Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (transl. I am a rowdy too) is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic action comedy film written and directed by Vignesh Shivan, produced by Dhanush under his Wunderbar Films, and distributed by Lyca Productions. The film stars Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara, with Parthiban, Radhika Sarathkumar, RJ Balaji, and Anandaraj in supporting roles. It follows a police inspector's son who becomes involved in illegal activities. He falls in love with a deaf woman seeking revenge against a ruthless gangster.
| Naanum Rowdy Dhaan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Vignesh Shivan |
| Written by | Vignesh Shivan |
| Produced by | Dhanush |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | George C. Williams |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | Anirudh Ravichander |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Lyca Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 139 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
The film was announced in November 2013, with Gautham Vasudev Menon producing and Gautham Karthik and Lavanya Tripathi starring. However, the project was dropped, and by August 2014, Dhanush had taken over, with Sethupathi and Nayanthara as the lead pair. Principal photography commenced in December 2014 and ended in June 2015. The music was composed by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography was handled by George C. Williams, and editing was done by A. Sreekar Prasad. The film was released worldwide on 21 October 2015 to positive reviews and performed well at the box office.[1]
Plot
editPandiyan, aka Pondy Pandi, is the son of Puducherry police inspector P. Meena Kumari. Despite being an inspector's son, he grows up being friendly with criminals and upon reaching adulthood, unbeknownst to his mother, he becomes a thug, though an incompetent one. Pandi and his friends come across a deaf woman, Kadhambari, and Pandi immediately falls in love with her. Kadhambari is the daughter of an honest police officer, Ravikumar.
Fifteen years before, then-sub-inspector Ravikumar was in pursuit of Killivallavan, aka Killi, a dreaded gangster. Killi had been arrested in public by Ravi, and in retaliation, he slapped Ravi when the officer was shopping with Kadhambari. Later, Ravi arrested almost all of Killi's gang members. Feeling angered, Killi sent Ravi a bomb as a gift. The bomb killed Ravi's wife and caused his daughter Kadhambari to lose her hearing.
Later on, Ravi and his daughter moved to another part of the country and didn't return until his last year of service. Kadhambari seeks Pandi's help to find her father, who has not spoken to her for the past two days. Pandi soon learns that Ravikumar was killed by Killi the same night he met Kadhambari, but hides the fact from her so as not to upset her. A week later, Kadhambari learns about her father's death and is determined to avenge him by going after Killi.
Pandi agrees to help her, with the promise that he will restrain Killi while she stabs him. Pandi and his gang, along with Kadhambari, hatch a plan to murder Killi while he is travelling. However, this is foiled as their plan gets mixed up with that of Mansoor, Killi's political rival, who wants to contest an upcoming election in place of Killi's mistress, Baby. Pandi's gang is enraged and despite Pandi's reassurances, they decide not to help Kadhambari further.
She then determines to go ahead on her own, as she does not want Pandi and his friends to split up over her. She reaches Killi's hideout, but on attempting to kill him, he knocks her out. Pandi soon arrives at the hideout and he and Kadhambari try to kill the gangster, but they are unsuccessful. At this juncture, Mansoor arrives at the hideout; he and Killi stab each other to death. Pandi falsely takes credit for their deaths in order to impress Kadhambari. Ultimately, Pandi, disillusioned with the thug lifestyle, becomes a police officer, as per his mother's wishes.
Cast
edit- Vijay Sethupathi as Pondicherry "Pandi" Pandiyan
- Suriya Vijay Sethupathi as Younger V. Pandi
- Nayanthara as Kadhambari "Kadhu"
- Baby Anikha as Younger Kadhu
- Parthiban as Killivalavan
- Radhika Sarathkumar as Inspector Meena Kumari, Pandi's mother
- RJ Balaji as Doshi Baba, Pandi's sidekick
- Rajendran as Don Raja, Pandi's role model
- Anandaraj as Pondicherry Don
- Mansoor Ali Khan as Politician Mansoor, Killi's enemy
- Azhagam Perumal as Inspector Ravikumar, Kadhu's father
- Meenakshi as Baby, Killi's mistress
- R. Sundarrajan as Killi's advisor
- R. N. R. Manohar as Thalaivar
- Aathma Patrick as Pondicherry Don's sidekick
- Udayabanu as Rahul Thatha
- Louna Simon as Kamatchi
- Sathish Krishnan in a special appearance
- Anirudh Ravichander in a special appearance in the title song
Production
editDevelopment
editIn November 2013, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was officially announced, to be directed by Vignesh Shivan and produced by Gautham Vasudev Menon, with Gautham Karthik as the lead actor and Anirudh Ravichander as composer.[2][3] The film was titled after a dialogue spoken by Vadivelu in Thalai Nagaram (2006).[4] Vignesh revealed that the film would be based on a 19-year-old youngster caught in the midst of a gang setting and noted he hoped to shoot in Mumbai, Chennai, and Puducherry.[2] Lavanya Tripathi was signed to play the female lead role of a deaf girl and noted that she was impressed by Vignesh's narration of the script.[5] However, the project failed to take off, and Vignesh continued to discuss it with different actors, including Ashok Selvan, as he looked for a producer.[6] In a turn of events, Dhanush announced via Twitter that he would be producing the film under his Wunderbar Films banner and also posted details about the cast and crew and the title design on 29 August 2014, coinciding with Vinayagar Chathurthi. While George C. Williams was the cinematographer, the lead roles went to Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara.[7]
Filming
editPrincipal photography began on 3 December 2014,[8] with the first leg of the venture held in Pondicherry over a span of forty days.[9] Some scenes were shot at the Thirukameeswarar Temple in Villianur.[10] On 6 December 2014, RJ Balaji joined the cast during the first schedule.[11][12] Sethupathi stated that he had put on weight for some of his recent roles, so he worked hard for two months to shed those pounds. He worked out and went on an extensive diet regime as well —even forgoing food at times.[13]
On 2 January 2015, Anandaraj joined the film's cast while filming was taking place in Puducherry.[14] The first schedule was completed in the first week of January 2015, and soon after, the team began filming the second schedule.[15] In February 2015, Parthiban was reported to have been cast.[16] As of mid-May 2015, major portions of the film had been completed. The final schedule started in Puducherry on 19 May 2015.[17] Principal photography wrapped in June 2015.[18] Nayanthara dubbed herself for her character in the first time in Tamil.[19]
Soundtrack
editThe soundtrack to Naanum Rowdy Dhaan is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, in his first collaboration with Vignesh. It features six tracks, five of which were penned by Vignesh himself, and the sixth one was written by Thamarai. Four of the songs featured Anirudh's voice. Other singers on the album include Neeti Mohan, Benny Dayal, Sid Sriram, and Sean Roldan. Instead of a promotional audio launch, Anirudh released the songs as individual singles.[20][21] The album received positive reviews from critics as well as listeners.[22]
Release
editIn September 2015, Lyca Productions announced that they had bought the distribution rights for Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.[23] The filmmakers initially announced that the film would be released on 2 October 2015.[24] However, it was later postponed to 21 October.[25] Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was published to audiences outside India by Herotalkies on 15 November 2015, through their online movie streaming portal.[26]
Critical reception
editWriting for The Times of India, M. Suganth gave the film four out of five stars and wrote, "The plot might come across as a serious revenge drama, but Vignesh Shivan displays a lightness of touch throughout that makes the film so much fun. And, he keeps things breezy even when situations get serious".[27] Sify wrote, "Vignesh Sivan's Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (NRD) is a feel-good laugh riot, a perfect movie to hang out with friends. You are guaranteed loads of fun and sure to come out with a big smile on your face".[28] S. Saraswathi of Rediff.com gave it 3.5 out of 5 and stated, "Simple, sweet and uncomplicated, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan is a refreshing romantic comedy that deserves a watch".[29] Sudhir Srinivasan of The Hindu said, "Almost all the jokes, both subtle and loud, work. And they're everywhere, and often admirably, without heed to political correctness".[30] Mike McCahill of The Guardian gave it 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Despite some rough edges and missed opportunities, Vignesh Shivan delivers a well-written, likably played film where every element feels integrated and thought through".[31]
Accolades
editControversies
editShortly after Lyca Productions announced that they had acquired the film's distribution rights, members of the political party Ilaya Thalaimurai Katchi condemned Wunderbar Films for selling the rights to them. Iniyan John of the party noted Lyca founder Subaskaran Allirajah's links to Sri Lankan politician Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was responsible for the deaths of "hundreds of thousands of Tamils" during the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009. The same production house attracted protests when they produced their first Tamil film, Kaththi (2014), for the same reasons, and were forced to remove their name from promotional material. John noted the production house contradicted the Tamil Nadu Directors Association's promise not to engage in film production or distribution in Tamil Nadu.[37]
A scene where Nayanthara is seen buying beer from a liquor store went viral on social media before the film's release. The political party Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) opposed the scene and demanded that it be deleted, otherwise during its launch, they would protest the film and Nayanthara.[38] In Chennai, HMK put up signs showing portraits of Nayanthara draped with a beer-bottle garland. After Nayanthara released a statement saying it was just a scene in a film, her effigy was publicly burned by Hindu Munnani in February 2015.[39]
Legacy
editNayanthara's line "Ongala Podanum Sir" (transl. I must kill you sir) inspired the title of a 2019 film.[40]
References
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- ^ a b Ramanujam, Srinivasa (19 November 2013). "Gautham Karthik teams up with Vignesh Shivan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 31 January 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ^ "Did you know, not Vijay Sethupathi but Gautham Karthik was the first choice for 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'?". The Times of India. 24 June 2020. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ லீ, தார்மிக் (16 May 2017). "வடிவேலுவின் ஃபேமஸ் டயலாக்குகள்தான் இந்தப் படங்களின் டைட்டில்ஸ்!". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (10 January 2014). "Lavanya Tripathi is Gautham Karthik's love". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ^ P, Kanmani (11 December 2021). "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan: விஜய் சேதுபதி அளித்த வாய்ப்பை தவறவிட்ட ஹீரோ..." Asianet News (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara for Dhanush". The Times of India. 30 August 2014. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- ^ "Actor Dhanush's new production Naanum Rowdy Dhaan gets rolling". Hindustan Times. 4 December 2014. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "We have had enough of you, Puducherry!". The Times of India. 7 November 2016. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Vijay Sethupathi-Nayanthara start romancing". The Times of India. 3 December 2014. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ "RJ Balaji join hands with Vijay Sethupathy". Sify. 6 December 2014. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014.
- ^ "Jeevan and RJ Balaji join Dhanush' star team". The Times of India. 7 December 2014. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Vijay's slim look took two months". The Times of India. 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ "Anand Raj's role similar to one in Kill Dhill". The Times of India. 2 January 2015. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ "'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' first schedule wrapped". The Times of India. 2 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "விஜய் சேதுபதியுடன் கூட்டணி சேரும் பார்த்திபன் !!". ValaiTamil (in Tamil). 11 February 2015. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' final schedule starts!". Sify. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan Wrapped Up". Silverscreen India. 8 June 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (20 October 2015). "Nayantara's unique dubbing process". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan single on September 23". The Times of India. 19 September 2015. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
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- ^ "Anirudh suggested Naanum Rowdy Dhaan release strategy". StudioFlicks. 19 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ K, Janani (5 September 2015). "Lyca Productions Acquires Select Distribution Rights for Visaranai and Naanum Rowdy Dhaan". Silverscreen India. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
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- ^ "'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' confirms October 21st release". Sify. 12 October 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
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