Kaalai

2008 Indian film

Kaalai

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Tarun Gopi
Written by| Tarun Gopi
Produced by| S. S. Chakravarthy
Starring| Silambarasan
Vedhika
Cinematography| R. D. Rajasekhar
Edited by| Anthony
Music by| G. V. Prakash Kumar

Production
company

NIC Arts

Release date

* 15 January 2008 (2008-01-15)

Running time

| 89 minutes
Country| India
Language| Tamil

Kaalai (Tamil pronunciation: [ˈkaːɭaɪ] transl. Bull) is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Tarun Gopi. The film stars Silambarasan and Vedhika. Sangeetha, Seema, Santhanam, Lal and Sulile Kumar play supporting roles. The film's music was composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, with cinematography handled by R. D. Rajasekhar and editing by Anthony. Kaalai was released on 15 January 2008 and was a commercial failure.[1]

## Plot

[edit]

This article needs an improved plot summary. Please help improve the plot summary. (January 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Jeeva shares his name with two other people: one villain and one police officer Jeevanandham who becomes a villain. The confusion arising from this is a significant part of the plot.

At the age of nine, Jeeva's grandmother Karuppayi Aatha slays five men because they scorned her father's advice and illegally distilled alcohol in the village. After her return from prison, the villagers both fear and revere her, and consider her the head of the village.

Jeevanandham comes to the village ruled by Karuppayi Aatha to try to find illicit activity. When he cannot find anything, he is thrashed by the villagers. He returns to take vengeance, and in the course of the hostilities burns Karuppayi Aatha alive.

Jeeva the criminal is meanwhile wooing Jeevanandham's daughter Brindha. But Brindha loves Jeeva, Karuppayi's grandson, and he wants to take revenge on his namesake for the death of his grandmother. He abducts Brindha as a hostage to lure her father to his death.

## Cast

[edit]

* Silambarasan as Jeeva
* Vedhika as Brindha
* Sangeetha as Lakshmi
* Seema as Karuppayi Aatha
* Lal as DCP Jeevanandham IPS
* Santhanam as College Student and Jeeva's friend
* Vinayakan as Mokkai
* Tharun Kshatriya as Jeeva
* Kadhal Dhandapani
* Shanmugarajan as ACP Vallayan IPS
* Nellai Siva as Police officer
* Raneesh as Jeeva's friend

Uncredited

* Sabarna as Brindha's friend[2]
* Mahat Raghavendra as Jeeva's friend[3]

* Meesai Rajendranath as Police Inspector
* Lollu Sabha Easter as Ezhumalai
* Ramdoss as Tea shop fight participant[3]
* Rinson Simon as a background dancer in the song "Kutti Pisaase"[4]
* Nila as dancer in "Guththa Lakkadi" (guest appearance)

## Production

[edit]

Sulile Kumar made his acting debut in the film and took the screen name "Tharun Kshatriya" at the director Tarun Gopi's suggestion.[5] Tarun Gopi was critical of Silambarasan's involvement in the project and stated that the actor grossly interfered with his duties as a director. Gopi labelled the actor "unprofessional" and stated that he could not recognise the film from his original script.[6]

## Soundtrack

[edit]

The soundtrack consists of six songs composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar. Silambarasan suggested Mamta Mohandas to sing an alternate version of the rap song "Kaala Kaala".[7] The album was released on 31 December 2007. Karthik Srinivasan of Milliblog wrote, "Three neat tracks from GV Prakashkumar, but the nonchalance towards the language and pronunciation is appalling". He was particularly critical of the diction of the non-Tamil speaking Mamta and Madhushree, especially the former pronouncing the film's title as [ˈkaːlaɪ] (transl. Morning) rather than the correct [ˈkaːɭaɪ] (transl. Bull).[8]

Song title | Singers | Length | Lyrics

|
|
|

"Kaala Kaala" | Benny Dayal, Mamta Mohandas | 05.45 | Silambarasan
"Vandhuttaanda Kaalai" | Benny Dayal, Rahul Nambiar, Silambarasan | 03:36 | Tharun Gopi
"Kutti Pisase" | Silambarasan, Suchitra | 05:36 | Vaali
"Guththa Lakkadi" | Lucky Ali, Sunidhi Chauhan | 06:03 | Vaali
"Veeramulla" | Manikka Vinayagam, Palakkad Sreeram, Sirkazhi Sivachidambaram | 05:12 | Vaali
"Eppo Nee" | Madhushree | 05:00 | Snehan

## Release and reception

[edit]

Kaalai was released on 15 January 2008, during Pongal, alongside Bheemaa, Pidichirukku, Pirivom Santhippom, Pazhani and Vaazhthugal.[9] Sify wrote, "When Silambarasan and director Tarun Gopi came together in Kaalai we expected a racy masala entertainer. Sadly it is a watered down version of earlier films and ends up as an over-the-top ham enterprise, Kaalai is like a bull in a china shop and makes you groan".[10] TSV Hari of Rediff.com wrote the film looked like an "unplanned assembly of chases, police encounters, hip-gyrations (you can't call them dances), cacophony and choreographed fights using a set of actors sans any purpose".[11] Madhumitha of Kalki felt whether Tarun Gopi started well and stumbled or did he stumbled for not getting right output and also felt the film's screenplay had pace but lacked wisdom and the influence of Thimiru is too much.[12]

Malini Mannath of Chennai Online wrote "No doubt the director after the initial confusing scenario, has cleverly knotted up all the seemingly loose ends, and put back the pieces of the puzzle into a coherent whole. But the complicated earlier part, and the attempt to decipher it do exhaust the viewer. He could have adopted a more simplistic narrative style to this vendetta story".[13] S. R. Ashok Kumar of The Hindu appreciated the cinematography by Rajasekhar but was less positive of the music and Anthony's editing, adding, "Tharun Gopi's story is a neat one liner. The dialogue is up to the mark. It is in the departments of screenplay and direction that he has faltered".[14]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "'Kettavan' as good as shelved: Simbu". The Hindu. IANS. 20 June 2009. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
2. ^ "Tamil TV actor death: Police found Saberna's body in a pool of blood". The Indian Express. 12 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
3. ^ a b "காளை திரைப்படத்தில் ஒரு ஓரமாக நடித்துள்ள நடிகர் யார் தெரியுமா.? தெரிந்தால் ஷாக் ஆவிங்க". Tamil360Newz (in Tamil). 15 November 2020. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
4. ^ "மாஸ் கெட்டப்பில் காட்சியளிக்கும் நண்பன் பட மில்லிமீட்டர்". News18 (in Tamil). 15 October 2021. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
5. ^ Gupta, Rinku (21 November 2013). "There's lots in a name for Sulile". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 14 March 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
6. ^ "Tarun Gopi hits out at Vishal and Simbu!". Sify. 29 April 2009. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
7. ^ "Mamta croons for Kaalai". Sify. 14 September 2007. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
8. ^ Karthik (31 December 2007). "Kaalai (Tamil – G.V.Prakashkumar)". Milliblog. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
9. ^ "4 days to Pongal!". Sify. 11 January 2008. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
10. ^ "Kaalai". Sify. 23 January 2008. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
11. ^ Hari, TSV (16 January 2008). "Kaalai: A wasted effort". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
12. ^ மதுமிதா (10 February 2008). "காளை". Kalki (in Tamil). pp. 79–80\. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2024 - via Internet Archive.79-80&rft.date=2008-02-10&rft.au=மதுமிதா&rft_id=https://archive.org/details/kalki2008-02-10/page/n79/mode/2up&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Kaalai" class="Z3988">
13. ^ Mannath, Malini (29 January 2008). "Kaalai". Chennai Online. Archived from the original on 30 January 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
14. ^ Kumar, S.R. Ashok (25 January 2008). "The trumpet is too loud -- Kaalai". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 November 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Kaalai at IMDb
* Kaalai at Rotten Tomatoes

*[transl.]: translation