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Naanum Rowdy Dhaan

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Naanum Rowdy Dhaan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVignesh Shivan
Written byVignesh Shivan
Produced byDhanush
Starring
CinematographyGeorge C. Williams
Edited byA. Sreekar Prasad
Music byAnirudh Ravichander
Production
company
Distributed byLyca Productions
Release date
  • 21 October 2015 (2015-10-21)
Running time
139 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Budgetest. ₹130 million[2]

Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (transl. I am a rowdy too) is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language romantic action comedy film written and directed by Vignesh Shivan, produced by Dhanush under his Wunderbar Films, and distributed by Lyca Productions. The film stars Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara, with Parthiban, Radhika Sarathkumar, RJ Balaji, and Anandaraj in supporting roles. It follows a police inspector's son who becomes a gangster. He falls in love with a deaf woman seeking revenge against another gangster.

The film was announced in November 2013, with Gautham Vasudev Menon producing and Gautham Karthik and Lavanya Tripathi starring. However, the project was dropped, and by August 2014, Dhanush had taken over, with Sethupathi and Nayanthara as the lead pair. Principal photography commenced in December 2014 and ended in June 2015. The music was composed by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography was handled by George C. Williams, and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad.

Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was released worldwide on 21 October 2015. It received positive reviews and performed well at the box office.[3] For her performance, Nayanthara won the Filmfare and SIIMA Awards for Best Actress in the Tamil branch.

Plot

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Pandiyan, aka Pondy Pandi, is the son of Puducherry police inspector P. Meena Kumari. Despite being an inspector's son, he grows up being friendly with criminals and upon reaching adulthood, unbeknownst to his mother, he becomes a thug, though an incompetent one. Pandi and his friends come across a deaf woman, Kadhambari, and Pandi immediately falls in love with her. Kadhambari is the daughter of an honest police officer, Ravikumar.

Fifteen years before, then-sub-inspector Ravikumar was in pursuit of Killivallavan, a dreaded gangster. Killi had been arrested in public by Ravi, and in retaliation, he slapped Ravi when the officer was shopping with Kadhambari. Later, Ravi arrested almost all of Killi's gang members. Enraged, Killi sent Ravi a bomb as a gift. The bomb killed Ravi's wife and caused his daughter Kadhambari to lose her hearing.

Later on, Ravi and his daughter moved to another part of the country and did not return until his last year of service. Kadhambari seeks Pandi's help to find her father, who has not spoken to her for the past two days. Pandi soon learns that Ravikumar was killed by Killi the same night he met Kadhambari, but hides the fact from her so as not to upset her. A week later, Kadhambari learns about her father's death and is determined to avenge him by going after Killi.

Pandi agrees to help her, with the promise that he will restrain Killi while she stabs him. Pandi and his gang, along with Kadhambari, hatch a plan to murder Killi while he is travelling. However, this is foiled as their plan gets mixed up with that of Mansoor, Killi's political rival, who wants to contest an upcoming election in place of Killi's mistress, Baby. Pandi's gang is enraged and despite Pandi's reassurances, they decide not to help Kadhambari further.

She then determines to go ahead on her own, as she does not want Pandi and his friends to split up over her. She reaches Killi's hideout, but on attempting to kill him, he knocks her out. Pandi soon arrives at the hideout and he and Kadhambari try to kill the gangster, but they are unsuccessful. At this juncture, Mansoor arrives at the hideout; he and Killi stab each other to death. Pandi falsely takes credit for their deaths to impress Kadhambari. Ultimately, Pandi, disillusioned with the thug lifestyle, becomes a police officer, as per his mother's wishes.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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In November 2013, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was officially announced, to be directed by Vignesh Shivan and produced by Gautham Vasudev Menon, with Gautham Karthik as the lead actor and Anirudh Ravichander as composer.[4][5] The film was titled after a dialogue spoken by Vadivelu in Thalai Nagaram (2006).[6][7] Vignesh revealed that the film would be based on a 19-year-old youngster caught in the midst of a gang setting and noted he hoped to shoot in Mumbai, Chennai, and Puducherry.[4] Lavanya Tripathi was signed to play the female lead role of a deaf girl and noted that she was impressed by Vignesh's narration of the script.[8] However, the project failed to take off, and Vignesh continued to discuss it with different actors, including Ashok Selvan, as he looked for a producer.[9] In a turn of events, Dhanush announced via Twitter that he would be producing the film under his Wunderbar Films banner and also posted details about the cast and crew and the title design on 29 August 2014, coinciding with Ganesh Chaturthi. While George C. Williams was the cinematographer, the lead roles went to Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara.[10]

Casting and filming

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Vignesh has stated that Anirudh was his first choice for the lead role, but he decided against casting him to avoid distracting him from music, his "greatest passion". He also said Sethupathi and Nayanthara accepted the project without hearing the complete script. Vignesh revealed the makers were apprehensive about approaching R. Parthiban to portray the antagonist, as the actor was not known to readily accept any role, but he immediately accepted the offer and added his own inputs to the character.[11] Principal photography began on 3 December 2014,[12] with the first leg of the venture held in Pondicherry over a span of forty days.[13] Some scenes were shot at the Thirukameeswarar Temple in Villianur.[14] On 6 December 2014, RJ Balaji joined the cast during the first schedule.[15] Sethupathi stated that he had put on weight for some of his recent roles, so he worked hard for two months to shed those pounds. He worked out and went on an extensive diet regime as well —even forgoing food at times.[16]

On 2 January 2015, Anandaraj joined the film's cast while filming was taking place in Puducherry.[17] The first schedule was completed in the first week of January 2015, and soon after, the team began filming the second schedule.[18] As of mid-May 2015, major portions of the film had been completed. The final schedule started in Puducherry on 19 May 2015.[19] Principal photography wrapped in June 2015.[20] Nayanthara dubbed herself for her character in the first time in Tamil.[21]

Soundtrack

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Main article: Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (soundtrack)

The soundtrack to Naanum Rowdy Dhaan is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, in his first collaboration with Vignesh. It features six tracks, five of which were penned by Vignesh himself, and the sixth one was written by Thamarai. Four of the songs featured Anirudh's voice. Other singers on the album include Neeti Mohan, Benny Dayal, Sid Sriram, and Sean Roldan. Instead of a promotional audio launch, Anirudh released the songs as individual singles.[22][23] The album received positive reviews from critics as well as listeners.[24]

Release

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In September 2015, Lyca Productions announced that they had bought the distribution rights for Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.[25] The filmmakers initially announced that the film would be released on 2 October 2015.[26] However, it was later postponed to 21 October.[27] Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was published to audiences outside India by Herotalkies on 15 November 2015, through their online movie streaming portal.[28]

Critical reception

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Writing for The Times of India, M. Suganth gave the film four out of five stars and wrote, "The plot might come across as a serious revenge drama, but Vignesh Shivan displays a lightness of touch throughout that makes the film so much fun. And, he keeps things breezy even when situations get serious".[29] Sify wrote, "Vignesh Sivan's Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (NRD) is a feel-good laugh riot, a perfect movie to hang out with friends. You are guaranteed loads of fun and sure to come out with a big smile on your face".[30] S. Saraswathi of Rediff.com gave it 3.5 out of 5 and stated, "Simple, sweet and uncomplicated, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan is a refreshing romantic comedy that deserves a watch".[31] Sudhir Srinivasan of The Hindu said, "Almost all the jokes, both subtle and loud, work. And they're everywhere, and often admirably, without heed to political correctness".[32] Mike McCahill of The Guardian gave it 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Despite some rough edges and missed opportunities, Vignesh Shivan delivers a well-written, likably played film where every element feels integrated and thought through".[33]

Accolades

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Event Category Recipient(s) Outcome Ref.
2015 Behindwoods Gold Medals Best Editor A. Sreekar Prasad Won [34]
63rd Filmfare Awards South Best Actress – Tamil Nayanthara Won [35]
[36]
Best Supporting Actor – Tamil Parthiban Nominated
Best Music Director – Tamil Anirudh Ravichander Nominated
Best Lyricist – Tamil Vignesh Shivan (for "Thangame") Nominated
Best Male Playback Singer – Tamil Anirudh Ravichander (for "Thangame") Nominated
Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil Neeti Mohan (for "Neeyum Naanum") Nominated
5th South Indian International Movie Awards Best Film – Tamil Naanum Rowdy Dhaan Nominated [37]
[38]
Best Director – Tamil Vignesh Shivan Won
Best Actress – Tamil Nayanthara Won
Best Comedian – Tamil RJ Balaji Won
Best Lyricist – Tamil Vignesh Shivan (for "Yennai Maatrum Kadhale") Nominated
Best Music Director – Tamil Anirudh Ravichander Nominated
Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil Neeti Mohan (for "Neeyum Naanum") Nominated
Best Male Playback Singer – Tamil Anirudh Ravichander (for "Thangame") Won

Controversies

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Shortly after Lyca Productions announced that they had acquired the film's distribution rights, members of the political party Ilaya Thalaimurai Katchi condemned Wunderbar Films for selling the rights to them. Iniyan John of the party noted Lyca founder Subaskaran Allirajah's links to Sri Lankan politician Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was responsible for the deaths of "hundreds of thousands of Tamils" during the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009. The same production house attracted protests when they produced their first Tamil film, Kaththi (2014), for the same reasons, and were forced to remove their name from promotional material. John noted the production house contradicted the Tamil Nadu Directors Association's promise that they would not engage in film production or distribution in Tamil Nadu.[39]

A scene where Nayanthara is seen buying beer from a liquor store went viral on social media before the film's release. The political party Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) opposed the scene and demanded that it be deleted, otherwise during its launch, they would protest the film and Nayanthara.[40] In Chennai, HMK put up signs showing portraits of Nayanthara draped with a beer-bottle garland. After Nayanthara released a statement saying it was just a scene in a film, her effigy was publicly burned by Hindu Munnani in February 2015.[41]

Legacy

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According to Janani K of India Today, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was a breakthrough for Nayanthara.[42] Her character's line "Ongala podanum sir" (transl. I must kill you sir) inspired the title of a 2019 film.[43] In 2024, Nayanthara considered Naanum Rowdy Dhaan the "most special and important film" in her career and was upset that Dhanush did not allow her to include clips from it in the documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale, about her life and career.[44]

References

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  1. ^ "Naanum Rowdydhaan". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 6 November 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  2. ^ "'நானும் ரௌடிதான்' – பட்ஜெட் மற்றும் வசூல் எவ்வளவு ?". Dinamalar (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan 5 days Box Office Collections". Ritz. 27 October 2015. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Ramanujam, Srinivasa (19 November 2013). "Gautham Karthik teams up with Vignesh Shivan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 31 January 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Did you know, not Vijay Sethupathi but Gautham Karthik was the first choice for 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'?". The Times of India. 24 June 2020. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  6. ^ "I don't pay attention to gossips. In the meantime, I would have re-written my scene". Behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  7. ^ லீ, தார்மிக் (16 May 2017). "வடிவேலுவின் ஃபேமஸ் டயலாக்குகள்தான் இந்தப் படங்களின் டைட்டில்ஸ்!". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
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  22. ^ "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan single on September 23". The Times of India. 19 September 2015. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
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  25. ^ K, Janani (5 September 2015). "Lyca Productions Acquires Select Distribution Rights for Visaranai and Naanum Rowdy Dhaan". Silverscreen India. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
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  33. ^ McCahill, Mike (2 November 2015). "Naanum Rowdydhaan review – crowdpleasing Bollywood comedy-thriller deserves its success". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
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  39. ^ Naig, Udhav (20 October 2015). "Lyca Productions' new film in trouble". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 November 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  40. ^ "நயன்தாரா மது வாங்கும் காட்சி: நானும் ரவுடிதான் படத்துக்கு சிக்கல்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 27 January 2015. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  41. ^ Subramanian, Anupama (4 February 2015). "Nayan targeted over film scene". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
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  43. ^ Subramanian, Anupama (22 January 2019). "Nayanthara's popular dialogue now a film title". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  44. ^ Rao, Anisha (16 November 2024). "Nayanthara's damning post against Dhanush over documentary: You fester vengeance". India Today. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
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