The film opened in December 1999 at a single suburban theatre but later became a popular commercial success. Sethu won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil and secured wins in the Best Film category at the Filmfare Awards and the Cinema Express Awards, while Bala and Vikram won several awards for their contributions to the film.[2]
Contents
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Soundtrack
5 Release
6 Remakes
7 References
8 External links
Plot
Sethu (Vikram) is a rough and macho college rowdy and also The Students Union Chairman of the college, who uses violence as the only way to deal with people. He lives with his brother, a Magistrate(Sivakumar), and his sister-in-law, who is the only person who seems to understand him properly.
The movie opens with Sethu winning the elections to the office bearers of the college's Students Union followed by celebrations and in-campus fight between the rival candidates.
Sethu is called as Chiyaan (the meaning of this word was unknown until the director Bala in an annual function of the Tamil Department of The American College, Madurai told to the audience that Chiyaan means a street-smart rogue), a pet name given to him by his friends. Sethu has a staple diet of yes-sir friends surrounding him. He comes across a timid girl, Abitha, who is the daughter of a poor temple priest, and starts to woo her. When she initially rejects him, he kidnaps her and forces her to fall in love with him.
When the girl falls in love with him, Sethu is attacked by brothel goons and ends up in a swamiji ashram with brain damage. With Sethu with no memory of his past and his unusual behaviour he starts to recollect memories. At one point, he is completely back to his normal self and tries to escape by climbing over the gates. Unfortuntely, he fails and ends up with serious injuries.
Whilst sleeping with his injury, Abitha makes a surprise visit. However Sethu is asleep and she leaves with this woeful memory of him. As she is about to leave the institution, he wakes up and realises that she had come to see him. As he calls out, she leaves unable to hear him.
Persistent to meet her he makes another attempt to leave the institution and this time he is successful. When he arrives at her house he is presented with his love unfortuately dead. He realises that she had committed suicide.
Distraught after what he saw, he just walks out and at that point he is met with the mental institution wardens who came chasing after him. The film ends with Sethu leaving with them as he has nothing to live for after his true love's death.
Cast
Vikram as Sethu (Chiyaan)
Abitha as Abitha Kujalambal aka Abitha
Sivakumar as Sethu's Brother
Sriman as Sethu's friend
Bharathi
Mohan Vaidya as Abitha's Uncle
Rasheed Ummer as Abitha's brother-in-law (dubbed by M. S. Bhaskar)
Sasi as one of students who ask for the meaning of Chiyan
Production
Vikram as a rogue turned mentally ill patient in Sethu, which became his first commercial success and secured him the Filmfare Special Award – South
Bala, an erstwhile assistant of Balu Mahendra wrote the script of the film, then titled Akhil, in the mid 1990s and offered the film's lead role to his housemate Vignesh who refused the film. Murali was also considered for the lead role in the project.[3][4]
In 1997, debutant director Bala offered Vikram the role of the rogue, Sethu (Chiyaan), in the film of the same name. To prepare for the character, Vikram shaved his head, thinned down to half his size by losing 21 kilograms and grew nails for the role.[2][5] Furthermore, he did not accept any other offers during this period in order to maintain the continuity of his looks, with the film took two full years for completion. Vikram has since described the period of production as "the worst phase of his career" as he was weak economically, and "his fire was in danger of dying down".[5] Keerthi Reddy was initially signed on to play the lead female role, but was later replaced by Rajshri and then subsequently Abitha.[1][6]
The film struggled to find a distributor and only after sixty seven screenings did the film manage to find a buyer, with most refusing the film due to the tragic climax.[7]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album and background score were composed by Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja. The lyrics were penned by Arivumathi, Palani Bharathi, Mu Metha and Ilaiyaraaja.
Tracklist
No.
Title
Lyrics
Singer(s)
Length
1.
"Enge Sellum Intha"
Arivumathi
Ilaiyaraaja
05:07
2.
"Gaana Karunkuyile"
Ponnadiyan
Kovai Kamala
05:13
3.
"Kadhalenna Kadhalenna"
Palani Bharathi
Swarnalatha
05:13
4.
"Maalai En Vethanai"
Arivumathi
Unni Krishnan, Arun Mozhi, SN. Surendar
05:04
5.
"Saranam Bhava"
Sujatha
01:59
6.
"Sethuvukku Sethuvukku"
Mu Metha
Arun Mozhi, SN. Surendar
02:27
7.
"Sikaadha Sitrondru"
Palani Bharathi
Unni Krishnan, Arun Mozhi
05:12
8.
"Vaarthai Thavari Vittai"
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
03:01
9.
"Vidiya Vidiya"
Mu Metha
Unni Krishnan
00:47
Total length:
34:03
Release
The film released in December 1999 and initially began running at a single noon show at a suburban theatre but gradually built up audiences through word-of-mouth publicity and ran over a 100 days at several cinema halls across Chennai, with Vikram being mobbed by people on the streets as a result of the film's success.[2] Critics lapped up Vikram's performance with a reviewer labeling that "Vikram is a revelation" and that "he is very natural and his acting in last few scenes are just too good and could even be compared with the best we have seen".[8] Similarly, a critic from the New Straits Times described the film as an "unforgettable experience" and described Vikram's performance as "praise-worthy".[9]
The following year, Sethu won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil, while also securing wins in the Best Film category at the Filmfare Awards and the Cinema Express Awards. Bala won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director and the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Tamil for his directorial debut. The performance also drew accolades for Vikram who won the Filmfare Special Award – South and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his portrayal of the title character, while reports emerged that he missed out on the National Film Award for Best Actor by a single vote to Mohanlal.[10] Post-success, Vikram has described the film would have been close to him regardless of the commercial success and that it put him on the "right path", with Vikram choosing to adapt the prefix of Chiyaan to his screen name.[5]
Remakes
Owing to its success, the film was remade in Hindi as Tere Naam starring Salman Khan which became a blockbuster hit, in Kannada as Huchcha which made Sudeep a star. Jeevitha remade the film in Telugu as Seshu with her husband Rajasekhar playing the lead.
Early in its production, the film was titled Erumugham with Ajith in the lead role. When Ajith left the project in favour of Red, the project was temporarily shelved. Saran reworked the script and retitled the production Gemini, casting Vikram in the lead role with Kiran Rathod of Yaadein fame cast opposite him. The film was shot at AVM Studios barring two song sequences. Cinematography was by A. Venkatesh, and the film was edited by Suresh Urs. The film's soundtrack was composed by Bharathwaj and the lyrics were written by Vairamuthu. A cameo by veteran Gemini Ganesan happened to be his last film appearance, before his death in March 2005.[4]
The film was scheduled for release on Tamil New Year 2002, but was released two days earlier on 12 April. Despite garnering mixed critical reviews upon release, the film was highly successful and was the biggest hit of the year, its success being attributed to the popularity of the song "O Podu".[5] It also resurrected the Tamil film industry which was going through a tough phase after a string of projects bombed at the box office. Encouraged by its success, Saran remade the film in Telugu—his only non-Tamil film—under the same title which released on October 11 the same year. While the remake starred Venkatesh and Bhairavi (Namitha) in the lead, Kalabhavan Mani and Murali reprised their roles. Gemini was also dubbed into Hindi as Angaar: The Deadly One.
Contents
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Development
3.2 Casting
3.3 Filming
4 Inspiration
5 Soundtrack
6 Release and reception
6.1 Critical response
6.2 Box office
6.3 Accolades
7 Remakes
8 Popular culture
9 Explanatory notes
10 Further reading
11 References
12 External links
Plot
Big-shot don Teja (Kalabhavan Mani) and his gang appear for a hearing at a magistrate's court. Another gang clashes with them, resulting in the death of 'Chintai' Jeeva. Jeeva was a member of the rival gang headed by Gemini (Vikram), an up-and-coming goon in Chintadripet, who also aspires to become a big don. To avenge Jeeva's death, Gemini and his gang hunts down the murderer, Pandian. One of Gemini's men, Isaac, kills him, sparking off a rivalry between Gemini and Teja. Pandian's mother Annamma (Manorama) becomes the gang's cook, posing as an old woman who must work to pay for an eye operation, and plots to poison them.
Gemini meets a Marwari girl, Manisha Natwarlal (Kiran Rathod), and falls in love with her. To pursue her, Gemini joins an evening-class at college as her classmate, and she falls in love with him. Two businessmen approach Gemini to evict people from a market so that a shopping complex can be built in its place. Since the market is in his control, Gemini refuses the offer, and the businessmen eventually approach Teja to carry out the job. Feigning an altercation with Gemini, his sidekick Kai (Thennavan) joins Teja's gang. Kai acts as the inside man and foils the plan. Teja is enraged at being outsmarted by Gemini.
Singaperumal (Murali), an astute police officer, is made the Director General of Police (DGP). Keen on wiping out rowdy behaviour, he arrests Gemini and Teja. Since they both have political influence, the arrests are made "off the record". Understanding their rivalry, the DGP puts them in a private cell so they can beat each other to death. When Teja tries to exact revenge for the market issue, Gemini does not fight back but persuades Teja to trick the DGP by pleading guilty and requesting a chance at reform. Gemini's trick works and they are released.
Since Gemini was arrested at the college, Manisha discovers his real identity and starts ignoring him. To gain her attention back, Gemini reforms his ways. Now that Gemini and his gang regret their actions, Annamma reveals her true identity and forgives them. Teja returns to his gang and continues his illegal activities. He pesters Gemini to help him in his business. Gemini informs the DGP of Teja's activities; Teja is caught smuggling narcotics, is prosecuted, and serves a term in prison.
Singaperumal is transferred to the transport department a few months later, and a corrupt officer (Vinu Chakravarthy) is promoted to DGP. He releases Teja who, with the new DGP, urges Gemini to help them in their business. Gemini refuses and, to force him back to his old ways, Teja persuades Isaac to conspire against Gemini. With Isaac's help, Teja plots and kills Kai. Gemini is infuriated and decides to settle the issue, confronting Teja. During the ensuing fight, the new DGP arrives and fires at Gemini, killing him. During the fight Gemini beats up Teja and swaps their clothes, leaving Teja bound and gagged. The DGP mistakenly kills Teja, and while he grieves for Teja's death, he receives news that he has been transferred to the Sewage Control Board.
Cast
"In Gemini, I have tried to do something new. The character I'm playing is a rowdy, but a bit refined. I study in an evening college and I've presented it as natural and realistically. Just as you expect a Sethu again, I've changed the style a bit."
— Vikram about the preparation for his role[6]
Vikram as Gemini: an aspiring don who reforms later
Kiran Rathod as Manisha Natwarlal: a free-spirited Marwari girl
Kalabhavan Mani as Teja: a don who mimics animals
Vinu Chakravarthy: a power-hungry and corrupt police officer
Murali as Singaperumal: a sincere and dignified police officer
Charle as Chinna Salem: a pimp operating a mobile prostitution
Ramesh Khanna as Gopal M.A.: a professor at the evening college
Dhamu: the owner of an auto mechanic shed, Auto Hospital, from where the gang operates
Vaiyapuri as Oberoi: Dawood's sidekick
'O Podu' Rani as Kamini: a divorcee and Gemini's classmate who lusts for him
Thennavan as Kai: Gemini's loyal deputy
Isaac as Isaac: Gemini's gang member who betrays him later
Thyagu as Sammandham: a cop
Madhan Bob as R.Anilwal I.P.S: a police officer trying to weed out prostitution
Ilavarasu as Police Commissioner
Omakuchi Narasimhan as Bombay Dawood: a butcher
Gemini Ganesan in a cameo as himself
Manorama as Annamma: an orphaned woman who seeks to avenge her son's murder
Production
Development
During the making of his film Alli Arjuna (2002) in early 2001, director Saran announced his next directorial venture. The film would mark his third collaboration with Ajith after the successes of Kaadhal Mannan (1998) and Amarkalam (1999), both which had Ajith in the lead. According to the director, it was a "modern day rags to riches story" where the protagonist rises from humble origins to an enviable position. The film, which was to be produced by A. Purnachandra Rao for Lakshmi Productions, was titled Erumugham ("Upward mobility").[7] As with most of Saran's films, Erumugham was also a gangster film.[8] Laila and Richa Pallod, the heroines of Saran's Parthen Rasithen (2000) and Alli Arjuna respectively, were to play the female leads. It was reported that the song recording began on 16 March 2001, while shooting was to start in middle of June and continue through July and August 2001, followed by post production work in September.[7] It was planned to be released for Diwali,[7] but after a week of shooting Ajith lost interest in the project, finding a more engaging story in Red; Ajith left, and the project was stalled.[9] This created a rift between the actor and the director, with Saran claiming "I will never do another film with Ajit".[8][10] Ironically though, they would patch up later[11] and collaborate twice in Attahasam (2004)[12] and Aasal (2010).[13]
"Yes. It happened a year ago in Chennai. Two rowdies wanted to reform themselves and return to the society. A police officer helped them do so. I was fascinated by the incident."
— Director Saran, when asked whether the film was inspired by a real life incident.[14]
Saran reworked the script and began the project again. The film was untitled then and was announced in August 2001.[15] The plot was inspired by a real life incident, and is about the gang wars in Chennai, is loosely based on North Madras rowdies, 'Vellai' Ravi and Chera.[1] The film was produced by AVM Productions, the production house's 162nd film.[16] It was a comeback film for AVM after a gap of 5 years, their last production being the 1997 hit Minsara Kanavu, the release of which marked its golden jubilee since its first production Naam Iruvar in 1947.[b] Thus, by producing Gemini, AVM achieved the rare distinction of being one of the four firms in the world producing films for over fifty years.[19] While titling the film, producer M. Saravanan liked Gemini among the many titles suggested to him; but Gemini was the name of a famous production house, Gemini Studios. Saravanan wrote to S. Balasubramanian, editor of Ananda Vikatan and son of Gemini Studios founder S. S. Vasan, requesting permission to use the title. Balasubramanian gave his consent, and sent his blessings for the film's success.[20]
Casting
The film's cast at a function to celebrate the 125 days theatrical run - (L-R) Gemini Ganesan, Saran, Mani, Rathod, Vikram, Chief guest Kamal Haasan, Manorama and Producer M. Saravanan.
With Vikram cast in the title role, Saran was scouting for a newcomer to suit the character of a Marwari girl to play the female lead.[11] Speculations that Sneha would be playing the heroine proved to be untrue.[15] Kiran Rathod, who made her feature film debut in Subhash Ghai's Yaadein (2001), is a native of Jaipur, Rajasthan.[21][22] Reportedly, it was actress Raveena Tandon's manager who suggested Gemini to Rathod, Rathod being Tandon's cousin.[23] Saran cast Rathod after seeing a photograph of her.[24] Malayalam actors Kalabhavan Mani and Murali were approached to play significant roles. Incidentally it was Vikram, who played Mani's role in the Tamil remake of Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum (1999), who suggested Mani for the role of Teja.[c] Gemini is widely believed to be Mani's maiden Tamil film,[26][27] though he had already starred in a couple viz. Maru Malarchi (1998)[28] and Vaanchinathan (2001).[29][30] When asked about casting them, Saran said "I like the dedication of Malayalee artistes towards their work. People like Kalabhavan Mani and Murali are in it because of their love for cinema and not for money".[8]
Saran had come to know of Murali through his role in Dumm Dumm Dumm, a performance which he felt was dignified convincing him to cast Murali as the DGP. Though he had planned to make Murali a villain at the end of the film, Saran decided against it as he was "amazed to see awe in everyone's eyes when Murali entered the sets and performed".[14] Thennavan, Vinu Chakravarthy, Ilavarasu, Charle, Dhamu, Ramesh Khanna, Vaiyapuri, Madhan Bob and Thyagu form the supporting cast while veterans Manorama and Gemini Ganesan make guest appearances.[19] The technical departments were handled by Saran's regular crew consisting of cinematographer A. Venkatesh, editor Suresh Urs, production designer Thotta Tharani and costume designers Sai and Nalini Sriram.[16] The choreography was by Super Subbarayan (action) and Suchitra, Brinda and Ashok Raja (dance). The musical score was composed by Bharadwaj and the lyrics were written by Vairamuthu.[19]
Filming
The film was formally launched on 21 November 2001 at Hotel Connemara in the presence of celebrities including Rajinikanth (through video conferencing)[31] and Kamal Haasan among others.[16] The launch function was marked by the submission of the script, songs, and lyrics, well before the actual production started. Principal photography was scheduled to begin in the middle of December,[32] but commenced a little early.[18] Vikram shot for the film alongside Samurai.[33] Due to other commitments in Malayalam, Kalabhavan Mani was initially hesitant to accept the film, and shooting was re-scheduled to film Mani's scenes first and then let him go. Saran convinced him to allot dates for twelve days and complete his scenes. Since Mani was a mimicry artist, Saran asked him to exhibit his talents and chose among them which were added to the film.[14]
The film was shot at AVM Studios, with the exception of two songs which were filmed at Switzerland.[34] One of the song scenes, 'Penn Oruthi', was shot at Jungfraujoch in Switzerland, the highest point in Europe. Travel Masters, a Chennai-based company owned by former actor N. Ramji, was instrumental in arranging the abroad shoots.[35] Part of the song sequence was picturised on a sledge in the scenic locales of Switzerland, making it only the second Indian film to have done so, after the 1964 Hindi film Sangam starring Raj Kapoor. Though there were hiccups in getting permission, executive producer M. S. Guhan persisted and got it done.[36] The film was completed well on schedule and M. Saravanan lavished praises on the director saying, "... we felt like we were working with S. P. Muthuraman himself, such was Saran's efficiency".[37] Consequently, the film's release was pushed ahead by two days, apparently to capitalise on the weekend collections. In 2006, Saran revealed in a chat with director S. P. Jananathan that his nervousness rendered him sleepless for four days until the film released.[38]
Inspiration
The characters of Gemini and Teja are modeled on 'Vellai' Ravi and Chera respectively.[1] 'Vellai' Ravi and Chera were Tamil-Burma repatriates who settled in Bhaktavatsalam colony (commonly referred as B.V. Colony) in Vyasarpadi, North Madras.[39] They were members of rival gangs headed by Benjamin and Subbhaiah. The rivalry began when Benjamin, a DYFI member, questioned the illegal activities of Subbhaiah who, apart from running a plastic and iron ore business, also held kangaroo courts. When it eventually developed into a Christian-Hindu conflict, they recruited jobless men and formed gangs to wage wars against each other. While Subbhaih's nephew Chera became his right-hand man, 'Vellai' Ravi became Benjamin's aide. Benjamin and Ravi's gang killed Subbaiah in 1991. A year later, Chera's gang retaliated by killing Benjamin with the help of another gang member, Asaithambi. Kabilan, another gangster, joined Chera's gang and they killed more than fourteen people to avenge Subbaiah's murder. One of the murders took place inside the Egmore court in early 2000, when Chera's gang killed Ravi's aide Vijayakumar (alias Viji), leading to a police crack-down on the gangsters.[40] Fearing an encounter, both Vellai Ravi and Chera decided to give up and turn over a new leaf. The then DCP of Flower Bazaar, Shakeel Akhter, held the transition ceremony in February 2001.[41] They were re-arrested under Goondas Act during the film's pre-production.[42]
When asked about his fascination for "rowdy" themes, Saran recalled:
“
I come from a lower middle class background and have lived all my life in `Singara Chennai'. I used to go to college from my house in Aminjikkarai by bus and many of the incidents that you see in my films are inspired by those days. Chennai city and its newspapers have been my source material.[8]
”
Apart from Gemini and Teja, the characters of DGP Singaperumal and 'Chintai' Jeeva are based on Shakeel Akhter and Viji respectively. Since the criminals were rearrested after being given a chance, the initial scripting was such that Singaperumal turns villainous during the climax. When Saran felt that the audience would not be kind to him, and that it would even kill the film, he added another corrupt cop to do the job while maintaining the former as a "very strong, good police officer".[14]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album and film score were composed by Bharathwaj. Since making his entry into Tamil films through Saran's directorial debut Kadhal Mannan,[43] he has scored the music for a majority of films directed by the latter.[44][45] The lyrics were written by poet-lyricist Vairamuthu.
'O Podu' is a popular expression and is quite common among college students.[46] When Saran wanted a catch phrase for a song, Vairamuthu suggested using this term and building on it. The term was then mixed with the title song.[47] The outcome was the track "O Podu", which is both an item number and the title track. It was sung by Anuradha Sriram,[48] choreographed by Ashok Raja[49] and picturised on Rani and Vikram.[19] For the song, Vikram does the "Saavu Koothu" dance, which people do when they accompany the dead in Tamil Nadu.[25] The lyrics of the song "Deewana", sung by Sadhana Sargam, had a few Hindi words thrown in because it was picturised on the heroine, a typical Marwari girl from Sowcarpet for whom Hindi comes naturally.[47] "Naattu Katta" is another track whose lyrics is based on a folk song.[50]
Gemini
Soundtrack album to Gemini by Bharathwaj
Genre
Film soundtrack
Length
30:54
Language
Tamil
Label
Fivestar Audio
Producer
Bharathwaj
Bharathwaj chronology
Roja Kootam
(2002)
Gemini
(2002)
Thamizh
(2002)
Original Tracklist[51]
No.
Title
Singer(s)
Length
1.
"Deewana"
Sadhana Sargam
04:26
2.
"Kaadhal Enbatha"
Timothy
02:56
3.
"Kaadhal Enbatha – Sad"
Bharathwaj
01:16
4.
"O Podu"
Anuradha Sriram, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
04:03
5.
"Naattu Katta"
Shankar Mahadevan, Swarnalatha
04:52
6.
"Penn Oruthi"
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
05:11
7.
"Thala Keezha"
Manikka Vinayagam
04:10
Bonus Track
No.
Title
Singer(s)
Length
8.
"O Podu"
Anuradha Sriram, Vikram
04:00
The music received mixed reviews from critics. Sify said that the music of Bharathwaj was the film's only saving grace,[34] and Rediff wrote the music director was impressive.[52] while Vijay Vanniarajan of Thiraipadam.com noted that the music was average and "nothing great".[53] "O Podu" was mentioned in a discussion on virat hits of South-Indian cinema, following the internet phenomenon of "Why This Kolaveri Di" in 2011.[54]
The songs were well received by the audience and the song "O Podu" was a huge hit.[37][55][56] It earned Rani (on whom the song was picturised) the moniker 'O Podu' Rani.[57] The song enjoyed anthem-like popularity[58][59] and according to V. Paramesh, a dealer of film music for 23 years, sold like "hot cakes".[60] The album sold more than 100,000 cassettes even before the film release,[61] despite rampant piracy.[47][62] It was one of the biggest hits in the career of Bharathwaj[46] and fetched him his first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil.[63][64]
"We sold out a lakh copies in one month. Only Rahman's music has got this kind of an opening before. Now, with the new song, it will sell another lakh before the release of the film."
— S. Kalyan of Five Star Audio about the album sales.[37]
Following the song's success, Vikram was greeted everywhere with screams of 'O Podu'. Overwhelmed by the response Vikram, having already worked as a voice artist and singer, offered to sing his version of the song.[14] According to Vikram, the song was recorded and shot the same morning. The track was added to the album a month after initial release of the soundtrack album. Since the film had been completed by then, the additional track was featured during the closing credits.[37] When the audience were not satisfied with the small footage provided initially forcing the theatre owners to rewind the song and replay it, the song was re-recorded to match with the original length.[14]
The music also received some unexpected reactions. The high-energy track 'O Podu' drove people mad, with some resorting to violence—enraging villagers in Tamil Nadu and leading to public property damage in Malaysia.[65] Vairamuthu's lyrics, which are typically in pure Tamil, contained slang terms in addition to words from other languages such as "Deewana". This departure was met with criticism and the critics labeled the lyrics as "pure gibberish".[50] It was also blamed for having started a trend of sorts for lyrics that are vulgar and of poor quality.[66]
Release and reception
The film received a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification.[67] The film, which was supposed to hit the screens on 14 April 2002 coinciding with the Tamil New Year's day, was released two days early on 12 April.[68] Gemini was released alongside Vijay's Thamizhan, Prashanth's Thamizh, Vijayakanth's Raajjiyam and Vijayashanti's Sri Bannari Amman; while Mammootty's Junior Senior released on 19 April.[69] The film released across Tamil Nadu with 104 prints, the most for a Vikram film then.[70] On the day of release, the film premiered in Singapore with the hero, heroine, director and producer in attendance.[36] AVM sold the film to distributors for a reasonable profit[2] and marketed it aggressively.[8] They organised promotional events at Music World (Spencer Plaza), Landmark and Sankara Hall, where Vikram publicised the film, signing autographs etc.[37] Since "O Podu" was a hit especially among children, AVM invited them to write reviews[71] and gave away prizes to a select few.[72]
Critical response
Gemini received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Vijay Vanniarajan of Thiraipadam.com remarked that "it's running like a Rajinikanth movie in India, becoming a blockbuster so huge no one expected it", and further added that though the movie has its moments, "those shining moments don't come often enough."[53] Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu praised Vikram stating, "Be it action or sensitive enactment, Vikram lends a natural touch. Thus even though the credibility level of Saran's storyline is low, Vikram helps Gemini score."[73] Kalabhavan Mani also received unanimous critical acclaim for his mimicry and portrayal of a villain with a comic sense. Rediff wrote, "The highlight in Gemini is undoubtedly Kalabhavan Mani's performance. [...] As the paan-chewing Gemini, Vikram too delivers a convincing performance" and that "Gemini is your typical masala potboiler. And it works."[52] In contrast, Sify said "Saran should be blamed for this inept movie, which has no storyline and has scant regard for logic or sense. [...] Vikram as Gemini is unimpressive [...] Top character actor Murali is also wasted in the film."[34] Writing for Thiraipadam.com, Balaji Balasubramaniam said, "Saran has nothing new to offer. The story is routine. The only category the movie provides something unique is, in the portrayal of the villain".[74]
Following the film's success, Vikram was compared with fellow actor Rajinikanth. Vijay Vanniarajan said, "I think Tamil cinema may have found the next Rajinikanth, [...] we've found him in Vikram".[53] Rajinikanth, who saw the film, met Vikram and praised his performance,[75] apart from predicting that the film will be a big hit.[8] The film's premise of an outlaw reforming his ways was appreciated. D. Ramanaidu of Suresh Productions, the co-producer of the Telugu remake said, "The story of a rowdy sheeter turning into a good man is a good theme".[57] The film was also screened as part of a six-day workshop conducted jointly by the Department of Journalism and Communication, the University of Madras, and the Mass Communication Alumni Association, University of Madras (MCAUM), with the focus on 'The impact of cinema on society'.[76]
In an article discussing the rise of rowdy-based films becoming a genre in itself, Senior film journalist Sreedhar Pillai wrote in an obvious reference to Gemini:
The hero is an all out villain, who is daringly different but the director makes him dream of those lush Switzerland songs (our hero then is clad in designer wear). The rowdies in the film have very highly educated girls from affluent family lusting after them. [...] Bachchan of "Deewar" or Shah Rukh of "Baazigar" took to crime because they were wronged. Nowadays the Geminis and Nandas of Tamil cinema indulge in crime for the heck of it.[1]
Box office
Gemini was a commercial success at the box office and was the biggest hit of the year.[77] Since the films that released for Diwali and Pongal were not successful, Gemini helped the industry turn the tide. Made at a budget of INR40 million (equivalent to INR76 million or US$1.3 million in 2014), the film grossed more than INR200 million (equivalent to INR380 million or US$6.3 million in 2014).[2] D. Govardhan of The Economic Times stated, "A neatly made 'masala' film, with the song O Podu as its USP, it took off from day one and has since then not looked back," and added that "The film's success has catapulted its hero, Vikram as the most sought after hero after Rajinikanth in the Tamil film industry today".[2] A struggling actor for almost a decade, Vikram credited the film as his first real blockbuster.[25] Sreedhar Pillai said that a good story, presentation and peppy music made it a winning formula[78] and declared that "Gemini has been the biggest hit among Tamil films in the last two years".[1] The film ran successfully for more than 125 days at the box office.[57] The box office collections revived the fortunes of theatres that were on the verge of closure. AVM received a letter from the owner of New Cinema, a theatre in Cuddalore, who was able to repay his debts with the revenue the film generated.[8] Abirami Ramanathan, owner of the multiplex Abhirami Mega Mall, said that Gemini's success would slow down the rapid closing of theatres from 2,500 to 2,000.[72] Following the resounding success of the film, Saran named his production house as "Gemini Productions" under which he produced films like Aaru, Vattaram and Muni.[79]
Accolades
Award
Ceremony
Category
Nominee(s)
Outcome
International Tamil Film Awards
1st International Tamil Film Awards[80][81]
Best Actor
Vikram
Won
Best Villain
Kalabhavan Mani
Won
Best Singer Female
Anuradha Sriram
Won
Filmfare Awards South
50th Filmfare Awards South[82]
Best Music Director
Bharathwaj
Won
Best Female Playback Singer
Anuradha Sriram
Won
Best Villain
Kalabhavan Mani
Won
Cinema Express Awards
22nd Cinema Express Awards[83][84]
Best New Face Actress
Kiran
Won
Best Music Director
Bharathwaj
Won
Best Dialogue Writer
Saran
Won
Best Singer Female
Anuradha Sriram
Won
Remakes
Following the success and popularity of the film, Saran remade the film into the Telugu language under the same title.[85] It is the only film made by Saran in a language other than Tamil.[d] The film starred Venkatesh and Namitha in the lead roles,[87] while Kalabhavan Mani and Murali reprised their roles from the Tamil version. Most of the crew members were retained.[11] Posani Krishna Murali transliterated the dialogues to Telugu.[88] The soundtrack was composed by R. P. Patnaik who reused most of the tunes from the original.[89][90] Gemini was also dubbed in Hindi as Angaar: The Deadly One.[91] It was also reported to be made in Kannada with Upendra playing the lead, but the reports were dismissed as rumour.[92]
Popular culture
There is a comical sequence between the characters played by Dhamu and Vaiyapuri, where each of them brag about knowing a fighting technique without explaining what it is. While Vaiyapuri says 'Ek Maar Do Thukada' (Hindi for "One Strike Two Pieces"), Dhamu tells that he knows 'Maan Karate' (Maan means "Deer"). When they get into trouble, Dhamu just runs away. Later he explains that Maan Karate means nothing more than how a deer runs away when in danger.[93] The phrase became famous, and has been used to name an upcoming film Maan Karate.[94] The film has been titled so because whenever there is a problem in his life, the hero Sivakarthikeyan fails to face them and runs for cover instead.[95]
A game-based reality show for children was titled 'O Podu'. AVM were also involved in the show, which was produced by Vikatan Televistas and directed by Gerald.[96] The show was telecast on Sun TV on Sundays with Raaghav as it's anchor, and ran for 26 weeks.[97] In August 2011, Vikram inaugurated a campaign launched by MIOT Hospitals to create awareness of the Hepatitis B virus. 'O Podu' was tweaked as 'B Podu', and made into the event's tagline to capitalise on the appeal and popularity of the song.[58][98] The term 'O Podu' was also used for a social awareness movement during election,[99][100] as a short form of 'Oatu Podu' (cast your vote), encouraging people to exercise their right to vote to prevent proxy voting fraud.[101][102] This was particularly significant when the election commission gave the public the option to reject all candidates according to Section 49-O of the Constitution Act of 1961.[103][104]
5 crore was successful and grossed 16 crore at the box office.This film was dubbed into telugu as Swamy IPS.Like other films directed by Hari this film also specialises a particular city and this time it is Tirunelveli. Saamy along with Kaakha Kaakha started a trend of police films in Tamil such as Bheeshmar, Gambeeram, Anjaneya and many others. Kota Srinivasa Rao made his debut in Tamil as a villain in this film.
Contents
Plot
Aarusaamy (Vikram) is the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Tirunelveli who efficiently brings the city under control. Aarusaamy arrives at Tirunelveli after being in exile for some years after being wrongly accused of bribery by corrupt politicians. In an early scene in the film, he eats idli with beer and performs some drunken antics, which had a negative impact on the viewing public. At the outset, he pretends to be a corrupt cop by accepting bribes from the very influential Annachi. Later Saamy starts to rebel against him and the rest is about how he succeeds in overcoming the corrupt politicians.Aarusaamy's father (Vijayakumar) who wanted to become a cop was unable to become due to corruption and takes care of agriculture for his living. But he wanted to make his son a cop. Vikram too passes the IPS examinations in merit, but was asked for bribe. His father mortgages his properties and makes him get the desired job. Being an honest cop, Aarusaamy is honoured with transfers all over Tamil Nadu due to political pressure. Finally, in Trichy, he is accused of bribery by a politician and he gets suspended. It takes him six months to prove himself and he is posted in Tirunelveli now.
In Tirunelveli, he adapts a new policy of adjusting with the local goons so that he can serve the people in an effective way. Perumal Pichai (Kota Srinivasa Rao), is an underworld don who has the total control of Southern Tamil Nadu, both in politics as well as rowdyism but he is less known in the media. He bribes Aarusaamy so that he will not disturb his business because both Perumal Pichai and Aarusaamy belongs to his caste. Saamy also accepts it but requests him to make some changes which he in turn accepts. As a result, the city is under the control of Law and Order. He is always accompanied by "Punctuality" Paramasivam (Ramesh Khanna), who is an inspector.
Saamy falls in love with a college-going Brahmin girl, Bhuvana (Trisha Krishnan) and they get engaged. Bhuvana's father, (Delhi Ganesh) is a straightforward government officer who never got bribe and leads a noble life. Saamy and Bhuvana meet each other when Saamy goes in search of a home for rent to Bhuvana's home. Bhuvana misinterprets Saamy and Paramasivam as thieves and locks them in a room.
The ruling party has called of for a one-day strike all over the state and Perumal Pichai is handed with the responsibility of Tirunelveli on the eve of Pongal festival. But Saamy takes steps to maintain law and order and the strike becomes a failure. This makes Perumal Pichai angry. He was waiting for a chance to take revenge on Saamy and they attack the market on the day of Saamy's marriage since all the policemen would be attending the wedding. Besides this, Saamy also 'seals' the petrol bunk (gas station) of Perumal Pichai because the workers at the petrol bunk assaulted a woman and others when they challenged very less distribution of petrol than being promised. This incident was the last straw that broke the camel's back and started the revolution of Saami against Perumal Pichai.
This incident marks the start of direct clash between Saamy and Perumal Pichai. Both challenge to get rid of the other in 7 days time. Perumal Pichai uses his influences and gets Saamy transferred but Saamy is given a time of 7 days to take charge. Saamy also loses his father in a bomb blast in his home which was targeted to kill him. He plans accordingly and takes revenge on Perumal Pichai by the eve of 7th day.
Cast
- Vikram as Aarusaamy
- Trisha as Bhuvana
- Kota Srinivasa Rao as Ilaiya perumal (Perumal Pichai)
- Vivek as Venkataraman Iyer
- Ramesh Khanna as Sub Inspector Paramasivam
- Vijayakumar as Saamy's Father
- Delhi Ganesh as Bhuvana's Father
- Sumithra as Bhuvana's Mother
- Venniradai Moorthy as Bhuvana's Grandfather
- Manorama as Bhuvana's Grandmother
- Ponnambalam as Annachi's Henchman
- Bala Singh as Annachi's henchman
- Thyagu as M.L.A
- Singamuthu
- 'Cell' Murugan as Traffic inspector
- Benjamin as Kudairepair
- Keerthana as Venkatraman's wife
- Ilavarasu
- Crane Manohar
- Rajesh
- Sethuvinayagam
- Chaplin Balu as Bridegroom of goat
Production
After directing Thamizh, Kavithalayaa Productions called Hari to direct a film for them since Hari assisted few of their films.[1] The film was titled as Saamy, Vikram and Trisha were selected to play lead pair. Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao was selected to play negative role making his debut in Tamil.The film's shooting schedule took place at Karaikudi, Some fight scenes were shot at the busy lanes in Karaikudi where Vikram chased some rowdies, The fight scene was shot for five days, with Priyan canning the shots and Super Subbarayan choreographing the fights.[2][3] Vikram worked on his body for the film, sporting a thick waist to show notable differences from his other police film, Dhill and also put on eight kilograms.[4]
Soundtrack
| Saamy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Front CD Cover
|
||||
| Soundtrack album by Harris Jayaraj | ||||
| Released | 2003 | |||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 25:27 | |||
| Language | Tamil | |||
| Label | Star Music | |||
| Producer | Harris Jayaraj | |||
| Harris Jayaraj chronology | ||||
|
||||
Tamil Tracklist
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aarumuga Saamy" | Snehan | Sriram Parthasarathy | 04:36 | |
| 2. | "Idhuthaanaa" | Thamarai | K. S. Chithra | 05:19 | |
| 3. | "Kalyaanam Thaan Kattikittu" | Snehan | KK, Yugendran, Srilekha Parthasarathy | 05:02 | |
| 4. | "Pudichirukku" | Na. Muthukumar | Hariharan, Komal Ramesh, Mahathi | 05:03 | |
| 5. | "Veppamaram" | Na. Muthukumar | Tippu | 05:27 | |
Total length:
|
25:27 | ||||
All lyrics written by Siva Ganesh.
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Thapeswaram Kajaaraa" | Naveen | 04:36 | |
| 2. | "Ayyayyo Ayyayyo" | Koushik, Shravya, Komal Ramesh | 05:03 | |
| 3. | "Yedalona Yedalona" | Harini | 05:19 | |
| 4. | "Pelli Pelli" | Tippu, Srilekha Parthasarathy | 05:02 | |
| 5. | "Vepachettu" | Tippu | 05:27 | |
Total length:
|
25:27 | |||
Release
Critical reception
Sify wrote:"The patchy storyline merely serves as a pretext to spark off several skirmishes and bombastic dialogues. Ultimately it is Vikram who dominates this action movie. In fact he is the mainstay of the picture [sic] Director Hari packs in a sting, but Saamy is strictly for the no holds barred action addicts".[5] Bizhat called it:"taut, fully engaging actioner".[6] Hindu wrote:"Kavithalaya's "Saami" should follow the "Dhil", "Dhool" line. Vikram's daredevilry and macho appeal ought to go down well with the masses. His presence of mind and intelligence are bound to make an impression on those who expect something more".[7]Box office
Saamy was released approximately in 100 screens in Tamil Nadu. The film had a huge opening as it was a summer vacation for the Tamil audiences. Theatres in Chennai had almost 100% occupancies and the film recovered all its budget within 4 to 5 days.[8]Remakes
The film was remade into Telugu as Lakshmi Narasimha with Balakrishna and Asin in lead roles though the original version was dubbed and released in Telugu as Swamy IPS.[9] It was also remade in Bengali as বারূদ with Mithoon Chakraborty and in Hindi as Policegiri by the notable director K.S.Ravikumar with Sanjay Dutt and Prachi Desai.[1
Kasi is a 2001 Indian Tamil tragedy drama film, written and directed by Vinayan. The film has Vikram playing the eponymous character of a blind village singer. A remake of the director's own 1999 Malayalam film Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum, the film has Kaveri, reprising her role from the original and Kavya Madhavan making her Tamil debut in supporting roles. The film was produced by Aroma Mani for Sunitha Productions. The film score and soundtrack was composed by maestro Ilaiyaraaja.
The film was released on November 14, 2001 and won positive reviews from critics upon release. Vikram won the Filmfare Best Actor Award.[1]
Contents
Plot
Kasi is a tale about the deception of appearances. Kasi(Vikram) is a blind poet and singer who supports his family by his songs. He has an older brother Sevalai(Thalaivasal Vijay) who spends what money he has drinking, an abusive, crippled father and a younger sister Lakshmi(Kavya Mahadevan). When the local landlord, Raghupathi(Rajeev) returns to the district, he brings along with him Mr Dinesh, the CM's son and his wife Radhika(Aishwarya). Raghupathi has a reputation as a God in the area because of his charitable works and when a specialist eye doctor arrives he promises to pay the fees for an operation to give back Kasi's vision. Elated by this news, Kasi learns that he has to find an eye-donor and his girlfriend Kaveri(Kaveri), who cannot speak, offers one of her eyes. Unfortunately, something happens that shows that the 'God-like' Raghupathi and Mr Dinesh are not what they seem. Blissfully unaware of the sadness of those around him, Kasi looks forward to his operation.Cast
- Vikram as Kasi
- Kaveri as Kaveri
- Kavya Madhavan as Lakshmi
- Manivannan as Irulaandi
- Vinu Chakravarthy as Valaiyapathy
- Rajeev as Raghupathy
- Chandrasekhar
- Charle as Sodala
- Thalaivasal Vijay as Sevvalai
- Balaji as Gopal
- Vadivukkarasi as Muniyamma
- Aishwarya as Radhika
- Manka Mahesh
- Karthika
- KR Rangamma as Ponnathaa (uncredited)
Production
The shooting was completed in just 45 days. Vikram had rolled up his eyes to look convincingly blind in the film for this deglamorised role of an innocent, rural, struggling blind lead character.[2] For the movie, he sunbathed on the terrace of his beachside home in Chennai for a sunburnt look and got dizzying headaches while practising to look blind.[3]Soundtrack
| Kasi | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album to Kasi by Ilaiyaraaja | |
| Genre | Film soundtrack |
| Language | Tamil |
| Producer | Ilaiyaraaja |
- Tracklist[4]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aathorathile Aalamaram" | Hariharan | 05:13 | |
| 2. | "En Mana Vaanil" | Hariharan | 05:42 | |
| 3. | "Maanu Tholu" | Hariharan | 05:10 | |
| 4. | "Naan Kaanum Ulagangal" | Hariharan | 04:36 | |
| 5. | "Punniyam Thedi Kasikku" | Hariharan | 04:56 | |
| 6. | "Rokkam Irukura Makkal" | Hariharan, Sujatha | 05:02 |
Critical response
The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. The Hindu applauded the off-beat attempt stating, "A film without predictable ingredients is a rarity. The Kasi team has to be appreciated for its boldness, in telling a story, in a simple, straight forward manner without the evitable distractions". While Vikram's portrayal was appreciated, "As a blind man, with his eyeballs completely in and with facial twitches so typical of the visually impaired, his portrait is realistic", the two lead actress too received acclaim, "Kavya Madhavan and Kaveri, have excellently expressive eyes, which have been put to good use".[5] S. R. Ashok Kumar said, "As the blind Kasi, he touched a chord".[6] Sify noted, "Vikram, it goes without saying that he is the life and soul of Kasi. As the blind singer, he brings laughter, tears and a lump in one’s throat. Vikram has given an extraordinarily detailed performance, which only a Kamalhassan can do!" and summed up saying its an emotionally powerful movie.[7] Balaji Balasubramaniam wrote, "The movie is populated with characters that have a big effect, both positive and negative, on us".[8][9]Kasi was commercially successful as well.[10]
Awards
| Award | Ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filmfare Awards South | 49th Filmfare Awards South[11] | Best Actor | Vikram | Won |
| Cinema Express Awards | 22nd Cinema Express Awards[12] | Best Actor | Vikram | Won |
Remakes
A remake of the Malayalam film Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum, Kasi was further remade in Kannada, Telugu and Sinhala. Namma Preethiya Ramu, the Kannada version, starred Darshan in the lead and was released on November 2003.[13] Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi, the Telugu version, starring R. P. Patnaik in the lead released on March 24, 2004.[14] The Sinhalese Tamil version Sooriyaa is directed by Dr. Niranjan starring himself in the title role.[15][16]The film was also dubbed and released in Telugu as Kashinath in 2012. It was produced by Gajula Nageswara Rao and distributed by Kumari G. Kirthana of Sri Siva Parvathi Productions. The lyrics were written by Vanamali.
- Character map
| Character | Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum (Malayalam) |
Kasi (Tamil) |
Namma Preethiya Ramu (Kannada) |
Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi (Telugu) |
Sooriyaa (Sinhala) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hero | Kalabhavan Mani (Ramu) |
Vikram (Kasi) |
Darshan (Ramu) |
R. P. Patnaik (Seenu) |
Dr. Niranjan (Suriya) |
| Heroine | Kaveri (Lakshmi) |
Kaveri (Kaveri) |
Navya (Lakshmi) |
Navaneet Kaur (Lakshmi) |
Kanchana Mendis |
| Sister | Praveen (Vasanthi) |
Kavya Madhavan (Lakshmi) |
Hamsavijetha (Vasanthi) |
Padmapriya (Vasanthi) |
Chathurika Peiris |
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