Arul (film)
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Arul film poster.jpg
| caption = Promotional poster
| director = Hari
| writer = Hari
| producer = T. Rama Rao (Presenter)
T. Ajay Kumar
| cinematography = Priyan
| editing = V. T. Vijayan
| music = Harris Jayaraj
| studio = Lakshmi Productions
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|2004|05|01|df=yes}}
| runtime = 163 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
| budget =
}}
Arul ({{Translation|Grace}}){{Efn|Also the title character.}} is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Hari. It stars Vikram and Jyothika, with Pasupathy, Kollam Thulasi and Vadivelu in supporting roles. The music was composed by Harris Jayaraj, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Priyan and V. T. Vijayan respectively.
Arul was released on 1 May 2004 and became a average success at the box office.
Plot
Arul Kumaran, a factory worker separated from his family of goldsmiths in Coimbatore, gets into a verbal fight with the corrupt MLA Gajapathy, which results in Arul killing Gajapathy. Arul surrenders to the cops, but is later released from prison. Sethupathy, Gajapathy's brother and a political kingmaker, wants to exact revenge on Arul for Gajapathy's death. A cat and mouse game ensues in which Arul takes responsibility for cleaning anti-social elements and also becomes the kingmaker of Coimbatore.
Cast
{{cast listing|
- Vikram as Arul Kumaran
- Jyothika as Kanmani
- Pasupathy as MLA Gajapathi
- Kollam Thulasi as Sethupathi, a Kingmaker criminal
- Vadivelu as Thangamani
- Sathyan as Senthil Kumaran, Arul's younger brother
- Vinu Chakravarthy as Bala Dhandayuthapani, Arul's father
- Sujatha as Sornam, Arul's mother
- Saranya Ponvannan as Bhagyam, Arul's elder sister
- Thalaivasal Vijay as Thiru Kumaran, Arul's elder brother
- K. S. Ravikumar as Thirupathi, Arul's elder brother-in-law
- Aarthi as Neelaveni, Kanmani's younger sister
- Vanitha Krishnachandran as Durga, Thiru Kumaran's wife
- Manobala as Paramasivam
- Ponnambalam as Paalayamkottai Kasilingam
- Kuyili as Kaveri, Kanmani & Neelaveni's mother
- Charan Raj as Inspector Ramanathan
- Rekha as Saroja, Gajapathi's wife
- Sarath Babu as Dr. Viswanathan
- Vaiyapuri as Raja
- Benjamin as Mani
- Siva Narayana Murthy as Shanmuga Pandi, a textile shop owner
- Thambi Ramaiah as Moorthi, Sethupathi's assistant
- Besant Ravi as Ravi, Sethupathi's assistant
- Minnal Deepa as Aarthi, Arul's second elder sister-in-law
- Priyanka as Veni
- Chaya Singh as Ponni (Special appearance in the song "Venam Ponni")
- Sampath Ram as Sundar (uncredited)
- Japan Kumar (uncredited appearance in "Ukkadathu Papadame")
}}
Production
After the success of Saamy, director Hari decided to again collaborate with actor Vikram for Arul. Jyothika was selected as heroine, pairing with Vikram again after Dhool.{{Cite web |last=Rasika |date=4 December 2003 |title=Lucky three |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/reeltalk/12reeltalk3rd.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616211703/http://www.chennaionline.com/reeltalk/12reeltalk3rd.asp |archive-date=16 June 2004 |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=Chennai Online}}{{Cite web |date=20 December 2003 |title=Vikram's 'Arul' gets rolling |url=http://cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/20122003-2.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031223102016/http://cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/20122003-2.shtml |archive-date=23 December 2003 |access-date=15 November 2024 |website=Cinesouth}} Vivek was originally a part of the cast but fell out with the director and was subsequently replaced by Vadivelu.{{Cite web |last=Rasika |date=20 March 2004 |title=Unconventional Aparna |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/reeltalk/03reeltalk20th.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603215709/http://www.chennaionline.com/reeltalk/03reeltalk20th.asp |archive-date=3 June 2004 |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=Chennai Online}} Though the story is set in the backdrop of Coimbatore, the film was entirely shot at Karaikudi and was completed within 45 days.{{Cite web |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=15 March 2004 |title=Arul |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/location/arul.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040516194929/http://www.chennaionline.com/location/arul.asp |archive-date=16 May 2004 |access-date=12 January 2022 |website=Chennai Online}}
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Harris Jayaraj.{{Cite web |date=1 May 2004 |title=Arul (Original Motion Picture Sound Track) – EP |url=https://music.apple.com/in/album/arul-original-motion-picture-sound-track-ep/1701628487 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250320172727/https://music.apple.com/in/album/arul-original-motion-picture-sound-track-ep/1701628487 |archive-date=20 March 2025 |access-date=20 March 2025 |website=Apple Music |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=ARUL – Harris Jayaraj Tamil Audio CD |url=https://www.audiocdworld.com/product/arul-harris-jayaraj-tamil-audio-cd-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320173654/https://www.audiocdworld.com/product/arul-harris-jayaraj-tamil-audio-cd-2/ |archive-date=20 March 2025 |access-date=20 March 2025 |website=Audio CDs World |language=en}}
{{track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| total_length = 26:51
| title1 = Arul Theme
| note1 = Instrumental
| length1 = 1:33
| lyrics1 = -
| extra1 = -
| title2 = Ukkadathu Papadame
| extra2 = Tippu, L. R. Eswari, Theni Kunjarammal
| lyrics2 = Na. Muthukumar
| length2 = 5:29
| title3 = Oddiyaanam
| extra3 = Hariharan, Srimathumitha
| lyrics3 = Vairamuthu
| length3 = 5:01
| title4 = Patthu Viral
| extra4 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Swarnalatha
| lyrics4 = Vairamuthu
| length4 = 5:18
| title5 = Punnakunnu
| extra5 = Tippu, Sriram, Manikka Vinayagam
| lyrics5 = Na. Muthukumar
| length5 = 4:44
| title6 = Soodamani
| extra6 = Ranjith, Pop Shalini
| lyrics6 = Snehan
| length6 = 4:46
}}
Critical reception
Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu wrote, "In story and screenplay Hari could have done better. First of all a fearless, infallible hero pitted against a bunch of hoodlums and brutal, power-crazy politicians is too stereotypical for words. And when a completely unexpected twist occurs just before the break, the rest of the tale should be able to sustain the tempo created at the halfway point. Then, of course, you have the disjointed comic sequences".{{Cite news |last=Rangarajan |first=Malathi |date=7 May 2004 |title=Arul |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2004/05/07/stories/2004050701940300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229140056/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2004/05/07/stories/2004050701940300.htm |archive-date=29 December 2008 |access-date=8 June 2024 |work=The Hindu}} Sify wrote, "If you like Rambo style of films, Arul is worth investing".{{Cite web |title=Arul |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/arul-review-tamil-13466977.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328231235/http://www.sify.com/movies/arul-review-tamil-13466977.html |archive-date=28 March 2014 |access-date=9 August 2022 |website=Sify}} Malini Mannath of Chennai Online called it "a major let-down".{{Cite web |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=10 May 2004 |title=Arul |url=http://www.chennaionline.com/film/Moviereviews/tammov346.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206080654/http://www.chennaionline.com/film/Moviereviews/tammov346.asp |archive-date=6 February 2007 |access-date=15 August 2024 |website=Chennai Online}} Mister Lee of Kalki felt Hari tried to rehash his previous flicks Thamizh and Saamy in a different matter and was critical of logical issues and panned the violence but appreciated Jyothika and Vadivelu's humour and Vikram's enthusiasm in fight sequences.{{Cite magazine |last=லீ |first=மிஸ்டர் |date=23 May 2004 |title=அருள் |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki2004-05-23/page/48/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230202111002/https://archive.org/details/kalki2004-05-23/page/48/mode/2up |archive-date=2 February 2023 |access-date=20 March 2025 |magazine=Kalki |page=48 |language=Tamil |via=Internet Archive}} Deccan Herald wrote, "The Saamy team of director Hari, Vikram and Harris Jayaraj is back with Arul, which is an out and out mass entertainer. Vikram's most awaited movie doesn't disappoint the audience and Arul has everything to give you your money's worth".{{Cite web |date=22 May 2004 |title=Arul |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/may022004/mr4.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041209024052/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/may022004/mr4.asp |archive-date=9 December 2004 |access-date=20 March 2025 |website=Deccan Herald}}
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}