Soora Samhaaram

{{Infobox film

| name = Soora Samhaaram

| image = Soora Samhaaram poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Chitra Lakshmanan

| producer = Chithra Ramu

| screenplay = Chitra Lakshmanan

| story = Chitra Lakshmanan

| writer = Vietnam Veedu Sundaram (dialogues)

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = B. Kannan

| editing = P. Mohan Raj

| music = Ilaiyaraaja

| studio = Gayathri Films

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1988|07|30}}

| country = India

| language = Tamil

}}

Soora Samhaaram ({{translation|Slaying of the demon}}) is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Chitra Lakshmanan and co-written by Vietnam Veedu Sundaram. The film stars Kamal Haasan in the role of police officer, ACP Athi Veerapandiyan.{{Cite web |last=Menon |first=Ramesh |last2=Pillai |first2=Sreedhar |date=31 May 1989 |title=Comeback king |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kamalhasans-latest-performance-dwarfs-his-earlier-hits/1/323484.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004203328/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kamalhasans-latest-performance-dwarfs-his-earlier-hits/1/323484.html |archive-date=4 October 2015 |access-date=3 October 2015 |website=India Today}} The film was later dubbed in Telugu as Police Diary and released on 16 September 1988.{{Cite web |title=Police Diary |url=https://indiancine.ma/BGQO/info |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231201083125/https://indiancine.ma/BGQO/info |archive-date=1 December 2023 |access-date=20 November 2021 |website=indiancine.ma}} Both the Tamil and Telugu versions were box office hits.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbDfLClCRmg |title=சூர்யா அடுத்து சுதா கொங்கராவின் இயக்கத்தில் நடிக்கிறாரா? {{!}} Lens & Cine – Question & Answer |date=6 December 2021 |language=ta |publisher=Touring Talkies |access-date=17 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217153755/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbDfLClCRmg |archive-date=17 December 2021 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} The core plot of the film was reported to be based on the 1985 film Witness,{{Cite web |date=16 June 2022 |title=19 International films Inspired Kamal Haasan movies…? |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/14-hollywood-inspired-kamal-haasan-movies/photostory/92260775.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124165333/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/14-hollywood-inspired-kamal-haasan-movies/photostory/92260775.cms?from=mdr |archive-date=24 January 2023 |access-date=6 February 2024 |website=The Times of India |language=en}} though the director has denied it.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ParMVBWFUG8 |title=கலைஞர் முன்னிலையில் அஜித் அப்படி பேசியது சரியா? Lens Questions & Answers Oru Kutty {{sic|Srtory|nolink=y}} |date=14 July 2020 |language=ta |publisher=Touring Talkies |time=7:16 |access-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811124514/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ParMVBWFUG8 |archive-date=11 August 2020 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}

Plot

Athi Veerapandiyan and Arun are police officers. Divya is a drug addict who cannot stop her habit even though her brother Arun pleads that she stops. One day Arun locks her up, but she dies from withdrawal. Devastated, Arun decides to take revenge on Mohandas, the kingpin of the drug mafia, but Mohandas kills him in an airport restroom. Sudha's young brother happens to watch this murder but is terrified to make this public. Pandian, who is in-charge of this case, zeroes in on Sudha and her brother as witnesses, but she refuses. But when Madhuri pleads for her help, she decides to help Pandian, but now Pandian is abducted by Mohandas's men and forcefully turn him into a drug addict. The climax reveals whether Pandian nabs the drug lord and completes the revenge of his friend Arun.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Kamal Haasan as ACP Athi Veerapandiyan
Nirosha as Sudha
Nizhalgal Ravi as Arun
Pallavi as Divya
Madhuri as Arun's wife
Kitty as Mohandas
Janagaraj as Jana
Captain Raju as Chakkaravarthy (voice dubbed by Delhi Ganesh)
Rajyalakshmi as Chakkaravarthy's daughter
Vennira Aadai Moorthy as Mohandas's labourer
Veeraraghavan
Thakkali Srinivasan as Dileep
Master Meenuraj as Sudha's brother
Kuyli (special appearance in the song "Vedhalam Vanthiruku")

}}

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.{{Cite web |title=Soora Samhaaram and Jallikattu Tamil film LP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraja |url=https://mossymart.com/product/soora-samhaaram-and-jallikattu-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraja/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920220732/https://mossymart.com/product/soora-samhaaram-and-jallikattu-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraja/ |archive-date=20 September 2021 |access-date=20 September 2021 |website=Mossymart}} The song "Naan Enbadhu" marked the singing debut of Arunmozhi who works as flute musician for Ilaiyaraaja's musical troupe.{{Cite news |last=ராம்ஜி |first=வி. |date=8 December 2020 |title=குழலிசைக் குரலோன் அருண்மொழி; பாடகர் அருண்மொழி பிறந்தநாள் ஸ்பெஷல் |url=https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/609584-singer-arunmozhi-birth-day.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207095337/https://www.hindutamil.in/news/cinema/tamil-cinema/609584-singer-arunmozhi-birth-day.html |archive-date=7 February 2022 |access-date=31 May 2023 |work=Hindu Tamil Thisai |language=Ta}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Track listing

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 17:38

| title1 = Aadum Neram Ithuthaan

| extra1 = P. Susheela

| lyrics1 = Gangai Amaran

| length1 = 4:30

| title2 = Naan Enbathu Nee Allava

| extra2 = Arunmozhi, K. S. Chithra

| lyrics2 = Gangai Amaran

| length2 = 4:25

| title3 = Neela Kuyile Solai Kuyile

| extra3 = Arunmozhi, K. S. Chithra

| lyrics3 = Gangai Amaran

| length3 = 4:23

| title4 = Vedhalam Vandhirukuthu

| extra4 = Mano, S. P. Sailaja

| lyrics4 = Ilaiyaraaja

| length4 = 4:20

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Telugu track listing

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 17:38

| title1 = Manakosam Madhumasam

| extra1 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra

| lyrics1 = Rajasri

| length1 = 4:23

| title2 = Naa Oopiri Neevenule

| extra2 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra

| lyrics2 = Rajasri

| length2 = 4:25

| title3 = Vacchaadu Aggipidugu

| extra3 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja & Chorus

| lyrics3 = Rajasri

| length3 = 4:20

| title4 = Aade Eedu Needi Naadi

| extra4 = K. S. Chithra

| lyrics4 = Rajasri

| length4 = 4:30

}}

Reception

N. Krishnaswamy of The Indian Express wrote, "Soora Samharam is destined to be somewhat muffled in its explosive impact with the entertaining vein and progressively thinning".{{Cite news |last=Krishnaswamy |first=N. |date=5 August 1988 |title=Soorasamhaaram |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19880805&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=15 January 2019 |work=The Indian Express |pages=5 |via=Google News Archive}} The film ran over 100 days in many centres. Sivaji Ganesan presided over the 100-day success celebration which was held on Haasan's birthday{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3baRJRxDH8 |title=கமலுக்காக முடிவை மாற்றிக்கொண்ட சிவாஜி {{!}} Enakkul Oruvan {{!}} Episode – 40 |date=24 May 2020 |language=ta |publisher=Touring Talkies |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/V3baRJRxDH8 |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Ilaiyaraaja won the Cinema Express Award for Best Music Director.{{Cite news |date=11 March 1989 |title=Cinema Express readers choose Agni Nakshathiram |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19890311&printsec=frontpage |access-date=19 February 2021 |work=The Indian Express |pages=4 |via=Google News Archive |agency=Express News Service}}{{cbignore}} On 6 December 2021, in his YouTube channel, Touring Talkies, Chitra Lakshmanan said the Telugu-dubbed version Police Diary, which had one additional song, ran for 185 days in Andhra Pradesh.