Pandigai
{{short description|2017 Tamil action thriller film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Pandigai
| image = Pandigai poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| director = Feroz Mohammed
| producer = Vijayalakshmi Ahathian
| writer = Feroz
| music = R. H. Vikram
| cinematography = Arvi
| editing = Prabaahar
| studio = Tea Time Talks Production
| distributor = Auraa Cinemas
| released = {{Film date|2017|07|14|df=yes}}
| runtime = 150 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Pandigai ({{translation|Festival}}) is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by debutant Feroz and produced by his wife Vijayalakshmi Ahathian. The film stars Krishna and Anandhi,{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150611/entertainment-kollywood/article/kreshna-lead-vijayalakshmi%E2%80%99s-film |title=Kreshna is the lead in Vijayalakshmi's film |publisher=Deccanchronicle.com |date=2015-06-11 |access-date=2015-08-15 |archive-date=3 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703231625/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150611/entertainment-kollywood/article/kreshna-lead-vijayalakshmi%E2%80%99s-film |url-status=live }} while Saravanan, Pandi, Karunas, Madhusudhan Rao, and Arjai play supporting roles. The music was composed by R. H. Vikram with cinematography by Aravind. The film was released on 14 July 2017 and received positive reviews from critics.
Plot
Velu is a waiter at a holiday resort in Chennai who wants to make enough money to pay for his working permit to work abroad. However, he has had a traumatic childhood. After the death of his parents, his uncle and aunt sent him to boarding school, where he was initially bullied. In order to survive in the new, harsh environment, he learns to fight to protect himself. As a young adult, he moves to the city to start a new life. As poor, single, and young men, Velu and his roommate, Tirupathi, face many hardships in the city. They eventually meet Muni, an agent for an underground fight club. After seeing Velu win a fight at a bar, Muni introduces him to the ruthless owner of the fight club, Natwar Dada. Velu slowly rises up the ranks and becomes one of the city's best underground fighters. Velu then meets a girl named Kavya and plans to stop fighting in order to be with her, but first, he needs to make enough money to escape his current life. Velu also needs money to get his house back. Together, they hatch a plan to rig Velu's next fight with Victor, the city's top underground fighter. However, things do not quite turn out as planned.
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Krishna as Velu
- Anandhi as Kavya
- Saravanan as Muni
- Pandi as Tirupathi
- Karunas as Rattinam Kumar / Elango
- Madhusudhan Rao as Natwar Dada
- Arjai as Victor
- Nithin Sathya as Mundhiri Settu
- Shanmugarajan as Police Officer
- Aruldoss as Feeling Suresh
- Senthi Kumari as Muni's wife
- Lokesh as Pandi
- Aathma Patrick
}}
Production
The makers of the film initially narrated the script to Vikram Prabhu, but his unavailability meant that Krishna was signed on to play the lead role, with Nithin Sathya and Karunas selected to essay supporting roles.{{cite web |url=https://www.indiaglitz.com/vijayalakshmi-to-produce-pandigai-starring-kreshna-anandhi-karunaas-tamil-news-134980.html |title=Vijayalakshmi gets Kreshna for her Lover |website=IndiaGlitz |date=2015-06-10 |access-date=2015-08-15 |archive-date=16 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716201156/https://www.indiaglitz.com/vijayalakshmi-to-produce-pandigai-starring-kreshna-anandhi-karunaas-tamil-news-134980.html |url-status=live }} Pandigai began shoot in early June 2015, with Anandhi added to the cast to play the heroine.{{cite web |url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/krishnas-next-is-titled-as-pandigai.html |title=Krishna's next is titled as Pandigai with Anandhi as the heroine |publisher=Behindwoods |date=2015-06-18 |access-date=2015-08-15 |archive-date=22 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622061657/http://behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/krishnas-next-is-titled-as-pandigai.html |url-status=live }} Nithin Sathya essays the role of Mundhiri Settu.{{Cite news|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/030717/nitin-sathya-pins-hope-on-pandigai.html|title=Nitin Sathya pins hope on Pandigai|date=2017-07-03|work=Deccan Chronicle|access-date=2017-07-03|language=en|archive-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702232815/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/030717/nitin-sathya-pins-hope-on-pandigai.html|url-status=live}} Release of this movie is postponed from 7 July 2017 to a week later 14 July 2017.{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiaglitz.com/krishna-anandhi-pandigai-to-hit-the-screens-on-july-14-2017-tamil-news-189442.html|title=IndiaGlitz — Krishna Anandhi Pandigai to hit the screens on July 14 2017 – Tamil Movie News|access-date=2017-07-07|archive-date=16 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716201158/https://www.indiaglitz.com/krishna-anandhi-pandigai-to-hit-the-screens-on-july-14-2017-tamil-news-189442.html|url-status=live}}
Soundtrack
{{Empty section|date=June 2019}}
Release
The satellite rights of the film were sold to Vasanth TV.{{Cite web |url=https://pa-in.facebook.com/VasanthTV/videos/pandigai-krishna-anandhi/936506429886643/ |title=Watch Television Premier of #SuperHit movie #Pandigai starring Krishna Kulasekaran #Anandhi Nitin Sathyaa #Saravanan #Karunas on #August15 at 7:05pm in Vasanth TV! |website=facebook.com/VasanthTV |date=2 August 2018 |access-date=12 April 2019 |archive-date=12 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412143359/https://pa-in.facebook.com/VasanthTV/videos/pandigai-krishna-anandhi/936506429886643/ |url-status=live }} Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion wrote "Midway, Pandigai changes genre. It becomes a heist movie. Instead of settling down with the (oft-told) story of a fighter, why not give us the (oft-shown) mechanics of a heist? Double the genre and halve the clichés."[https://www.filmcompanion.in/reviews/pandigai-movie-review]
References
{{Reflist}}