| Thuppakki | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | A. R. Murugadoss |
| Written by | A. R. Murugadoss |
| Produced by | Kalaipuli S. Thanu |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Santosh Sivan |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | Harris Jayaraj |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Gemini Film Circuit |
Release date |
|
Running time | 170 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget | ₹70 crore[2][3] |
| Box office | ₹121 crore[4] |
Thuppakki (/θuppɑːkki/transl. Gun) is a 2012 IndianTamil-languageaction thriller film written and directed byA. R. Murugadoss. Produced byKalaipuli S. Thanu, the film starsVijay andKajal Aggarwal, withSathyan,Vidyut Jammwal,Jayaram,Manobala andZakir Hussain in supporting roles. It revolves around anintelligence officer in theIndian Army, who seeks to track down, destroy and deactivate asleeper cell, after witnessing and barely escaping a bombing carried out by the cell.
The project, which marked the beginning of a collaboration between Vijay and Murugadoss, was reported in July 2011, and the film's title was formally announced that December.Principal photography commenced in January 2012 and ended that October. Filming mostly took place inMumbai, except for two song sequences which were filmed in Bangkok and Switzerland. Thefilm's soundtrack was composed byHarris Jayaraj with cinematography handled primarily bySantosh Sivan and editing byA. Sreekar Prasad.
Thuppakki was released on 13 November 2012,Diwali day, and distributed byGemini Film Circuit. The film went through numerous controversies, including protests fromIslamicfringe groups who objected to the portrayal of the Islamic community in the film. Nevertheless, it received mostly positive reviews and became a major commercial success. Arecipient of various accolades, the film received sevenFilmfare Awards South nominations in the Tamil branch, but did not win in any category. In 2014, the film was remade inBengali asGame and inHindi asHoliday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty by the same director.
Captain Jagadish Dhanapal, aDIA specialist in theIndian Army, arrives atMumbai fromJammu. On his arrival, his parents and younger sisters force him to see Nisha, a prospective bride. After the bride-viewing ceremony, Jagadish makes up excuses to avoid marrying her, which includes commenting about her being traditional. On the contrary, Nisha turns out to be a university-level boxer, who is completely modern in her outlook, having been forced to appear traditional by her parents. Jagadish notices her in a boxing match and falls in love with her. Nisha reciprocates after refusing him initially.
One day, Jagadish witnesses an explosion in a bus in which he and his police officer-friend Balaji had travelled. He manages to capture an injured man who had planted the bomb, who later escapes from the hospital where he was kept under custody. Jagadish captures the bomber again, and also forces the security chief, who helped the bomber escape, to commit suicide. Jagadish learns that the bomber is a mere executor, asleeper agent, whose only role was to plant the bomb. He also discovers that the terrorist group that the bomber belongs to, has planned twelve such attacks in the city, in a couple of days. Jagadish enlists the help of his fellow army men and manages to kill the sleeper agents planting the bombs, including the sleeper agent leader's brother, Afsar Ali, and the previously captured sleeper agent.
When the leader of the sleeper cell learns about Jagadish's role in thwarting the attack, he begins to target the families of the army men, except Jagadish, by kidnapping someone close to them. When Jagadish realises the plan, he substitutes one of the people to be kidnapped, with his younger sister Sanjana. Using his pet dog and his sister'sdupatta, Jagadish manages to reach the sleeper cell's hideout, rescuing his sister, who was about to be killed after Jagadish's bluff was exposed, and the other victims and eliminates the sleeper agents assembled there. The second-in-command of the sleeper agents is captured and killed by Jagadish. With this attack too having failed, the sleeper cell leader decides to target Jagadish himself. He kills one of Jagadish's friends and asks Jagadish to surrender or else there would be more attacks.
Jagadish decides to sacrifice his life and devises a plan with his fellow army men. He also breaks up with Nisha, wanting to keep her away from the truth. Jagadish meets the leader in a ship, which has been rigged with a bomb planted by another friend of Jagadish. When he learns about the leader's plan of infiltrating the Indian Army with sleeper agents with the help of a traitor in the Indian Defense – KameeruddinIAS, the currentJoint Secretary in Defence, Jagadish decides to abandon his suicidal plan. After an extensive beating, he mocks the leader and compels him to a fight. He gains the upper hand before escaping in a boat, with the leader as a hostage. After the ship explodes, he kills the bewildered leader. Jagadish confronts Kameeruddin and forces him to commit suicide, and later returns to Jammu along with his fellow army men after reconciling with Nisha.
In July 2011, it was reported thatVijay andA. R. Murugadoss would collaborate to make an action film, after completing their then-respective ongoing projects,Velayudham/Nanban and7 Aum Arivu.[15] Vijay's fatherS. A. Chandrasekhar was initially going to produce the film, butKalaipuli S. Thanu eventually took over, producing it under his banner V Creations.[16][17] Although the film was initially titledMaalai Nerathu Mazhaithuli,[18] in December 2011, the new title was revealed:Thuppakki.[19] Instead of his regular editorAnthony and art director Rajeevan, Murugadoss choseA. Sreekar Prasad andThota Tharani for those positions, respectively.Santosh Sivan was hired as cinematographer.[20] In 2014,Akshay Kumar revealed that Murugadoss narrated the script to him in 2010, with the film intended to be inHindi, but the project could not start due to time constraints, resulting in Murugadoss making it in Tamil with a different actor.[21]
ThoughKingfisher Calendar modelAngela Jonsson took part in a brief photoshoot with Vijay by Sivan in Chennai,[22]Kajal Aggarwal was eventually confirmed as the female lead.[23][24]Priya Anand was initially signed on as the lead actress, but could not commit due to scheduling conflicts withEnglish Vinglish (2013).[25]Akshara Gowda joined the cast for a single scene as she only wanted to "gain the experience of working with Murugadoss".[26] In early 2012,Vidyut Jammwal, who was simultaneously shooting forBilla II, said he would play the main antagonist.[27] Jammwal's voice was dubbed byAbhinay.[28]Sathyan confirmed his participation in the film in January 2012,[29] and Malayalam actorJayaram confirmed his presence the following month.[30] In April 2012, Murugadoss confirmed that he himself would appear onscreen.[31] That was eventually revealed to be a cameo in the song "Google Google", where Sivan also cameoed.[32]Dubai-based Malayaliorthodontist Prasanth Nair was also signed to play a small but important role of a commando, making it his acting debut in Tamil cinema.[33][14] Raneesh played an army man, marking his fifth collaboration with Vijay afterThullatha Manamum Thullum (1999),Badri (2001),Shahjahan (2001) andThamizhan (2002).[8]
Principal photography was initially supposed to start on 26 November 2011,[16] but the first schedule began in January 2012, and lasted for 35 days.[18][34] AtLinking Road inBandra, Vijay acted and operated the camera himself for one scene with Sivan's assistance, which had to be filmed quickly with the unaware public. Sivan commented that it was shot perfectly and decided to retain it in the film.[35] A major part of the film was being shot in real locations with hidden cameras.[36] Sivan shotThuppakki with anArri Alexa camera, as opposed to traditional35 mm film.[18][37] Although Sivan has mostly preferred to shoot on film, he stated that he shotThuppakki digitally because "the story and milieu of [Murugadoss's] script demanded it".[38]
In March, the unit completed a 10-day shoot inBangkok for "Google Google", picturised on Vijay and Aggarwal.[39][40] In Mumbai, while Vijay was filming a sequence which involved him jumping from a height, he slipped and injured his knee; he was not wearing a knee-pad at the time. Shooting was stalled following the incident and Vijay left to London to undergo treatment.[41] One of the film's songs was shot atop of a train, along with 300 dancers constructed by art director Sunil Babu. The dance sequence, choreographed byShobi, was shot in theMumbai–Pune Expressway.[18] Another song, "Vennilave" was shot in Switzerland;[39] since Sivan was unable to give dates,Natty Subramaniam shot it instead.[42][43] The song "Antarctica" was shot atDY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, with which principal photographywrapped.[44] The budget of the film was estimated to be₹700 million (equivalent to₹1.3 billion or US$16 million in 2023).[2]
Harris Jayaraj composed the soundtrack ofThuppakki, collaborating with Murugadoss for the third time afterGhajini (2005) and7 Aum Arivu and third time with Vijay after the 2000Coca-ColaTVC andNanban (2012).[45] The lyrics were written byNa. Muthukumar,Pa. Vijay,Viveka andMadhan Karky, who had written over 35pallavis for one of the songs, with one being finalised.[46] The party number "Google Google", a duet betweenAndrea Jeremiah and Vijay,[47][48] marked the latter's return to playback singing after a seven-year sabbatical; his last song was "Vaadi Vaadi" fromSachein (2005).[49] Though Harris Jayaraj had announced in August thatThuppakki's audio launch would take place in September,[50] the audio was eventually released on 10 October 2012.[47]
Thuppakki was earlier scheduled to be released on 9 November 2012, receiving aU/A certificate. However, after minor cuts from theCentral Board of Film Certification the film received a'U' certificate.[51] The makers opted for a traditional Friday release,[52] since the date appears four days ahead ofDiwali, which falls on 13 November, a Tuesday.[53] However, the makers reconsidered their decision and pushed the release coinciding towards the festival.[54][55]Thuppakki released along withPodaa Podi andJab Tak Hai Jaan.[56] The film released in more than 1500 screens, becoming the widest release for a Vijay film at that time.[57]
Post release,Islamicfringe groups protested against the film and its makers, claiming that it portrayed Muslims as terrorists and traitors.[58] Some of the activists gathered near Vijay's residence atNeelankarai on 14 November 2012, a day after its release, and raised slogans against him and the film in Arabic and Urdu.[59] Later, Murugadoss, Thanu and S. A. Chandrasekhar later apologised openly to representatives of 23 different Muslim outfits, and agreed to delete the scenes to which objections were raised.[60][61][62]
Gemini Film Circuit distributed the original Tamil version.[63] Several distributors including Bellamkonda Suresh, Geetha Films, Suresh Films and SVR Media competed for the Telugu dubbing rights, with SVR eventually purchasing the rights for₹15 crore.[64] ATMUS Entertainment distributed the film in North America,[65] and BR Films International did so in France.[66]
Thuppakki's first look poster was leaked on 30 April 2012, a day prior to its scheduled release.[67] The poster, that depicted Vijay holding a cigar in his mouth, was criticised by social activists for violating theIndian Tobacco Act, which prohibits advertising tobacco products. Murugadoss explained that it was only for promotional purposes and added that the film had no such scenes, claiming that even a small sequence featuring Vijay smoking had been deleted from the film.[68]
Another poster, released later in the year, depicted a police-uniform clad Vijay carrying Aggarwal on his hands, was believed to have been lifted from a poster ofAn Officer and a Gentleman (1982). Murugadoss claimed thatThuppakki did not have an army backdrop likeAn Officer and a Gentleman, but was set in Mumbai instead, going on to assert that everything in his film was original.[69] He, however, admitted to having used the poster ofAn Officer and a Gentleman, and toldThe Hindu, "Sometimes, you admire something so much that sub-consciously it becomes a part of your work".[70]
The makers initially announced that the film's first trailer would be released on 22 June 2012, during Vijay's birthday.[71][72] However, the teaser release was postponed to the first week of July to avoid clashing with the theatrical release ofSaguni.[73] It was further delayed after a lawsuit was filed against the makers, by filmmaker Ravi Devan, who claimed that the title bore a similarity to his filmKalla Thuppakki. This suit caused the film's promotional activities to be suspended.[74][75][76] After Ravi Devan withdrew his case in early October,[77] the first trailer was released in the same month on 10 October,[47] and the second trailer on 26 October.[78]
On the opening day,Thuppakki netted around₹18 crore (US$2.1 million) in Tamil Nadu box office.[79] It collected a sum of₹456 million (US$5.4 million) in Tamil Nadu,[80] and₹653 million (US$7.7 million) worldwide by its first week.[56] In the UK and Ireland,Thuppakki grossed₹1.85 crore after the fourth weekend.[81] In Australia, it grossed A$80,264 (₹46,73,000) on six screens and the average per screen collection of the film stands out at A$1656 after two weeks.[82] In Malaysia, it grossed $1,732,792 as of December 2012.[83] Within 11 days of its release, the film reached the₹1 billion (US$12 million) mark,[84] and S. Saraswathi ofRediff.com believed it was the first Vijay film to do so.[85] Its total domestic box office collections at the end of its run stood at₹1.8 billion according to distributorsEros International.[86] According toNDTV, the film's worldwide earnings were ₹121 crore.[4]
Thuppakki received mostly positive reviews from critics.[87] L Romal M Singh ofDaily News and Analysis stated that the film "is different. The difference is visible in every shot, every dialogue spoken and the amazing attention to detail. What stands out most in this incredibly entertaining film is that Tamil films have finally come of age – in so many interesting ways".[88]Deccan Chronicle rated it 3.5 out of 5 and cited: "Thuppaki has come out as an action thriller that depends on mind games and smart plans rather than bloody fights. This is Murugados's film in its true sense and Vijay adds immense value to it by his performance".[89]IANS named it a "well written Tamil film that engages the audience" and added that it had "the energy of Vijay and intellect of AR Murugadoss".[90]Sify rated the film 4 out of 5 and stated that Murugadoss "has made a complete entertainer that blends with Vijay's mass image, thanks to his racy script", calling it a "perfect Diwali entertainer".[91]Baradwaj Rangan wrote, "The narration is clean, uninterrupted by comedy (at least the intentional kind), and Murugadoss keeps guessing us throughout about Jagdish’s motives and methods. The only serious flaw is the mood-dampening track with Nisha (Kajal Agarwal).".[92]
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo ofThe Hindu commented: "One of the first promos of the film, with snapshots of Mumbai, lurking terror, the antagonist threatening Vijay to which he responds 'I am waiting' went viral on social networks. The wait, clearly, has been worth it for the audience. And the man who's probably having the last laugh is Murugadoss".[93] For the same newspaper, Karthik Subramaniam wrote, "One can only wonder just how much betterThuppakki would have been if it had done away with the song-and-dance-and-romance and such trappings."[6] Haricharan Pudipeddi ofThe New Indian Express said, "Most of the characters are made to look dumb as Vijay steals all the attention. Kajal's role as a boxer, which she squanders with her clichéd performance, is definitely a turn off in the film. Jayaram and Sathyan, who're supposed to make us laugh, fail miserably in the process" and concluded, "In essence, "Thuppakki" has the energy of Vijay and intellect of A.R. Murugadoss".[94]
J Hurtado ofScreen Anarchy called the cinematography "astonishingly good" and added that, "Murugadoss and Vijay have never worked on a better-looking movie", but called the film "an enjoyable, though largely forgettable film".[95] N. Venkateshwaran ofThe Times of India said, "Thuppakki will definitely be picked up by a big Bollywood star for a remake. For, the gun was bang on target".[96] In contrast, Vivek Ramz fromin.com rated it 3 out of 5 and said that it "doesn't meet the huge expectations it had created for itself", calling it "another regular commercial film which entertains in bits and pieces".[97] Pavithra Srinivasan ofRediff.com rated the film 2.5 out of 5, saying "Vijay fans will find plenty to rejoice in this subdued avatar of their star, but audiences who seek intelligence in their movies will find it rather dull".[98] S. Viswanath ofDeccan Herald wrote, "While Vijay gives it all to live up to his fans' expectations, Kajal Aggarwal is just a pretty prop to pep up the proceedings. Despite boasting of ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan and Harris Jeyaraj as the music composer, thisThuppakki is not the Deepavali dhamaka it had promised with its promos".[5]Ananda Vikatan rated the film 44 out of 100.[99] In 2021, Nithisha Nanda Kumar ofThe Michigan Daily stated that "While it may have portrayed the story of an Indian officer well to some extent, Jagadish and Nisha's relationship felt extremely forced into the plot".[100]
At the60th Filmfare Awards South,Thuppakki was nominated for seven categories includingBest Film,Best Director (Murugadoss) andBest Actor (Vijay), but did not win in any category.[101] However, the film won four of ten nominations at the2nd South Indian International Movie Awards: Best Actress – Critics for Aggarwal, Best Actor in a Negative Role for Jammwal, Best Music Director for Harris Jayaraj and Best Fight Choreographer for Kecha.[102][103] The film as nominated at fifteen categories during the7th Vijay Awards and won six awards, the highest in this ceremony.[104] The awards were mostly from the favourite awards branch, which were:Favourite Film,Favourite Director (Murugadoss),Favourite Hero (Vijay),Favourite Heroine (Aggarwal) andFavourite Song (Google Google);[105] Vijay further received anEntertainer of the Year award also for his work inNanban.[106] In addition, the film won anAnanda Vikatan Cinema Award,[107][108] oneCineMAA Award,[109] oneChennai Times Film Award[110][111] and threeEdison Awards.[112][113]
Baba Yadav remade the film inBengali asGame in 2014,[114][115] and Murugadoss remade it in Hindi asHoliday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty the same year.[116] Despite the Hindi remake,Thuppakki was dubbed and released in the same language asIndian Soldier: Never On Holiday byGoldmines Telefilms in 2015.[117]
The success ofThuppakki led to more collaborations between Murugadoss and Vijay, namelyKaththi (2014) andSarkar (2018).[118] The dialogue "I am waiting", spoken by Jagadish (Vijay) just before the interval, gained popularity and has since been used in the pre-interval scenes of other Indian films as well, particularly those starring Vijay. These includeKaththi,[119]Theri (2016),[120]Velainu Vandhutta Vellaikaaran (2016),[121]Tamizh Padam 2 (2018),[122]Sarkar,[123]Master (2021),[124]Varisu (2023),The Greatest of All Time (2024) andGood Bad Ugly (2025).[125] The dialogue was also used in other films but not in the pre-interval portions such asThalaivaa (2013),[126]Pokkiri Simon (2017),[127]Aavesham (2024)[128] andJaat (2025).[129]
