Vaaimai (transl. The Truth) is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language courtroom drama film written and directed by A. Senthil Kumar.[1] Inspired by the script of Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men (1954), the film stars Shanthnu Bhagyaraj and Muktha Bhanu amongst an ensemble cast.[2] Goundamani, Thyagarajan, Ramki, Urvashi, Manoj K. Bharathi, Prithvi Pandiarajan and Poornima Bhagyaraj are also part of the cast. Though production had begun in 2013, the film released following a production delay on 8 September 2016, garnering negative reviews.[3]
| Vaaimai | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | A. Senthil Kumar |
| Written by | A. Senthil Kumar |
| Produced by | S. Mani S. Thamizhini |
| Starring | Shanthanu Bhagyaraj Ramki Goundamani Thiagarajan Muktha Manoj Bharathiraja Urvashi Prithvi Pandiarajan Poornima Bhagyaraj |
| Narrated by | Vijay Sethupathi |
| Cinematography | Rasamathi |
| Edited by | Anthony |
| Music by | Augath |
Production company | Min Max Movies |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Plot
editA woman stands accused of helping her son assassinate a politician. She needs to defend herself against accusations that she was an accomplice to the plot.
Cast
edit- Shanthanu Bhagyaraj as Sidharthan
- Thiagarajan as Dheenadayalan
- Muktha Bhanu as Jhanavi
- Goundamani as Dr. Benny Quick
- Ramki as Thirumaaran IPS
- Poornima Bhagyaraj as Devakiammal
- Urvashi as Narayani
- Manoj Bharathiraja as Manibharathi
- Prithvi Pandiarajan as Velan
- Namo Narayana as Namo Narayanan
- Venkat Subha as Gopikrishna
- Rose Venkatesan as Rose IAS
- Ankitha Mohapatra as Chinmayi
- K. Bhagyaraj in a cameo appearance
Production
editSenthil Kumar chose to make his debut with Vaaimai after his other project, Thirudan featuring Vijay Antony, ran into production troubles during 2012. Inspired by Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men (1954), Senthil Kumar signed on Shanthnu Bhagyaraj to play the lead role in the film. The film began its shoot in February 2013, with a bevy of retired actors making their comebacks. Goundamani, Ramki, Thiagarajan, Poornima Bhagyaraj, and Manoj K. Bharathi all signed on to work on the film, several years after their previous films had released.[4] The film was subsequently shot in places like Delhi, Rishikesh, Haridwar and Kollimalai.[5]
After a three-year production delay, the film was readied for release in September 2016 with Vijay Sethupathi working as a narrator in the film.[6]
Release
editThe film opened after a long production delay in September 2016 to negative reviews. A critic from The Hindu called it "a forgettable re-interpretation of an all-time classic" and gave the film a very negative review.[7] A critic from Sify.com wrote "It's very difficult to tolerate when someone adapt a classic film like Twelve Angry Men with a plodding screenplay, over the top dialogues and dramatic performances! Well, if you are a fan of Twelve Angry Men, better never ever try to watch Vaaimai!", concluding "watch the film at your own risk".[8] The reviewer from The Times of India noted "in fact, this film is — unconvincing, with writing that makes no sense and execution that is laughable".[9]
Soundtrack
editDebutant Auggath has composed the music of this movie. The song "Kanpadum Un Mugham" is the second Tamil song that Bollywood playback singer Alka Yagnik has ever sung after "Idhu Enna Mayam" from Oram Po (2007).
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vaimaye Vellum" | Vijay Prakash | 4.32 |
| 2. | "Kanpadum Un Mugham" | Alka Yagnik | 3.45 |
| 3. | "Matta" | Blaaze, Vijay Prakash | 5.18 |
| 4. | "Boomiye Saamiye" | Sadhana Sargam | 3.18 |
| 5. | "Hey Nadu" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | 5.10 |
| Total length: | 22.13 | ||
References
edit- ^ "Shanthnu gears for 'Vaaimai'". The Times of India. 7 December 2012. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- ^ "Vaaimai second schedule underway". The Times of India. 1 April 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- ^ "Vaaimai Movie Review, Trailer, & Show timings at Times of India". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016.
- ^ "Goundamani is back!!!, Goundamani, Vaaimai". Behindwoods.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ "A believer in content-oriented films". Newindianexpress.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ Srinivasan, Sudhir (9 September 2016). "Dad will not choose my films any more: Shanthnu". Thehindu.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ Menon, Vishal (10 September 2016). "Vaaimai: Court unquote". Thehindu.com. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ "Review : Vaaimai review: Watch at your own risk! (2016)". Sify. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ "Vaaimai Movie Review {1.5/5}: Critic Review of Vaaimai". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 October 2018.