Indru Netru Naalai (transl. Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow) is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language science fiction comedy film[1] written and directed by R. Ravikumar. The film stars Vishnu Vishal and Miya, while Karunakaran, T. M. Karthik, P. Ravi Shankar and Jayaprakash play supporting roles. It revolves around two men coming into possession of a time machine and abusing it for their own benefit, leading to chaotic consequences.
| Indru Netru Naalai | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | R. Ravikumar |
| Written by | R. Ravikumar Rajan Radhamanalan (dialogue) |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | A. Vasanth |
| Edited by | Leo John Paul |
| Music by | Hiphop Tamizha |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by |
|
Release date |
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Running time | 146 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Indru Netru Naalai is the feature debut of Ravikumar, previously a short film director. The film is jointly produced by Thirukumaran Entertainment and Studio Green. It was released on 26 June 2015 and received positive reviews from critics. Ravikumar won the Behindwoods Gold Medal for Best Screenplay Writer.[2]
Plot
editIn 2065, a scientist invents a time machine. To prove its capability, he sends it back in time to 2015, programming it to return within forty seconds. However, the machine does not return.
The time machine is seen by three people in 2015 — Elango, an aspiring entrepreneur whose ideas are rejected by all and who is struggling to maintain his relationship with his rich girlfriend Anu, who is embarrassed at the fact that Elango is unemployed; Elango's best friend Pulivetti Arumugam, a fake astrologer; and an inventor Giridhara Parthasarathy, who makes a living by repairing home appliances. The three of them are involved in an accident and witness the time machine while recovering from the shock. While Parthasarathy decides to keep the time machine for himself, he suffers an electric shock and ends up in a coma, prompting Elango and Arumugam to steal the time machine from Parthasarathy's shop. The duo use the time machine to make Arumugam's astrology practice seem successful by going back in time and finding things lost by people under the guise of astrology. Elango further uses the machine to impress Anu's industrialist father Rajarathinam by going to the future, obtaining the stock market results and successfully "predicting" them in front of Rajarathinam and his company's board of directors. Rajarathinam soon approves the marriage of Anu to Elango.
Things go smoothly until Elango and Arumugam inadvertently thwart an encounter to kill Kuzhandaivelu, a dreaded gangster and extortionist who is targeting Rajarathinam, during one of their trips to the past to find yet another item for Arumugam's client. In the present, Kuzhandaivelu is plotting to kill Rajarathinam for his role in planning the encounter and also Elango and Arumugam for (unknowingly) attacking him in a parking lot. Elango and Anu's marriage is postponed indefinitely as a result.
Elango and Arumugam go back to the past to fix their mistake, but Kuzhandaivelu accidentally shoots the time machine while fighting a police officer during the encounter, damaging it. The duo find Parthasarathy, who has awoken from his coma but does not remember them, and ask him to fix the time machine. While Parthasarathy manages to fix the time machine, due to a lack of specific parts which have not yet been developed, it can only take the user to a specific time in the past (when Kuzhandaivelu damaged the time machine) and as the date cannot be changed, the user cannot return to the future. Therefore, the duo decide not to use it. Later, Kuzhandaivelu spots Elango, Arumugam and Anu at a mall and pursues them. He opens fire during the chase, killing Anu. To restore Anu to life, Elango decides to use the time machine to return to the past and kill Kuzhandaivelu, even though he cannot return. But Kuzhandaivelu spots the duo and while fighting them, all three of them fall into the time machine and go to the past. Kuzhandaivelu destroys the time machine, but Elango manages to trick Kuzhandaivelu into shooting his past self, causing both versions to die. Elango and Arumugam stop themselves from finding the time machine by thwarting the accident involving them and Parthasarathy.
The next morning, Elango wakes up in bed, remembering only the events of the previous night. He soon finds out, to his surprise, that he is in a marriage hall and that he will marry Anu on that day. He does not remember, to Anu's bewilderment, any of the events which had occurred in the past two months as a result of his usage of the time machine during that period. He learns that, without finding the time machine, he got a job and managed to impress Rajarathinam with one of his business ideas, leading to his marriage with Anu. Arumugam, who also does not remember anything over the past two months, is happily married. Elango and Arumugam soon learn that Kuzhandaivelu had died two months ago, having been killed in the encounter. They also see Parthasarathy, who does not recognise them as they never met in the new timeline.
Since the time machine was never seen, it returns to 2065, making it a success.
Cast
edit- Vishnu Vishal as Elango
- Miya as Anu
- Karunakaran as Pulivetti "Puli" Arumugam
- T. M. Karthik as Ponputhirkootam Giridhara Parthasarathy/Pazham/Boss
- P. Ravi Shankar as Kuzhandaivelu
- Jayaprakash as Rajarathinam
- Bagavathi Perumal as Elango's boss
- Anjali Varadarajan as Elango's mother
- Anupama Kumar as Anu's mother
- V. I. S. Jayapalan as Marthandam
- Munishkanth as an actor
- Sivasankar as Jewelry Store Owner
- Sumathi G. as Parthasarathy's neighbour
- V. S. Raghavan as Victim
- Jeeva Ravi as Ravishankar
- Sai Dheena as Marthandam's henchman
- Ramachandran Durairaj as Kuzhandaivelu's henchman
- Dharma as Inspector
- Raja Rani Pandian as Constable
- Mippu as Thief
- K. Manikandan as Film Director
- Arya as Scientist (Cameo appearance)
- Kavin as Imaginary husband of Anu (uncredited role)
- Smruthi Venkat as Priyam TV Reporter (uncredited role)
Production
editIndru Netru Naalai is the directorial debut feature of R. Ravikumar, previously a short film director.[3] After making the short Zero Kilometer, based on the wormhole concept, he wanted to make a feature film on the same subject, but later found it unsuitable. Nalan Kumarasamy then suggested he make a film based on time travel, and Ravikumar conceived the story of Indru Netru Naalai.[4] Vishnu Vishal announced he was part of the project in October 2014.[5] Miya signed on as the lead actress, and to honour her commitments to this film, opted out of My God.[6] Principal photography began in late October 2014. In early November, Vishal took a brief hiatus from filming due to developing conjunctivitis.[7] Filming wrapped in January 2015.[8] The visual effects and CGI were handled by Phantom Effects.[4]
Music
edit| Indru Netru Naalai | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 12 June 2015 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 14:54 | |||
| Language | Tamil | |||
| Label | Think Music | |||
| Producer | Hiphop Tamizha | |||
| Hiphop Tamizha chronology | ||||
| ||||
The film's soundtrack album and background score were composed by Hiphop Tamizha. The audio launch was held on 12 June 2015.[9]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "iPhone 6 Nee Yendral" | Hiphop Tamizha | Hiphop Tamizha | 02:42 |
| 2. | "Kadhale Kadhale" | Vivek | Shankar Mahadevan, Padmalatha | 03:27 |
| 3. | "Naane Thaan Raja" | Muthamil, Hiphop Tamizha | Anthony Daasan, Hiphop Tamizha | 03:35 |
| 4. | "Indru Netru Naalai" | Hiphop Tamizha | Shankar Mahadevan, Aalap Raju | 03:05 |
| 5. | "The Conquest of Time Theme" | Hiphop Tamizha | 02:05 | |
| Total length: | 14:54 | |||
Release and reception
editIndru Netru Naalai was released on 26 June 2015,[4] and received positive reviews from critics.[10] Baradwaj Rangan, writing for The Hindu, called it "A fun ride with a time machine".[11] S. Saraswathi of Rediff.com gave the film 3.5/5 stars, praising the direction, screenplay, and performances of the cast members. She concluded by saying that Indru Netru Naalai is "worth watching".[12]
M. Suganth of The Times of India gave it 3.5/5 and stated "Indru Netru Naalai is a refreshing and well-made sci-fi film that will keep you entertained from start to finish. The film's concept is original and well-executed, and the performances are all top-notch. Vishnu is particularly good in the lead role, and he is ably supported by Karunakaran and Mia George. The film's special effects are also impressive, and they help to create a believable and immersive world. Overall, Indru Netru Naalai is a must-see for fans of sci-fi films".[13] Anupama Subramanian of Deccan Chronicle wrote, "Though there were few predictable moments , pace suffers at times and some of the jokes fall flat, it is Ravikumar’s skilful writing, the presentation without any logical loopholes and a nice ending with a powerful message that carries Indru Netru Naalai all the way through".[14]
Potential sequel
editOn 18 January 2021, a sequel was announced with a puja ceremony. The filmmakers revealed that Vishal and Karunakaran were retained for the sequel. It would be directed by debutant Karthik Ponraj SP with music composed by Ghibran.[15] However, the film ended up in development hell. In February 2024, Vishal stated that he was unsure whether development was still continuing.[16] That April, Bharath Menon was revealed to be the new director, with the story being by Ravikumar.[17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "'Indru Netru Naalai' is a Sci-Fi comedy:Ravikumar". Sify. 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ^ Jyothsna (26 July 2016). "Winners of Behindwoods Gold Medals 2015". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
- ^ "Indru Netru Naalai director's next is a fantasy". The Times of India. 7 September 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ a b c Jyothsna (23 June 2015). "THE FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR TAMIL FILMS..." Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
- ^ "Vishnu's next is Indru Netru Naalai". The Times of India. 3 October 2014. Archived from the original on 4 October 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ Pillai, Radhika C (10 November 2014). "Mia opts out of Suresh Gopi's next film". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ "Vishnu Vishal's Madras Eye Stalls Shoot". The New Indian Express. 5 November 2014. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ Vandhana (7 January 2015). "Indru Netru Naalai is Over". Silverscreen India. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ "Indru Netru Naalai audio on June 12". The Times of India. 11 June 2015. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "5 years of 'Indru Netru Naalai': Some of the time travels that were most loved by the audience from the science fiction drama". The Times of India. 26 June 2020. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (27 June 2015). "Indru Netru Naalai: A time-travel thriller with more comedy than thrills". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ Saraswathi, S. (26 June 2015). "Review: Indru Netru Naalai is a total entertainer". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ Suganth, M. (26 June 2015). "Indru Netru Naalai Movie Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ Subramanian, Anupama (28 June 2015). "Movie review 'Indru Netru Naalai': Nice ending with a powerful message". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "'Indru Netru Naalai 2' kick-starts with a pooja today". The Times of India. 18 January 2021. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ "Vishnu Vishal still has hopes for 'Indru Netru Naalai 2'". The Times of India. 2 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "'Indru Netru Naalai 2' to be directed by Bharath Mohan". The Hindu. 8 April 2024. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
