vetrimaran love story

Updated IST

• Click on the Menu icon of the browser, it opens up a list of options.
• Click on the “Options ”, it opens up the settings page,
• Here click on the “Privacy & Security” options listed on the left hand side of the page.
• Scroll down the page to the “Permission” section .
• Here click on the “Settings” tab of the Notification option.
• A pop up will open with all listed sites, select the option “ALLOW“, for the respective site under the status head to allow the notification.
• Once the changes is done, click on the “Save Changes” option to save the changes.

• Top Listing
• Upcoming Movies

Vetrimaaran's Wife Opens Up About Their Beautiful Love Story; Says 'He Asked Me To Marry Someone Else..'

The recently released film 'Viduthalai Part 1' under the direction of one of the most important directors of Tamil cinema, Vetrimaaran, has been a hit in the theaters and is getting good reviews among the people.

Director Vetrimaaran made his directorial debut with the 2007 film 'Polladhavan' starring Dhanush. All his subsequent films like Aadukalam, Vadachennai and Asuran were huge hits. Tamil cinema celebrates him as a director who has accumulated national awards.

Director Vetrimaaran is very strict, and everyone who has worked with him knows that he is a ruthless man who is not satisfied until he gets what he wants out of the actors on sets. In such a situation, the information that Vetrimaaran's wife shared about him is going viral on social media.

Director Vetrimaaran has tied the knot with his girlfriend Arthi after many years of love. They also have a daughter. Vetrimaaran's wife had openly talked about their love story and their marriage in an interview.

After a few days of knowing each other, Arthi came forward and expressed her love to Vetrimaaran. Do you know what Vetrimaaran's answer was? He said if you want to marry me you have to wait for 10 years.

Even after Aarthi said OK for this deal, Vetrimaaran gave a twist. "Perhaps after a few years, if you can't wait, you can freely marry someone else," he said.

Arthi, who agreed to this at first, said that it will not take all those years as he says. Vetrimaran hopes to marry her in two or three years.

At that time, Arthi got a job abroad, but Arthi refused saying that she can't go abroad. But Vetrimaaran said, "I will not interfere with your work. Likewise you should not interfere."

Vetrimaaran has put a condition that if this love will separate the dreams of both of us then we don't need such love. Arthi immediately joined the work and today has grown to become the general manager of the company. If you listen to this story told by Vetrimaaran's wife, you will understand how Vetrimaaran was a strict officer in real life as well.

Netizens are appreciating his confidence and consistendy towards his goal. They says this is the reason for the great success of every film that he directs.

Elvish Yadav-Maxtern Fight | Lockupp Fame Anjali Arora Supports Bigg Boss OTT 2 Winner: Aise Bohot Aae...

Elvish Yadav-Maxtern Fight | Abhishek Malhan Aka Fukra Insaan’s Bro Nischay Supports Sagar: Hate Dene…

Superstar Singer 3, Madness Machayenge - India Ko Hasayenge: What To Watch On TV This Weekend?

Advertisement

• Don't Block
• Block for 8 hours
• Block for 12 hours
• Block for 24 hours
• Dont send alerts during 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am to 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am

• Firstpost Defence Summit
• Entertainment
• Web Stories
• Health Supplement
• First Sports
• Fast and Factual
• Between The Lines
• Firstpost America

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

Find us on YouTube

Related Stories

Weeks after illegal hoarding kills techie in Chennai, Madras HC allows Tamil Nadu govt, Centre to install banners for Modi-Xi Jinping meet in city

'Sorry, have lost faith in you': Madras High Court slams Tamil Nadu govt after AIADMK's illegal hoarding kills 23-year-old techie

Judges split over Ramkumar's post-mortem plea; appeal placed before Chief Justice

Chennai techie murder case: High Court orders postmortem of Ram Kumar's body

Every Vetrimaaran Film Ranked

Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran belongs to one of those breeds of director whose tight scripts, apt casting, and realistic treatment of storyline has made fundamental changes to the very nature of mainstream filmmaking. His films are made for a multi-cultural 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.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Every Lijo Jose Pellissery Film Ranked

Each of the films 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 social realism of rural Tamil Nadu. Even urban reality is being depicted showcasing 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 five features and one short film as a director, he has earned his reputation as the most one of the most accessible filmmakers of the last decade. His style involves artistically thriving with a soothing pace lending itself to an atmospheric work filled with oneiric undertones. Some viewers may find his films brutal and gut wrenching as it gets; yet, despite its ruthless depiction, it’s also surprisingly heartwarming.

5. 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.

Also, Read: Every Sriram Raghavan Film Ranked

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.

4. 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 to confess. 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.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Salt Of The Earth (1954) : A Landmark American Independent Cinema On The Working Class  

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 film become a victim because of the system that protected the criminal over the accuser. It is a deeply troubling film that is devoid of cathartic and healing moments. Vetrimaaran does not feel hesitant in constructing the brutal scene with ease and he is neither afraid to carve out its own unique style.

The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Back home it had won three National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing.

Watch Visaranai (2016) on Netflix

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 exactly 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 told from the perspective of a lower caste protagonist.

It’s one of those mainstream films that fulfill 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 degrade human values and status. At the Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards, 2020, Vetrimaaran won the award for best director. The film had won two National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil and Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Asuran (2019) Here

Watch asuran (2019) on prime video , 2. vada chennai (2018).

A tale of criminal activities narrated in a non-linear pattern over the span of more than a decade is the perfect recipe for a crime sage. Vetrimaaran’s narrative takes the viewers on a journey that lasts for nearly a hundred and sixty-four hours and 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 a multiple cast the story of the film is set in the underbellies of North Chennai as the title of the film implies and the theme of the film is more nuanced than the conventional black-and-white morality tales where evil is punished by good at the end. The film blatantly showcases the graphic world of crime and violence, investigates the nature of friendship, the ethics of vigilantism, and the nature of unhappiness. Vetrimaaran delves deeply into the minds of his tortured characters and explores how the men and women he depicts grapple with moral codes and their emotions.

He further engages with many of the most basic 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

Watch vada chennai (2018) on disney hotstar, 1. 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 boss Periyasamy (V. I. S. Jayapalan) and Rathnasamy (Naren). And from then onwards the life of our protagonist will be filled with one hurdle after the other as the tale of loyalty, self-esteem, deception, and honor unfolds.

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

In his sophomore, Vetrimaaran presents a varied cultural pattern of rural Tamil Nadu and 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 editing pattern of the film creates a commendable pace and multi-layered visual design that heightens the impact of the film. Though the filmmaker has openly admitted that he was inspired by the dogfighting scene of Amores Perros (2000), Vetrimaaran has infused his own style and poise within the film, which is anything by blatant copy.

Despite having strong content and potential for box-office success, filmmakers from another region could not dare to remake the film until now. The reason being the milieu of the film is so rooted in the soil of Tamil Nadu and that makes it the best film in the oeuvre of Vetrimaaran’s impressive career. 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.

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 category of special mention. On the surface level of its narrative, the film depicts the tale of a daughter Sumathi (Sai Pallavi) who had eloped from her village and now she has reunited with her father Janakiraman (Prakash Raj). But as the story of the film moves forward 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 style that is bold and innovative with the choice of a subject in which the form and content merge into one. The pacing is not fast like his other films rather it is a slow study of how Sumathi’s drastic decision had impacted the lives of various members of his family. Vetrimaaran did not deviate from his usual style of narrative exploration but he has brought an understated rhythm to the unfolding of the events.

There is a kind of freshness in his approach and courage displayed in choosing to build a film around the brutal concept of associating the honor of the family with the sanctity of a woman. The film 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.

Watch Oor Iravu (2020) on Netflix

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.

Similar Posts

Knights of Swing (2023) Review: A triumphant and charming, albeit cheesy period piece

10 Great Film Noirs without Femme Fatales

Bromates [2022] Review: This tone-deaf comedy has nothing to redeem itself

Once Upon a Time in Calcutta (2021): How to Survive in a Rapidly Changing Megalopolis?

Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) Review: An Intelligent Adaptation That Dilutes The Conservatism of The Original

Sunderland ‘Til I Die Season 3: Release Date, What to Expect, Where to Watch, Trailer & Other Details

Subscribe Now! Get features like

• Latest News
• Entertainment
• Real Estate
• Lok Sabha Election 2024 Date Live
• IPL 2024 Schedule
• The Interview
• Web Stories
• IPL Points Table
• IPL Purple Cap
• IPL Orange Cap
• Mumbai News
• Bengaluru News
• Daily Digest

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.)

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like.

• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Weather Today
• HT Newsletters
• Subscription
• Print Ad Rates
• Code of Ethics

• Elections 2024
• India vs England
• T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule
• IPL 2024 Auctions
• T20 World Cup 2024
• ICC Rankings
• Other Cities
• Income Tax Calculator
• Budget 2024
• Petrol Prices
• Diesel Prices
• Silver Rate
• Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Telugu Cinema
• Tamil Cinema
• Exam Results
• Competitive Exams
• Board Exams
• BBA Colleges
• Engineering Colleges
• Medical Colleges
• BCA Colleges
• Medical Exams
• Engineering Exams
• Horoscope 2024
• Festive Calendar 2024
• Compatibility Calculator
• The Economist Articles
• Explainer Video
• On The Record
• Vikram Chandra Daily Wrap
• EPL 2023-24
• ISL 2023-24
• Asian Games 2023
• Public Health
• Economic Policy
• International Affairs
• Climate Change
• Gender Equality
• future tech
• Daily Sudoku
• Daily Crossword
• Daily Word Jumble
• HT Friday Finance
• Explore Hindustan Times
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Subscription - Terms of Use

Vetrimaaran

IMDbPro Starmeter See rank

• Contact info
• 20 wins & 10 nominations

• Writer (as Vetri Maaran)

• In Production
• Post-production
• Pre-production

• producer (as Vetri Maaran)

• screenplay (as Vetri Maaran)

• original story (as Vetri Maaran)

• Director (as Vetri Maaran)
• In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

• Vetri Maaran
• September 4 , 1975
• Cuddalore, Tamilnadu, India
• Poonthendral
• Parents V Chitravel

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

How much have you seen?

Recently viewed

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

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

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

Nampikkai .

Trust. It can move mountains.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Vetrimaaran, we trust.

Film: Viduthalai - Part 1

Language: Tamil

Director: Vetrimaaran

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

Rating: 4/5

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

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

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

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

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

Editor's pick.

How my mother became my best friend

Meet Nina Métayer, the world's best pastry chef

Meet the doctors who have turned their passions into alternative professions

Equity surge

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

• entertainment

Vetrimaaran reveals how Pa Ranjith started a bold movement in the Tamil movie industry

Merry Christmas | Tamil Song - Title Track

Visual Stories

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.  

ADOOR GOPALAKRISHNAN COLUMN | Remembering Manikda, the Ray who lit up Indian cinema

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 . 

ALSO READ | Gods and the gods of Bollywood

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?

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

Related Stories

Love chocolate cake? Meet the 7-ingredient chocolate eclair cake recipe of your dreams

For seasoned cooks and kitchen novices, cookbook author and nutritionist robin miller takes it back to basics with great, family-friendly recipes worth making over and over again..

Imagine a marriage of chocolate eclair and Boston cream pie — in cake form. This chocolate eclair cake boasts all the elements of the fancy French dessert, from cream-filled pastry to decadent chocolate glaze, but there’s no need for a mixer, and no baking required. Plus, every ingredient can be found in your local grocery store. All the joy of a chocolate cake without all the fuss? Count us in.

This scrumptious dessert features layers of fluffy vanilla pudding and softened graham crackers tucked under a canopy of fudgy chocolate ganache. Even more enticing? This quick-and-easy, no-bake cake requires just 7 ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep time. The hardest part is waiting for the cake to chill before diving in.

Eclair cake

This no-bake chocolate eclair cake requires just 7 pantry staples. Here’s the rundown.

Instant pudding . You can use regular vanilla or French vanilla pudding in this cake, but it must be instant pudding. Instant pudding sets differently and is thicker than pudding made on the stovetop; cook-and-serve pudding will not work here. I highly recommend using French vanilla pudding because, well, this is a riff on a French dessert, and I find French vanilla richer and more custard-like than regular vanilla pudding.

Whole milk . Whole milk makes the creamiest vanilla pudding, so I encourage you to use it. You can also use 2% milk, but avoid nonfat skim milk as it can make the filling runny.  

Whipped topping . Non-dairy whipped topping aerates the pudding and gives it a luscious, fluffy consistency. Just remember to thaw the frozen topping for 3 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator before using. Do not thaw frozen whipped topping at room temperature because you won’t get the same “lift”.

Graham crackers . Graham crackers mimic baked French choux pastry in this cake, and they soften beautifully when nestled between layers of pudding. If desired, you can substitute vanilla wafer cookies.

Semisweet chocolate . Some recipes for chocolate eclair cake call for store-bought chocolate frosting. While that’s certainly an option, I think you’ll find this fudge-like chocolate ganache much more satisfying. I suggest semisweet chocolate over milk chocolate; milk chocolate will make the cake overly sweet. You can also use bittersweet chocolate. You need just 3 ingredients — semisweet chocolate, cream and butter — and about 10 minutes, and your ganache is complete.

Heavy cream . Scalded heavy cream is used to melt the chocolate and create the ganache. You cannot use milk to make ganache. When you combine the scalded cream and chocolate, let the mixture stand for 10 minutes without stirring. Stirring too soon can create a granular ganache, not one that’s satiny, glossy, and smooth. 

Butter . One tablespoon of butter in the ganache makes all the difference in the world, adding shine and extra silkiness to the glaze.

How to make eclair cake

Don’t overlap the graham crackers . For neat, uniform layers, arrange your graham crackers in a single layer, without overlapping them. Break the graham crackers into smaller pieces to fill in any gaps.

Chill your assembled cake overnight and up to 2 days . The graham crackers in this cake need time to soften, so don’t rush the chilling time. Chill the cake for a minimum of 8 hours, and up to 2 days before slicing and serving.

Consider swapping ingredients . Once you’ve crafted this chocolate eclair cake, consider variations for future cake adventures. For example, use chocolate pudding instead of vanilla and chocolate or cinnamon graham crackers instead of plain.

Chocolate eclair cake recipe

If you have leftover cake, cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing because, once thawed, the pudding will be watery and the graham crackers mushy.

Makes: 16 to 20 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 (3.4-ounce) packages instant French vanilla pudding or instant vanilla pudding
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 (8-ounce) container non-dairy whipped topping, thawed according to package directions
• 1 (14-ounce) box graham crackers

For the chocolate ganache:

• 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the instant pudding and milk for 2 minutes.
• Fold in the whipped topping and set aside.
• In the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, arrange one layer of graham crackers. Do not overlap the crackers and, if necessary, break a few crackers to fill in any gaps.
• Top the graham crackers with half of the pudding mixture and carefully spread out into an even layer. Arrange another layer of graham crackers over the pudding. Repeat with the remaining pudding and top with a final, third layer of graham crackers.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
• To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a large bowl.
• Place the cream and butter in a small saucepan and set the pan over medium heat. Heat the cream until tiny bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, but do not bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 10 minutes, without stirring.
• Stir the cream and melted chocolate together until smooth.
• Pour the ganache over the top layer of graham crackers and gently spread out into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. The longer you chill the cake the better as this gives the graham crackers time to soften.
• Slice into squares and serve.

More cake: Making the ultimate carrot cake is easier than you think. Here's a foolproof recipe

Questions or comments? Email the culinary team at  [email protected] .