Wikipedia

Veeramae Vaagai Soodum

Veeramae Vaagai Soodum (transl. Only bravery wins) is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Thu Pa Saravanan and produced by Vishal and Dato Abdul Malik under the banner of Vishal Film Factory and Malik Streams Corporation. It stars Vishal and Dimple Hayathi, while Raveena Ravi, Baburaj, and Yogi Babu play supporting roles.[2][3] The soundtrack and background score were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Kavin Raj and N. B. Srikanth. The film marks the posthumous appearance of noted actor-director R. N. R. Manohar, who died on 17 November 2021 from COVID-19 complications.

Veeramae Vaagai Soodum
Theatrical release poster
Directed byThu Pa Saravanan
Written byThu Pa Saravanan
Produced byVishal
Mohamed Zubair
Razik Ahamed
Starring
CinematographyKavin Raj
Edited byN. B. Srikanth
Music byYuvan Shankar Raja
Production
companies
Vishal Film Factory
Malik Streams Corporation
Distributed bySSI productions (Tamil Nadu)
AV Media Consultancy (Karnataka)
Release date
  • 4 February 2022 (2022-02-04)
Running time
166 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Veerame Vaagai Soodum was released in theatres on 4 February 2022, where it received mixed reviews from critics and became an average venture at the box office.[4]

Plot

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In Chennai, Purusothaman "Porus", an aspiring police trainee, aims to become an IPS officer. He hails from a middle-class family consisting of his father Constable Ponnuswamy, mother Kanchana, and sister Dwaraka.

Meanwhile, Parisudham, a social activist, organizes a protest against a factory in Karaikudi District owned by an influential business magnate named Nedunchezhiyan. The factory waste was responsible for destroying a prosperous village. Guna is the brother of a local don named Selvam, who eve-teases Dwaraka. Guna threatens Dwaraka again, and Porus takes him to Selvam's house. Selvam slaps Guna and reprimands him. Faizal, Dwaraka's friend, confesses his love for Dwaraka to Porus.

In a parallel story, Elanchezhiyan alias Ela, a classmate of Dwaraka and Nedunchezhiyan's younger brother, threatens a girl named Divya. Divya and Dwaraka both try to commit suicide at their respective houses. Selvam tries to compromise with Porus's family, while Nedunchezhiyan also talks with Parisutham and attempts to bribe him with money. Ela's father also talks to Divya and her father. Simultaneously, Parisutham insults Nedunchezhiyan, Dwaraka humiliates Guna, and Divya humiliates Ela. Ela plans to kidnap Divya, while Guna plans to abduct Dwaraka. Nedunchezhiyan plans to kidnap Parisutham. Ela accidentally kidnaps Dwaraka while she is visiting the medical store. Ravi and his gang kidnap Parisutham and take him to Nedunchezhiyan's factory.

Meanwhile, Dwaraka escapes from Ela, where she witnesses Nedunchezhiyan and his gang beheading Parisutham. Nedunchezhiyan and his associates try to capture Dwaraka. While hiding, Dwaraka tries to call her father, but to no avail. She cleverly records and sends a voice message to Faizal, detailing Nedunchezhiyan's involvement in Parisutham's death. Nedunchezhiyan captures Dwaraka and kills her. After searching for Dwaraka with Porus, Faizal arrives home and listens to the voice message, but Nedunchezhiyan's men kill him.

Porus learns about his sister's death, which devastates him and his family. Guna surrenders in court, alleging that he killed her. Porus later discovers that Faizal's and Dwaraka's deaths are not chronological, so he investigates in his way. Porus goes after each gang member involved in Nedunchezhiyan's crime network to find the conspirators behind Dwaraka's and Faizal's deaths, but Nedunchezhiyan kills each gang member, involving Ravi. Porus requests a hacker to check Faizal's phone, where he uncovers some brutal murders orchestrated by Nedunchezhiyan (including Guna's death).

After analysing the day when Dwaraka got kidnapped, Porus finds out that Divya was to be abducted by Ela. Nedunchezhiyan and his men discover this through Ela's friends and kill Divya despite Porus's intervention. At the hospital, Porus's hacker retrieves the recording from Faizal's phone, where Porus learns about facts leading to Dwaraka's death. Nedunchezhiyan hears the recording through his henchman Mike and kidnaps Ponnuswamy, where he tells Porus to hand over the recording in exchange for his father. Porus brings the recording where he gets thrashed by the gang.

However, Porus retaliates by thrashing Nedunchezhiyan's gang and killing Ela. Porus brings Selvam to Nedunchezhiyan and tells him to avenge Guna's death. Selvam kills Nedunchezhiyan and his men with a chainsaw, while Porus leaves the factory with Ponnuswamy. With the help of Divya's devastated father Raghupathi, Porus stuffs a dead Nedunchezhiyan and Ela into a meat grinder and feeds their flesh to crocodiles in a zoo where Raghupathi works, thus leaving no evidence about their deaths. After this, Porus gets appointed as an IPS officer and secretly gives money to Parisudham's son for hospital treatment.

Cast

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  • Vishal as Purusothaman "Porus"
  • Dimple Hayathi as Mythili, Porus's love interest
  • Raveena Ravi as Dwaraka, Porus's sister
  • Baburaj as Nedunchezhiyan
  • Yogi Babu as Thalapathy, Porus's friend
  • G. Marimuthu as Constable Ponnuswamy, Porus and Dwaraka's father
  • Tulasi as Kanchana, Porus and Dwaraka's mother
  • Elango Kumaravel as Parishuddam
  • Raja Chembolu as Elanchezhiyan a.k.a. Ela, Nedunchezhiyan's younger brother
  • R. N. R. Manohar as Inspector Kaatamuthu
  • Deepthi as Divya
  • George Maryan as Raghupathi, Divya’s father
  • K. S. G. Venkatesh as Paneer, Mythili's father
  • Porkodi as Mythili's mother
  • V. I. S. Jayapalan as Nedunchezhiyan's father
  • Billy Murali as Mike, Nedunchezhiyan's henchman
  • Vazhakku En Muthuraman as Pava, Parishuddam's relative
  • Agilan Pushparaj as Faizal, Dwaraka's friend
  • Gandhi as Selvam, a local don
  • Prem as Guna, Selvam's brother
  • Pudhupettai Suresh as Ravi
  • Kavitha Bharathy as Inspector Neethirajan
  • Sabitha Roi as Parishuddam's wife
  • Krishna Chaitanya as Parishuddam's son
  • Navin Krubhakar as Nallan, Elachezhiyan's friend
  • Kumanan Sethuraman as Nedunchezhiyan's driver
  • Supergood Subramani as Headmaster

Production

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Development

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The film was tentatively titled as Vishal 31. On 29 August 2021, the film's title was announced as Veerame Vaagai Soodum, which is a reference of a lyric of the title track of 1986 film Vikram, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja's father Ilaiyaraaja.[5]

Casting

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Vishal was cast as an aspiring police officer named Porus.[6] Dimple Hayathi was cast in as the female lead opposite Vishal which was her second Tamil film after Devi 2,[7] while Malayalam actor Baburaj was cast in as the main antagonist.[8]

Filming

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Principal photography began on 6 May 2021[9][10][11] and was wrapped up on 3 January 2022.[12]

Music

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Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the soundtrack and background score of the film while collaborating with Vishal for the 11th time after Sandakozhi, Thimiru, Thaamirabharani, Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai, Avan Ivan, Samar, Poojai, Irumbu Thirai, Sandakozhi 2 and Chakra. The first single "Rise Of A Common Man" was released on 22 December 2021, while the second single was released on January 14, 2022.[13][non-primary source needed]

Track-List
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Rise of A Common Man" (Theme Music 1)-Nivedita3:11
2."Thithikkirathe Kangal"VivekYuvan Shankar Raja3:15
Total length:6:26

Release

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Theatrical

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The film was dubbed in Hindi under the same title, in Telugu as Saamanyudu, and in Kannada as Obba. It was released on 4 February 2022.[14][15][16]

Home media

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The satellite and digital rights of the film were sold to ZEE5 and Zee Tamil.[17][18]

Reception

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Veerame Vaagai Soodum received mixed reviews from critics with praise towards the action sequences, cast performances (particularly Vishal) and background score, but was criticised for its predictability and characterisation.[19]

Critical response

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M. Suganth of The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "VVS is definitely engaging as long as it sticks to this core plot. There is suspense and thrills and we are also emotionally invested because Saravanan has managed to set-up the family of Porus in convincing fashion. This is why we feel like we are watching a robust action drama."[20] Pinkvilla Desk of Pinkvilla gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Vishal is known for playing such intense roles now. As usual, he got into the skin of his character and he has outdone his performance this time as well."[21]

Thinkal Menon of OTTplay gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "The film is a treat for those who love revenge thrillers with superbly choreographed action sequences and intriguing cat-and-mouse games. "[22] Haricharan Pudipeddi of Cinestaan gwve 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Veeramae Vaagai Soodum makes for a decent watch. It does feel long-drawn at 2 hours 46 minutes, but the action will keep you pinned till the last minute."[23]

Movicrow gave 2.25 out of 5 stars and wrote "What might have been a simple and relatable actioner, turns into a lengthy boring fair as the movie takes itself so seriously by trying to touch and bring together too many needless topics."[24] 123Telugu gave 2.75 out of 5 stars and wrote "The film is a slow-paced action drama with a decent concept. Vishal’s power-packed performance, Yogibabu’s comedy, and the suspense in the second half are basic assets. If you bear a few over-the-top scenes and the slow narration, you can give this action drama a shot this weekend."[25]

Ashameera Aiyappan of Firstpost gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "The film argues that bravery is enough to win. But it is not enough to be bold; one also needs to be smart. Unfortunately, the film fails on that front."[26] Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute gave 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Thu Pa Saravanan’s film is so full of cliches and convenient coincidences that I wondered if the title Kaadhil Poo Soodavum would have been more suitable since that's what it demands from the audience."[27]

Box office

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The film had an average opening weekend, grossing only ₹18 crore (US$2.2 million).[28][29]

References

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  1. ^ "Veeramae Vaagai Soodum". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Vishal announces his film Veerame Vaagai Soodum on his birthday. See first-look poster". India Today. 29 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Title and first look of Vishal 31 unveiled on actor's birthday". The News Minute. 30 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Vishal's Veeramae Vaagai Soodum to release on February 4?". The Times of India. 25 January 2022. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Veerame Vaagai Soodum: Vishal shares the FIRST LOOK and title of Vishal 31 on his birthday". Pinkvilla. 30 August 2021. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Veeramae Vaagai Soodum review: Vishal's film is a quintessential vigilante drama with decent action". 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  7. ^ "'Veeramae Vaagai Soodum' actress Dimple Hayathi tests positive for Covid". The Times of India. 17 January 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Malayalam actor Baburaj to play the villain Vishal 31". The Times of India. 4 July 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Vishal's next project goes on floors with a puja". The Times of India. 6 May 2021. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Vishal's next with director Thu Pa Saravanan goes on the floor". The News Minute. 7 May 2021. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  11. ^ "விஷாலின் புதிய படம்: பூஜையுடன் படப்பிடிப்பு தொடக்கம்". Hindu Tamil (in Tamil). 6 May 2021. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  12. ^ "அடுத்தடுத்த அறிவிப்புகளை வெளியிட்ட விஷால்". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 3 January 2022. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  13. ^ "'Thithikkirathe Kangal' Mesmerising second single from #VeeramaeVaagaiSoodum sung by our maestro @thisisysr will be releasing on #Jan14". Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Vishal's 'Veerame Vaagai Soodum' release postponed". DT Next. 26 January 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Saamanyudu". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Obba – Official Trailer". The Times of India. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  17. ^ Sushmetha (8 April 2022). "ZEE TAMIL ANNOUNCES THE TELEVISION PREMIERE OF VISHAL'S VEERAME VAAGAI SOODUM!". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  18. ^ "ஓடிடியில் வெளியானது விஷாலின் 'வீரமே வாகை சூடும்'". Puthiya Thalaimurai (in Tamil). 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Veeramae Vagai Soodum Review: Vishal Starrer 'Entertains in Bits and Pieces', Critics Not Very Impressed by the Film". ZEE5. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022. The film is receiving mixed reviews from critics for its predictability and characterization, but the action sequences, performances and score are being praised.
  20. ^ Suganth, M (4 February 2022). "Veeramae Vaagai Soodum Movie Review: A robust, if somewhat routine, action drama". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Veeramae Vaagai Soodum Movie Review: Vishal's cop drama entertains in bits and pieces with a thrilling plot". Pinkvilla. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Veeramae Vaagai Soodum movie review: This Vishal-starrer has some whistle-worthy moments". OTTplay. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  23. ^ "Veeramae Vaagai Soodum review: Vishal's film is quintessential vigilante drama with decent action". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Veerame Vaagai Soodum Review – Vishal's yet another Misfire!". moviecrow.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Review : Saamanyudu – Slow-paced action drama". 123Telugu. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Veerame Vaagai Soodum movie review: Few thoughtful ideas buried under several platitudes". Firstpost. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  27. ^ "Veeramae Vaagai Soodum review: You need veeram and masochism to endure Vishal's film". The News Minute. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Box Office: Vishal's Veerame Vaagai Soodum disappoints with a 7 crores opening weekend". Pinkvilla. 7 February 2022. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  29. ^ "Vishal's Cop Thriller Veerame Vagai Soodum Struggles at Box Office. Check Collections". News18. 10 February 2022. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
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