vetrimaran new film

• International
• Today’s Paper
• Join WhatsApp Channel
• Movie Reviews
• Tamil Cinema
• Telugu Cinema

Viduthalai trailer: Vetrimaaran is back with another gritty film on police brutality

Directed by vetrimaaran, viduthalai is based on the short story of jeyamohan, titled thunaivan..

Director Vetrimaaran became a nationwide sensation when his 2015 film, Visaaranai, was selected as India’s official entry for the 89th Academy Awards under the category Best Foreign Language Film. Though the film didn’t make it to the final nominations, it received widespread acclaim from international film circuits. The film was a painful story of oppressed daily labourers who get arrested for no reason and are physically tortured to accept a crime they didn’t commit.

Now, Vetrimaaran is come up with another tale of such police brutality with his upcoming film Viduthalai , starring Soori and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles. The trailer of the film was released on Wednesday, which promises a gritty story about a hunt by the police for a people’s champion in a village.

Gautham Vasudev Menon plays the senior police official, who heads the manhunt for Perumal Vaathiyaar (Vijay Sethupathi), a vigilante fighting for people’s rights. Soori is constable Kumaresan in the film, a small cog in the giant wheel of the police structure, who is unable to stand the power abuse of the department. The trailer depicts his frustration and inability to do something about the injustice.

Though the film has Vijay Sethupathi, the film’s protagonist is Soori. Viduthalai is a departure from his usual comedy roles, and for the first time, the actor will be seen in a serious and sober character.

At the trailer launch of the film, Vetrimaaran confirmed that Vaadivaasal, his upcoming film with Suriya, will release after Viduthalai. He also confirmed that he is working on the script of Vada Chennai 2, which will surely be made.

Keeping Vijayanagara Empire alive: What it takes to conserve Hampi Subscriber Only

How a group of doctors are fighting for justice, minus Subscriber Only

ISRO finalises design of skull for humanoid on Gaganyaan mission Subscriber Only

UPSC Key | Unified Lending Interface, Gaganyaan mission Subscriber Only

How the lid was blown off a murder disguised as Subscriber Only

In 9 years, Govt got 1,084 complaints of fake caste Subscriber Only

All you need to know about Milind Soman’s doable fitness Subscriber Only

Ronaldo’s YouTube channel: Another foray into self-celebration Subscriber Only

Lateral entry to Waqf: Need for Modi govt to keep Subscriber Only

Trump or Harris, US-India relations must continue on an upward Subscriber Only

‘India is influencing world affairs… Its role is bigger than Subscriber Only

• Vetrimaaran

Reddit faced a widespread outage, leaving users with a ‘server error’ message for 45 min on Wednesday. The company acknowledged the issue and implemented a fix, monitoring the results. This is not the first time Reddit has faced such an issue, with a similar incident occurring in April. The company has also been dealing with AI bot issues and recently went public with a valuation of $6.5 billion.

More Entertainment

Best of Express

Aug 29: Latest News

• 01 Maha-Metro prepares draft MoU for Shivajinagar bus station
• 02 Major 911 outage hits US, several cities in California, Texas, Alabama, Ohio affected
• 03 FBI says gunman spent months seeking a target, then settled on Trump
• 04 Woman’s torso found: Cops deploy drones, divers for murder investigation
• 05 Analysing India’s medal contenders at Paris 2024 Paralympics: Avani Lekhara, the shooter who made headlines before Manu Bhaker
• Elections 2024
• Political Pulse
• Entertainment
• Movie Review
• Newsletters
• Web Stories
• 🇮🇳 I-Day SALE
• Express Shorts
• Mini Crossword
• Health & Wellness

Vetrimaaran Contemplates Third Installment For Viduthalai After Extensive Shooting

Curated By : Entertainment Bureau

Local News Desk

Last Updated: August 26, 2024, 15:44 IST

Hyderabad, India

The sequel will focus on the character of Vijay Sethupathi.

Initially announced as a single film in April 2021, with principal photography beginning in December 2020, Viduthalai was later revealed to be released in two parts.

Director Vetrimaaran received critical acclaim with last year’s Viduthalai Part 1, although box office success eluded him. Although it did well in the Telugu dubbed version, the original Tamil did not do well at the box office. However, the period crime thriller received rave reviews and has since been called a cult film. Set in 1987, the movie centres around a constable assigned to capture the leader of a separatist movement. The ensemble cast features Soori, Vijay Sethupathi, Bhavani Sre, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Rajiv Menon, Ilavarasu, Balaji Sakthivel, Saravana Subbiah, Chetan, Munnar Ramesh, and Pavel Navageethan.

Initially announced as a single film in April 2021, with principal photography beginning in December 2020, Viduthalai was later revealed to be released in two parts. While Soori played the main protagonist in Viduthalai Part 1, the sequel will centre around the character of Vijay Sethupathi. The duration of the second part of the film has sparked considerable discussion within the industry. In Chennai, rumours are circulating that Vetrimaran is seriously contemplating the possibility of releasing a third part.

This consideration stems from the fact that the footage already shot for the film has accumulated to a staggering four hours and thirty minutes. Remarkably, this is with only 70 per cent of the film completed, leaving a significant 30 per cent of the filming still to be done. Given the extensive material that has already been captured, it seems likely that a third part might be necessary to fully showcase the story. However, official confirmation about a third part has not been made.

While Viduthalai Part 1 could not earn as much as expected, Vijay Sethupathi’s star power, especially after his recent success with Maharaja, is expected to help Viduthalai Part 2 perform better at the box office. According to reports, some of the scenes shown after Part 1 may have been reshot to better synchronize with the storyline envisioned for the sequels. Geetha Arts is set to release the film in Telugu as they did with the first part.

• entertainment
• regional cinema
• tamil cinema

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

Viduthalai: part i, விடுதலை: பாகம் i.

Directed by Vetrimaaran

Kumaresan, a police constable, gets recruited for an operation implanted to capture Perumal Vaathiyar, who leads a separatist group dedicated to fighting against the authorities for committing atrocities against innocent village women in the name of police interrogations.

Soori Bhavani Sre Chetan Gautham Vasudev Menon Rajiv Menon Ilavarasu Munnar Ramesh Vijay Sethupathi Balaji Sakthivel Saravana Subbiah Tamizh Aryan Sardar Satya Manimegalai S. Chandran Bala Hasan Pavel Navageethan Thendral Raghunathan Sundareswaran CVC R. Ganesh Gurung Asuran Krishna R. Velraj Appukutty Surya Vijay Sethupathi

Director Director

Vetrimaaran

Co-Directors Co-Directors

Still Robert A. Jagadeesan

Producers Producers

Elred Kumar V Manikandan

Writers Writers

Vetrimaaran Manimaran R. S. Durai Senthilkumar Mathi Maran

Original Writer Original Writer

Editor editor, cinematography cinematography, additional directing add. directing.

R. S. Durai Senthilkumar Manimaran Tamizh Mathi Maran

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Art direction art direction, visual effects visual effects.

Harihara Suthan

Stunts Stunts

Peter Hein Stunt Silva

Choreography Choreography

Baba Baskar

Composer Composer

Ilaiyaraaja

Songs Songs

Suka Ilaiyaraaja

Sound Sound

T. Udayakumar

R S Infotainment Grassroot Film Company

Alternative Titles

విడుదల : పార్ట్ 1, విడుదల: పార్ట్ 1, Viduthalai Partie 1

Crime History Thriller Action

Crime, drugs and gangsters Violent crime and drugs Bollywood emotional dramas Show All…

Releases by Date

30 mar 2023, 31 mar 2023, releases by country.

• Theatrical A

146 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Anurag Kashyap 9

Very powerful film, superb performances across board , the best opening shot I’ve seen in the longest time .. looking forward to part 2 .. Vetrimaran is our best .

Review by Michael James ★★★★ 5

Another immersive socio political period drama from Vetrimaaran. His craftsmanship and control over layered storytelling is simply stupendous. The police brutality, custodial violence and systemic oppression is portrayed in a disturbingly hard hitting manner. How media turn into a PR machine to the system for delivering manipulated incidents through social narratives were well depicted. The lead character perfectly resonates the common man dilemma, as he gets caught in between the struggle. The opening single shot sequence sets the tone straight away. And along with the final 20 minutes, they are two standout impact sequences.

Based upon a power struggle conflict between government and revolutionary activist groups, the first part sets up its world, emotional landscape and conflicts effectively with enough question…

Review by Barry Egan 2002 ★★★★

Vetrimaaran, in glorious form once again, shows cop violence in its most brutal form yet, with Soori as the honest, powerless cop holding the narrative together. Absolutely not for the faint-hearted. Must-watch!

The opening sequence, a continuous shot, was extraordinary for the way the camera covered the entire location for a long duration, and also heartbreaking showing the loss of human lives. Vetrimaaran, from this sequence, tells the viewer, "Be prepared to get mind fucked". The scene reminded me of 'Atonement''s superb Dunkirk sequence. We then see Soori's introduction. Vetrimaaran, in an interview, said that he cast Soori due to his innocent looks. Although I thought a couple of lines were delivered as if he were a comedian, Soori, as…

Review by jack ★★★★★

vetrimaaran stop winning challenge

Review by Alicecharles ★★★★★

If someone had told me back that I would shout at the top of my lungs for a firing scene by Soori, i would have called it a joke but OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK !!!!!!

Review by Arjun Rajput ★★★★

Vijay Sethupathi in an interrogation scene is cinema. Can't wait for the next part.

Review by cinema_made ★★★★ 2

The mere mention of Vetrimaran is a hypetrain for his film and Vetrimaran easily surpasses that. After a long wait, Viduthalai arrives as a special and scintillating film, that only Vetrimaran has guts to make. The film is the journey of the constable recruit, who in turn becomes rooted in the violent conflict between the police and the revolutionaries. As all the paths come together, there’s more tension and revelance of truth, that makes the character meet dark ends and change their mindsets.

Right from the start, Vetrimaaran channels the film with a strong dose of realism and raw filmmaking that keeps us in the center of the action at all times. This is definitely not a film for the…

Review by joelmathew ★★★ 5

Definitely the most underwhelming Vetrimaaran film so far... although I don't know if its really fair to call it a "film" because only half the story has been told. The whole story of Vada Chennai has also not been told yet but the first film still holds on its own, this however just felt like the first half of a movie...

Also felt it was one of his weaker films technically. Vetri na is known for working on his films till literally the day before it releases. He was making dubbing corrections and changes for Vada Chennai and Asuran few days before release and this one was also no different I heard. But this time it kind of backfired. Some…

Review by sydney ★★★★★ 1

don't feel great about the gratuitous violence against women and how it's used here, it's not done especially offensively here but it is always frustrating to see it used as a shortcut to underline just how evil someone is and cliche to have women characters exist only as tools to move the male lead along. that said it's an incredible film, cried more than once, it's beautiful and soul crushing and i both can't wait to see the conclusion and am dreading it

Review by Deepak Chazhoor ★★★★½ 5

Watched FDFS.

Soori is a revelation here; easily his career best yet. Vijay Sethupathi, with his terrific screen presence and powerhouse potential as an actor, makes every scene he’s featured in, though few and far between, his own. The long takes are fantastic. Ilaiyaraaja’s work here is among his finest of late; “ Kaattumalli ” is an instant favorite. Overall, yet another great work, with its focus on its hard-hitting politics and unapologetic commentary about police brutality searing as ever, from one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. Vetrimaaran never disappoints. Can’t wait for  Part II .

Review by Kibriya⚡ ★★★★ 9

Viduthalai was gut wrenching and gory as expected with powerful performance by Soori.  The electrifying one shot opening scene was terrific 🥵. Bring me part 2 and Vijay Sethupathi bringing fire on the screen 🔥

Cinematic parallels - Kumaresan and Desmond Doss from Hacksaw Ridge 

Vetrimaaran the real Polladhavan !

2023 Ranked Vetrimaaran Ranked

Review by Jaisri Nandhini ★★★★

Love it when police brutality is ripped off of it's sugar coating Onscreen! Let's wait for the part 2!

Related Films

Similar Films

Select your preferred backdrop

Select your preferred poster, upgrade to remove ads.

Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!

• THE WEEK TV
• ENTERTAINMENT
• WEB STORIES
• JOBS & CAREER
• Home Home -->
• Review Review -->
• Movies Movies -->

Viduthalai - Part 1 review: Soori steals the show in this Vetrimaaran flick

Viduthalai is a multi-layered film, held together by a gripping narrative

Nampikkai .

Trust. It can move mountains.

The name ‘Vetrimaaran’ invokes a similar faith in film buffs and actors alike. The National Award-winning filmmaker, known for critically-acclaimed films like Aadukalam , Visaranai , Vada Chennai and Asuran , has a penchant for pushing the envelope.

So, when he cast actor Soori, who is best known for comic roles in Tamil films, as the lead in Viduthalai – Part 1 , people knew Vetrimaaran had seen something in him that others had missed. In fact, Soori had revealed in an interview that they came close to working together twice in the past, but the projects had to be shelved. He went on to add that it was the director’s nampikkai that helped him realise the actor in him.

And it shows in the film, which is based on B. Jeyamohan’s Thunaivan - he doubles up as the scriptwriter, along with Vetrimaaran. Soori, as police constable Kumaresan, arrives at a remote forest base camp on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka-Kerala border, known for violent and bloody confrontations between the police and guerrillas (named Makkal Padai, or people’s army). The police are after the outlaws and their leaders - the main target being Perumal or Vaathiyar (Vijay Sethupathi in an extended cameo).

Life in this part of the world is not all black and white, and Kumaresan learns it the hard way. A simple man with unshakeable principles, Kumaresan is drawn into the eye of the storm inevitably.

The name of the film – Viduthalai means liberation – couldn’t have been more apt. Soori is finally freed from the shackles of the comedian stereotype. He ditches his slapstick humour and mannerisms to slip into the character of Kumaresan – both physically and otherwise - and shines like never before. It’s as much a conflict of emotions as it is of ideologies and powers, and Soori essays it all beautifully.

Soori isn’t the only surprise element in Viduthalai – Part 1 . Vetrimaaran has mostly associated with actor Dhanush as the lead and music director G.V. Prakash Kumar in his films so far. (Interestingly, Kumar’s sister Bhavani Sre plays Tamilarasi, Soori’s love interest). But, this time, he not only opted for Soori as the protagonist but also brought on board legendary music director Ilaiyaraaja. The move seems to have paid off.

Viduthalai stands out for other reasons, too. One, for the brilliant cinematography by Velraj, capturing the Sathyamangalam forest in all its rustic beauty. Then, the opening scene itself is a piece of art. The tracking shot, which takes the viewer in and out of a train accident setting, is as gripping and captivating as perhaps the iconic shot in Joe Wright’s 2007 war drama Atonement . Once can see the genius that Vetrimaaran is, at work in moments like these.

Viduthalai is a multi-layered film, held together by a gripping narrative. It’s as much about police brutality, as it is about politics and ideologies (though it may seem one-sided at times). The film meanders a bit early in the second half, before picking up pace towards the end. The pulsating finish sets the stage for the next part of the film, and the post credit scenes promise more revelations and a meatier role for Sethupathi, who shines in the limited screen time he gets in this one.

Will Perumal be able to liberate the land from the clutches of the mining mafia? Which side will Kumaresan finally find himself on? Will politics prevail or will the people’s movement bring the powers that be on their knees? Will Viduthalai – Part 2 deliver a resounding answer to all these questions?

In Vetrimaaran, we trust.

Film: Viduthalai - Part 1

Language: Tamil

Director: Vetrimaaran

Cast: Soori, Vijay Sethupathi, Bhavani Sre, Gautam Vasudev Menon and others

Rating: 4/5

📣 The Week is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TheWeekmagazine) and stay updated with the latest headlines

Medieval magic: A trip to the picturesque towns of Obidos and Salir do Porto, Portugal

Scary X-ray reveals brand new razor blade stuck in pet dog's throat in Kerala, then...

Christopher Nolan's paycheck for Oppenheimer is reportedly close to $100 million

Tom Hardy's 'Venom 3' titled 'The Last Dance', to release in October

Editor's pick.

How my mother became my best friend

Meet Nina Métayer, the world's best pastry chef

Meet the doctors who have turned their passions into alternative professions

Equity surge

*Articles appearing as INFOCUS/THE WEEK FOCUS are marketing initiatives

• Power List 2024
• Cannes 2024
• In-Depth Stories
• Web Stories
• Oscars 2024
• FC Wrap 2023
• Film Festivals
• FC Adda 2023
• Companion Zone
• Best Indian Films Forever List
• FC Front Row
• FC Disruptors
• Mental Health & Wellness

Ranking Vetrimaaran Films — From Polladhavan to Viduthalai Part 1

Ranking Vetrimaaran’s films — excluding the short films he made — can feel like picking a winner from a competition of despair. And yet, because of the artistry, his films end up challenging his own filmography; building on his flaws, adopting newer visual languages to express older tropes of a violent world. 

Beginning with Polladhavan (2007), his films increasingly hold you in a brusque, violent, and breathless chokehold. Visaranai (2016), his third and most celebrated film, which was even sent to the Academy Awards as India’s nomination, is best described as a relentless marathon of brutality. Every time you think the film has let go, like steam released from a pressure cooker, the plot tightens into lashings and screams.

That none of this violence feels gratuitous is because of how normal violence feels in the world Vetrimaaran creates on screen. When characters die, they just do. When they are violated, they just are. Is this violence repetitive? Yes. But does it feel repetitive? No, because his films are not hinged on stylized violence. He doesn’t need to find innovative ways to stage it, since his films are about the contexts in which violence begins to feel like an everyday phenomenon — brutal but, like air, everywhere. It is these contexts that keep changing — from Madurai to Vada Chennai (North Chennai), Andhra Pradesh to the forested hills of Tamil Nadu — and the violence remains unsettlingly natural to all of them. 

6) Polladhavan (2007)

The opening credit of “non-linear editor”, the voiceover narration, and the opening shot yanking you into a flashback in Polladhavan — Vetrimaaran’s debut film is preoccupied with time flipping over itself, bending, contorting, staring at a bloody present and then tracing backwards to how we reached this bloodbath. The film follows the fallout after its happy-go-lucky protagonist Prabhu (Dhanush) loses his bike, and comes in contact with first an insecure underworld and then the inefficient blackhole of the police station.  There is a visual recklessness, almost a disenchantment with stillness in the film. When the image does become still, it is usually like a jerk — either a photograph or a forceful pausing of the frame. Here is a director who refuses to be bound by conventional framing and narrative. He will bung in two narrative voiceovers — what Preston Sturgess called “narratage”. He will place the camera between two vessels on the gas, the foreground of coffee being flipped from tumbler to tumbler, with Prabhu entering from behind. 

Polladhavan is dated in the sense that you see a director struggling with his style and the template that he wants to both tap into and wreck open — the grating dream songs of love and amorous celebration in a disco, for example. Vetrimaaran himself said in an interview with Film Companion , “From Polladhavan , I learnt I should never make a film like that.”

5) Aadukalam (2011) 

We begin in the present, but return to it only in the last half hour of this film. Karuppu (Dhanush) is a masterful cockfighter, but the Othello-like machinations of jealousy lead his mentor (played by V.I.S. Jayapalan) to exact violence by slowly chipping away at Karuppu’s reputation through gossip and cross-speak. And yet, as Karuppu’s fortunes balloon, his love for his mentor is never challenged. His mentor’s rejection of him never translates to Karuppu’s resentment. It is the kind of mythological devotion Ekalavya showered on Drona — one incapable of rancour. Blind love, as director Vetrimaaran notes in an interview with Film Companion , can be most dangerous.

The “centrepiece” — where Karuppu has to make his cock fight, not once, but thrice in the dust-flung competition,— is a grunting, unending tapestry of tension. It cemented Vetrimaaran as a director with a vision that drew from the well of Cine Madurai violence while cutting against it, stamping his distinct visual style, his trademark panting exposition in the beginning and his casual irreverence towards heroism. In the first “action scene” Karuppu is given, the camera is static, staring at the fight like a spectator, watching as Dhanush’s lithe frame tries to pummel the goons.

Aadukalam ends with Karuppu escaping the scene with his Anglo-Indian lover (Taapsee Pannu), not wanting to explain himself to those who have misunderstood  him or been manipulated into believing incorrect things about him. It’s a rare, mature narrative closing that shows a protagonist who is okay being thought of as wrong, even though he was wronged. If that means keeping the memory of his mentor — who orchestrated the manipulation — unsullied, so be it. 

4) Visaranai (2015)

Visaranai felt like an aesthetic sharp-turn for Vetrimaaran, showing us that as a director, he is capable of patient storytelling, linear storylines; neat, spare flashbacks, that unfold at the pace of life, without sizzling it up or slurring it down. The only throbbing background score in the film is that of ominous rain and crickets.

Perhaps, because the film is based on events that are true and shocking, Visaranai looks as though it is “captured” and not “shot” as a film (look at these violent words used to describe cinema). It does not even have that “centrepiece” moment of bloodshed that Vetrimaaran usually places carefully somewhere in the middle. It does not need it. The film, based on accounts of police custodial violence — first in Andhra Pradesh to poor Tamil Nadu migrants, then in Tamil Nadu to a white collar auditor — yanked from M. Chandrakumar’s novel Lock Up , is brimming with blood. The centrepiece, if anything, is that moment of quiet, of silence, of hope, that comes in little snatches before it is pulled away. 

The cinematic virtue of this film is its relentless violence which never feels gratuitous. What differentiates one from another? Here is violence treated as life — without drama, without emphasis. A rare restraint that nonetheless produces horror unlike in another film — by Vetrimaaran or anyone else. 

3) Vada Chennai (2018)

With Vada Chennai , Vetrimaaran returns to the titular North Chennai where he shot his debut film. This time, however, there is more blood, more history, and more politics, and a richer, denser world full of human foibles and fumbles. The detailing is more vivid — like prisoners snorting lizard tails to get high. The violence is more structural — it telescopes its attention on a neighbourhood over time, not a group of friends like in Visaranai .  

Like Aadukalam , Vada Chennai starts with bloodshed, which it returns to in the last half-hour. Unlike Aadukalam, this structure feels perfunctory, because the beginning is almost forgotten in the blitzkrieg of rat-a-tat action centred around Anbu (Dhanush), a sincere carrom player, who gets caught in the crossfire of a gang war that he further curdles and erupts. 

This is a hypnotic movie, moving across time, back and forth, sometimes a flashback within a flashback. If you pause the film, turn and ask what year the events are taking place, it takes a moment because of how much is churning in the story. The death of M.G. Ramachandran and Rajiv Gandhi are used as temporal walking sticks to help us wade through the film. The original cut for Vada Chennai was 5.5 hours long, and the reason we feel scenes end abruptly with moments often collapsing as they begin, is because of the unsparing edit to bring it down to 2.5 hours. The action, the relentless throw of context, dialogue, and exposition, keeps you afloat, as though you were being swept away in an furiously rushing river. 

What sets Vada Chennai apart is not just Anbu as an ambivalent hero who is swept into heroism by circumstances, but a hero who is unsure of who is right and who is wrong. He expresses this moral dilemma to his wife in a moving scene. There is a sense that if this film was narrated from another perspective, it might easily flip the moral labels we have slapped on characters. That a film allows its characters this latitude is a triumph of an expanded, exploded imagination — both moral and literary. 

2) Asuran (2019)

Both Vada Chennai and Asuran are, perhaps, the most cinematic of Vetrimaaran’s films — with a slow-motion pay-off that belongs to the masala template, lodged comfortably alongside the various Vetrimaaran-isms. Both insert their intermission after a rousing action sequence that disarms you with its style and emotional punch. However, while Vada Chennai is impatient in its storytelling — by narrative design and editorial desperation — Asuran digs deeper. 

The first shot of the film, of a moon among milky clouds, crumples when feet are placed over it — we realise that we were seeing a reflection of the moon over still water, which is now being trampled over by escaping feet, that of Sivasaami (Dhanush) and his son Chidambaram (Ken Karunas). Chidambaram has just hacked the man who murdered his elder brother — an act of vengeance that dislocates his family, who are now fugitives. 

Asuran perfects a lot of Vetrimaaran’s pursuits — the mass film without the mass conventions. There is no hero entry scene. There is, instead, the intermission block. There is no hip dangling love. There is, instead, trauma and affection. Humour does not exist, distilled in the form of a separate character, like a court jester. It is baked into the exchanges. There is no beauty, no polish. There is a harsh abruptness with which scenes transition. And yet, Asuran has packed in it the most potent scenes of grief and redemptive violence. It is Vetrimaaran allowing his films to char your heart, not just your senses. The second half gives the origin for Sivasaami’s docile nature, one that he has arrived at after a youth of bloodshed that left him orphaned and without love. This mirroring of the two halves is another beautiful Vetrimaaran-ism — from the slippers, to the heroism, to the tragedy that culminates in an escape. It is easy to dismiss this film as templated, but there is a reason templates have survived the onslaught of genre, taste, and time shifts. That it is predictable does not take away from what an artist can do with and within that predictability. Asuran is Vetrimaaran’s most emotionally staining — not draining, but staining — film; its violence lingering as hurt, not horror. 

1) Viduthalai Part 1 (2023)

In one sense, Viduthalai is the culminating artistic collaboration between Vetrimaaran and cinematographer Velraj, who has lensed all of Vetrimaaran’s films except Visaranai . The opening shot of around 10 minutes takes us, in one sweeping, single take, through the debris of a train bombing. The sheer audacity of the scene, the lubricated ease with which the camera slides, both vertically and horizontally, sets the stage for Kumeresan (Soori), a kind-hearted police officer who has been sent to the forested hills as part of a police force that is trying to weed out an extremist group. It invokes awe while depicting horror. The dense prologue, the unfussy heroism of Vetrimaaran are both here. The politics is just as long winded and stiff — like how Vada Chennai questioned development, here, too, the story hinges on how the state uses development as a cover for profiteering; the police, here, too, are brutal beasts. Love comes as a reprieve — both to the character and the narrative. 

But what marks Viduthalai apart is how it makes violence seem so routine, Vetrimaaran isn’t even interested in sharpening it. There is a blunt relentlessness to it. It is not that the director can’t show violence that whips our moral sense of the world. It’s just impossible to fixate and linger on violence the way he did in the previous films. In Visaranai what was happening to a group of friends, in Asuran what was happening to a family, is, in Viduthalai happening to a whole movement of people. Vetrimaaran employs a disenchanted cutting away from these moments before their full impact is even felt, for the impact is not in its festering but in its unrelentingness.

If you notice closely, these rankings are in the order of Vetrimaaran’s filmography, suggesting that, at least artistically, he seems to be streamlining ahead, a swift, sure motion away from where he first began. 

Related Stories

• entertainment

Vetri Maaran uses a new technique to shoot his film with Soori

Visual Stories

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The 10 Best Movies in Theaters Right Now

Megan fox's 2024 sci-fi movie reminds me of another rogue ai (it's not m3gan), 10 reasons megalopolis' reviews are so strongly divided.

September 2024 is packed with exciting movies from different genres, such as the return of a chaotic bio-exorcist, the return of Optimus Prime, a horror remake, Francis Ford Coppola’s latest project, and a lot more. 2024 has carried on the streak of big releases of 2023 with even more success, bringing a variety of highly-anticipated movies along with some fun surprises. The summer is almost over, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more big releases coming up the rest of the year, and September will officially kick off spooky season.

August saw the release of highly-anticipated movies like M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap , Eli Roth’s Borderlands adaptation, the drama movie It Ends With Us , Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus , Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice , and a new adaptation of The Crow . September will bring more exciting movies from different genres, of which some will be available to stream shortly after, and among these releases are the return of Beetlejuice, a new Transformers movie, a horror remake starring James McAvoy, and Francis Ford Coppola’s latest (and controversial) movie.

2024 continues to bring many exciting movies to theaters from all genres and for different tastes, ensuring there's always something for everyone.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice beetlejuice will be released on september 6, 2024, your rating.

Your comment has not been saved

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice reunites the audience with Lydia (Winona Ryder) and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara), who return to Winter River after the death of Lydia’s father.

Over three decades after the first movie, Beetlejuice is back in a sequel appropriately titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice . Directed by Tim Burton, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice reunites the audience with Lydia (Winona Ryder) and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara), who return to Winter River after the death of Lydia’s father. Lydia is accompanied by her rebellious daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who, to Lydia’s horror, finds the model of the town in the attic at their old house, and so the portal to the Afterlife is opened again, releasing the legendary and chaotic Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton).

Also starring in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice are Monica Bellucci as Betelgeuse’s ex-wife, Willem Dafoe as a ghost detective, Justin Theroux as Lydia’s husband (but not Astrid’s father), Burn Gorman as a reverend, and Danny DeVito in a still undisclosed role.

Transformers One

Transformers one will be released on september 13, 2024.

Transformers One takes the audience to the planet Cybertron to tell the origin story of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16/Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry).

The Transformers franchise is still alive, and its latest entry is an animated movie. Directed by Josh Cooley, Transformers One takes the audience to the planet Cybertron to tell the origin story of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16/Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), two Cybertronian workers. Orion Pax and D-16 were very close, but they ended up becoming archenemies as Optimus Prime and Megatron. Also part of Transformers One ’s voice cast are Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.

Transformers One is the first animated feature film released theatrically since The Transformers: The Movie in 1986.

Speak No Evil

Speak no evil will be released on september 13, 2024, speak no evil (2024).

Speak No Evil is a psychological thriller directed by James Watkins. Speak No Evil follows Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy), who go on a dream holiday to Europe with their daughter, Agnes (Alix West Lefler). There they meet Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son Ant (Dan Hough), with whom they quickly bond. Paddy and Ciara invite the Daltons to their idyllic country estate, but their vacation quickly suddenly turns into a nightmare when the Daltons see the true colors of their new “friends” .

Speak No Evil is a remake of the 2022 Danish movie of the same name by Christian Tafdrup.

The Killer’s Game

The killer’s game will be released on september 13, 2024, the killer's game.

The Killer’s Game is the story of Joe Flood (Dave Bautista), a hitman who, when he learns he has a terminal illness, decides to take control of his fate by taking a hit out on himself.

The Killer’s Game is an action comedy directed by J. J. Perry and based on the 1997 novel of the same name by Jay Bonansinga. The Killer’s Game is the story of Joe Flood (Dave Bautista), a hitman who, when he learns he has a terminal illness, decides to take control of his fate by taking a hit out on himself. However, the hitmen he hired also target his ex-girlfriend Maize (Sofia Boutella), so he must fend off a group of fellow assassins before it’s too late for both. Also starring in The Killer’s Game are Ben Kingsley, Terry Crews, Pom Klementieff, and Drew McIntyre.

Subservience

Subservience will be released on september 13, 2024, subservience (2024).

Nick buys a domestic android with artificial intelligence called Alice (Megan Fox) to help him care for the house and his daughter.

Subservience is a sci-fi thriller directed by S.K. Dale. It’s the story of Nick (Michele Morrone), a father struggling with keeping up with work, the house, his daughter, and his wife Maggie (Madeline Zima), who is in the hospital. Nick buys a domestic android with artificial intelligence called Alice (Megan Fox) to help him care for the house and his daughter. Not long after, Alice gains sentience and begins to take Maggie’s role as mother , carer, and Nick’s partner, but when Maggie returns home, Alice becomes jealous, violent, and potentially deadly.

Megan Fox stars in the upcoming sci-fi horror movie Subservience, which reminds me of another disturbing rogue AI – but it's not M3GAN.

My Old Ass Will Be Released On September 13, 2024

My Old Ass follows Elliott Labrant (Maisy Stella), who, on a mushroom trip on her 18th birthday, meets her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza).

My Old Ass is a comedy-drama written and directed by Megan Park. My Old Ass follows Elliott Labrant (Maisy Stella), who, on a mushroom trip on her 18th birthday, meets her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). Her older self begins to give Elliott advice and warnings about their life and what she should and shouldn’t do (like avoiding anyone named “Chad”), forcing young Elliott to rethink her relationships and what she knew about family, love, and friendship… but also giving her old self something to think about.

The Substance

The substance will be released on september 20, 2024.

The Substance is a body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. The Substance follows Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a fading celebrity known for an aerobics show who, on her 50th birthday, is fired by her boss. Struggling to cope with that, Elisabeth is offered a substance by a laboratory that promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself by temporarily creating a younger, better version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley) – but what she isn’t counting on are the horrifying side effects.

Also starring in The Substance are Dennis Quaid, Hugo Diego Garcia, and Joseph Balderrama. The Substance premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation (though how long it lasted varies depending on the source).

Never Let Go

Never let go will be released on september 20, 2024, never let go (2024).

It all takes a turn when one of the boys begins to doubt if the evil is real.

Never Let Go is a survival horror film directed by Alexandre Aja. Never Let Go follows a family consisting of a mother (Halle Berry) and her twin sons who are tormented by a malicious spirit, with their only protection being their home and their family bond. To stay safe, they need to be connected at all times, tethering themselves with ropes and promising to never let go. It all takes a turn when one of the boys begins to doubt if the evil is real, breaking the family’s sacred bond and sending them into a dangerous fight for survival.

Megalopolis

Megalopolis will be released on september 27, 2024, megalopolis (2024).

Megalopolis is a sci-fi drama written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Megalopolis takes the audience to a fictional and futuristic metropolis called New Rome, where an accident destroyed the city. Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is an idealist architect with the power to control time, and he plans to rebuild New Rome as a sustainable utopia. However, corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) is committed to a regressive status quo, and to further complicate Cesar’s plans, Franklyn’s daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), falls in love with Cesar as she searches for her life’s meaning.

Also starring in Megalopolis are Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Laurence Fishburne, Jason Schwartzman, Talia Shire, Jon Voight, and many more. Megalopolis is a passion project for Coppola, and it took him decades to finally make it. Megalopolis premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, and it polarized critics.

Francis Ford Coppola’s sci-fi epic Megalopolis has finally had its premiere after a lengthy development, and it has confounded critics at Cannes.

The Wild Robot

The wild robot will be released on september 27, 2024, the wild robot (2024).

The Wild Robot is the story of ROZZUM unit 7134 a.k.a. Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), who is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island.

The Wild Robot is an animated sci-fi movie based on the book series of the same name by Peter Brown. Directed by Chris Sanders, The Wild Robot is the story of ROZZUM unit 7134 a.k.a. Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), who is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. Roz is forced to adapt to the harsh surroundings, and in the process, she bonds with the animals on the island and becomes the adoptive parent of an orphaned runt goose named Brightbill (Kit Connor). Also part of the voice cast of The Wild Robot are Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Mark Hamill, and Bill Nighy.

Lee Will Be Released On September 27, 2024

Lee is a biographical drama directed by Ellen Kuras in her feature directorial debut. Based on the 1985 biography The Lives of Lee Miller , by Antony Penrose, Lee tells the story of Lee Miller (Kate Winslet), an American fashion model who became an acclaimed photographer and war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II. Also starring in Lee are Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Josh O’Connor, Alexander Skarsgård, Noémie Merlant, and Arinzé Kene.

Ranking All Vetrimaran Movies

1. Vada Chennai

2. Visaaranai

3. Aadukalam

5. Viduthalai: Part 1

6. Polladhavan

More to explore, recently viewed.

Every Vetrimaaran Movie Ranked and Where to Watch Them

Published on.

Shaurya Singh Thapa

Official JustWatch writer

Known for his gritty crime dramas, underdog heroes, and numerous collaborations with actor Dhanush , Vetrimaaran has established himself as one of Tamil film industry’s leading directors.

If you wish to know more about the Asuran and Vidhuthalai director’s filmography, we have got you covered with a complete streaming guide that leads you to all of Vetrimaaran’s movies and information you need on where to stream them online.

Which Vetrimaaran movies should I watch first? 

The best way to watch Vetrimaaran’s movies is in the same order as their release date, as this sequence would show how the director has only improved in his craft with every passing movie. Vetrimaaran made his directorial debut in 2007 with the action thriller Polladhavan . Dhanush played the lead character, a man whose fate changes after he buys a bike and later gets it stolen. Opening to rave reviews for Dhanush’s acting and Vetrimaaran’s directing, the movie spawned numerous remakes in other languages and popularised the Bajaj Pulsar (the bike featured in the movie) among Tamil youths.

The director and actor joined forces again for the drama Aadukalam . The 2011 hit found Dhanush’s protagonist embroiled in an unattainable romance and a rooster-fighting business. The movie earned Vetrimaaran a National Award for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

While Vetrimaaran’s first two movies addressed social themes like an economic class divide, his political themes got more evident in his third film: a police thriller titled Visaranai (also released as Interrogation). The gruelling social drama revolves around the fates of two men who are forced to confess to a crime after they are locked up by the cops. The film won a National Award for Best Tamil Film and also opened much debate and discourse over the ethics of the police force in Tamil Nadu.

Visaranai’s success opened the avenues for more ambitious projects like the period gangster epic Vada Chennai , yet again starring regular collaborator Dhanush. The movie charts an underdog’s journey between rival criminal factions in a fishing community in ‘70s-era South Chennai. Vada Chennai ended on a nail biting cliffhanger, teasing the possibility of a sequel that fans still await.

With Dhanush already starring in several anti-caste dramas, Vetrimaaran cast him again in Asuran. Addressing the oppression faced by marginalised castes, Asuran starred Dhanush as a hot-headed lower-caste youth who kills an oppressive upper-caste landlord. The ensuing chaos made for a violent, powerful, and relevant watch. As is the case with many Vetrimaaran films, Asuran also earned the National Award for Best Tamil Film. 

Why is Vidhuthalai Part 1 Vetrimaaran’s best movie to watch? 

Intending to direct a two-part saga next, Vetrimaaran directed Vidhuthalai Part 1 . Set in the 1980s and inspired by real-life politics of the era, Viduthalai explores the conflict between the police and a separatist group. However, neither side is good or bad as Vetrimaaran’s story explores the morally grey areas of the policemen and their atrocities as well. Boasting impressive performances by Vijay Sethupathi and Soori, Vidhuthalai is a gripping political thriller.

Where can I watch the best Vetrimaaran movies online? 

Below you can find the latest streaming information for every Vetrimaaran movie. This includes every offer for viewers in India today.

Viduthalai: Part I

Kumaresan, a police constable, gets recruited for an operation implanted to capture Perumal Vaathiyar, who leads a separatist group dedicated to fighting against the authorities for committing atrocities against innocent village women in the name of police interrogations.

Vada Chennai

A young carrom player in North Chennai becomes a reluctant participant in a war between two feuding gangsters.

The teenage son of a farmer from an underprivileged caste kills a rich, upper caste landlord. How the pacifist farmer saves his hot-blooded son is the rest of the story.

Pandi and his friends, immigrant workers in Andhra Pradesh, are picked up by cops for a crime they never committed. And thus begins their nightmare, where they become pawns in a vicious game where the voiceless are strangled by those with power.

Pettaikaaran is famous in his town for an impeccable track record of successes in rooster fights. When one of his aides, Karuppu, goes against his word in a fight, it leads to an enmity between them.

Polladhavan

Prabhu is dejected when he learns that his bike has been stolen. He decides to find the people who stole the bike, but lands in trouble when he realises that his bike has been used to transport drugs.

Every Vetrimaaran Film Ranked and Where to Stream Them

Tamil filmmakerVetrimaaran belongs to a breed of directors whose taut scripts, apt casting, and realistic storyline treatment have fundamentally changed the very nature of mainstream filmmaking. Vetrimaaran films are made for a multicultural audience and backed by the strength of their storytelling and sculpted dialogue, which has reinvigorated the art of popular cinema with a breath of fresh air.

Each film is imbued with a powerful, coherent aesthetic that guides viewers through a dark matrix. At its best, it augments a captivating narrative and sinks viewers into a world of rural and urban Tamil Nadu social realism. The reality that’s depicted is populated with more fallible and life-like characters. The cinema of the carnivalesque, with its larger-than-life characters, melodramatic orientation, and highly romanticized canvas, is something that does not whet his appetite for creativity.

With a filmography of six features and one short film as a director, he has earned his reputation as one of the most accessible filmmakers of the last decade. His style flourishes in a deliberate, soothing rhythm, creating an atmosphere rich with realistic undertones. While some viewers may find his films brutally intense and emotionally jarring, they are also unexpectedly heartwarming, offering moments of surprising tenderness amidst their ruthless depictions.

6. Polladhavan (2007)

Vetrimaaran’s debut feature film opens with a gruesome and brutal fighting sequence. Then, using flashback, the filmmaker takes us into the dynamic world of contemporary Chennai, where an educated young man, Prabhu ( Dhanush ), fights injustice and, in the process, is forced to unleash the animal within him.

Also, Read: Every Sriram Raghavan Film Ranked

The protagonist is an unemployed youth who confronts his father (Murali), and an argument regarding the responsibilities of parents towards their offspring ensues. As a result of this conflict, Prabhu gets a hefty amount from his father, and he uses the money to purchase a Bajaj Pulsar bike. This appears to be a wise investment because owning the vehicle enables him to get a job and earn respect in society. But the situation takes a drastic turn when a gang of anti-socials steals his bike. After that, the film presents the viewers with the transformation of resilience into power and its hold over the life of an individual’s struggle to maintain his position in the harsh reality of everyday life.

The plot of the film has similarities with Wang Xiaoshuai’s Bejing Bicycle (2001). But the well-worked-out mise-en-scenes of “Polladhavan” make it an entertaining tale of a casual, urban, carefree person’s conversion into a person of genuine worth and true dignity. “Polladhavan” was remade in Kannada as “Punda,” in Telugu as “Kurradu” starring Varun Sandesh, in Sinhala as “Pravegeya,” in Bengali as “Borbaad” (2014), and in Hindi as “Guns of Banaras” (2020). However, none of them could achieve the excellence earned by the original version.

Where to Watch:

5. aadukalam (2011).

As the roosters combat in the arena with each other, it becomes a fight of the egos of the individuals who own the fowl. So, when Karuppu’s rooster emerges victorious, he not only earns a lot of money but also the enmity of his bosses, Periyasamy (V. I. S. Jayapalan) and Rathnasamy (Naren). From then onwards, the life of our protagonist will be filled with one hurdle after another as the tale of loyalty, self-esteem, deception, and honor unfolds.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: 10 Great Tamil Movies You Can Stream On Netflix Right Now

In his sophomore venture, Vetrimaaran presents a varied cultural pattern of rural Tamil Nadu. He uses realism, tradition, and contemporaneity, soaked in local flavor within the narrative structure of his tightly structured screenplay. The conflicts introduced within the plot points create tension by employing smart conventions that are able to sustain the viewer’s anticipation. The film’s editing pattern makes a commendable pace and multi-layered visual design that heightens the film’s impact. Though the filmmaker has openly admitted that he was inspired by the dogfighting scene of “Amores Perros” (2000), Vetrimaaran has infused his style and poise within the narrative.

Despite its strong content and potential for box-office success, filmmakers from other regions have not dared remake the film until now. The reason is that the film’s milieu is so rooted in Tamil Nadu. At the 58th National Film Awards, the film won five awards: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Choreography, and Special Jury Award for Acting.

4. Viduthalai: Part I (2023)

Vetrimaaran’s “Viduthalai,” based on prolific author Jeyamohan’s short story “Thunaivan,” started as a low-budget project like “Visaranai,” reintroducing comical actor Soori as the protagonist. But considering the story’s scope and the casting of Vijay Sethupathi as the rebel leader Perumal ‘Vaathiyar,’ “Viduthalai” became the long-gestating project in Vetrimaaran’s career. Set during the turbulent 1980s period in Tamil Nadu and heavily drawing from the documented cases of police brutality (like the Vachathi case), “Viduthalai: Part I” unfolds from the perspective of Kumersan (Soori), a low-ranked police official assigned to the special police battalion in charge of quelling the Tamil People’s Army’s rebellion, and catch its leader, Perumal. Kumerasan drives the police jeep in the hilly terrain and witnesses firsthand the various oppressive tactics to displace the tribal communities and clear the land for the mining operations. 

“Viduthalai: Part I” is not only the most brutally violent film in Vetrimaaran’s filmography but also one of the most disturbing films ever made in Tamil cinema. The graphic depiction of the police authorities’ violence – particularly against women – can profoundly distress the viewers. Like Vetrimaaran’s previous works, “Viduthalai” highlights the major issues of environmental exploitation and social injustice. Yet one could wish the film was relatively concise and not make us wait for the answers with a sequel that’s going through one reshoot after another. The most significant discovery of “Viduthalai” is Soori as the leading man. Unlike most comedian-turned-lead actors, Soori has proved his incredible acting range and followed it with versatile performances in “ Garudan ” and “Kottukaali.”

3. Asuran (2019)

What becomes the last resort for a farmer who goes on the run with his family as he is compelled to protect his son, who has murdered a wealthy upper-caste landlord in a fit of vengeance? The reply should be to fight with the oppressing forces and reclaim his identity. That is precisely what Sivasaami (Dhanush) does to break away from the uncomfortable social status he has inherited. Based on the novel “Vekkai” by Poomani, Vetrimaaran’s screen adaptation is so watertight that every occurrence in the screenplay feels alluring.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Asuran (2019) Review: Rise, Asuran, Rise!

With “Asuran,” Vetrimaaran continues his excellent cinematic flair as a director, enhancing his commendable grasp on the tropes of mainstream cinema. The film also benefits from technical polish – the cinematography, background score, and editing are all top-notch. “Asuran,” too, has gut-wrenching violence and prepares the viewer for the edge-of-seat tension. The narrative follows a rhythm where the plot is revealed without wasting much of the screen time. The film belongs to the genre of revenge saga, which is told from the perspective of an oppressed caste protagonist.

It’s one of those mainstream films that fulfills a social purpose, for it’s hard to imagine anyone viewing “Asuran” and not abhorring the evil practice of casteism in our country and how it voluntarily degrades human values and status. At the Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards 2020, Vetrimaaran won the award for best director. The film also won two National Film Awards—Best Feature Film in Tamil and Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Asuran (2019) Here

2. visaranai (2016).

Based on the novella “Lock Up” by M. Chandrakumar, Vetrimaaran’s third outing in its first half has such brutal scenes of police torture that one could genuinely feel the bestial act of police torture. The viewers are compelled to cringe and empathize with the plight of four helpless souls. The film’s narrative can be strictly divided into two sections. Four Tamil migrant workers are falsely accused in a burglary case that has taken place at a wealthy and affluent man’s bungalow in Andhra Pradesh. The police beat these four men, black and blue, and want them to confess. Not able to withstand the pain, they agree to accept the charges. Once they are produced in the court, the film’s narrative takes a twist, and the viewers are presented with one shocking surprise after the other.

The filmmaker displays superb craftsmanship and commitment to an engaging dramatic tale that ends in a tragedy. The film subtly depicts that the characters in the movie become victims because of the system that protects criminal behavior. It is a profoundly troubling film that is devoid of cathartic and healing moments. Vetrimaaran is not hesitant to construct the brutal scene with ease, and he is not afraid to carve out his unique style. The film premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Back home, it won three National Film Awards: Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Editing.

1. Vada Chennai (2018)

A tale of criminal activities narrated in a non-linear pattern over the span of more than two decades is the perfect recipe for a crime drama. Vetrimaaran’s narrative takes the viewers on a journey lasting nearly a hundred and sixty-four hours. It introduces them to the world of guilt, regret, and vital decisions leading to loyalty turned into betrayal. The protagonist of the film Anbu (Dhanush) is an expert carrom player but his life gets entwined into the world of crime. He gets pulled into the vortex so deeply that penitence alludes to him after a point in time.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Top Tamil Movies of 2018 and Where To Watch Them

With an ensemble cast, the film’s story is set in the underbellies of North Chennai, as the title implies, and the film’s theme is more nuanced than the conventional black-and-white morality tales where evil is punished by good at the end. “Vada Chennai” blatantly showcases the graphic world of crime and violence and investigates the nature of friendship and the ethics of vigilantism. Vetrimaaran’s script is a masterclass in non-linear narration. He delves deeply into the minds of his conflicted characters and explores how marginalized people grapple with moral codes and their emotions.

He further engages with many of the most fundamental questions about our humanity and how we relate to one another in a complex world. The stylistic elements in the film earn comparisons, bearing marked connections to several of Vetrimaaran’s other films. The film won the Best Film (People’s Choice Award) at the Pingyao International Film Festival 2018. At the Filmfare Awards South, Dhanush won the trophy for the Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Vada Chennai (2018) Here

Special mention: oor iravu (2020).

“Oor Iravu” is a part of the Tamil anthology drama “Paava Kadhaigal” (2020). Owing to its shorter running time, I have included it in the special mention category. On the surface level, the film depicts the tale of a daughter, Sumathi (Sai Pallavi), who had eloped from her village and now has reunited with her father, Janakiraman (Prakash Raj). However, as the story progresses, we discover the sensitivity and intricacies of the complex human psyche of individual characters within the film.

Also, Read: Paava Kadhaigal (2020) Netflix: Sinful Filmmaking under the Garb of Hard Hitting Social Drama

Vetrimaaran treated the film with a bold and innovative style, choosing a subject in which form and content merge. The pacing is not fast like in his other films; instead, it is a slow study of how Sumathi’s decision has impacted the lives of various family members. Vetrimaaran did not deviate from his usual style of narrative exploration, but he brought an understated rhythm to the unfolding of the events. “Oor Iravu” ends on a depressing note as we realize that such evil things are a reality and will continue to happen unless and until the evils of casteism are not obliterated from our society.

Vetrimaaran Links: IMDb , Wikipedia

Trending right now.

Dipankar Sarkar is a freelance writer on various topics related to cinema. His articles have appeared in Scroll, The Hindu, Livemint, The Quint, The Tribune, Chandigarh, Upperstall, and vaguevisages.com amongst others.

Similar Posts

The Lift Boy (2019) Movie Review: Ascending Expectations, Lifting Spirits with Heartfelt Impressions

Game of Love (Time is Up 2) Movie Ending, Explained: Do Roy and Vivian end up together?

Black Mirror (Season 6) Episode 5 “Demon 79”: Recap & Ending Explained – Is Nida able to avoid the apocalypse? 

Warriors of Future (2022) Movie Ending Explained

Your Christmas Or Mine (2022) ‘Prime Video’ Review: A Warm, Magical, Albeit Predictable Christmas Movie

Atomic Blonde [2017]: Charlize Theron’s Badass Performance Is Its Only Saving Grace

More From Forbes

‘the union’ dethroned in netflix’s top 10 list by a new movie.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Netflix has released yet another widely-watched, critically-hated hit in the form of The Union, where Mark Wahlberg plays a blue collar worker turned secret agent managed by Halle Berry. The film came out on August 16 and has spent almost two weeks on top of Netflix’s top 10 list . Now that’s finally changed, and it has been unseated by the new film, Incoming.

Incoming is an R-rated “coming-of-age” comedy in the vein of Superbad in which a “party spins out of control.” I don’t know any of the young actors in it but it has Kaitlin Olson from Always Sunny as one of the moms so that’s neat. Bobby Cannavale is in there too, somehow.

The movie is…not reviewing well. It has a 30% from 20 critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and if you think critics just don’t like R-rated high school comedies, well, Superbad had an 88%. So far fans don’t seem to love it either as it has a 59% audience score.

But like The Union, scores don’t really matter if people are watching it. The Union had a 36% from critics and a stunning 23% from audiences and it still was the #1 movie on the service for two weeks. Just…wow. I have no idea how this even happens, but hey, general audiences man, you can’t predict them.

New Password Hacking Warning For Gmail, Facebook And Amazon Users

Today’s nyt mini crossword clues and answers for wednesday, august 28th, microsoft update leak—good news revealed for 30% of windows users.

There is often little reason to go through much of the rest of the movie Top 10 list as probably 6-7 slots rotate through the same kids movies repeatedly. Now we have The Emoji Movie, Migration, Trolls: Band Together, Minions and of course, The Super Mario Bros. movie which never, ever leaves the list under any circumstances, as it has for ten months. There is a new True Crime movie, The Murder of Air McNair, which is unusual given that no matter how short those are, they are usually broken up into miniseries. But they could not get more than 58 minutes out of this one, however, so I guess they made it a movie rather than a single episode of a TV show, which is not really a thing.

Logan Lucky is the only non-kids movie, non-Netflix original on the list, coming it at #5 after recently being added to Netflix. It’s Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Daniel Craig, what more could you want?

I have no idea how long Incoming will stay on top, but again, reviews just don’t matter and it could be a month for all we know. We’ll check back soon.

Follow me on Twitter , YouTube , and Instagram .

Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy .

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

A Film About a Goatherding Indian Migrant Sparks a Gulf Controversy

The adaptation of a popular book has provoked a row between saudi arabia and oman — and raised questions about the line between truth and fiction.

In 2008, the Malayalam writer Benny Daniel, known by the pen name Benyamin, published his first novel “Aadujeevitham.” Later translated into English as “Goat Days,” it punctured the image of the Gulf Dream for many in southern India.

Starting in the 1970s, the southern Indian state of Kerala experienced a “Gulf boom” as people migrated to the region en masse in search of work. In the popular imagination, the Arab “Gulf man” was someone affluent and the Gulf was a land where people fulfilled their economic aspirations. However, “Goat Days” single-handedly shattered the narrative. Benyamin narrated the story of Najeeb Muhammad, a daily wage worker in Kerala who migrated to Saudi Arabia in the early 1990s in search of greener pastures but ended up in slave-like conditions at a goat farm in the middle of the desert. This marked the first time that a writer had centered the ordeals of migrant laborers in the Gulf in Malayalam literature.

The survival drama became an overnight sensation and a bestseller. The Malayalam original has since had over 100 reprints and been translated into many languages, including Arabic, English, Nepali and various Indian languages. Benyamin won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 2009, and the translation was nominated for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2012 and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2013 — both prestigious honors.

Hailing from the Keralan village of Kulanada, Benyamin lived in Bahrain for over two decades, working as an engineer. He also started his writing career there. “I was very young when I shifted to Bahrain. I would work for eight hours and had the rest 16 hours free, so I started reading. This continued for seven to eight years. I would also write letters to friends, so that’s when I connected with the process of writing,” he told The Indian Express in 2018, when he won the respected JCB Prize for Literature for “Jasmine Days” — a novel inspired by the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia.

Talking about “Goat Days,” he said: “It was an expatriate’s experience, who I met accidentally. I thought I should tell that story because many of us think only about the glory of the Gulf countries but there is another side to that story too — it’s of the sufferings of many. There are happy stories, but there are sad stories too.”

However, the novel’s popularity was limited to literary circles until the acclaimed filmmaker Blessy Ipe Thomas, widely known by the mononym Blessy, adapted it into a film titled “Aadujeevitham — The Goat Life.” The popular actor Prithviraj Sukumaran took the lead role of Muhammad. The much-anticipated film became one of the highest-grossing works in Malayalam cinema upon its release in March. Recently, it won several top honors at the Kerala State Film Awards — the most sought-after in Malayalam cinema — including for best director, best adapted screenplay and best actor.

As the team basked in its success, an unexpected controversy hit the film in the Gulf, where the film is set. The Omani actor Talib Al Balushi has come under fire for his role as the “kafeel” or sponsor, a harsh employer who kept the Indian migrant captive in inhumane conditions and tortured him. Many in Saudi Arabia thought it showed the country in an unfair light and perpetuated stereotypes of Arab people, portraying them as “barbarians.” There were also speculations as to whether Al Balushi was blacklisted from entering Saudi Arabia, and whether the film had been sponsored by other Gulf or Arab countries to undermine Saudi Arabia. The film trended on social media, along with hashtags such as #Expel_Hindu_Workers, #GoatLifeDoesNotRepresentUs and #Saudi_Is_A_RedLine — a patriotic hashtag implying that criticism of Saudi society is misguided.

In the wake of this controversy, Blessy released a statement. He said that “the movie relentlessly tried to highlight the nobleness of human soul even in the heart of a harsh person. … I tried to give this message consistently throughout the movie and never intended to hurt the sentiments of any individual, race, or country.” The filmmaker added that the film tried to “portray the compassion and empathy of the Arab people through the character of the kind gentleman who … rescues Najeeb. … The restaurant staff, the people at the detention center and the Arbab out-pass check post are all portrayed as epitomes of kindness, compassion, and empathy.”

Amid rumors about the film’s sponsors, Blessy reiterated that he directed and wrote the film and that it was produced by Visual Romance, of which he is “the sole owner and shareholder.” “No other individual or company has any involvement, whatsoever, in the production of the movie,” he said.

Al Balushi also stood by the film and his decision to act in it. He told New Lines that he found the script to be professionally written and, as an actor, he sought to grow and try different characters. He said this wasn’t the first time he played such a role and that he has portrayed even more “intense” characters in Omani dramas. Al Balushi said that he anticipated the reaction but relied on the quality of the script to draw attention to the fact that the situation depicted is a unique case. He believes that the negative response has been driven by online trolls trying to stir up conflict between India and the Gulf Arab states.

According to a source speaking to New Lines , the Government Communication Center in Oman, an official body under the Ministry of Information responsible for monitoring and analyzing media and social media content, received orders from “higher authorities” earlier this week instructing all private media outlets and private news accounts on social media to refrain from discussing the film and the novel.

The film has initiated an intense discussion in Omani media, with some supporting Al Balushi and others criticizing him. Writing in The Oman Daily, published by the Omani Ministry of Information, the Omani writer and media personality Suleiman Al-Maamari expressed sympathy for Al Balushi and questioned the legitimacy of the criticism, arguing that it was not aimed at the artistic work and performance. However, Al-Maamari told New Lines that he had never before received the number of insults that came his way after publishing the article on X (formerly Twitter).

Badr Al-Abri, a member of the Board of Directors of the Cultural Club in Oman, a governmental institution, argued that the current social media assault targeted not just Al Balushi but Oman itself. “Most Omanis were not aware of the novel initially, nor the film later. Without this uproar, they would not have noticed it on a large scale. So how can all this writing, support, production, direction and filming be ignored, and the uproar be focused solely on Oman? This can only be explained by attempts to create an imaginary conflict between Gulf states,” wrote Al-Abri.

Abdullah Al-Ghathami, a well-known Saudi critic and academic, said on Al Arabiya that he had not watched the film and emphasized that mistakes can occur in any society and that no society is “pure.” But he saw the public reaction to the film as legitimate and a reflection of people’s patriotism. For instance, the prominent Saudi cleric Aaidh Al-Qarni expressed his discontent with the film, pointing to the country’s reputation as a host for Muslim pilgrims and its generosity toward expatriates, describing the filmmakers as envious.

Once a film becomes the subject of intense social media scrutiny, questions are often raised about the veracity of the story. Benyamin has faced these questions before; when “Aadujeevitham” was first released as a novel, he was accused of plagiarism over parts of it, allegations he denied. At the time, questions were also raised about the creative liberties he took while rendering a real-life story.

In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi novelist Abdulrahman Al-Dailij accused the filmmakers of fabricating many events and claimed that he knew the true story as it was widely discussed in local gatherings at the time, in the early 1990s. While neither Benyamin nor the film mentions the names of any places, Al-Dailij claimed that it took place around 30 years ago in the region of Hafar al-Batin, a governorate in northeastern Saudi Arabia, and that the worker stayed with the man who claimed to be his sponsor for five years.

According to a widely circulated story, also told by Al-Dailij, the worker demanded his wages after years of working in slave-like conditions, but the sponsor refused to pay him or to allow him to return to India or even approach the nearest paved road to escape the desert. The worker struck the sponsor with a piece of iron, killing him before fleeing. The story of the murder would become the talk of the region, and locals would sympathize with the arrested worker and collect donations before approaching the family of the murdered sponsor to forgive the Indian worker. The sponsor’s children, once they realized their late father was in the wrong, refused to accept the money, forfeited their right to retribution and asked for the large sum (170,000 Saudi riyals, or $45,000) to be given instead to the Indian worker as compensation for his years of servitude. The folk story has a happy ending: The Indian worker is moved by the local solidarity, including that of the sponsor’s own children, and declares his conversion to Islam. However, this alleged murder does not feature in the book or the film.

Al-Dailij argued that the film instead portrays Saudi men as barbaric, with the intent of defaming both Saudi people and their country.

In India too, questions were asked about the figures behind the novel. The real person behind the character of Muhammad, whose story inspired Benyamin to write “Aadujeevitham,” was not known publicly in India until 2018. But since then, there has been deep interest and Muhammad has given a few widely circulated interviews sharing his account of what happened to him.

He shared how he sold his land and belongings for the visa, and that his agent had told him that the job was working as a salesperson in a supermarket. His wife was eight months pregnant at that time. “From the airport, it was a two-day travel and it seemed never-ending. From that itself, I realized that it was a trap,” Muhammad told The News Minute in 2018. He explained that his job was to herd 700 goats owned by his employer, who would watch him through binoculars to make sure he didn’t try to escape. “He had no remorse even when he saw me crying and would beat me. I had to eat stale kuboos [a type of pitta bread]. I would use goat’s milk to wet the kuboos and eat it.” He claimed that his employer would not allow Muhammad to use any water to bathe or clean himself, and he only had one simple garment to wear.

Muhammad said he escaped one night when his employers left for a family wedding and he did not look back. He shared that an Arab man offered him a ride to Riyadh. Later, he sought help from the local Indian community and surrendered himself to the Saudi legal system.

Upon his return to India, Muhammad resumed working as a daily wage laborer, but eventually returned to the Gulf two years later after he was given a free visa by his brother-in-law in Bahrain.

That part of Muhammad’s story wasn’t in the film; indeed, Blessy said he only adapted 43 pages of the novel. For Saudi viewers, the film, despite being critically acclaimed in Kerala, is only a partial depiction of 1990s Saudi society. For Keralites, whose state has become rich because of migration to the Gulf, the story is also partial. Yet it has captured the imagination of many, because it highlights an untold yet important part of the long history of migration to the glittering Gulf.

“Spotlight” is a newsletter about underreported cultural trends and news from around the world, emailed to subscribers twice a week. Sign up here .

What a Beauty Pageant Reveals About Identity in Postapartheid South Africa

Are vienna’s dancing horses worth saving, how prominent muslims in austria were painted as enemies of the state, the end of anonymity in sperm donations may alter holiday dinner invite lists, venezuela’s slums are leading the democratic resistance, a war on universities in the netherlands, sign up to our newsletter.

Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

• TV Listings

Vetrimaaran

• Entertainment
• Celebrities
• Ticket Sales

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Venice Film Festival world premiere red carpet photos: Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega and more

The cast of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” — including Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara and Jenna Ortega — walked the red carpet at the 2024 Venice Film Festival ahead of their film’s world premiere on August, 28, 2024.

Best star snaps of the week: Last days of summer with Ashley Park, Dua Lipa and more

Advertisement

Supported by

The Projectionist

Venice Film Festival 2024: What to Watch For

“Joker: Folie à Deux,” with Joaquin Phoenix, and Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature are on tap. Here are the questions we hope to answer.

• Share full article

By Kyle Buchanan

The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival kicks off Wednesday with the premiere of Tim Burton’s sequel “ Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ,” and starry fare will follow, like the sexually provocative Nicole Kidman film “Babygirl” and the George Clooney-Brad Pitt team-up “Wolfs.”

Here are four big questions we expect to be answered at the festival, which has long been considered the unofficial kickoff of Oscar season .

Will Joaquin Phoenix face the music?

A Venice debut for “Joker: Folie à Deux” has been presumed ever since the first “Joker” won the festival’s prestigious Golden Lion award five years ago. Can the sequel match that film’s success, which made more than a billion dollars at the box office and landed a best-actor Oscar for Joaquin Phoenix? The new film adds song-and-dance sequences and a potent co-star in Lady Gaga, so it’s clear that some big swings have been taken.

But the “Joker: Folie à Deux” news conference at Venice may be even more keenly awaited than the movie itself now that Phoenix has made headlines for dropping out of a Todd Haynes film just as it was about to start shooting. With the actor potentially facing legal action, will he be willing to take questions about the controversy from reporters? Or will he skip the conference altogether and call to mind Florence Pugh , who famously ditched her Venice press duties for “Don’t Worry Darling” two years ago amid a rumored feud with her director, Olivia Wilde?

Can ‘Queer’ and ‘Maria’ make a mark?

Two of Venice’s most anticipated titles are still looking for buyers: Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer,” an adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novel starring Daniel Craig, and Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” featuring Angelina Jolie as the opera singer Maria Callas.

After the writers’ and actors’ strikes left many studios’ year-end slates looking awfully barren, you might have expected a bidding frenzy for two prestige films with major stars, but potential distributors that have screened the movies are taking a wait-and-see approach. Splashy premieres at Venice and almost-certain Oscar buzz could help make the sale.

How will Almodóvar play in English?

Ever since Pedro Almodóvar came to prominence in the 1980s, Hollywood has tried to poach the Spanish auteur for an English-language movie, hoping to entice him with projects like “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Paperboy.” Still, Almodóvar proved hard to woo, worrying whether he’d still have the same command with actors while working in an unfamiliar tongue. With a filmmaking vision so vivid, who’d want it watered down?

The director recently decided to test his mettle with two short films made in English, the Pedro Pascal-Ethan Hawke western “Strange Way of Life” and “The Human Voice,” which starred Tilda Swinton. Those efforts went well enough that at 74, Almodóvar has finally directed his first English-language feature, “The Room Next Door,” which premieres in Venice on Monday and stars Swinton and Julianne Moore as a pair of deeply intertwined New Yorkers.

What will this awards season look like?

The last two awards seasons were dominated by “Oppenheimer” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” juggernaut best-picture winners that swept practically every major prize along the way. So far, this year has not produced a movie in their mold, and insiders who’ve seen many coming fall films don’t expect any particular one to run the table.

In other words, this season is still very much up for grabs, and the movies about to debut at Venice have plenty of room to make a splash. Over the next few weeks, two more major festivals in Telluride, Colo., and Toronto will begin, debuting anticipated films like the papal thriller “Conclave,” the August Wilson drama “The Piano Lesson” and “Nightbitch,” starring Amy Adams. Will this season seem any more settled after the three festivals, when all but a handful of late arrivals will have screened? Stay tuned.

Kyle Buchanan is a pop culture reporter and also serves as The Projectionist , the awards season columnist for The Times. More about Kyle Buchanan

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

When Your Child Is an Animal : The charged cultural conversation about pets and children — see “Chimp Crazy,” “childless cat ladies” and more  — reveals the hidden contradictions of family life.

The ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Reunion:  Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and their director, Tim Burton, look back on the first movie  and explain how the sequel came together.

 Michael Cyril Creighton Is Above Suspicion : For years, the actor hoped one of his small TV parts would evolve into something more. With “Only Murders in the Building,”  it finally happened .

Streaming Guides:  If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Watching Newsletter:  Sign up to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows  to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.