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ஒரு வேளை ஒரு சில ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பிறகு ஒரு இத்தனை ஆண்டுகள் என்னால் காத்திருக்க இயலாது என்றால் நீ தாராளமாக வேறு யாரையாவது திருமணம் செய்து கொள்ளலாம் - காதலியிடம் பேசினாராம் இயக்குநர் வெற்றிமாறன்.

தமிழ் சினிமாவின் மிக முக்கியமான இயக்குநர்களில் ஒருவரான இயக்குநர் வெற்றிமாறன் இயக்கத்தில் சமீபத்தில் வெளியான 'விடுதலை' திரைப்படம் திரையரங்குகளில் வெற்றிநடை போட்டு மக்கள் மத்தியில் நல்ல விமர்சனங்களை பெற்று வருகிறது. 2007-ஆம் ஆண்டு தனுஷ் நடிப்பில் வெளியான 'பொல்லாதவன்' திரைப்படம் மூலம் இயக்குநராக அறிமுகமானவர் இயக்குநர் வெற்றிமாறன். அடுத்தடுத்து அவர் இயக்கிய ஆடுகளம், வடசென்னை, அசுரன் என அவர் இயக்கிய அனைத்து படங்களுமே மாபெரும் வெற்றிப்படங்களாக அமைந்தன. தேசிய விருதுகளை குவித்த இயக்குநர் என தமிழ் சினிமாவே இவரை கொண்டாடுகிறது.

இயக்குநர் வெற்றிமாறன் மிகவும் கண்டிப்பானவர், தனக்கு வேண்டியது கிடைக்கும் வரை அதை நடிகர்களிடம் இருந்து வெளிக்கொண்டுவரும் வரை திருப்தி அடையாத ஒரு கறாரான பேர்வழி என்பது அவருடன் பணியாற்றிய அனைவரும் அறிந்த ஒரு விஷயம். ஆனால் மனுஷன் ஷூட்டிங் ஸ்பாட்டில் மட்டும் அல்ல காதலியிடமும் கறாரானவர்தான் என்பதை அவரது மனைவியே கூறிய தகவல் ஒன்று சோஷியல் மீடியாவில் மிகவும் வைரலாக பகிரப்பட்டு வருகிறது. இயக்குநர் வெற்றிமாறன் தனது காதலி ஆர்த்தியை எட்டு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பிறகே கரம் பிடித்துள்ளார். இவர்களுக்கு ஒரு மகளும் உள்ளார். இந்த நிலையில் வெற்றிமாறனின் மனைவி அவர்களின் காதல் கதையை பற்றியும் அவர்களுக்கு திருமணமான நிகழ்வு குறித்தும் சமீபத்தில் நடைபெற்ற ஒரு பேட்டியில் வெளிப்படையாக பேசியிருந்தார். ஒரு தேநீர் கடையில்தான் இவர்களின் முதல் சந்திப்பு நிகழ்ந்துள்ளது. வெற்றிமாறனுக்கு ஆர்த்தியை கண்டதும் காதல் ஏற்பட்டாலும் அதை சற்றும் வெளிக்காட்டாமல் அமைதியாக இருந்துள்ளார். ஆர்த்திக்கும் வெற்றிமாறனை பிடித்துப்போகவே ஒரு சில நாட்களுக்கு பிறகு அவராகவே வந்து காதலை வெற்றிமாறனிடம் வெளிப்படுத்தியுள்ளார். அதற்கு வெற்றிமாறன் கொடுத்த பதில் என்ன தெரியுமா? உனக்கு என்னை திருமணம் செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்றால் நீ 10 ஆண்டுகள் காத்திருக்க வேண்டும் என கூறியுள்ளார்.

இந்த டீலுக்கு ஒகே என ஆர்த்தி சொன்னாலும் அதற்கு பிறகும் ட்விஸ்ட் ஒன்றை கொடுத்துள்ளார் வெற்றிமாறன். ”ஒரு வேளை ஒரு சில ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பிறகு ஒரு இத்தனை ஆண்டுகள் என்னால் காத்திருக்க இயலாது என்றால் நீ தாராளமாக வேறு யாரையாவது திருமணம் செய்து கொள்ளலாம்” என்றுள்ளார். இதற்கு எல்லாம் முதலில் சம்மதம் தெரிவித்த ஆர்த்தி, அவர் சொல்வதுபோல அத்தனை ஆண்டுகள் எல்லாம் ஆகாது. இரண்டு, மூன்று ஆண்டுகளில் வெற்றிமாறன் தன்னை திருமணம் செய்து கொள்வார் என நம்பியுள்ளார். அந்த சமயத்தில் ஆர்த்திக்கு வெளியூரில் வேலை கிடைக்கவே, ஆர்த்தி நான் வெளியூருக்கு எல்லாம் போக முடியாது என நிராகரித்துள்ளார். அந்த சமயத்தில் வெற்றிமாறன் ஒன்றை கூறியுள்ளார். நான் உன்னுடைய வேலையில் தலையிடமாட்டேன். அதே போல நீயும் தலையிடக்கூடாது. அப்படி நமது இருவரின் கனவையும் இந்த காதல் பிரிக்கும் என்றால் அப்படிப்பட்ட காதலே நமக்கு தேவையில்லை என வெற்றிமாறன் கண்டிஷன் ஒன்றை போட்டுள்ளார். உடனே ஆர்த்தி அந்த வேலையில் போய் சேர்ந்து இன்று அந்த நிறுவனத்தின் ஜெனரல் மேனேஜராக வளர்ச்சியடைந்துள்ளார். வெற்றிமாறன் மனைவி கூறிய இந்த கதையை கேட்டால் வெற்றிமாறன் எப்படி நிஜ வாழ்க்கையிலும் ஒரு ஸ்ட்ரிக்ட் ஆபிஸராக இருந்துள்ளார் என்பது புரிகிறது.

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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. 

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Why Vetrimaaran is the most interesting director in Tamil films today

Vetrimaaran is arguably among the most interesting filmmaker working in the tamil film industry. here’s documenting his rise and what it takes to be a talent like him..

His production house’s name, Grass Root Film Company, is a clear pointer to Vetrimaaran’s worldview. This Deepavali’s biggest release in Tamil Nadu is, arguably, Kodi (Flag), a political thriller he has produced that stars Dhanush in his first double role, as twin brothers. The twins may be identical but their natures are mutually exclusive. Refreshingly, Kodi casts Trisha as a feisty woman politico, giving Dhanush’s eponymous hero a run for his money.

“For a hero movie, it’s pretty decently written,” pronounces Baradwaj Rangan, film critic and associate editor at The Hindu. “There’s a conflict, there are surprises and even within a commercial film, it’s properly written and directed. It’s not some random moments strung together to get people whistling.”

The film’s premise is how politics and political interests shape communities and the quality of their life. In this case, it involves skullduggery surrounding a factory emitting toxic effluents. It could be happening not too far away from our backyards.

At the Oscars

Vetrimaaran himself, however, was conspicuous by his absence during Kodi’s promos. He has a bigger task on hand. Visaaranai (Interrogation), the part-docudrama, part-crime thriller he directed, is India’s official entry to the 89th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. So he is in the US persuading jurors take note of his film, which has some truly hairy torture scenes. The last Tamil film that made it to the Oscars was 16 years back: Hey Ram starring Kamal Haasan.

Usually, the choice of any film to represent the country at the Oscars polarises critics, but Visaaranai remains largely unchallenged. Rangan agrees. “Visaaranai was a fantastic film.”

It tells the story of innocent migrant labourers picked up and tortured by the police to extract a false confession for a fatal robbery at an influential man’s house. How the film, shot in 42 days on a Rs 2-crore budget and eventually wining three National Film Awards, got made is interesting. After his Aadukalam in 2011, Vetrimaaran had busied himself with his production ventures, Udhayam NH4, Poriyaalan and Kaaka Muttai. When he was prepared to shoot his next, the script he picked was Soodhadi, a story on gambling, proposing Dhanush in the lead role. However, the actor had to take time off to work in Balki’s Shamitabh, being shot in Mumbai.

Vetrimaaran was mooting a book adaptation when director Balu Mahendra’s assistant serendipitously presented him with Lock Up, a riveting, partly autobiographical book written by M Chandrakumar, a former autorickshaw driver. The book, which took five years to write and another four to publish, narrates his harrowing experience while in jail in (then) Andhra Pradesh.

“When I pitched the story to Dhanush, who later produced the film, I said I can only guarantee you a three-day weekend run at the box office. But it’s a low-budget venture; you’ll get your investment back,” Vetrimaaran laughs. “Dhanush was amused, but agreed to fund the project. [I thought] it’s the kind of film that would not bring in repeat audiences. I was proved wrong and it got a good three-week run.”

The author, Chandrakumar, was incarcerated for a fortnight way back in 1983. “Yet his experiences are relevant even today,” points out Vetrimaaran. “Visaaranai reflects a stark reality from which you cannot shut yourself out: that is its success. It was challenging to find the right kind of actors and locations. We employed real stuntmen who could exercise restraint while beating up the actors.”

“What was unique was that there were a lot of first-time actors in the film; that added rawness to it,” says K Hariharan, filmmaker and critic. “Actors like Samuthirakkani and Kishore were entirely on the sidelines. That made it an interesting watch.”

Astutely, the team decided to send it to international film fests right away, confident it would work with foreign audiences. Visaaranai premiered at the Orrizonti section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival, a first for a Tamil film, and won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Crucially, the European audience was exposed to a hitherto unexplored form of Tamil cinema that dealt with grim reality in a non-dramatic but powerful way.

“Europeans have a different policing system. They found my narrative a bit harsh, though they were moved,” explains Vetrimaaran.

A rooted voice

It is Vetrimaaran’s preoccupation with sometimes gritty, sometimes heartwarming reality that makes this 41-year-old one of the best filmmakers of our times.

“The best thing about the regional filmmakers is that they bring in a very ‘native’ feel,” says Rangan. “Like if I watch Nagraj Manjule’s Sairat for instance, I find [elements] that remind me of Vetrimaaran. But that’s more because these filmmakers do these ‘rooted’ things very well. They give you the sense of the atmosphere, the rhythms of life in that particular environment, they take care to bring them alive.”

His critically acclaimed debut venture, Polladhavan (Ruthless Man) in 2007, followed a lower middle-class young man’s search for his stolen bike, an exercise that takes him through the seamy underworld. Four years later came Aadukalam (Arena), a Pongal release that raked in six National Film Awards. The cockfight arena was where love, ego, honour, friendship and betrayal were played out in the rustic backdrop of Madurai.

Says Manimaran, long-time friend and assistant, “Vetri used to like watching cockfights in the neighbourhood in our hometown. So he thought we could develop a story around them.”

There was no doubt about who would play the lead. “I wrote Aadukalam keeping Dhanush in mind,” says Vetrimaaran. “As an actor, he delivers exactly what I need and sometimes more. As a producer, he offers me complete freedom and does not interfere at all. He trusts me completely.”

Rangan explains the Vetrimaaran touch, “There is a world of difference in the way he uses the song and dance elements in Polladhavan and Aadukalam. They have become more organic and rooted; they’re not fantasy elements.”

“I personally prefer Aadukalam to Visaaranai, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges,” says Hariharan. “Aadukalam had a certain kind of warmth and spontaneity. Visaaranai, to me, looked rather staged.”

He explains, “Visaaranai’s [appeal across the world] is that for the first time in Tamil cinema, you see this kind of brute reality without the director taking recourse to a love story or family drama. It’s also interesting that a country like India allowed such a strongly critical film on the system. There’s no doubt that Vetrimaaran is a bold filmmaker.”

Vetrimaaran’s productive chemistry with Dhanush has paid rich dividends. The two went on to produce Kaaka Muttai (Crow’s Egg) in 2015, a subversive film poking fun at what is regarded as cool - pizzas, in this case. This little gem, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, tracks two brothers from a Chennai slum dying to taste a pizza. Directed by M Manikandan with wit, not once is the children’s dignity compromised. Their family struggles in a heartless and corrupt city and soon we find ourselves cheering for our little heroes. Kaaka Muttai pocketed two National Film Awards.

“There is a stamp of quality that people have begun to associate with Vetrimaaran, because even the films he produces are pretty decent,” says Rangan, adding that he looks for, and gets, that certain quality.

Vetrimaaran’s genius lies in shining a light on people we would not even glance at in our rat race. His films show us that ordinary people often lead extraordinary lives if only we stop to talk to them.

Smitten by cinema

Born in Cuddalore near Puducherry and raised in Ranipet, a suburban town in Vellore district, two and a half hours from Chennai, Vetrimaaran was smitten by cinema even as a child. His mother, a writer, ran a school in the area, while his father was a veterinarian. Friends remember him as a film buff who watched every movie that came to town.

“He would bunk classes and watch them, each three or four times. Then he would come to the school ground where we used to hang out until 7:30 in the evening and would retell the whole story to us. My friends and I have actually walked out of the theatre at times because the film was nowhere as good as his narration. He still has that quality,” says Manimaran, his assistant.

Vetrimaaran was in his second year of Masters in English Literature in 1999 when the now-deceased filmmaker Balu Mahendra was invited to judge a short film contest at the Loyola College, Chennai. Shortly afterwards, he attended a seminar conducted by the director and was inspired enough to assist him in Julie Ganapathy, Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam and the television series Kadhai Neram.

Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam cemented his friendship with the lead actor, Dhanush, whom he describes as his best friend. While still assisting Balu Mahendra, Vetrimaaran pitched the story of Desiya Nedunchalai, and the actor readily agreed to play the lead.

Recalls Manimaran, “Producers were not hard to come by because we had Dhanush. But a few had misgivings about how Vetri would handle the project as a newcomer. So we tossed aside that script, which I later made into Udhayam NH4.”

The initial years proved to be rough. “I was pitching different scripts to different people for three years and it was the sixth producer who okayed Polladhavan,” says Vetrimaaran on his directorial debut.

Adds Manimaran, who assisted him in the project, “After the film was edited, we were really scared to show it to the producer. We kept stalling the screening telling him it may not have come out as he expected. Finally, when he saw it, he was satisfied. We were relieved and gradually grew confident.”

Pushing for excellence

When Manimaran himself forayed into direction with Udhayam NH4 in 2013, Vetrimaaran returned the favour by stepping in as producer under his banner, Grass Root Film Company. As he puts it, “I want my production house to be a platform for good, interesting ideas. I can find a producer for my films, but others, who may be first-time filmmakers, might have innovative scripts that mainstream producers might not understand. Like Kaaka Muttai for instance.

“I produce films in partnership as I may not be able to afford the entire budget. Dhanush ends up co-producing some of them as our tastes are similar. None of my producers ever ask me for the budget. I always make sure it is within their means and I can give the desired returns.”

For someone who has been successful both commercially as critically, Vetrimaaran has directed only three films in nine years. “For me, every film is a learning process. After each, I take time to unlearn. Then I find new content, learn it completely and then execute it.”

Manimaran describes his working process thus, “Many directors make changes to the script on the spot. But Vetrimaaran is different because he pays attention to detail. He puts in a lot of effort, so there may be last-minute adjustments with lighting and locations. Unlike working with other directors, you need to be available 24 hours.”

Outside of work, the father of two, who met his wife Aarthi while at college, likes to race pigeons, pretty much like the characters he portrays. His rootedness has also led him to voice the germ of an idea: setting up an organic farm eventually.

Rangan describes grit as the definitive quality of Vetrimaaran’s films, and praises his skill in animating the atmosphere in terms of the integrity of the characters, the plot, and the texture. “The way he shapes the characters and writes them, you feel that these are not [just] individual people; you get a sense of where they come from, where they belong. [They’re] not just some random characters floating around.”

His fans are already talking about his fourth film, Vada Chennai (North Chennai), an ambitious gangster trilogy he has been planning since 2003. After undergoing several changes of scripts and stars, Dhanush, Vijay Sethupathi, Amala Paul and Samuthirakkani are among those confirmed on the project that is currently under way. Slated for release next year, Vada Chennai is also bound to have the by-now classic Vetrimaaran stamp.

(Published in arrangement with GRIST Media.)

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Chennai techie murder: Was it a case of love gone wrong?

In a disturbing incident, 26-year-old Vetrimaran lured his friend R Nandhini, employed as a techie, to a lonely spot, tied her up, slashed her many times and burnt her alive in a suburb of Chennai. The cops say the accused was obsessed with the victim and acted out when she refused his advances

Love can be deadly. Even as people celebrated Christmas and are enjoying the festive season, here’s a horrific tale of a woman techie being chained, slashed and then burnt alive by her former classmate in a southern suburb of Chennai.

The police has arrested 26-year-old Vetrimaran alias Pandi Maheswari, who underwent a sex change operation for the unthinkable torture and murder of R Nandhini. They have revealed that the crime stems from the fact that the accused seemed to be over-possessive.

Here’s what we know of the case – believed to be a love story gone awry.

Murder most foul

On Saturday (24 December), 26-year-old Vetrimaran alias Pandi Maheswari under the pretext of throwing Nandhini a surprise birthday party, lured her to a lonely place in Ponmar in Thalambur police limits and blindfolded her.

According to the police, the transsexual man then chained Nandhini’s hands and feet as a “surprise,” slashed her neck and wrists, emptied a can of petrol and torched her before fleeing from the spot.

Gowtham Goyal, DCP Pallikaranai said, “Around 7:00 to 7:15 pm, he took her to a vacant plot near Ponmar Road. As per the preliminary investigation, he would have blindfolded her under the pretext of presenting a gift. After that, he chained her arms and legs before cutting her wrists and ankles. After that, he poured kerosene on her and left her immolating.”

Investigations reveal that Nandhini and Vetrimaran were old friends and, in fact, studied together while they were back in Madurai. The police investigation states that Nandhini chose to remain friends with Vetrimaran even after Vetrimaran underwent a sex-change operation. Both of them were employed by a private IT firm in Thoraipakkam, which led to a further intertwining of their lives.

Authorities believe that the murder arises from Vetrimaran’s obsession with Nandhini. Vetrimaran, it is believed, had begun arguing with Nandhini if he saw her talking to other men.

Reports state that on 23 December, Vetrimaran called up Nandhini to say that he would not quarrel with her and asked her to meet him as he planned “a surprise” for her birthday. Nandhini agreed to meet Vetrimaran, not knowing what would come next.

The police have revealed that the crime was well-planned and he had plotted the murder for a week.

The incident came to light after locals noticed smoke coming from an old building near Ponmar near Thalambur in Chennai around 7.30 pm on Saturday. When the locals saw smoke emanating from the vacant plot, they went closer to investigate and found a woman lying unconscious with her hands and feet tied and her body burnt with petrol. And even though they immediately rushed into action, calling the ambulance, she succumbed to her wounds in the hospital.

Notably, when Nandhini was rushed to the hospital, she was able to utter a phone number and when officials dialed it, Vetrimaran answered the call and said he was her friend. A police official said, “He came to the spot and helped the police take her to the hospital. It was only later during interrogation that he confessed to his crime.”

The authorities further added that Vetrimaran displayed no signs of remorse for the act he had perpetrated. In fact, in his statement to the police, he said that he was upset over Nandhini refusing to be in a relationship with him. Vetrimaran had gone through a sex-change process at a private hospital a few years back, however Nandhini told him that they had no future together.

Old friends

Nandhini and Vetrimaran’s friendship went way back. They were friends in Madurai since Class I.

After school, Vetrimaran began identifying as a man, owing to which many people cut off contact with him, but not Nandhini. Nandhini’s family reveal that she did not want to hurt her friend and chose to remain in touch with him.

Amudha, Nandhini’s elder sister was quoted as telling the DTNext , “Whenever Vetrimaran would visit Madurai, he would visit our home. I’ve often fed him with my own hands.”

In 2019, Vetrimaran underwent a sex-change operation and left Madurai. Around eight months ago, Nandhini, a BSc graduate in information technology, had got a job in Chennai and had moved to the metro where she and Vetrimaran worked together.

Nandhini’s family, who is grief-stricken by the entire incident, said they couldn’t believe that Vetrimaran had perpetrated such a crime. Nandhini’s father told DTNext , “My daughter had continued the friendship with Vetrimaran on a humanitarian basis. We, as a family, did not have any problem with that.”

He also said, “If Nandhini had told us there was a problem here, we would have definitely helped her in sorting it out. Being empathetic and supportive cost my daughter’s life.”

The accused, Vetrimaran, is now in judicial custody and has been charged with murder. In the meantime, the police also released Nandhini’s body to her family on Sunday. Nandhini’s family is inconsolable. One of them was even quoted as saying, “We saw her burnt body with hands and legs being chained. Is that a way to die? It’s difficult to come to terms with the way her life ended in such a cruel way.”

With inputs from agencies

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"He Will Be Deeply Missed": Vetrimaran Pays Tribute to Vetri Duraisamy

The news of Vetri Duraisamy's tragic passing struck a chord with many on February 4th. While traveling with friends in Himachal Pradesh, an accident in Kinnaur claimed his life, leaving a void in the hearts of those who knew him.

A search operation involving various teams, including the SDRF, NDRF, ITBP, and local police, recovered his body on Monday after a post-mortem examination. Divers located him three kilometers from the accident site.

Numerous political leaders and film personalities joined in grieving Vetri's sudden demise. Director Vetrimaran, a close friend and collaborator, organized a condolence meeting at his educational institution, IIFC, to honor his memory.

Sharing their profound connection, Vetrimaran acknowledged, "Vetri often said he learned cinema from me, but in reality, he taught me just as much. One thing we deeply shared was our love for nature and its creatures."

"He was an explorer, driven by a thirst for knowledge and adventure. For the past decade, he was my constant companion. Whether it was sourcing props for my films, musical instruments for our home, or simply finding joy in nature, he was always there, enthusiastic and supportive," Vetrimaran fondly recalled.

"Vetri's belief in supporting others led him to readily embrace the vision of IIFC. Without his unwavering support, the institute wouldn't be what it is today. He also actively contributed to his father's Humanities Foundation, demonstrating his genuine desire to help others," Vetrimaran continued.

He further highlighted Vetri's passion for wildlife photography, stating, "Vetri's curiosity and passion radiated through his award-winning wildlife photography. His recent expeditions to Africa for gorillas and the Arctic for polar bears showcased his dedication to capturing nature's wonders. Tragically, his life was cut short while pursuing his dream of photographing the elusive snow leopard."

"His infectious smile and genuine kindness extended not only to humans but to all living beings. His absence leaves an unfillable void. Life throws these unimaginable challenges at us. He had just completed his first film and was brimming with potential when this tragedy struck," Vetrimaran said with a heavy heart.

"To honor his memory, we plan to initiate awards at IIFC. One award will be dedicated to the first Tamil filmmaker, and another to wildlife photography, both bearing his name. We will share further details soon," he announced.

"Life brings us many people, some fleeting, others leaving an indelible mark. Vetri Duraisamy was the latter. His absence leaves a profound emptiness, but his memory will continue to inspire us," Vetrimaran concluded solemnly.

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Vetrimaaran

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• 20 wins & 12 nominations

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• September 4 , 1975
• Cuddalore, Tamilnadu, India
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Top 10 best movies of Vetrimaaran

• April 26, 2023 / 02:30 PM IST

Vetrimaaran is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, who primarily works in Tamil cinema. As of 2021, he has won five National Film Awards, eight Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards and two Filmfare South Awards. Now, we bring you the list of top 10 movies of this critically acclaimed Kollywood director.

1) Polladhavan (2007)

Vetrimaaran’s debut feature film opens up with a gruesome and brutal fighting sequence and then using the device of flashback, the filmmaker takes us into the dynamic world of contemporary Chennai, where an educated young man, Prabhu (Dhanush) fight injustice and in the process is forced to unleash the animal within him.The protagonist of the film is an uneducated youth who due to turn of events 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. Thereafter 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 makes 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). But none of them could achieve the excellence earned by the original version.

2) Visaranai (2016)

Based on the Tamil novel 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 as well as empathize with the plight of four helpless souls. The narrative of the film can be divided into two sections-before and after the intermission. Four migrant workers are falsely accused in a burglary case that has taken place at a rich and affluent man’s bungalow. The police beat these four characters in black and blue and want them.

3) Aadukalam’ – Cockfight competition

‘Aadukalam’ is a remarkable Tamil film as it bagged National Award under several categories. Dhanush played the role of a Madurai based cockfighter. The actor has impressed many with his diverse role. Dhanush in the film takes up the challenge put on him by the opponents and wins a series of matches in cockfight competition to win huge prize money. Vetrimaaran has well created the sequence, and GV Prakash Kumar’s music added more power to itself. Not able to withstand the pain they agree to accept the charges. Once they are produced in the court the narrative of the film takes a twist and the viewers are presented with one shocking surprise after the other.

4)Vada Chennai

Anbu turning against Senthil Vetrimaaran and Dhanush joined after a gap of several years for the gangster drama ‘Vada Chennai’. The film carries the story of Dhanush from his childhood to a gangster. Anbu (Dhanush) was on the side of Senthil (Kishore) at the start of the film, but at a point, he turned against him since it was a secret mission to kill the opponent. The film received positive reviews, and it had a good theatrical run all over.

5) Asuran’

Sivasaami regaining his power Dhanush’s character in ‘Asuran’ was an elder one, and he played the father of two youngsters. Sivasaami (Dhanush) teaches his sons to be calm in life and to stay away from problems. It was surprising for the fans to see their energetic star in a calm role, but it was the opposite when his flashback revealed. Sivasaami regains his power to save his son from a group of people and destroys them.

6) Vada Chennai

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. 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.

7) Asuran (2019)

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.

8) 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.

A motorbike-obsessed son dupes his father into paying for his chopper in order to impress his lady-love. But the young fellow has lessons to learn, and miles to go.vetrimaaran is story writer of the film.Vetrimaraan only provided story for the film.

10) Naan Rajavaga Pogiren

A young man gets sucked into an adventure as he searches for his lookalike. Vetrimaaran gave story and dialogues for this experimental movie.

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All Vetrimaaran Films Ranked

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: 15 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

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.

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Licensed to traumatize the oppressed? Do better, Vetrimaaran

What is personal is political. All art forms are political. Cinema is no exception.

Vetrimaaran's latest venture, Viduthalai Part I , like most of his movies, relies on a medley of real-life incidents churned out into a product that awes the macho psyche and manages to get away with critical acclaim. 

Vetrimaaran is at his aggressive best in Viduthalai , unfortunately. 

Viduthalai yet again proves that any filmmaker with an iota of privilege can easily get away with macho aggressiveness and hubris. 

What Vetrimaaran unapologetically indulges in is to strip the dignity of the oppressed people and on the same hand voyeuristically traumatise viewers. The film has scenes where women are shown naked in police custody. It has a scene that shows a rape victim limping on, a tortured woman trying to escape police custody and being shot dead.

That he has an army of fans is another matter. Most Tamil men have discovered in the vulgarity an act of genius. They bow down before the director in a cultist trance. 

Viduthalai Part 1 tries to paint a picture of the universal nature of heroism through the story of a cop and his lover. Secondarily, the movie tries to bring forth the horror of police brutality, against the backdrop of a rebel movement in a mountainous countryside. The liberties that Vetrimaaran grants himself to pick up strands from different historical atrocities against the oppressed and stitch them into a film need to be discussed. But now it's high time to draw a line over what can pass as an acceptable depiction of sexual violence and torture in cinemas.

Honest and fair depictions of sexual violence, abuse, and torture on screen are rare but not absent. 

We don't see Samir’s wife drinking bleach in Le Passe . We don’t see the rape and murder of Angela in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing . We don't see Eric being assaulted at a bus stop in Sex Education , a show that is very sparing with sex scenes. We don’t see Parthiban dying in Witness . 

All of these would have made 'moving', 'touching' and 'heartbreaking' scenes -- by the standards with which Viduthalai is being celebrated -- but the makers deemed such scenes unnecessary and avoidable. 

On the other hand, we have Visaranai , Asuran , and Oor Iravu in Paava Kathaigal -- all Vetrimaaran movies feasting on gruesome visuals of violence, police brutality and sexual assault. 

It's all about choice. The choice of being cautious not to traumatise the audience versus the choice of being sensationalistic and scandalising for the sake of applause. The latter is never a good quality in artists.  

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Vetrimaaran is assumed to have used love as a weapon that boosts the courage and sense of resistance in a hero. But what he actually does is to exploit a woman and perpetrate violence on her to make a hero. 

Aoko Matsudo in her piece The Woman Dies writes the following :  

"She is raped so that the man can be angry about it. She is raped to spark his vengeful spirit. She is raped so the man can look to the sky and howl in agony. She is raped so the man can have a car chase. Raped to bring about real action. Raped so the bad guy can be slowly but surely hunted down. Raped to put the man in the mood to blow up the enemy’s hideout. Raped to make him feel like annihilating the enemy. Even we realize that this is a terrible thing to happen. We swallow nervously.

The woman is raped. The woman is raped at the earliest opportunity. The woman who was raped in the first installment is raped again in the second. She’s raped like it’s the only trick in the book. We feel a bit confused. I mean, it’s clearly an unthinkable thing, and it drives the men into a frenzy, and yet they drop it in there at the slightest provocation. Why don’t the men ever get used to their women being raped? Why do they make such a big fuss about it every time? We don’t understand. We don't get that for a very long time, rape has been just about the only way they've been able to hurt and control women. That it's the most comprehensible, most accessible method to hand.

The woman is raped. The woman is raped as a shocking plot development. We don't understand it, and yet the violent scenes traumatize us. It’s so traumatic that even when we reach adulthood, we find ourselves replaying those scenes in our heads. Or else it’s just hinted at. The woman’s mouth is covered by the man’s hand. The woman’s body is covered by the man’s body. The woman’s face distorts in agony. Things fall. Things break. Crashing sounds. Windows shut. Doors shut. The light goes out. Cut to the next scene."

We know what Aoko is talking about. We grew up and grew old with such movies. Hey Ram , Anjaathe , Nandha , Vaanmagal in Paava Kathaigal , Amaithi Padai , Varalaaru , and Paruthi Veeran are all such movies. This sickening trend has actually given rise to an informal genre called 'rape-revenge movies'. Viduthalai doesn’t fall far from this genre.

"The culture of using caste violence and sexual violence only to further the progress of the story and justifying it under the name of 'visualising true events' is a convenience only privileged male filmmakers have. Let’s take the example of Thevar Magan where a Dalit character depicted by Vadivelu has his arm chopped off. That violence remained only as an event to add to the other 'atrocities' of the villain. It was never addressed. It was used to further the plot,” says Maya*, journalist-cum-filmmaker with more than nine years of experience in the Tamil cinema industry. 

Noting that sexual violence, rape and harassment of women are used to add oil to the fire, she says, "It's almost like 'do you need to turn up the heat against them villains -- bring a woman, harass her, up the story, move on!' This reflects in real life when something is not considered violent unless it's a rape and a rape with proof. We all become 'doubting Thomases' who need to touch the wound to believe."

"Internationally and even in Tamizh films of recent times like Bommai Nayagi , filmmakers much younger and less privileged are making tougher choices in order to tell their stories. The filmmaker chooses the dignity of the victims over voyeuristic depictions born out of privilege," Maya says. 

"The position of the spectators in the cinema is blatantly one of repression of their exhibitionism and projection of the repressed desire onto the performer," Laura Mulvey writes in Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema . 

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Laura implies the shrinkage of the distance between the spectator and the action on screen. Spectators live and internalise what they watch in a movie, which brings us to questions Vetrimaaran wilfully ignores: "Who is assaulted when a character is assaulted on screen? Could it be the watcher? What happens when the watcher has already been assaulted?"

While it can be argued that the filmmaker has attempted to showcase the depth of police brutality, it is quite easy to figure it was a failed effort. 

"If this was created with a motive to make people realise the horror of police brutality, the director has failed there too. Spectators don't feel anger and resentment towards the police, because of the film’s narrative. I feel dissatisfaction towards Vetrimaaran for such a traumatising portrayal because he repeatedly affirms the police throughout the movie. You see Gautham Menon torturing people being shot in a way to glamourise the police. This is not at all expected of the director. But, I still have high hopes for him. I feel like this is an 'even elephants do slip' moment for him," says Kavin Malar, journalist. 

She also says the movie has not depicted oppressed caste women with dignity. 

"I find the torture and sexual violence scenes in Viduthalai to be problematic. One must not depict women in such a way on screen. One definitely must not depict oppressed caste women on screen in such a way. It is very important to portray women with dignity on screen and the filmmaker must put all their efforts to ensure this. Suggestive shots could have been used like so many other films. Vetrimaaran has not done that," Kavin Malar says. 

Theories explaining the attraction towards violent content often point to the gratification of the experience, say A Bartsch & M.-L. Mares in a paper titled Making Sense of Violence . 

"One set of explanations focuses on gratifications related to intense emotions and arousal, such as voyeurism and curiosity about taboo actions, rebellious tasting of the 'forbidden fruit' of violence," the study says. 

"Individuals' motivations for entertainment use may not only reflect hedonistic regulation of mood and arousal but may also involve a search for deeper insight, meaning, and purpose in life," it adds.

Vetrimaaran’s quest to make sense of the father who kills his daughter in Oor Iravu and the attempt to romanticise the heroism of a cop in Viduthalai may rise either from the gratification linked to the rebellious tasting of the 'forbidden fruit' or a search for a deeper purpose in life. One can never be too sure, but he cannot carry on doing this at the cost of the oppressed. Will Vetrimaaran learn?

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Vetrimaaran: ``என்னுடைய பெயரை சேர்த்ததற்கு நன்றி"- 'சார்' படம் குறித்து வெற்றிமாறன்

"இந்தப் படத்தில் நான் இணைந்திருப்பதால் படம் மக்களை சென்றடைந்துவிடும் என்று சொல்கிறார்கள். ஆனால் அப்படி எதுவும் இல்லை. படம் நன்றாக இருந்தால் எல்லோரிடமும் கண்டிப்பாக சென்றடையும்" - வெற்றிமாறன்

நடிகர் விமல் நடிப்பில் வெளியாக இருக்கும் திரைப்படம் 'சார்'.

இப்படத்தை போஸ் வெங்கட் இயக்க வெற்றிமாறன் தயாரித்திருக்கிறார் விமல் உடன் இணைந்து சரவணன், விஜய் முருகன், ஜெயபாலன், ராமா உள்ளிட்ட சிலர் நடித்திருக்கின்றனர். சாயா கண்ணன் கதாநாயகியாக நடித்திருக்கிறார். இப்படத்தின் டிரைலர் வெளியாகி இருக்கிறது. இந்த டிரைலர் வெளியீட்டு விழாவில் கலந்துகொண்டு பேசிய இயக்குநர் வெற்றிமாறன், " இந்தப் படத்தில் நான் இணைந்திருப்பதால் படம் மக்களை சென்றடைந்துவிடும் என்று சொல்கிறார்கள். ஆனால் அப்படி எதுவும் இல்லை. படம் நன்றாக இருந்தால் எல்லோரிடமும் கண்டிப்பாகச் சென்றடையும்.

எனக்கு ஏற்புடைய படத்தில் என்னுடைய பெயர் இடம்பெற்றிருப்பது மிகவும் சந்தோசம். இன்றைய சூழலுக்கு ஏற்றவாறு படத்தின் கதைகள் இருந்தால் தயாரிக்க ஒத்துக்கொள்வேன். இந்தப் படத்தில் நான் எதுவும் பண்ணவில்லை. படக்குழுவினரே அனைத்தையும் பார்த்துக்கொண்டனர். அதனால் அவர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் நன்றி. 'சார்' என்ற பெயர் இந்தப் படத்திற்கு மிகவும் பொருத்தமாக இருக்கிறது. இது ஒரு ஆசிரியரின் கமிட்மென்ட் பற்றிய படம். 3 தலைமுறை ஆசிரியர்களின் கதை இப்படத்தில் உள்ளடங்கி இருக்கிறது. அரசுப் பள்ளியில் ஆசிரியராக இருந்தால் என்ன மாதிரியான சாவல்களைச் சந்திக்க வேண்டும் என்பது குறித்து இந்தப் படம் பேசுகிறது.

எல்லோருமே நன்றாக நடித்திருக்கிறார்கள். இந்தப் படத்தை பொறுத்தவரை நாம் ஏதோ ஒன்றை விவாதித்து அடுத்த கட்டத்திற்கு அந்த விவாதத்தை எடுத்துச் செல்லக்கூடிய ஒரு படமாக 'சார்' இருக்கும் என்ற நம்பிக்கை எனக்கு இருக்கிறது. போஸ் வெங்கட், நான் படத்தின் வேளையில் இருக்கும்போது என்னை வந்து சந்தித்து ஒரு படம் இருக்கிறது சார் என்று சொன்னார். கதையை சொன்ன பிறகு சில விஷயங்களை மாற்றுங்கள் என்று கூறினேன்.

அவரும் ஓகே என்று கூறி அதனை மாற்றினார். கடைசியாக படம் சிறப்பாக வர அத்தனை முயற்சிகளையும் அவர்தான் மேற்கொண்டார். இந்தப் படத்தின் எல்லா க்ரெடிட்ஸும் அவருக்குத்தான். அந்தப் படத்திற்கு சப்போர்ட் செய்த அனைவருக்கும் அந்த க்ரெடிட்ஸை அவர் பகிர்ந்துகொடுப்பார். கொடுக்கப்பட்ட நாளுக்குள் நேர்த்தியாக படத்தை எடுத்திருக்கிறார். திரும்பவும் சொல்கிறேன் என்னுடைய பெயரை அந்தப் படத்தில் நீங்கள் சேர்த்துக்கொண்டதற்கு நன்றி" என்று அனைவருக்கும் வாழ்த்துக்களைத் தெரிவித்திருக்கிறார்.

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The greatest love story

Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”

We can find peace and rest in the knowledge that the trappings of this world aren’t the end goal. There is more to the story. Because God knew we could not save ourselves, he sent his only son Jesus into the world to save us from sin, and God prepares a place for believers in heaven.

This is the greatest love story of the Bible. God loves us so much that God rescues us and gives us new life. To be grounded by grace means living with an awareness that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves – God’s got that covered. Thanks be to God.

This message is excerpted from “What Scripture says about God’s love” by Erin Strybis in the September 2019 Café online magazine. Today we commemorate Hildegard, Abbess of Bingen, 1179.

Copyright © 2024 Women of the ELCA. Inquiries for permission to reproduce should be directed to [email protected] .

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Ryan murphy's american crime story spinoff about jfk jr. gets encouraging update 3 years later.

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Impeachment: American Crime Story Characters, Ranked By Intelligence

Montana jordan confirms georgie & mandy’s first marriage’s official replacement for george, supergirl's melissa benoist & 5 other actors join mindhunter star's netflix thriller series.

Ryan Murphy's American Crime Story spinoff about John F. Kennedy Jr. has received an update. American Crime Story is the second installment in the Ryan Murphy-created American Story media franchise , which began with American Horror Story . Like its predecessor, the anthology series covers an independent topic related to infamous real-life events. Season 1 covered the trial of O.J. Simpson, season 2 followed the murder of Gianni Versace, and season 3 told the Monica Lewinsky-Clinton scandal. This year will see the release of another American Story show, American Sports Story, focusing on Aaron Hernandez .

Speaking with Variety , producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson provide an update on American Love Story . Jacobson confirmed concretely that they are " very much intending to " continue with the production of the JFK Jr. story. Simpson added a progress update for the project, saying that they " have great scripts on that ." Simpsons also expressed enthusiasm, saying it's about " a certain period of time that's really fascinating ." Check out the quotes from Jacobson and Simpson below:

Nina Jacobson : We’re very much intending to [tell that story]. Brad Simpson : We have great scripts on that. We’re trying to figure out when it’ll land. It is a story that really resonates right now. It’s amazing. A lot of younger women are looking to her as sort of a representational icon of a certain period of time that’s really fascinating, and hopefully, we’ll be able to bring that to the screen soon.

What This Means For American Love Story's Development

Updates have been slow for american love story..

American Love Story was originally announced in 2021 , in conjunction with the development of American Sports Story. The American Love Story version would be based on true events, but this time telling a tragic romance tale. This real-life romance would be the story of John F. Kennedy Jr., the son of the United States President, and Carolyn Bessette. The series was set to track their courtship and subsequent marriage, up until the pair tragically died in a plane crash in 1999.

From Monica Lewinski to the Clintons, Impeachment: American Crime Story is full of characters who have tremendous intellect and relentless ambition.

Since its announcement, progress has been slow on American Love Story . On the other hand, American Sports Story , which follows the story of the football player turned convicted felon Aaron Hernandez, was also in development for three years, with it just recently releasing its first two episodes this past week. It will continue to air episodes weekly on Tuesdays up through November 12. Even though the progress on American Love Story has been slow, the new update seems to confirm that the series is still happening.

American Love Story Will Give Ryan Murphy The Chance To Do Something Different

American love story will lean into romance..

The news of the continued development of American Love Story is exciting, as it means that audiences will eventually get to see this Murphy series . American Love Story will be very different from the other shows in the franchise , which all delve into true-crime, mystery, or grotesque situations. One of Murphy's strengths as a creator is portraying romance arcs, as evidenced by shows like 9-1-1 . American Love Story will give Murphy a chance to further capitalize on this strength, making the series more exciting.

Source: Variety

American Crime Story

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Created for FX, American Crime Story is an anthology true crime series that follows a new cast each season. Each is a self-contained series exploring true crime court cases in American history. The initial season visits and reenacts the murder trial of O.J. Simpson in the 1990s, with the show's structure following several points of view to give a wider picture of each case.

JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Are Getting the Ryan Murphy Treatment

The Hollywood mega-producer is planning a spinoff of his American Story franchise, called American Love Story , about the '90s golden couple.

From the O.J. Simpson trial and Gianni Versace's murder , to the feud between Truman Capote and his swans , Hollywood producer Ryan Murphy has made a name for himself by taking sensational events and cultural moments throughout history and giving them his signature, campy spin for the small screen.

Fresh off the premiere of American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez this week, Murphy is already at work on more American Story spinoffs. American Love Story will explore the “sweeping true love stories that captured the world’s attention.”

And is there really a love story that was as fiery, beautiful, captivating—and tragically short-lived—as that of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette ? America's golden couple will be the first subjects of the new scripted anthology series, which will chart the course of their relationship from their whirlwind courtship, to the immense pressures brought on by incessant tabloid attention, to the plane crash that ended it all in the summer of 1999 .

American Love Story was first announced in 2021, and in September 2024, executive producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson confirmed to Variety it was still in the works.

"We’re very much intending to [tell that story]," Jacobson said. Simpson added, "We have great scripts on that. We’re trying to figure out when it’ll land. It is a story that really resonates right now. It’s amazing. A lot of younger women are looking to her as sort of a representational icon of a certain period of time that’s really fascinating, and hopefully, we’ll be able to bring that to the screen soon."

We'll update this as soon as we learn more.

Leena Kim is an editor at Town & Country , where she covers travel, jewelry, education, weddings, and culture.

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Jordan Love practices with the Packers for first time since knee injury ahead of Week 3 game at Titans

This story was updated to add new information.

GREEN BAY − Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love is practicing Wednesday.

Love missed the home opener with the Indianapolis Colts after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee in Week 1 against Philadelphia.

He went through warmups and pre-practice drills with the team, and then went outside with the rest of the team.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Love along with Kenny Clark, Kingsley Enagbare, Josh Jacobs, Tucker Kraft and Rasheed Walker were limited at practice. Jayden Reed, Carrington Valentine, Elgton Jenkins and Jordan Morgan were players who stayed inside the Don Hutson Center and did not practice.

All things Packers: Latest Green Bay Packers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The Packers go back on the road Sunday for a Week 3 game at the Tennessee Titans.

‘American Love Story’ Moving Forward With John F. Kennedy Jr.-Carolyn Bessette Season: It ‘Really Resonates Right Now’

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The “American Story” franchise at FX is still expanding. Executive producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson , who have been working with Ryan Murphy since “American Crime Story” premiered in 2016 (and served as executive producers on “Pose”), confirmed that “ American Love Story ,” which recounts the story of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, will be moving forward at FX.

“We’re very much intending to [tell that story],” Jacobson told Variety during a recent interview.

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“The reason we can never announce anything, ever again, is because once, Ryan said ‘Studio 54’ and now it’s 10 years later, and in every interview we have, people bring it up. Nothing against you,” Simpson said. “We develop multiple things and multiple ideas. It’s not that we’re trying to be secretive, we’re seeing what bubbles up and what comes in. We’ve learned if we announce something, it becomes a Wikipedia entry.”

There are “contenders” for what the fourth installment of “Crime Story” will be, but no decision has been made.

Currently, the team is focused on a new “Story” — the first installment of “ American Sports Story ,” telling the tale of Aaron Hernandez. The series debuts its first two episodes on FX Sept. 17, with a weekly rollout to follow.

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Tennessee Titans injury report: 3 starters miss practice, but prognosis looks good

Three Tennessee Titans did not practice Wednesday, but only one was because of an injury concern .

The Titans (0-2) host the Green Bay Packers (1-1) at Nissan Stadium on Sunday. Ahead of the game, Titans running back Tyjae Spears is dealing with an ankle injury that held him out of practice Wednesday, but the second-year running back told reporters after practice that he intends to play Sunday.

Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed both received veteran rest days Wednesday and did not practice. Titans coach Brian Callahan alluded to that possibility before practice, saying there are no concerns but some veterans will get extra days off as the season goes on for recuperation purposes.

Receiver DeAndre Hopkins is not on the injury report. He's been limited in game action this season while recovering from a knee injury sustained during training camp, but there were no limitations put upon him during practice.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love was a limited participant in Green Bay's practice Wednesday. One of the league's highest-paid passers, Love missed the team's Week 2 game with a knee injury.

See the Titans' and Packers' complete injury reports below.

Titans vs Packers: NFL injury report Week 3

• DT Jeffery Simmons (NIR-rest): Did not practice
• CB L'Jarius Sneed (NIR-rest): Did not practice
• RB Tyjae Spears (ankle): Did not practice
• OL Elgton Jenkins (illness/glute): Did not practice
• T/G Jordan Morgan (shoulder): Did not practice
• WR Jayden Reed (calf): Did not practice
• CB Carrington Valentine (ankle): Did not practice
• DL Kenny Clark (toe): Limited participation
• DL Kingsley Enagbare (groin): Limited participation
• RB Josh Jacobs (back): Limited participation
• TE Tucker Kraft (shoulder): Limited participation
• QB Jordan Love (knee): Limited participation
• C/G Josh Myers (ankle): Limited participation
• OL Zach Tom (quadricep): Limited participation
• T Rasheed Walker (shoulder): Limited participation

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected] . Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.