This film marked the second collaboration between Ajith, Vinoth and Kapoor afterNerkonda Paarvai (2019). Vinoth wrote the script in mid-2018, but Ajith initially declined it and asked him to work on it later. The idea was later pitched in January 2019 with Kapoor agreeing to fund the project and was officially launched in mid-October 2019, with its title. Principal photography began in December 2019 inHyderabad and was completed in February 2021, irrespective of production being disrupted due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Major portions of the film were shot acrossChennai and Hyderabad, in addition to a few sequences inRussia, which were filmed during late-August and early-September 2021.
The film was in the news for a long time, due to the persuasion of fans to launch an update regarding the project, leading to a campaign named#ValimaiUpdate, that influenced sports, politics and other events as well. It eventually led to being listed as one of the most-anticipated Tamil films according to trade circuits.[8] After being delayed multiple times, due to theongoing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions being enforced in India, the film was released worldwide on 24 February 2022 to mixed reviews from critics.
InChennai, anoutlaw motorcycle gang called Satan's Slaves are involved indrug rackets,snatch theft and murders, which are headed by Naren aka Wolfranga. With the increase in such crimes getting out of hand, thecity commissioner Vijayakumar assigns the case toACP Arjun Kumar fromMadurai, who is known for his peculiar way of handling justice; breaking one of the limbs of the convicted so that they never repeat their crimes, originating from the moral values instilled by his mother Lakshmi.
Arjun is the sole breadwinner in his family consisting of Lakshmi; his drunkard older brother Kothandam and his wife; his married younger sister; and his younger brother Ashok "Kutty", an unemployed graduate. Kutty is constantly looked down by his sisters-in-law, whose daughter he is in love with, for his unemployment, worrying Arjun and Lakshmi. Collaborating with his partner and friend Sophia, Arjun finds the corpse of Naveen, a man in a hostel whose friend Chinna had betrayed the gang and supplied drugs to him. However, Naveen had burned the drugs and committed suicide by hanging, while Chinna had been killed by the biker gang upon learning of his betrayal. Arjun finds Naveen's helmet in his room and finds out that he was a snatch thief who used a stolen motorcycle purchased from an onlineblack marketeer. Arjun and Sophia both figure out the sequence of crimes done by Satan's Slaves.
The bikes used in the crimes had been bought from the same platform using stolen mobile phones via thedark web and that all of these crimes are done by the same organization. After sending one of his colleagues posing as a mercenary to thugs retired from the drug peddling business to find out the kingpin, Arjun learns about Wolfranga and a bike chase and close-combat ensues where Arjun manages to defeat Wolfranga and the gang and arrests them. To his shock, finds out that Kutty had also been involved with the gang. While taking them to prison, Satan's Slaves attacks the convoy, kills the policemen, and aids Wolfranga to escape. Arjun tries to corner Wolfranga, but he is knocked by Kutty, who escapes with the gang.
Arjun gets demoted from the case due to Kutty's involvement and the case is handed over toDCP Rajangam andIG Arasu, both of whom are envious of Arjun. Unknown to anyone, Rajangam and Arasu are moles of Wolfranga and do not pay heed to the case. Lakshmi refuses food and drink out of guilt of seeing Kutty going astray, prompting Arjun to take matters into his own hands and solve the case himself. With Sophia's help alongside a few trusted aides in thecybercrime department, Arjun captures one of the mules and asks him about the gang and how Kutty got entangled into the dirty business. Kutty had become acquainted to Wolfranga after he was humiliated in front of his family by his sister's in-laws due to his unemployment and refused to let their daughter marry him. Wolfranga indoctrinates him, saying that family are selfish individuals whose affection is a trick to make their children serve them in their old age.
Wolfranga runs his business using unemployed graduates who are outcast due to unemployment and as a result are motivated bymoney buys everything ideology. After fishing out the abandoned, stolen motorcycles from a derelict quarry, Arjun is reassigned the case where he and Sophia plan to expose Rajangam and Arasu's involvement with Wolfranga to Vijayakumar. Wolfranga kidnaps Arjun's family, holds them hostage, and blackmails Arjun to steal a metric ton of seizedcocaine from thetreasury to release them. However, Wolfranga also tells Rajangam to kill Arjun, pin it on Kutty, and hand him the seized cocaine to be incinerated. Wolfranga gives an empty gun to Kutty and tells him to pretend to shoot Lakshmi in order to shake her selflessness, while he secretly loaded a single bullet in the gun, but upon realizing Lakshmi's love and her readiness to die for him, Kutty inadvertently shoots Wolfranga's girlfriend Sarah dead.
Kutty reunites with his family but is badly beaten and taken hostage as well. Arjun successfully steals the cocaine, exposing and capturing Rajangam, Arasu, and the remaining mules. Arjun arrives at the hideout and fights Wolfranga, defeating him. The team successfully hacks Satan's Slaves'sserver and lures the bikers to the hideout. Upon arrival, they find Wolfranga dead and are surrounded and arrested by the police force. At the station, Arjun convinces the bikers to work hard and solve the problems and mentions the importance of the parents' love for them and the pleasures they sacrificed for their children, releasing them. The case is successfully closed, while Arjun and the police force are applauded by the public. Owing to their efforts, the police organizes a program to rehabilitate youngsters from depression and drugs.
Additionally, a portrait of late actorJaishankar as Arjun's late father is also featured in the film.[10]
Production
Development
"This was the second script that I'd done, and it was for another hero. I had a different version of this story. It was not a cop story then. We see what's happening around us. We see youngsters and what kind of problems that they and their families are facing today. I have taken two such problems, which I felt need to be addressed. What if those problems happened to the hero's family? How would they face it? How does he, as the head of the family, tackle it? How his personal and professional lives get affected by this and how he overcomes this forms the plot".
Soon after the release of directorH. Vinoth's second filmTheeran Adhigaaram Ondru (2017), he approached actorAjith Kumar. However, Ajith declined the project and asked the director to work on the Tamil remake of the 2016 Hindi filmPink titled asNerkonda Paarvai.[12] In January 2019,Boney Kapoor announced the second collaboration with Ajith Kumar and director Vinoth for another Tamil film, titled asThala 60.[13][14] Kapoor also stated that, the film will have racing sequences,[15] suggesting that the movie would be an action thriller genre that uses the actor's passion for speed.[16][17] It was reported that Vinoth had written the script with another actor in mind, and with Ajith's involvement, he had to make changes in the script.[18] The film's production was expected to launch on 29 August 2019,[19][20] But delayed.
A formal launch ceremony for the film was held on 18 October 2019, at the office of Kapoor's production house.[21] The makers also announced the title of the film asValimai.[22][23]Yuvan Shankar Raja was hired as the film's music director, andNirav Shah was confirmed as the cinematographer.[24] Art directorThota Tharani was reported to join the film's technical crew,[25] but was replaced by K. Kathir. Editor Vijay Velukutty and stunt choreographerDhilip Subbarayan too were a part of the technical team.[26] Sources claimed that Ajith would portray a police officer, which was later confirmed by Kapoor.[27][28]
Valimai's storyline is based on the connection withoutlaw motorcycle clubs, with the director used the history of these clubs, including the Satan's Slaves Motorcycle Club as a reference for this film.[29]
On the release of the trailer glimpse on 23 September 2021,[30] many cinephiles noted about the storyline revolving around the Satan's Slaves Motorcycle Club, which was founded inShipley in the mid-1960s, and later spread on to various countries includingGermany,North America,Scotland andAustralia.[31] They were known for the heinous activities being involved such as drug peddling, trafficking in stolen goods, gunrunning, extortion, and prostitution; its film's plot has a resemblance to the documentary covered on the outlaw motorcycle club, titledSons of Anarchy.[32] Vinoth however revealed that the storyline will be loosely based on a group ofoutlaw motorcyclists involving in heinous crimes and how the protagonist tracks them down, hinting that the history behind Satan's Slaves Club gave its reference.[33]
In an interview withAnanda Vikatan, Vinoth stated that he had partially re-written the script before the resumption of the film's shooting, being halted due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. He stated that some of the actors were hesitant to shoot during the pandemic and the location owners denied permission to shoot on the sets that were constructed in the pre-pandemic times. As a result, he had to re-write the story and change the location and setting, due to practical difficulties.[34]
Casting
In an interview with Gopinath Rajendran ofCinema Express, Vinoth had stated that Ajith's character is modelled on a real life racer-turned-police officer.[35] He said, "WhenJayalalithaa ma'am was theChief Minister, a bike racer was made an SI directly. We have taken that as an inspiration for this character, who is an ex-racing professional turned cop".[36] The makers reportedly approachedJanhvi Kapoor andParineeti Chopra to play the female lead, thus marking their debuts in South Indian cinema,[37] and both actresses declined due to call sheet issues.[38] While there had been questions surrounding over the film's female lead, withIleana D'Cruz andYami Gautam reportedly under consideration,[39]Huma Qureshi was cast as a lead, in her second Tamil film after the Rajinikanth-starrerKaala (2018).[40] She portrays Ajith's friend in the film and there were no romantic scenes with the lead actor, due to the scripting changes made by Vinoth.[41][42]
Bollywood actorAjay Devgn was reported to play the antagonist, and could not act in the film due to his commitments toRRR.[43]Arvind Swamy also reportedly refused to be part of the film, since he was then shooting forThalaivii.[44]Prasanna was also approached to play a pivotal role inValimai,[45] but declined the offer.[46] In late 2019,Telugu actorKartikeya Gummakonda was speculated as the antagonist, makingValimai his Tamil debut, and was confirmed only a year later.[47][48] Vinoth stated that the antagonist is "a strong character who believes in his ideology".[36] Apart from Kartikeya, two other antagonists, were reported to be featured in the film,[49] withPavel Navageethan ofV1: Murder Case (2019) fame,[50] and Malayalam actorDhruvan reportedly playing the respective roles.[51] In October 2021, Vinoth said thatMalayalam actorTovino Thomas was the initial choice for the antagonist before Kartikeya was finalised.[52]
Raj Ayyappa who played the antagonist in100, plays Ajith Kumar's brother in the film.[53] A leaked picture of the film in December 2020,[54] featuresAchyuth Kumar andSumithra in the film's cast,[55] The latter was reported to play Ajith Kumar's mother in the film, which the makers stated her character as a crucial one in the film.[56][57] Popular television actorPugazh was reported to play a pivotal role in the film.[58]G. M. Sundar,Selva, television actress Chaitra Reddy (in her film debut),Pearle Maaney (in her Tamil debut)[59] andDinesh Prabhakar, were other actors who appear in supporting roles in the film.[60]
Filming
The bike chasing scenes for the film was filmed inRussia.
Principal photography ofValimai was expected to begin on 13 December 2019,[61][62] but the shooting was launched two days earlier at theRamoji Film City inHyderabad.[63][64] The makers filmed an action sequence for Ajith in Hyderabad,[65] which was completed within two weeks.[66] Soon after the completion, the team planned for a three-day shooting schedule, at Rekha Gardens inChennai, and parts of the city.[67] It was reported that, Ajith met with an accident during the filming of a bike sequence before completing the schedule in Chennai, which resulted in the film's delay.[68][69] Filming was reportedly halted in March 2020 due to the pandemic, where, the team planned to shoot few sequences, which include car and motor race at Switzerland, within April 2020,[70] and also planned to shoot in Spain and Morocco, after theCOVID-19 lockdown in India.[71][72] However, the pandemic affected the foreign shooting schedules,[73] which made the team to make major changes in the shooting plan, with the planned foreign schedules to be shot across India.[74] The post-production works of the film did not happen after Ajith's request. Nearly 60% of the shoot completed before the lockdown imposed.[75]
After multiple delays, the film's shooting resumed on 23 September 2020,[76] with Kartikeya joining the shoot.[77][78] Major portions of the film were shot atRed Hills in Chennai. The makers stated that, Ajith will join the film's shoot by January 2021 and planned to complete the shoot within February,[79] as more than 50–60 days of shoot is pending, including the actor's portions which will be completed within 30 days.[80] It was reported that a popular Hollywood stunt choreographer, was hired to direct the few action sequences, which will introduce a new-style stunt inTamil cinema.[81] In October 2020, the team planned to shoot few sequences atNew Delhi, but after the government denied permission to shoot the film citing the pandemic,[82][83] the makers chose Hyderabad as the shooting schedule.[84]
Ajith joined the sets in Hyderabad, after which he resumed shooting on 25 October,[85][86] despite reported that he will start the shoot in early 2021.[87] In an interview with an online portal, H. Vinoth stated that the makers may not cancel the foreign schedule because the crucial scene involves more international stuntmen.[88] In mid-November 2020, it was reported that Ajith may take a month-long break in order to start the next phase of the shoot in Hyderabad.[89] After the shoot resumed, the makers filmed a stunt sequence with Ajith performing a bike stunt without adouble; however the actor lost his balance while performing a stunt, and fell off the bike.[90] Despite sustaining injuries, Ajith completed the schedule without delay.[91][92] As of December 2020, the makers had completed 80% of the film's shoot and talkie portions, whereas the songs and stunt sequences were yet to be completed.[93] It was further reported that the makers planned to film the major stunt sequences in foreign countries post lockdown relaxations,[94] with a major schedule in South Africa and Spain,[95] where high-octane bike stunts will be filmed in the country.[96] The film's shooting was wrapped on 15 February 2021, barring the foreign schedule,[97] which was filmed in Russia during 26 August 2021 and was completed on 2 September, thereby shooting of the film was wrapped.[98][99]
Speaking to an interview before the release, producer Boney Kapoor said that the film has been shot within 150-working days, while several days have been lost due to COVID-19 lockdown andtravel restrictions, thus taking more than one-and-a-half years. Out of this 80 days were utilised for the action sequences and for those, the team arranged 150 motorbikes and 15–20 cars, with 4 brand new models, for the schedule. Furthermore, they also had 25–30 bikes imported from Russia, after shooting being completed, the team sold the bikes for half price.[100]
Post-production
Post-production works for the film began during mid-February 2021.[101] Vijay Velukutty, who worked in films such asSangu Chakkaram (2017) andJackpot (2019), was announced as the editor in the same month. He edited several portions of the film, except for the foreign schedule, which was speculated to be included with the edit, once the said shooting gets completed.[102] In the intermediate period, several actors completed dubbing for the film, including Ajith Kumar who dubbed for his portions in March 2021.[103] The team also worked on the visual effects and supervision in order to get the film ready. With the foreign schedule held in Russia, being completed within September 2021, the team resumed activities on post-production.[104] The team needed to edit the final cut of the film, due to the inclusion of that particular sequence,[105] and more work on the visual effects, eventually delaying the release.[106] Ajith Kumar asked Vinoth to show the rough output of the film to him when the final edit was ready. He initially watched the entire film after its release. But due to the actor's curiosity and excitement of the film, as it has many racing sequences, and also his profession as a racer, he decided to change his plans and was received a rough copy of the film by Vinoth.[107]
Ghibran who has worked with Vinoth in his second directorialTheeran Adhigaaram Ondru, was reported to compose the film score.[108] Sources reported that Vinoth and the production team were not impressed by the score that Yuvan had created for the film, which resulted him to opt out of the project, despite composing the songs.[109][110] However, the film's sound engineer-audiographerM. R. Rajakrishnan, in an interview, claimed that Yuvan could not come to the final mixing of the score, in the last moment, which resulted in Ghibran's involvement to the project.[111] Ghibran worked on the re-recording and final mixing of the film score with Rajakrishnan.[112][113] Sachin Sudharakaran and Hariharan M. of Sync Cinema worked on the sound design of the film. In an interview toThe New Indian Express, the duo expressed about the recording of motorcycles and superbikes. They felt that, "the actual bike might not sound optimal for the visual, and we would interchange the sounds to find the perfect match. Since it wasn't feasible to record the sound on the sets, we would record it separately. The makers' decision to retain the bikes even after the shoot came in handy for us [...] Recording a bike would also mean we would fit the mic on the rider as he rode it, and record the sounds of the engine and muffler separately."[114]
The film was given aU/A certificate from theCentral Board of Film Certification (CBFC).[115] According to a report from the production team, the Board had ordered 15 cuts for the film, including muting and removing excessive use of violence and profanity.[116] The final cut has a running time of 179 minutes.[117]Valimai was mixed inAuro 11.1 surround sound technology, becoming the second Tamil film to do so afterVishwaroopam (2013).[112] The final mixing happened at Four Frames Sound Company on 10 February 2022, fourteen days before the film's theatrical release.[118]
On 2 August 2021,[126][127] collaborating with Ajith's 30th anniversary in the film industry,[128] the makers released the first single "Naanga Vera Maari" on the same night,[129][130] and received response from critics.[131] The track "Mother Song" was released as the second single on 5 December,[132][133] and the third single from the album – aninstrumental track titled "Whistle Theme" was released on 22 December.[134][135] Sony Music India, which acquired the marketing rights of the album, released it onNew Year's Day (1 January 2022)[136] throughSpotify,[137]iTunes andYouTube Music. However, two of the tracks were taken down from the album, from the respective platforms, as the tracks revealed the plot of the film, before eventually being restored to the album, a day before the film's release.[138]
Marketing
Despite the film's title being announced in October 2019, there was no update regarding the film's first look. In April 2020, Boney Kapoor claimed that the team will not indulge in any promotional activities citing the pandemic, and also stated that the team will kickstart the promotions post-lockdown.[139][140] However, there was no clarification about the film promotion or first look which prompted fans of Ajith Kumar to trend thehashtag#ValimaiUpdate onTwitter.[141] Furthermore, the producer had confirmed that the first look will release only after the film's shooting being wrapped.[142] Although few members of the production team claimed that the first look will release on the end of February 2021,[143] some of the fans had prompted for the film's update at sporting[144][145] and political events and other public venues,[146] which left Ajith Kumar disappointed and asked his fans to remain patient till the team releases an update.[147] Although the film's first look was scheduled for a release on the first week of March,[148] the producer tweeted that the makers will unveil the first look on 1 May 2021, coinciding with Ajith's birthday.[149] However, a week prior to the said date, on 23 April 2021, the makers postponed the release of the film's first look due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in India.[150]
While the makers planning to launch the first look with release date,[151] on 11 July 2021, without pre-announcement, the makers launched the first look and motion poster of the film.[152][153] Apart from receiving positive response for fans praising Ajith's look in the film,[154] the motion poster received more than 10 million views on YouTube, within 48 hours.[155] However, it also fetched criticism as cinephiles apparently noticed that similar images from the poster are widely available on the internet, alleging that the makers have lifted random images from the internet and made it into a motion poster.[156] Few netizens also stated that the motion poster did not meet its expectations.[156] The making video of the film released on 14 December 2021, and was praised by fans and audiences.[157]
Prior to the film's release, the marketing team branded the film's posters in hoardings andLED displays located at various transportation services such as bus stops, railways and also at theChennai Metro's vestibule.[158] Two pre-release events were held for the film. The first event to promote the film'sKannada version was held atBangalore on 21 February 2022,[159][160] and the second event to promote the film'sTelugu version was held inHyderabad, the following day.[161] Few cast members, including Huma Qureshi and Kartikeya, travelled through several cities to promote the film.[162] SIMCO, theCentral Government's South Indian co-operative departmental store functioning in Vellore announced a bid for its share that consumers whom purchase grocery items worth₹2,999, will receive complimentary tickets for the film amounted to₹500 and might serve popcorn and cold drinks for free.[163]
Release
Theatrical
Valimai was initially scheduled to release in November 2020, coinciding the festival ofDiwali.[164] However, the film's shoot was suspended due to the pandemic, thus resulting in the delay of its release.[165] Post-completion of shooting, the film was initially scheduled to be released within late-2021.[166] In mid-September 2021, the producers tweeted that the film is postponed toPongal in January 2022,[167] thereby clashing with other big-budget films includingS. S. Rajamouli'sRRR andPrabhas'Radhe Shyam.[168] The Multiplex Association of India (TMAI), listed the release date as 14 January 2022, in their official press release;[169] however, the production company officially announced that the film would be released on 13 January, a day before Pongal.[170]
In December 2021, theatre owners and exhibitors in Tamil Nadu, planned to open shows to begin at 1:00 am in order to get more screenings, thereby enhancing the box office collection.[171] The makers too persuaded theGovernment of Tamil Nadu regarding permission for benefit shows.[171] A week before the release, the film was postponed indefinitely due to the increasing number ofCOVID-19 cases, fuelled by theSARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant,[172][173] and the sudden restrictions imposed by the government to control the pandemic.[174] In early February, It was confirmed that the film is now scheduled to be released on 24 February 2022.[175] Apart fromTamil, the film will be released in dubbed versions ofHindi,Kannada andTelugu languages along with the original version.[176][177] A planned release of aMalayalam dubbed version, was put on hold due to closure of theatres inKerala, as a precautionary measure to control therise of COVID-19 cases in Kerala.[178] With theatres being reopened in Kerala during mid-February, after relaxations, the makers reinstated to release the Malayalam-dubbed version along with the original on 24 February.[179]
Following the release, the film received criticism for its length. Responding to the criticism, the makers trimmed all versions by 12 minutes, except the Hindi version, which was shortened by 18 minutes. The edits came into effect by 25 February 2022.[180]
Screenings and statistics
According to trade industry sources,Valimai was the first film to be released in over 1000 theatres across Tamil Nadu.[181][182][183] Film financierG. N. Anbu Chezhiyan's Gopuram Films, which distributed the film inMadurai, had announced thatValimai will be released in all over 27 theatres across the district with 45-50 shows being allotted.[184][185] This came as a response, due to Ajith's exponential growth of the fanbase in Madurai, and the response for the actor's previous films there.[182] Four days before the release, on 20 February 2022, the makers started the state-wide advance bookings in Tamil Nadu, and saw tremendous response within few hours, according to trade exhibitors,[186][187] with tickets being sold out within a day.[188] The first show in Tamil Nadu is expected to begin at 4:00 am.[189] Reports fromNews18 had anticipated that "Valimai is expected to shatter records" as it did not have any major release in the vicinity,[190] and also expected the film might revive theTamil film industry which was affected by theimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic and bring a similar response to that ofMaster (2021).[182]
"[Valimai is] not just an action film [...] It is a proper family entertainer that also talks about social issues. When I say family film, it is not about the issues that crop up within a family, but it deals with an issue that a family faces, how that results in a crime, and how the hero tries to stop that crime from wrecking his family. It is a film that one should watch with their family [...] Ajith sir told me, 'I feel proud to have done this film. I'm going to screen this film to my mom and dad, and my family, as I feel like a proud son after having made this film.' He has screened it for them, and it was only after seeing their response that our producer decided to release it in a big way in Hindi, Telugu and Kannada".
Film exhibitor Tiruppur Subramanian had stated that "Valimai's release will definitely bring in a change. Just like we saw whenMaster came out in 2021, and afterDoctor orMaanaadu in the wake of second wave restrictions ending. These kinds of big films are essential for drawing audiences back. Once they come, it'll become a routine to re-visit theatres like before".[192] Boney Kapoor calledValimai as Ajith's firstpan-Indian film in an interview withThe Times of India-based critic M. Suganth, and said that "The film has family drama, fantastic action and also something for the audiences to take home. So, it has the potential to work everywhere. You can call this the beginning of a pan-India release for Ajith's films".[193] Ajith held a special screening for his family, few days before the release, and followed by the positive response, the team decided for a pan-Indian release in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Telugu languages.[194][195]
WhileValimai is released in several theatres across Tamil Nadu,[196] the film is expected to clash withPawan Kalyan'sBheemla Nayak inAndhra Pradesh andTelangana,[197] andAlia Bhatt'sGangubai Kathiawadi inNorth India, whose films releases a day later.[198] IVY Productions, which acquired the distribution rights in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, had stated thatValimai will be released in over 500 screens in these states.[199] E4 Entertainment announced that Valimai will be released in over 200 theatres in Kerala and fan-shows will begin from 4:00 am.[179] In overseas centres, the film will be screened at about 60 locations inAustralia, 19 locations inNew Zealand and 5 locations inFiji.[200] Hamsini Entertainment announced that premiere shows for the film will begin on 23 February 2022, and the film will be screened in over 400 theatres across 250 locations inUnited States.[201] The film's pre-sale record in United States crossed $30-mark from 46 locations.[201] The film is also scheduled to be screened atGrand Rex,France, which was considered as the world's largest cinema theatre.[202] However, it was called off after the film's planned release in France was cancelled for unknown reasons.[203] The advance bookings for the film, began inJapan, three weeks before the anticipated release.[204] The film will be released in 42 locations acrossSaudi Arabia, which is touted to be the biggest release in the country, with early fan shows being held on 24 February 2022.[205]
Pre-release business
The film made a business of about₹300 crore (equivalent to₹337 crore or US$39 million in 2023) before the release, with the inclusion of satellite, digital, audio and Hindi dubbing rights.[206][207] The film's gross in pre-release deal was₹300 crore (US$35 million),[206] The Tamil Nadu theatrical rights were sold for₹64.50 crore (US$7.5 million), Kerala and Karnataka theatrical rights were sold to₹2.5 crore (US$290,000) and₹4 crore (US$470,000) and Andhra and Telangana theatrical rights were sold jointly for₹2.5 crore (US$290,000).[208] The North India theatrical distribution and Hindi dubbing rights were purchased for₹2.5 crore (US$290,000), and overseas rights were sold to₹30 crore (US$3.5 million).[208] The film made₹96 crore (US$11 million) from theatrical rights, and₹59 crore (US$6.9 million) from non-theatrical rights – satellite and digital rights were sold to₹28 crore (US$3.3 million) and₹31 crore (US$3.6 million), respectively.[208][209]
Distribution
The theatrical rights of the film were acquired by Raahul of Romeo Pictures and film financier Anbu Chezhian's Gopuram Cinemas.[210] Both the distributors acquired the rights inChennai andMadurai.[211] Subbaiyah Shanmugham of SSI Productions purchased the rights in theCoimbatore territory and Sri Kumaran Films acquiring theSalem theatrical rights.[212] The theatrical rights inChengalpet region were sold to Kalaimagan Mubarak of Skyman Films International for an undisclosed price.[212][213] Rockfort Entertainment purchased the theatrical distribution rights in theArcot region (North Arcot andSouth Arcot).[214] The theatrical rights were sold to Sri Durgambigai Films in theTiruchirappalli region, whilst MKRP Productions, a film production company owned by M. K. Ramprasad, purchased the rights in theTirunelveli–Kanyakumari territories.[211]
IVY Productions acquired the theatrical rights in theAndhra Pradesh andTelangana territories.[215][216] E4 Entertainment purchased the theatrical rights inKerala,[217] whereas Kamar Film Factory had purchased theKarnataka distribution rights.[218] Zee Studios holds theNorth India theatrical and Hindi-dubbing rights for the film. United India Exporters acquired the film's overseas distribution rights in December 2020.[219] Cinemark and Hamsini Entertainment, holds the rights for theatrical distribution inUnited States andUnited Kingdom.[220] Lotus Five Star purchased the theatrical rights inMalaysia andSingapore.[221] Scandinavian Tamil Media Group AS purchased the rights in theScandinavian territory, including countries such asNorway,Sweden andDenmark.[215] Niraj Poudel of A Eight Films acquired the distribution rights inNepal for an undisclosed price.[222]
Home media
The entire rights of the film were owned by its co-producer and distributorZee Studios, the production and distribution firm ofZee Entertainment Enterprises who sold the satellite rights toZee Tamil andZee Thirai, and the digital distribution rights toZEE5 and its video-on-demand serviceZee Plex.[223] The makers planned for a digital premiere through Zee Plex, only after 35 days of its theatrical run being completed, and later premiere it on ZEE5.[224] However, as Zee Enterprises decided to close down Zee Plex, as their films released through this model, did not fetch the required numbers expected resulting huge losses for the company;[225] the makers decided to sell the post-theatrical streaming rights to ZEE5 in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages, in which the film might have a 50-day window, between the theatrical and digital release.[224]
Reception
Critical response
Valimai opened to mixed reviews from critics but praised Ajith's performance.[226]
M. Suganth ofThe Times of India gave the film a rating of 3/5 praising the stunts and performances and wrote "There are times it works (a scene in prison when he has to break someone's arm) and times when it doesn't (the monologue in the climax). But there is no denying that it is his presence that holds together this two distinct tones of the film."[227] Janani K ofIndia Today gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote "The action-thriller is a predictable story laced with brilliant action sequences".[228]Pinkvilla gave the film a rating 3/5 and wrote "'Valimai' is for you if you like larger-than-life action blocks involving bike-bound men and their unflinching adventures".[229]
Ashameera Aiyappan ofFirstpost gave the film a rating of 2.5/5 and wrote "H Vinoth exchanges the grounded authenticity of his predecessor work for glitzy, gimmicky action which ends being a kitsch combination of sensibilities".[230] Vivek M V ofDeccan Herald gave the film a rating of 2.5/5 and wrote "Ajith is fine while Huma Qureshi has just one slick action scene to shine. The saving grace is the maniacal performance from Kartikeya Gummakonda".[231] Manoj Kumar R ofThe Indian Express gave the film a rating of 2/5 and wrote "Vinoth's idea of creating an urban legend goes awry when the film fails to distinguish Ajith Kumar's offscreen persona from Ajith Kumar's character in Valimai".[232] Umesh Punwani ofKoimoi gave the film a rating of 2/5 and wrote "Watch this only for Ajith, because he won't disappoint even though the film might!".[233]Sowmya Rajendran ofThe News Minute gave the film a rating of 2/5 and stated "The stunts are indeed valimai but the film becomes a kodumai with its wonky script and poor characterisation".[234]Bollywood Hungama gave the film a rating of 2/5 and wrote "VALIMAI [Hindi] suffers from its long length and complicated narrative. The Hindi version might struggle at the BO".[235]
Lakshmi Subramanian ofThe Week gave the film a rating of 2/5 and wrote "Every character in Valimai, including Huma and both the brothers feel like add-ons with no depth. The characters are either fully for the hero or completely against him.The second half is long and tiring with just bikes and bikers again. Besides this, Ajith's expressionless face adds to the misery".[236]Scroll.in gave the film a rating of 2/5 and wrote "Except for a handful of pulsating action sequences and a villain who is nearly equal in capabilities to the hero, Valimai has trouble kicking into gear".[237] Aditya Shrikrishna ofThe Quint gave the film a rating of 2/5 and wrote "Ajith Kumar's Film Is a Shoddily Produced Tepid Affair".[238] Nishad Thaivalappil ofNews18 stated "Thala Ajith fans will love Valimai, but the film has little to offer to others in terms of a cinematic experience".[239] Haricharan Pudipeddi ofHindustan Times stated "Ajith Kumar-starrer would've been a cracker of a film if it solely focused on providing action thrills".[240] Srivatsan S ofThe Hindu stated "While 'Theeran Adhigaram Ondru' may have announced that H Vinoth could do action, 'Valimai' reaffirms our belief that Vinoth could perhaps be the best Indian filmmaker who knows how to write, choreograph and execute action sequences with a larger vision and purpose".[241]
Box office
Valimai was expected to have very high collections at the box office.[242]
Valimai had the highest opening day in Tamil Nadu at the time of its release according toBox Office India,[243] or the second highest opening day behindSarkar (2018), according toBollywood Hungama. On its opening day,Bollywood Hungama said that the film grossed around₹28 crore (US$3.3 million) to₹32 crore (US$3.7 million) in Tamil Nadu.[244]
InUSA, the film beat Ajith's previous filmViswasam's lifetime USA gross by grossing $300k, becoming Ajith's fifth film to gross more than $300k in USA.[245]
Plagiarism allegations
In February 2023, nearly a year after the film's release, director Rajesh Raja accused Vinoth of lifting 10 scenes from the former's 2019 short filmThanga Sangili forValimai. Due to his inability to reach Vinoth, Rajesh Raja approached the Commissioner of Chennai.[246]
Impact
The impact ofValimai, even before the release, has been noted by several cinephiles, with thehashtag#ValimaiUpdate becoming a trending topic on Twitter.[141] Boney Kapoor noted the fan following of the actor in regard to this. In an interview withThe Hindu, he said that though fans of Ajith had every right to ask for updates on the film, "I did not want to mislead them. I wanted to give out material only when there was something concrete at hand."[141] This trend influenced celebrities from the film fraternity,[247] sportspersons,[248][249] politicians and media outlets.[247][250]Ravichandran Ashwin shared the same in an online interaction, when he experienced a fan askingMoeen Ali and him,[251] for an update regarding the film during the second test match, betweenIndia and England inChennai.[248][249] PoliticianVanathi Srinivasan too said that after her win in the2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, the fans might get the update about the film.[252]#ValimaiUpdate campaign also influenced the elections, withElection Commission's Tamil Nadu wing advertising the title on the necessity to urge every individual to vote.[253] In February 2022, the film crossed more than 2 million interests on the online-ticketing portal BookMyShow,[254] beating records earlier set byBaahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) andAvengers: Endgame (2019).[255]Valimai was the second most tweeted film in India, according to a year-ender survey report released by Twitter in December 2021.[256][257]
Potential sequel
In an interview withPinkvilla, Boney Kapoor expressed his plans on a sequel and more future instalments, so that the film would be developed into a franchise. He stated that the possibility for a sequel will be dependent on the audience response towards the film and the box-office performance.[258]
