Singam
Encyclopedia
Singam is a 2010 Tamil action
-masala film
directed by Hari
, starring Suriya and Anushka Shetty
in the lead. The film, produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja in association with Reliance Big Pictures, and distributed by Sun Pictures
, was released on 28 May 2010. Upon release, the film was dubbed into Telugu and released as Yamudu. The film's commercial success led to remakes in Kannada as Kempegowda, in Hindi as Singham
, and in Bengali as Shotru
.
District, revolves around Sub-Inspector Durai Singam (Suriya), a brave and just policeman who serves in his hometown primarily to fulfill his father’s (Radha Ravi
) wish. Durai Singam settles every dispute in his town patiently with his words of wisdom and resorts to force only when the situation demands it. Kavya (Anushka Shetty
), a city girl who comes on vacation to Nallore, falls in love with Durai Singam. Erimalai (Vivek
), Durai Singam's bumbling colleague and friend, often accompanies him.
Everything seems to be smooth-running until Chennai-based Mayil Vaaganam (Prakash Raj
), a big-time extortionist with shady mafia
dealings, is required to travel to Nallore to sign a conditional bail. Mayil sends one of his henchmen to sign in his place. An angry Durai Singam demands that Mayil come in person for the signature and this starts tensions between them. Mayil, unable to do anything because the town is under the control of Durai Singam and his supporters, leaves humiliated. When Singam gets promoted to an Inspector Mayil uses his political clout to get him transferred to Tiruvanmaiyur police station in Chennai
in order to extract revenge.
In Chennai, Kavya's sister Divya is kidnapped by Vaaganam, and in the process Singam uncovers a scam run by Vaaganam in which he kidnaps children for ransom from commercial real estate developers. Durai Singam, with unexpected help from the Home Minister (Vijayakumar), gets promoted to Assistant Commissioner of the specially-formed Anti-kidnapping Task Force. Also, Kavya's father (Nassar
) who was hostile to Singam following an altercation with Singam's father, softens up and agrees to give him Kavya's hand in marriage.
In a protracted cat-and-mouse chase with liberal display of muscle power, Vaaganam targets people dearest to Singam, including Kavya (who gets shot but is saved by Singam) and manages to kill Durai Singam's loyal deputy and close friend, Inspecter Ravi. Finally, in a bid to escape gathering momentum of hostility and the arrest warrant against him, Vaaganam kidnaps the Karnataka Home Minister's daughter and escapes by train to Nellore
. Following a fierce chase and fight, mobilizing a huge army of policemen to help him, Singam kills Vaaganam in a final one-to-one fight. The final scene shows Singam and Kavya heading back to Nallore, when Singam is stopped briefly by the Home Minister and assigned an undercover mission, to which he gladly agrees.
's Aadhavan
, discussions regarding his subsequent project, notably his 25th film, were held. Initially, reports emerged that it was going to be directed by Prabhu Deva. At the launch of his film Seval
in May 2009, however, director Hari
announced officially that he would direct Suriya's 25th film titled Singam and that he had finished penning the script. Becoming Suriya's third film with Hari following the successful films Aaru
and Vel
, it was announced that the project would release in July 2010. Suriya's cousin, K. E. Gnanavel Raja was announced as the producer.
would score the music, Devi Sri Prasad
was chosen as the music director, thus becoming his third venture with Suriya. Suriya was revealed to play a police officer in the film, the second time in his career after Kaakha Kaakha
in 2003. Anushka
was chosen to play the female lead, after several actresses were considered and approached. Priyan was chosen as the lead camera man and V. T. Vijayan as the editor.
. A scene from the song "Stole my Heart" was shot in Muscat Park that was choreographed by Brindha. Afterwards, some scenes where shot in Andhra Pradesh
as well as Karnataka
. The main scenes were shot in Thiruvanmiyur
, Chennai
. During December, Hari announced that the film wouldn't have a formal audio launch as per his previous films and that the shooting would get over quickly. The trailers were released on 24 February. Sun Pictures
acquired the distribution rights, and Sony Music bought the music for a hefty price.
in the first weekend. The total box office collection from Chennai alone was 5.38 crores. The film completed a 100-days-run at theatres and was reported as a block buster. In Malaysia, the movie grossed $1,471,508 and in the UK around $12,956.
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
-masala film
Masala (film genre)
Masala is a term given to films of Indian cinema that mix various genres in one film. Typically these films freely mix action, comedy, romance, and drama or melodrama. These films tend to be musicals that include songs filmed in picturesque locations...
directed by Hari
Hari (director)
Hari is a Tamil film director, best known for his action-masala films. , he has directed eleven films.- Background :Hari was born in Katchanavilai near Nazereth in Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Gopal Nadar, is a vessels merchant. Later his family shifted to Chennai...
, starring Suriya and Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty is an Indian film actress who works mainly in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu...
in the lead. The film, produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja in association with Reliance Big Pictures, and distributed by Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures is a film distribution and production studio unit of Chennai, based Sun Network owned by Kalanidhi Maran. Founded in 2008, it started distributing low-budget Tamil-language films, Kadhalil Vizhunthen being the first, and holds the credit of producing India's costliest film Enthiran...
, was released on 28 May 2010. Upon release, the film was dubbed into Telugu and released as Yamudu. The film's commercial success led to remakes in Kannada as Kempegowda, in Hindi as Singham
Singham (2011 film)
Singham is a 2011 Bollywood action film directed by Rohit Shetty starring Ajay Devgn, Kajal Aggarwal and Prakash Raj in lead roles. It is a remake of the 2010 Tamil film Singam featuring Suriya and 2011 bengali flim Shotru featuring bengali superstar Jeet. The film is produced by Reliance...
, and in Bengali as Shotru
Shotru
-Track listing:...
.
Plot
The story, set in the backdrop of Nallore, a small town in ThoothukudiThoothukudi
Thoothukudi , also known as Tuticorin, is a port city and a Municipal Corporation in Thoothukudi district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thoothukudi is the headquarters of Thoothukudi District....
District, revolves around Sub-Inspector Durai Singam (Suriya), a brave and just policeman who serves in his hometown primarily to fulfill his father’s (Radha Ravi
Radha Ravi
Radha Ravi is a Tamil film and television actor, who played supporting roles throughout his career. He is the son of yesteryear actor, M. R. Radha and the uncle of Vasu Vikram and halfbrother of Raadhika Sarathkumar. He is a chief member of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association...
) wish. Durai Singam settles every dispute in his town patiently with his words of wisdom and resorts to force only when the situation demands it. Kavya (Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty is an Indian film actress who works mainly in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu...
), a city girl who comes on vacation to Nallore, falls in love with Durai Singam. Erimalai (Vivek
Vivek
Vivek is a masculine Hindu given name that is popular in South Asia, particularly India and Nepal....
), Durai Singam's bumbling colleague and friend, often accompanies him.
Everything seems to be smooth-running until Chennai-based Mayil Vaaganam (Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
), a big-time extortionist with shady mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
dealings, is required to travel to Nallore to sign a conditional bail. Mayil sends one of his henchmen to sign in his place. An angry Durai Singam demands that Mayil come in person for the signature and this starts tensions between them. Mayil, unable to do anything because the town is under the control of Durai Singam and his supporters, leaves humiliated. When Singam gets promoted to an Inspector Mayil uses his political clout to get him transferred to Tiruvanmaiyur police station in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
in order to extract revenge.
In Chennai, Kavya's sister Divya is kidnapped by Vaaganam, and in the process Singam uncovers a scam run by Vaaganam in which he kidnaps children for ransom from commercial real estate developers. Durai Singam, with unexpected help from the Home Minister (Vijayakumar), gets promoted to Assistant Commissioner of the specially-formed Anti-kidnapping Task Force. Also, Kavya's father (Nassar
Nassar
Nassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar...
) who was hostile to Singam following an altercation with Singam's father, softens up and agrees to give him Kavya's hand in marriage.
In a protracted cat-and-mouse chase with liberal display of muscle power, Vaaganam targets people dearest to Singam, including Kavya (who gets shot but is saved by Singam) and manages to kill Durai Singam's loyal deputy and close friend, Inspecter Ravi. Finally, in a bid to escape gathering momentum of hostility and the arrest warrant against him, Vaaganam kidnaps the Karnataka Home Minister's daughter and escapes by train to Nellore
Nellore
Nellore , is a city and headquarters of Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore District, formerly Nellore district.And in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Ancient name of Nellore was "Vikrama Simhapuri"....
. Following a fierce chase and fight, mobilizing a huge army of policemen to help him, Singam kills Vaaganam in a final one-to-one fight. The final scene shows Singam and Kavya heading back to Nallore, when Singam is stopped briefly by the Home Minister and assigned an undercover mission, to which he gladly agrees.
Cast
- Suriya as Durai Singam
- Anushka ShettyAnushka ShettyAnushka Shetty is an Indian film actress who works mainly in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu...
as Kavya Mahalingam - Prakash RajPrakash RajPrakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
as Mayil Vaaganam - NassarNassarNassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar...
as Mahalingam - VivekVivek (actor)Vivekananthan is an Indian film actor and comedian. He has won four Filmfare Best Comedian Awards for his performances in Run, Saamy, Perazhagan and Sivaji, respectively. In April 2009, Vivek received the Padma Shri award by the Government of India for his contribution to the arts. He was...
as Yettu Erimalai - Manorama as Kavya's grandmother
- Radha RaviRadha RaviRadha Ravi is a Tamil film and television actor, who played supporting roles throughout his career. He is the son of yesteryear actor, M. R. Radha and the uncle of Vasu Vikram and halfbrother of Raadhika Sarathkumar. He is a chief member of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association...
as Durai Singam's father - Vijayakumar as The Home Minister
- Krishna Priya as Divya Mahalingam
- Bose Venkat as Sub Inspector Ravi
- Nizhalgal RaviNizhalgal RaviNizhalgal Ravi is an Indian actor who has performed in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. He started his career in 1980 with the film Nizhalgal.-Career:...
as The Asst. Commissioner - Yuvarani as Durai Singam's sister
Development
After Suriya had finished K. S. RavikumarK. S. Ravikumar
K. S. Ravikumar is an Indian film director and actor, primarily working in Tamil cinema. He has directed numerous films ranging from comedy and drama to action thrillers. His film Dasavathaaram went on to gross $16 million worldwide in the first four weeks and eventually became one of the...
's Aadhavan
Aadhavan
Aadhavan is a 2009 Tamil action thriller, directed by K. S. Ravikumar and written by Ramesh Khanna. The film features Surya Sivakumar in the title role along with Nayantara in lead roles and Murali, Vadivelu, Anand Babu, Ramesh Khanna, B. Saroja Devi, Rahul Dev, Sayaji Shinde in its supporting...
, discussions regarding his subsequent project, notably his 25th film, were held. Initially, reports emerged that it was going to be directed by Prabhu Deva. At the launch of his film Seval
Seval
Seval is a Tamil language action drama film released in 2008. It stars Bharath, Vadivelu, Simran Bagga and Poonam Bajwa in the lead roles.-Plot:...
in May 2009, however, director Hari
Hari (director)
Hari is a Tamil film director, best known for his action-masala films. , he has directed eleven films.- Background :Hari was born in Katchanavilai near Nazereth in Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Gopal Nadar, is a vessels merchant. Later his family shifted to Chennai...
announced officially that he would direct Suriya's 25th film titled Singam and that he had finished penning the script. Becoming Suriya's third film with Hari following the successful films Aaru
Aaru (film)
Aaru is a 2005 Indian Tamil action-masala film written and directed by Hari. It stars Surya and Trisha in lead role. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Devi Sri Prasad...
and Vel
Vel (film)
Vel is a 2007 Tamil action-drama film written and directed by Hari and produced by Mohan Natarajan. It stars Suriya and Asin and features Vadivelu, Kalabhavan Mani and Nassar in supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The film was released on 9...
, it was announced that the project would release in July 2010. Suriya's cousin, K. E. Gnanavel Raja was announced as the producer.
Casting
Though initial reports suggested that Yuvan Shankar RajaYuvan Shankar Raja
Yuvan Shankar Raja is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer, singer and occasional lyricist. He has predominantly scored music for Tamil as well as several Telugu films. His musical career began in 1996, at age 16, as he composed the film score for Aravindhan...
would score the music, Devi Sri Prasad
Devi Sri Prasad
Devi Sri Prasad is a music composer and playback singer in Telugu and Tamil films. His soundtracks have been dubbed or remade in several other languages as well.- Awards :...
was chosen as the music director, thus becoming his third venture with Suriya. Suriya was revealed to play a police officer in the film, the second time in his career after Kaakha Kaakha
Kaakha Kaakha
Kaakha Kaakha is a 2003 Tamil crime thriller film starring Surya, Jyothika and Jeevan in the lead roles. The film was written and directed by Gautham Menon and the music was composed by Harris Jayaraj...
in 2003. Anushka
Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty is an Indian film actress who works mainly in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu...
was chosen to play the female lead, after several actresses were considered and approached. Priyan was chosen as the lead camera man and V. T. Vijayan as the editor.
Filming
After completingSeval, Hari joined the cast and crew to start the filming in 2009. The shooting began in Thirunelveli district and was carried on in southern parts of Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. A scene from the song "Stole my Heart" was shot in Muscat Park that was choreographed by Brindha. Afterwards, some scenes where shot in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
as well as Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. The main scenes were shot in Thiruvanmiyur
Thiruvanmiyur
-Transport:The area is easily accessible by Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses and has a sprawling bus terminus. Bus Routes connecting Thiruvanmiyur with other places in Chennai are: 1, 1A, 1C, 1D, 6D, 22A, 23C Extn., 29M,29C Extn., 41C, A47, 47A, 47D, M1, M49, M7, C51, T51, M23, M19, M70,...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. During December, Hari announced that the film wouldn't have a formal audio launch as per his previous films and that the shooting would get over quickly. The trailers were released on 24 February. Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures is a film distribution and production studio unit of Chennai, based Sun Network owned by Kalanidhi Maran. Founded in 2008, it started distributing low-budget Tamil-language films, Kadhalil Vizhunthen being the first, and holds the credit of producing India's costliest film Enthiran...
acquired the distribution rights, and Sony Music bought the music for a hefty price.
Box office
The film collected 80 lakhs from ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
in the first weekend. The total box office collection from Chennai alone was 5.38 crores. The film completed a 100-days-run at theatres and was reported as a block buster. In Malaysia, the movie grossed $1,471,508 and in the UK around $12,956.
Critical response
This film garnered mixed to positive reviews. Behindwoods.com gave 2.5 out of 5 and stated that Hari has "concocted and packaged his masala contents in the right proportion and has served a tasty dish", while praising Suriya for having "diligently worked towards balancing the niche and the mass" and proving "once again that he can deliver a commercial masala flick with as finesse as he can deliver a performance-oriented film". Sify described the film as a "predictable entertainer that follows the age old formula", citing that it was Suriya who "carries the film to the winning post. His passion and the way he brings an ordinary regular larger-than-life hero character alive on screen is lesson for other commercial heroes". Rediff also gave 2.5 out of 5 stating that the film was an "unapologetic, entertainer and has Suriya in every frame. Lovers of commercial potpourri will definitely get their money's worth." Indiaglitz wrote that Singam was the "king of the masses, who love action and commercial films". A Times of India critic gave 3.5 out of 5, claiming that "even with a sleepy narration in the first 30 minutes or so, Singam is worth a watch."Soundtrack
The soundtrack, released on 11 May 2010, was scored by Devi Sri Prasad, marking his third collaboration with Suriya after Maayavi and Aaru.Awards
Singam also received several nominations and awards from the Filmfare and Vijay Awards.| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58th Filmfare Awards South 58th Filmfare Awards South The 58th Filmfare Awards South ceremony honoring the winners and nominees of the best of South Indian cinema in 2010 was held on July 2, 2011 in Hyderabad, India.-Tamil:*Nominations** 9 nominations: Aayirathil Oruvan... |
Best Actor | Suriya | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Prakash Raj Prakash Raj Prakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to... |
||
| Best Supporting Actress | Manorama | ||
| Best Female Playback Filmfare Best Female Playback Award (Tamil) The Tamil Filmfare Best Female Playback Award is given by Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Tamil films. The award was first presented in 2005 with Binny Krishnakumar as winner.... |
Suchitra Suchitra Suchitra Karthik Kumar is an Indian Tamil Radio Jockey and Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu playback singer. Born and brought up in Kerala, she had her school education in Bhavans Vidya Mandir Giri Nagar, Kochi. She is a graduate from the Kerala University... (En Idhayam) |
||
| Best Dance Choreographer | Baba Bhaskar (Kadhal Vandhale) |
||
| 5th Vijay Awards Vijay Awards The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has given annually since 2006. The awards are decided by a jury, consisting of noted filmmakers, critics and technicians, while winners in a separate category named "Favourite awards"... |
Best Entertainer Vijay Award for Entertainer of the Year The Vijay for Entertainer of the Year is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-The list:Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won.... |
Suriya | |
| Favourite Hero Vijay Award for Favourite Hero The Vijay for Favorite Hero is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:* 2006 Ajith Kumar * 2007 Rajinikanth - Sivaji**Ajith Kumar - Billa**Suriya - Vel... |
Suriya | ||
| Favourite Heroine Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine The Vijay for Favorite Heroine is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films.-Winners and nominations:*2006 Jyothika*2007 Nayantara - Billa**Shriya Saran - Sivaji: The Boss... |
Anushka Shetty Anushka Shetty Anushka Shetty is an Indian film actress who works mainly in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu... |
||
| Favourite Film Vijay Award for Favourite Film The Vijay for Favorite film is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films. In the first year of the awards, the all time favourite film was chosen by viewers from any particular year, with the 1992 film Devar Magan emerging the winner... |
Reliance Big Pictures & K. E. Gnanavel Raja | ||
| Favourite Song Vijay Award for Favourite Song The Vijay for Favorite Song is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil films. It is chosen through public voting. The award was first given in 2008.-The list:... |
Devi Sri Prasad Devi Sri Prasad Devi Sri Prasad is a music composer and playback singer in Telugu and Tamil films. His soundtracks have been dubbed or remade in several other languages as well.- Awards :... (Kadhal Vandhale) |