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Vanangaan

Vanangaan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBala
Written byBala
Produced byBala
Suresh Kamatchi
StarringArun Vijay
Ridha
Roshni Prakash
CinematographyR. B. Gurudev
Edited bySathish Suriya
Music bySongs:
G. V. Prakash Kumar
Score:
Sam C. S.
Production
companies
B Studios
V House Productions
Release date
  • 10 January 2025 (2025-01-10)
Running time
121 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Box office₹13 crore[2]

Vanangaan (transl. One Who Will Not Bow Down) is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written, directed and co-produced by Bala under B Studios, along with Suresh Kamatchi under V House Productions. The film stars Arun Vijay, Ridha and Roshni Prakash in the lead roles.

The film was officially announced in March 2022, with Suriya starring and producing under his banner 2D Entertainment, under the tentative title Suriya 41, while the official title Vanangaan was announced that July. Despite some filming progress, Suriya and 2D Entertainment withdrew from the project that December due to storyline changes. Arun Vijay and Roshni Prakash replaced him and Krithi Shetty, respectively, while Bala took over producing duties alongside Suresh Kamatchi.[3] Principal photography with Arun commenced in March 2023 and wrapped in April 2024. The film has music composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, cinematography handled by R. B. Gurudev and editing by Sathish Suriya.

Vanangaan was released worldwide on 10 January 2025 in theatres. It grossed ₹13 crore worldwide.

Plot

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Koti, a deaf-mute man, resides in Kanyakumari with his sister Devi, relying on odd jobs for sustenance. Orphaned by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, they were rescued and sheltered by a compassionate local church priest. Despite his disability, Koti possesses a strong sense of justice, particularly regarding violence against women. He uses his physical strength to punish offenders, often landing himself in trouble.

Tina, a local guide, has harbored a childhood crush on Koti, but he remains indifferent. Undeterred, Tina frequently teases Koti, who responds with physical aggression, yet she persists in her pursuit. Tina's parents disapprove of her feelings, but she disregards their concerns. Once Tina assists Koti in shutting down a wine shop near the church and soon Koti develops a soft spot for Tina. With Tina and Devi's help, Koti secures a security guard and helper job at Mira Orphanage, run by Saradha Devi. Koti forms strong bonds with the children, particularly the teenage visually impaired girls.

One day, Koti discovers three workers exploiting the girls' disability to voyeur them while they are bathing. Enraged, Koti brutally kills two of the perpetrators and voluntarily surrenders to the police. This act shocks Devi, who abhors her brother's resort to violence. At the court, Koti declines to disclose the reason behind the murders, infuriating the judge, who orders his immediate imprisonment and a probe by Special Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kathiravan. Kathiravan struggles to uncover the motive behind the murders and resorts to a narco-analysis test. However, even under sedation, Koti remains resolute and refuses to reveal the motive. The psychiatrist refuses to cooperate with Kathiravan, citing concerns that increasing the sedative dosage could prove fatal for Koti.

Due to lack of evidence, Koti is granted bail. Upon release, he becomes fixated on finding the third perpetrator, who had escaped, to exact revenge. Devi grows frustrated with Koti's relentless pursuit of violence. Kathiravan, determined to uncover the motive, delves into Koti's past and discovers that Devi is not his biological sister. He uses this information to manipulate Devi emotionally, hoping she can extract the truth from Koti. However, Koti remains tight-lipped, fearing that revealing the truth could compromise the modesty of the visually impaired girls at the orphanage. Koti eventually tracks down the third perpetrator and kills him after castrating him. This crime sends shockwaves, as the killer, who was out on bail for the previous two murders, had struck again.

As Kathiravan reviews the narco-analysis recordings, he discovers that the three victims killed by Koti had indeed misbehaved with the visually impaired girls. He shares this information with the judge and secretly arranges for the girls to testify before the court. The judge, now aware of the circumstances, releases Koti, citing that circumstantial evidence alone is insufficient for conviction. The orphanage inmates and local community rejoice at Koti's release, but Devi, unaware of the truth, takes her own life, fearing that Koti would receive the death penalty, leaving Koti shattered.

Cast

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Production

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Suriya announced officially on 28 March 2022 that his next film, tentatively titled Suriya 41, would be directed by Bala and produced by himself and Jyothika under 2D Entertainment.[4] On Bala's birthday, 11 July 2022, Suriya released the first look poster and the title Vanangaan in Tamil and Achaludu in Telugu.[5] This would have been the third collaboration of Suriya and Bala after Nandhaa and Pithamagan.[6] Suriya was reportedly playing dual roles, one of them deaf and mute.[7] Krithi Shetty and Mamitha Baiju were signed on to play the female leads.[8]

Filming was initially planned to be completed entirely in three months; however, work on the film stopped in June due to a reported tiff between the lead actor and director. Following this, Vanangaan was rumoured to have been dropped, which Suriya debunked with a social media post in which he stated that he was "waiting to be back on sets".[9] However, on 4 December 2022, Bala announced that Suriya and 2D Entertainment were no longer part of the project due to changes in the film's story.[10] By March 2023, Arun Vijay was confirmed as Suriya's replacement and had begun filming, while Roshni Prakash replaced Shetty.[11][12] The final filming schedule took place in Tiruvannamalai.[13] Filming wrapped in April 2024.[14]

Controversies

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In 28 February 2024, Mamitha Baiju allegedly accused Bala of physically and mentally assaulting her during the shooting of the film, which eventually made her opt out of it. Later, she clarified that it was misinterpreted by the media and she did not experience any such incidents, but she opted out of the film due to other professional commitments.[15] Later, film producer S. Saravanan of Orange Productions attempted to restrain the film's release via the Madras High Court due to its title, claiming he registered the title Vanangaan first in 2020. However, the court rejected his request.[16]

Music

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Vanangaan
Soundtrack album by
G. V. Prakash Kumar
ReleasedDecember 18, 2024 (2024-12-18)
GenreFeature film soundtrack
LanguageTamil
ProducerG. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar chronology
Matka
(2024) 		Vanangaan
(2024) 		Emergency
(2025)
Singles from Vanangaan
  1. "Irai Nooru"
    Released: 21 December 2024
  2. "Mounam Pole"
    Released: 30 December 2024
  3. "Mugilin Mele"
    Released: 6 January 2025
External audio
audio icon Vanangaan Songs | Juke Box on YouTube

The music is composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar.[17] Following the audio launch event on 18 December 2024, the audio jukebox was released.[18][19] The first single "Irai Nooru" was released on 21 December 2024.[20] The second single "Mounam Pole" was released on 30 December 2024.[21] The third single "Mugilin Mele" was released on 6 January 2025.[22]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Irai Nooru"Karthik NethaMadhu Balakrishnan 
2."Mugilin Mele"SelvamiraSaindhavi 
3."Mounam Pole" (Male Version)Karthik NethaSathya Prakash 
4."Mounam Pole" (Female Version)Karthik NethaRakshita Suresh 
5."Yaaro Nee Yaaro"Karthik NethaMadhu Balakrishnan 

Release

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Theatrical

[edit]

Vanangaan was released in theatres on 10 January 2025, during the week of Pongal.[23]

Reception

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Critical response

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A critic from Hindu Tamil Thisai rated the film 3/5,[24] while another critic from Dinamalar rated it 2.75/5.[25] M Suganth of The Times of India gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Some portions of Vanangaan and the Bala-isms work, but most often, Bala's storytelling and the filmmaking seem past their expiry date. [...] Everything feels perfunctory, and even Arun Vijay's robust performance cannot elevate the routine nature of the film's proceedings."[26] Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Watching Vanangaan unfold on screen, it makes one wonder why there is a distinct lack of cohesiveness in the narrative.[...] It is such writing shockers that pull Vanangaan down, and makes Bala, the man who would bow to no one, feel like he compromised a bit too much."[27] Janani K of India Today gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Arun's performance and how the court proceedings make the film interesting. However, the way Bala chose to end the film with the death of a character, once again questions his intentions. If you love films where heroes turn saviours for women, then Vanangaan might be for you."[28]

Anusha Sundar of OTTPlay gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Vanangaan takes up the done-to-death issue of sexual assault as if there is nothing else that is plaguing society. [...] Vanangaan is grotesque and would have done more good than bad had it was not made."[29] Prashanth Vallavan of Cinema Express gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "With a plethora of problematic takes and half-baked ideas, Vanangaan's biggest issue remains its complete disinterest in giving us a cohesive story.[...] However, if the film's intention to milk strong emotions out of the audience is not in proportion to the overall theme, intent, and storytelling purposes, then it comes across as a weak effort."[30] Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu wrote "A major setback for Vanangaan is the lack of a strong antagonist; you get nothing in seeing a typical vigilante easily take down one-dimensional perverts. The bigger issue is how the film uses the plight of these underprivileged women as mere pawns to milk our sympathies."[31] Vishal Menon of The Hollywood Reporter India negatively called the film a mixture of Bala's earlier films and his "weakest film yet, one that repeats everything Bala is known for, albeit without the sting".[32]

Box office

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Vanangaan reportedly grossed ₹2.25 crore (US$260,000) in two days.[33] Pinkvilla attributed the film's underperformance to the success of Madha Gaja Raja, released in the same time frame, and estimated Vanangaan would end its theatrical run with ₹12 crore (US$1.4 million) at the Tamil Nadu box office.[33] Ultimately, the film closed with its statewide earnings at ₹9 crore (US$1.0 million).[34] and ₹13 crore (US$1.5 million) worldwide.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Vanangaan". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b Singh, Nisha (29 January 2025). "Vanangaan Lifetime Worldwide Box Office: Arun Vijay and Bala's movie ends global run with an underwhelming Rs 13 crore". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  3. ^ "First look of Arun Vijay – Bala's 'Vanangaan' out". The Hindu. 25 September 2023. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Suriya and Bala's upcoming film Suriya 41 goes on floors". The News Minute. 28 March 2022. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Suriya-Bala film titled 'Vanangaan'; first-look poster out". The Hindu. 11 July 2022. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Suriya-Bala combo film after 18 years titled 'Vanangaan'". Asian Lite News. 13 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Buzz: Suriya to play a dual role in 'Suriya 41' directed by Bala". The Times of India. 11 May 2022. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Krithi Shetty Delighted to Have Acted in Vanangaan, Lauds Bala-Suriya Duo". News18. 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Suriya Dismisses Rumours of His Project With Director Bala Getting Shelved". News18. 27 May 2022. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Actor Suriya drops out of director Bala's Vanangaan". The Hindu. 4 December 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Arun Vijay Spotted With Crew in Latest Still From Vanangaan Sets". News18. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Roshni Prakash replaces Krithi Shetty in Bala's Vanangaan". The New Indian Express. 6 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  13. ^ vinoth (16 August 2023). "பாலாவின் வணங்கான் படத்தின் இறுதிகட்ட ஷூட்டிங் அப்டேட்!". Webdunia (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 16 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  14. ^ "It's a wrap for Bala – Arun Vijay's 'Vanangaan'". The Hindu. 13 April 2024. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Mamitha Baiju says her statement about director Bala was misconstrued: 'Haven't experienced physical or mental harm'". The Indian Express. 2 March 2024. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  16. ^ S, Mohamed Imranullah (19 July 2024). "Madras High Court refuses to restrain release of film director Bala's Vanangaan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  17. ^ "G V Prakash on Suriya-Bala movie : The music is almost done". The Times of India. 6 March 2022. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Suriya Expresses Gratitude To Mentor Bala At Vanangaan Audio Launch". Times Now. 19 December 2024. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  19. ^ "Arun Vijay And Sivakarthikeyan Bond At Vanangaan Audio Launch Dismissing Rumors Of Rift". Times Now. 20 December 2024. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  20. ^ Kumar, Akshay (21 December 2024). "'Irai Nooru' from Bala-Arun Vijay's Vanangaan out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  21. ^ Kumar, Akshay (30 December 2024). "'Mounam Pole' from Bala-Arun Vijay's Vanangaan out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  22. ^ "'Mugilin Mele' from Arun Vijay's Vanangaan is a devotional piece". Cinema Express. 7 January 2025. Archived from the original on 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  23. ^ Kumar, Akshay (4 December 2024). "Arun Vijay's Vanangaan gets a release date". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  24. ^ "வணங்கான் – திரை விமர்சனம்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 13 January 2025. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  25. ^ "வணங்கான்". Dinamalar (in Tamil). 12 January 2025. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  26. ^ Suganth, M (10 January 2025). "Vanangaan Movie Review : Bala's template revenge drama fails to make us feel". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  27. ^ Ramachandran, Avinash (10 January 2025). "Vanangaan movie review: Arun Vijay effectively shoulders a Bala film that feels compromised". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  28. ^ K, Janani (10 January 2025). "Vanangaan review: Director Bala's film on sexual violence has contrasting ideologies". India Today. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  29. ^ Sundar, Anusha (10 January 2025). "Vanangaan Movie Review: Bala and Arun Vijay's film is unwanted, and voyeuristic". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  30. ^ Vallavan, Prashanth (10 January 2025). "Vanangaan Movie Review: High on emotions but starved of story". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  31. ^ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (10 January 2025). "'Vanangaan' movie review: Arun Vijay is the lone highlight of Bala's problematic, predictable drama". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  32. ^ Menon, Vishal (10 January 2025). "'Vanangaan' Movie Review: Bala Returns With An Insipid Parody Of His Own Movies". The Hollywood Reporter India. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  33. ^ a b "Vanangaan Box Office Collections Update: Arun Vijay's movie faces tough time because of Madha Gaja Raja's onslaught". Pinkvilla. 16 January 2025. Archived from the original on 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  34. ^ Singh, Nisha (28 January 2025). "Vanangaan Lifetime Tamil Nadu Box Office: Arun Vijay and Bala's movie ends run with a sorry Rs 9 crore, despite good reviews". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
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