. Anbuselvan meets Maya again when she and her friend are questioned for driving without a license. However, Anbuselvan lets them off with a warning. When one of Maya's students has a problem with local kids, she asks Anbuselvan for help. Anbuselvan resolves this problem and a mutual respect develops between them, where they begin to see each other everyday. When Maya gets into a road accident, Anbuselvan helps her recover and they fall in love with each other. Shrikanth and his wife Swathi become good friends with Maya.

Meanwhile, Agaram Sethu, a gangster who escaped from encounter operations, meets his estranged brother Pandiya, who returns to Chennai after 14 years of crime life in Maharashtra. Pandiya has a peculiar tactic: he kills a family member of his opponent, but leaves the opponent alive to rot in depression over the loss of his family member. Sethu's gang, aided by Pandiya's planning, commits major kidnappings in the city and becomes powerful in 6 months. The special unit is reassembled by the commissioner with all four back in the crime branch. The unit tracks down and kills Sethu in a railyard, while the others escape.

Pandiya takes over the gang, promising to exact revenge against the special unit for Sethu's death. Pandiya and his gang members target the families of the special unit, but the police close in, and a badly injured Pandiya escapes Anbuselvan. Pandiya and his men brutally kill Ilamaran the same night. The entire department is mobilised and all family members of the remaining three are sent into hiding. Maya and Anbuselvan get married in a hurry and leave for Pondicherry, but Pandiya and his thugs track down the couple at their cottage. Pandiya and his thugs kidnap Maya and seemingly kill Anbuselvan, who later survives and is admitted to the hospital by Shrikanth and Arul.

Shrikanth reveals that Swathi was kidnapped earlier at the airport and confesses that he was the one who gave away Anbuselvan's location to Pandiya for Swathi's safe return. Shrikanth feels extreme remorse over the brutal events that happened to Anbuselvan and Maya. While in the hospital, they receive a message from Pandiya to meet him at a particular location in Andhra Pradesh. When they go there, they find two packages, one containing Swathi's severed head and the other containing Maya's arm flesh. Shrikanth and Anbuselvan are distraught, with the former being hysterical upon seeing Swathi's head.

In an agony of grief and guilt at being responsible, Shrikanth shoots himself dead. Anbuselvan and Arul track down Pandiya before he can escape from Tamil Nadu and fights with the gang. Anbuselvan aims to shoot Pandiya, but Pandiya shoots Maya while using her as a shield and she dies in Anbuselvan's arms. An enraged Anbuselvan tracks down Pandiya and brutally finishes him off, avenging Maya and his friends' deaths. In the aftermath, Anbuselvan continues his job as an IPS officer, while still reminiscing about his moments with Maya.

Cast

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Production

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The film was initially titled as Paathi (Half) and then as Kalam, before the team opted to change the title to Kaakha Kaakha.[4] Gautham Vasudev Menon revealed that he was inspired to make the film after reading of articles on how encounter specialists shoot gangsters and how their families get threatening calls in return, and initially approached Madhavan, Ajith Kumar and Vikram for the role without success.[5][6][7] The lead actress Jyothika asked Menon to consider Suriya for the role, and he was subsequently selected after Menon saw his portrayal in Nandha.[8] Many producers refused to do this film as they could not make a film on the budget fixed by Menon that too with Suriya; it was Thanu who finally agreed to produce the film.[9] Jeevan portrayed the antagonist and his voice was dubbed by Menon.[10]

Menon did a rehearsal of the script with the actors, a costume trial with Jyothika and then enrolled Suriya in a commando training school before beginning production, which he described as a "very planned shoot".[8] To prepare for the role, Suriya met real-life police officers Vijayakumar and Shailendra Babu and discussed about their encounter experiences.[9] An outhouse set was built at Nuwera Eliya at Sri Lanka which cost ₹5 lakh (equivalent to ₹18 lakh or US$22,000 in 2023).[9] To build the set on 24 feet of water, art director Rajeevan hired thirteen carpenters, two painters and the set was built within 15 days and the green-grass roof of the house had to be watered every day to prevent the grass from drying up.[11] The scene where Suriya falls from the outhouse, he performed it without a stunt double.[9]

Soundtrack

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The film's music was composed by Harris Jayaraj marking his second collaboration with Menon after Minnale. The song "Ondra Renda" is based on "Dil Ko Tumse Pyar Hua" from the 2001 Hindi film Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein in which Harris himself was the music director.[12]

All tracks are written by Thamarai

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Ennai Konjam"Timmy, Tippu, Pop Shalini4:57
2."Ondra Renda"Bombay Jayashri5:07
3."Oru Ooril"Karthik4:50
4."Thoodhu Varuma"Sunitha Sarathy, Febi Mani4:42
5."Uyirin Uyirae"KK, Suchitra5:22
Total length:25:48

Release

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Kaakha Kaakha was released on 1 August 2003.[13] The film had an alternate ending which showed Jyothika's character surviving; it was released only on DVD and Menon explains why this was not shown on cinema release.[14][15]

Reception

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Critical response

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Guru Subramaniam of Rediff.com labelled Kaakha Kaakha a "career high film" and wrote "Though the director is a tad biased while describing the police, one must salute his positive attitude."[16] Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu described it as for "action lovers who believe in logical storylines and deft treatment."[17] Cinesouth wrote "Goutham has made an action film without getting caught in the masala trap. Appreciated!".[18]

The film was a major breakthrough for Menon and Suriya.[19][20][21]

Remakes

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Gautham Vasudev Menon remade the film in Telugu as Gharshana (2004) for producer Venkata Raj and it went on to be highly successful in Telugu theatres. In July 2004, Menon agreed terms to direct and produce another version of Kaakha Kaakha in Hindi with Sunny Deol in the lead role and revealed that the script was written five years ago with Deol in mind, but the film eventually failed to take off.[22] Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah approached him to direct the Hindi version of the film in 2010 as Force and Menon initially agreed before pulling out again.[23] The film was also remade in Kannada in 2011 as Dandam Dashagunam. Menon and the original producer Kalaipuli S. Thanu also floated an idea of an English version with a Chechnyan backdrop, though talks with a potential collaboration with Ashok Amritraj collapsed.[8]

Accolades

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In addition to the following list of awards and nominations, prominent Indian film websites named Kaakha Kaakha one of the 10 best Tamil films of 2003, with Rediff, Sify and Behindwoods all doing so. The film was, before release, in "most awaited" lists from film websites.

Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2003 Filmfare Awards South Best Actor Suriya Nominated [24]
Best Actress Jyothika Nominated
Best Villain Jeevan Won
Best Director Gautham Vasudev Menon Nominated
Best Film Kalaipuli S. Dhanu Nominated
Best Choreography Brindha
(Thoodu Varuma & Uyirin Uyire) 		Won
Best Music Director Harris Jayaraj Won
Best Cinematographer R. D. Rajasekhar Won
Best Editor Award Anthony Won
2003 Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Best Music Director Harris Jayaraj Won [25]
Best Editor Anthony Won
ITFA Awards Best Actor Suriya Won [26]
Best Actress – Special Jury Jyothika Won
Best Music Director Harris Jayaraj Won

References

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  1. ^ "The Police". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  2. ^ Jeshi, K. (3 September 2005). "The many faces of success". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  3. ^ Ramakrishnan, Deepa (14 March 2013). "Cop in!". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Cinebits". Nilacharal. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  5. ^ "When Gautham Menon Narrated Kaakha Kaakha Script To Thaplathy Vijay, Ajith Kumar And Vikram". News18. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ^ Mahesh, Chitra (18 July 2003). "The story of a cop". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 January 2004. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  7. ^ Kalaignar TV (31 December 2016). Exclusive Interview with Gautham Menon | Kalaignar TV (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2017 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ a b c Rangan, Baradwaj (17 December 2006). "Interview: Gautham Menon". Baradwaj Rangan. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d "கலங்க வைத்த காக்க காக்க'!". Kalki (in Tamil). 3 July 2005. pp. 20–23. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  10. ^ V, Sankaran (12 February 2024). "2000களில் மிரட்டிய வில்லன்களுக்கு டப்பிங் கொடுத்த கௌதம் மேனன்!.. படத்துக்கே அதுதான் மாஸ்!". CineReporters (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Directing art and aesthetics". The Hindu. 19 December 2003. Archived from the original on 9 December 2005. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  12. ^ "6 times Gautham Menon redefined romance in movies". Suryan FM. 22 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Suriya-Jyothika's Happily Ever After: Kollywood's Power Couple Turn 11! – JFW Just for women". 8 June 2016.
  14. ^ Wareham, Karl (23 August 2003). "Kaakha Kaakha Review". The Digital Fix. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  15. ^ "Revisiting Kaakha Kaakha: 20 lesser-known facts about Suriya's breakthrough movie". Cinema Express. 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  16. ^ Subramaniam, Guru (11 August 2003). "A career high film for Surya'". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  17. ^ Rangarajan, Malathi (8 August 2003). "Kaakha Kaakha". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 October 2003. Retrieved 28 April 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. ^ "Kakka Kakka". Cinesouth. Archived from the original on 20 April 2004. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  19. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (2 October 2009). "Suriya: Bollywood's hottest six-pack". Mint. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  20. ^ "Gautham Menon excited over National Award". The Hindu. 24 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  21. ^ "Suriya: Best performances of the actor". The Times of India. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  22. ^ Adarsh, Taran (21 July 2004). "Sunny in 'Kaakha Kaakha' remake". Sify. Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  23. ^ Daithota, Madhu (2010). "John Abraham loved 'Kaakha Kaakha'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  24. ^ "Pithamagan sweeps FilmFare Awards". IndiaGlitz. 5 June 2004. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Tamilnadu State Film Awards – awards for Vikram, Jyotika". Cinesouth. 13 February 2006. Archived from the original on 18 February 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Suryah- Jothika say no to ITFA awards". IndiaGlitz.com. 23 September 2004. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
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