| Sura | |
|---|---|
 Release Poster | |
| Directed by | S. P. Rajkumar |
| Written by | S. P. Rajkumar |
| Produced by | Sangili Murugan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography |
|
| Edited by | Don Max |
| Music by | Mani Sharma |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Sun Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 173 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Box office | est.₹15 crore[2][3][4] |
Sura (transl. Shark) is a 2010 IndianTamil-languageaction film written and directed byS. P. Rajkumar, starringVijay in the title role along withTamannaah Bhatia,Dev Gill andVadivelu in supporting roles. The film, produced bySangili Murugan and distributed bySun Pictures features film's soundtrack and score was composed byMani Sharma. Cinematography was handled byN. K. Ekambaram andM. S. Prabhu, respectively and editing was handled byDon Max. The film was the 50th film of Vijay.
The film tells the story of a fisherman battling a cruel, greedy and corrupt minister to save land for his hamlet's homes. It tracks Sura's journey as he secures the land and foils the minister's plans. It was theatrically released worldwide on 30 April 2010. The film was critically panned andunderperformed at the box office, earning about ₹15 crore.[5][6]
In the picturesque coastal town of Yaazh Nagar, afisherman hamlet inTamil Nadu, Sura, a brave and compassionate young man, grows up with his loyal friend, Ambar La, known affectionately as Umbrella. Sura is known for his good deeds and selflessness in helping his fellow villagers, earning him admiration and respect from all around.
Meanwhile, a heartbroken young woman named Poornima arrives in Yaazh Nagar, seeking solace after the tragic loss of her beloved pet dog, Ramesh. Overwhelmed with grief and struggling to find purpose, Poornima is drawn to Sura's kindness and finds comfort in his presence. As they spend time together, a genuine connection forms between them, and they fall deeply in love.
Enter Samuthira Raja, a ruthless, corruptminister with a sinister agenda. Samuthira Raja desires to seize control of Yaazh Nagar's beautiful coastal land to build a grand fairground, exploiting the villagers' simplicity and innocence for his own gains. He employs every crooked tactic in the book, using his political power to threaten and intimidate the villagers.
Sura, however, refuses to be bullied into submission. He becomes the voice of resistance and leads the villagers in fighting back against Samuthira Raja's malicious intentions. In a thrilling series of events, Sura takes on Samuthira Raja's cronies single-handedly, showcasing his intelligence, resourcefulness, and unparalleled bravery. With the support of the villagers, Sura outsmarts the corrupt minister and saves their homes and livelihoods.
But Samuthira Raja is not one to accept defeat easily. Consumed by his lust for vengeance, he devises a diabolical plan to eliminate Sura once and for all. He plants a deadly bomb in Yaazh Nagar, intending to destroy the entire village and Sura with it. In a heart-stopping confrontation, Samuthira Raja captures Sura, gloating over his impending victory.
However, Sura reveals a startling truth that leaves Samuthira Raja dumbfounded – the chief guest for the hamlet's upcoming inauguration is none other than Samuthira Raja's wife, a compassionate and kind-hearted woman unaware of her husband's evil deeds. This revelation sends shockwaves through Samuthira Raja, questioning his actions and his moral compass.
Faced with a dilemma, Samuthira Raja is torn between his thirst for revenge and the possibility of redemption through his wife's innocence. As the clock ticks, Sura urges Samuthira Raja to choose the path of compassion and forgiveness, to end the cycle of violence and corruption.
In a nail-biting climax, Samuthira Raja makes a pivotal decision. He deactivates the bomb, saving Yaazh Nagar and acknowledging the darkness within himself. In an unexpected twist, he sacrifices his own life to ensure Sura's safety and the welfare of the villagers. His final act of redemption leaves Sura and Poornima with mixed emotions, prompting them to reflect on the complexity of humanity.
After the completion ofVettaikaaran (2009), Vijay announced that his 50th film was to be named asUrimaikural named afterM. G. Ramachandran starrer of same name but it was titled asSura.[7][8] Many directors were reportedly considered for the film:[9]Selvaraghavan,S. P. Rajkumar,K. V. Anand,Dharani,Prabhu Deva,[10]Siddique,Mohan Raja,[11]R. Madhesh,[12]K. S. Ravikumar[13] andPerarasu.[14] Perarasu was initially selected as director,[15] but S. P. Rajkumar, who directedAzhagar Malai (2009) was selected as director. Prior to this, Rajkumar previously worked in Vijay starrerOnce More (1997) as a dialogue writer.[16] In May 2009,Tamannaah Bhatia was confirmed to play a role in the film.[17][18] Originally,Pasupathy was selected to portray the negative role but he was replaced by Dev Gill who appeared in Telugu filmMagadheera (2009),[19] after Vijay was impressed by his performance in that film.[20]
The shooting of the film commenced in Kerala in November 2009[21] and was continued in different places in Tamil Nadu like Marakkanam, Villupuram, Mamallapuram, Chennai, Alleppey and Pondicherry.[22] The shoot continued on 21 October and canned a few stunt sequences on the Uppaneri Bridge near Marakkanam Salt Lake. Vijay fought with villain Dev's gang for almost three days. After a three-day gap, the shoot resumed inPrasad Studios and the song "Thanjavur Jillakari" was shot atAVM Productions on 27 October.[23][24] The unit created a slum set at East Coast Road.[25] A song was shot at Ooty.[26] During the shooting, cameraman M. S. Prabhu and Rajakumar had a misunderstanding and he was replaced by N. K. Ekhambharam.[27] Ekambaram reveals that one of the fight sequences, which were shot in the high seas in Tuticorin at 2 am, was choreographed by Kanal Kannan and has stuntmen from Bangkok. Ekambaram says that he has used high speed cameras considering the risks involved in shooting in the seas. The opening song has been pictured in a scenic location in Dhanushkodi.[28]
| Sura | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 29 March 2010 (2010-03-29) | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 28:06 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Mani Sharma | |||
| Mani Sharma chronology | ||||
| ||||
The soundtrack of the film, composed byMani Sharma, was released on 29 March 2010 at Lady Aandal Venkat Subbarao School. The prominent guest list includesSundar C,Sibi Sathyaraj,Riyaz Khan andUma Riyaz Khan, Ramanarayanan,K. S. Ravikumar,R. Parthiban,Vadivelu,Sonia Agarwal,Srikanth along with the lead stars of the film and the technical crew.[29]Kabilan revealed that lyrics for all songs from the film were written even beforeVettaikaran was released.[30] The album features six songs all of which have been reused from his previous films. "Vetri Kodi Yethu", "Vanga Kadal Ellai", "Siragadikkum Nilavu", "Thamizhan Veera Thamizhan", "Thanjavoor Jillakkari", and "Naan Nadanthal Athiradi" are based on the Telugu songs "Inthe Inthinthe", "Nuvvasalu", "Tagilinadi Rabba", "Hut Hutja", "Bommali" and "My Name Is Billa", respectively.[31][32]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vetri Kodi Yethu" | Vaali, S.P. Rajkumar | Ranjith, Mukesh | 5:21 |
| 2. | "Siragadikkum Nilavu" | Snehan | Karthik,Rita Thyagarajan | 4:27 |
| 3. | "Vanga Kadal Ellai" | Kabilan | Naveen Madhav,Malathy Lakshman | 4:42 |
| 4. | "Thamizhan Veera Thamizhan" | Kabilan | Rahul Nambiar | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Thanjavoor Jillakkari" | Na. Muthukumar | Hemachandra,Saindhavi | 5:18 |
| 6. | "Naan Nadanthal Athiradi" | Kabilan | Naveen Madhav, Janani Madhan | 4:34 |
| Total length: | 28:06 | |||
Sura was originally scheduled for release on 23 April 2010, but it was postponed and released on 30 April.[33][34]
The film received negative reviews from critics.
Pavithra Srinivasan ofRediff.com rated the film 2/5 stars and mentioned, "Give your brains a rest, and enjoy this mass masala entertainer." She also noted thatSura is a milestone film for Tamil actor Vijay, marking his 50th film and his last "mass" movie before transitioning to different script choices. The movie blends typical masala entertainment elements with Vijay's political aspirations, featuring his signature style, dance sequences, and punch dialogues, while serving as a platform for his potential future in Tamil politics.[35] Bhama Devi Ravi ofThe Times of India gave the film 1.5/5 stars, commenting, "It is yet another Vijay formula film, but you would be wise to leave your logical brain behind at home." She expressed that the film lacks a compelling script and logical coherence, relying heavily on Vijay's screen presence and recycled elements from his previous films. The story revolves around Sura, a fisherman who battles a corrupt minister to protect his village, interspersed with gravity-defying action, political references, and predictable romance.[1]Renju Joseph ofNews18 India reviewed and wrote, "The first half is tiresome but tolerable however the second half is a fan's sacrifice to his cult hero. The film could be recommended to only very, very hardcore fanatic fans of Vijay. Otherwise don’t even bother to get misled by the posters."[36]
Sify gave it 3/5 stars and wrote, "On the whole, [Sura] is a roller coaster ride of pure unadulterated masala." Despite its familiar tropes and predictable narrative, the film succeeds in captivating audiences with Vijay's charismatic performance and a blend of comedy, action, and sentimentality.[37]Ananda Vikatan gave the film a rating of 37 out of 100.[38]
Sura grossed ₹10 crore at the TN box office, $897 thousand (₹4.13 crore[a]) at the Malaysian box office and €104 thousand (₹63 lakh[b]) at the UK box office.[2][3] ProducerSangili Murugan noted that the film merely recouped its budget during its theatrical run.[39]
