Kaavalkaaran
Encyclopedia
Kaavalan is a 2011 Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Siddique
, starring Vijay and Asin
in the lead roles. The film is a remake of Siddique's previous Malayalam film Bodyguard. It features Rajkiran
, Mithra Kurian
, Roja
and Vadivelu
in supporting roles with musical score composed by Vidyasagar
. The film's principal shoot commenced in April 2010 and was completed by November 2010. Following several hurdles, Kaavalan released on 15 January 2011 to generally positive reviews. It was selected to be screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival
out the many projects submitted by India
.
) and at the request of his parents, accepts to work for the latter as his bodyguard. There enters Muthuramalingam's rival, who has lost his daughter since she committed suicide, the reason being rejection by Muthuramalingam's son. While Bhoominathan protects Muthuramalingam, his rival threatens the life of his daughter Meera (Asin
). Bhoominathan is sent to college along with Meera and her friend Madhu (Mithra Kurian
) to protect them from the threat. Meera tries to distance herself from Bhoominathan by calling him from a private number; Bhoominathan falls in love with the girl without knowing that it is Meera herself. At one point, Meera too feels herself becoming attracted to Bhoominathan and expresses her desire to meet him in person. However due to circumstances they are not able to accomplish this until at the climax when she tells Bhoominathan to run away with her and to meet at a railway station. Bhoominathan agrees, unaware it is Meera. However through certain means,Muthuramalingam comes to think that Bhoominathan and Meera are going to run away. In order to save Bhoominathan's life from the anger of Muthuramalingam, Meera lies that the lover is not her and that Bhoominathan is meeting another girl at the train station. Muthuramalingam lets Bhoominathan leave as he is desperate, but tells his henchmen to kill Bhoominathan if a girl does not come there at the station (which implies that Meera loves Bhoomi). Terrified, Meera sends her friend, Madhu, to the station and tells her to tell Bhoominathan that she is the lover and that she won't be able to make it to the station. Madhu, seeing Bhoominathan, falls in love after all that has happened, and admits that she is the lover, not Meera. Meera calls her, but Madhu throws the cellphone away, hoping to erase Meera out of their love life completely. Many years later, after Bhoominathan and Madhu's marriage, they have a son. Madhu passes away shortly after however before her death, she leaves a diary for her son that outlines the whole story between the phone calls of Bhoomi and Meera and their love. The son later goes to Meera's house with Bhoominathan to visit an old Muthuramalingam. Bhoominathan is shocked that Meera isn't married. The son asks Meera to come with him and become his mother and Bhoominathan is angry at his son for saying something so blunt and rude. But Muthuramalingam begs Bhoominathan to take Meera as his wife. So they go onto the train together but the son runs away before leaving and throws the diary into a trashcan nearby. Bhoominathan finds the diary and realizes soon that his real lover, the girl who had waited for him for so many years faithfully, was Meera. And they live together happily.
had the idea of remaking the film in Tamil. He later announced his decision to remake the film with enhancements in the script to better suite the Tamil audience. The film was initially referred to as Kaavalkaaran, which transliterally means "bodyguard" in Tamil. After rumours of the title being changed to Kaaval Kaadhal,' the film was officially confirmed to be titled as Kaavalan in August 2010. The reason for the name confusion and its eventual permanent change was due to the complications in obtaining the rights to the title of Kavalkaran from M. G. Ramachandran
's producers. They refused to sell the title to Vijay, leading to the rechristening of the title to Kaavalan.
had finalized Vijay
to play the lead role, reminiscent to their previous venture Friends
(2001), which was also a remake of Siddique's own Malayalam film
. Asin Thottumkal
was signed up to pair with Vijay for the third time after their previous pairings in Sivakasi
(2005) and Pokkiri
(2007), also giving Thottumkal a comeback in Tamil cinema
after her last appearance in Dasavathaaram (2008). Vadivelu
, Rajkiran
, and Roja Selvamani
were also signed up for supporting characters. The film's principal shoot began in April at Kumbakonam.
. Vijay and Asin, along with director Siddique and rest of crew had taken part in the shooting at the Vellore Institute of Technology
. A song was shot at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
's 2010 film Sura
, the TN Film Exhibitors Association (TFEA) distributed a circular advising theaters not to screen the actor's future films until he compensated for the losses his movies had incurred. Vijay was asked to pay 30% of an estimated 9 crore loss suffered by theaters, or about 3 crore. Kaavalan ran into turmoil as the Theatre Owners’ Association threatened not to release the movie. The movie's release was postponed from December 17 to January 15, citing the lack of theaters available to release the movie. The actor shelled out his salary and four additional crore
s to release the movie with the help of producer Aascar Ravichandran. The film released a week later in Canada after initial expectations to have the film released on the same day as its worldwide release.
The trailer was world premiered on December 16 in the Bay Area, California
, notably the first time for a Vijay film's trailer was launched outside India. Speaking at the event, Vijay made a request to his USA fans to provide support for the growth of Tamil Nadu.
The film was selected at the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival
in the panorama section. SIFF had issued an invitation to actor Vijay as guest of honor.
, while giving the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, credited Vijay for "for shedding his action/political persona and digging his toes in and choosing a script that focuses on comedy and emotions", going on to claim that "it's Vijay [...] who knits together the rather lackluster screenplay and keeps the laughs coming. For a nostalgic return to the Vijay of old, comic interludes and lack of double-edged dialogues and future plans, Kavalan works." Behindwoods rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and called it "a relatable love story shot in a cute and simple manner, rich with emotions, but on the slow side of narration". The reviewer noted that Kaavalan "is a throwback to the Thulladha Manamum Thullum days of Vijay" and that he has "lived the character", while Asin "convinces us with her portrayal." Chennai Online stated that the film had" "the potential to be another Kathalukku Mariyathai but it loses its edge thanks to a loose and redundant script", complimeting Vijay’s "brave effort to come out of the beaten path of mindless action movies". Oneindia commented, "After years Vijay has come out of his masala formula; Kaavalan is a family entertainer... [It] is not an extraordinary one but is watchable."
.
Siddique (director)
Siddique is an Indian film director and screenwriter who mainly works in Malayalam cinema.He started his career as an assistant director to Fazil. The duo of Siddique and Lal was spotted by Fazil when he saw them performing in the Cochin Kalabhavan troupe. Siddique later teamed up with Lal to...
, starring Vijay and Asin
Asín
Asín is a municipality located in the Cinco Villas comarca of the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, located a few kilometers west of Orés. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 106 inhabitants....
in the lead roles. The film is a remake of Siddique's previous Malayalam film Bodyguard. It features Rajkiran
Rajkiran
RajKiran is a film actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 150 Tamil films.-Film career:...
, Mithra Kurian
Mithra Kurian
Dalma Kurian, better known by her stage name Mithra Kurian , is an Indian film actress who appears in Malayalam and Tamil films. After appearing as a child artiste in a film, she starred in two Tamil films, before essaying lead female roles and gaining attention in Malayalam cinema...
, Roja
Roja Selvamani
Roja is a South Indian actress and politician. She is presently with YSR Congress party.-Early life:Roja was born in 1972 in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. She learnt Kuchipudi, a dance form, for a few years. She has two brothers Kumaraswamy Reddy and Ramprasad Reddy.-Film career:Roja entered the...
and Vadivelu
Vadivelu
Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
in supporting roles with musical score composed by Vidyasagar
Vidyasagar (music director)
Vidyasagar is an Award-Winning Indian film music director and music composer in the Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi film industry. He is very popular in South Indian music industry and best known for his soulful melodies. His fast numbers to many films have earned him much fame too. He has...
. The film's principal shoot commenced in April 2010 and was completed by November 2010. Following several hurdles, Kaavalan released on 15 January 2011 to generally positive reviews. It was selected to be screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival
Shanghai International Film Festival
The Shanghai International Film Festival , abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia.Along with Tokyo International Film Festival, the SIFF is one of the biggest film festivals in Asia. The first festival was held from October 7 to 14, 1993, and was held biennially until...
out the many projects submitted by India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Plot
Bhoominathan (Vijay) idolises Muthuramalingam (RajkiranRajkiran
RajKiran is a film actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 150 Tamil films.-Film career:...
) and at the request of his parents, accepts to work for the latter as his bodyguard. There enters Muthuramalingam's rival, who has lost his daughter since she committed suicide, the reason being rejection by Muthuramalingam's son. While Bhoominathan protects Muthuramalingam, his rival threatens the life of his daughter Meera (Asin
Asín
Asín is a municipality located in the Cinco Villas comarca of the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, located a few kilometers west of Orés. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 106 inhabitants....
). Bhoominathan is sent to college along with Meera and her friend Madhu (Mithra Kurian
Mithra Kurian
Dalma Kurian, better known by her stage name Mithra Kurian , is an Indian film actress who appears in Malayalam and Tamil films. After appearing as a child artiste in a film, she starred in two Tamil films, before essaying lead female roles and gaining attention in Malayalam cinema...
) to protect them from the threat. Meera tries to distance herself from Bhoominathan by calling him from a private number; Bhoominathan falls in love with the girl without knowing that it is Meera herself. At one point, Meera too feels herself becoming attracted to Bhoominathan and expresses her desire to meet him in person. However due to circumstances they are not able to accomplish this until at the climax when she tells Bhoominathan to run away with her and to meet at a railway station. Bhoominathan agrees, unaware it is Meera. However through certain means,Muthuramalingam comes to think that Bhoominathan and Meera are going to run away. In order to save Bhoominathan's life from the anger of Muthuramalingam, Meera lies that the lover is not her and that Bhoominathan is meeting another girl at the train station. Muthuramalingam lets Bhoominathan leave as he is desperate, but tells his henchmen to kill Bhoominathan if a girl does not come there at the station (which implies that Meera loves Bhoomi). Terrified, Meera sends her friend, Madhu, to the station and tells her to tell Bhoominathan that she is the lover and that she won't be able to make it to the station. Madhu, seeing Bhoominathan, falls in love after all that has happened, and admits that she is the lover, not Meera. Meera calls her, but Madhu throws the cellphone away, hoping to erase Meera out of their love life completely. Many years later, after Bhoominathan and Madhu's marriage, they have a son. Madhu passes away shortly after however before her death, she leaves a diary for her son that outlines the whole story between the phone calls of Bhoomi and Meera and their love. The son later goes to Meera's house with Bhoominathan to visit an old Muthuramalingam. Bhoominathan is shocked that Meera isn't married. The son asks Meera to come with him and become his mother and Bhoominathan is angry at his son for saying something so blunt and rude. But Muthuramalingam begs Bhoominathan to take Meera as his wife. So they go onto the train together but the son runs away before leaving and throws the diary into a trashcan nearby. Bhoominathan finds the diary and realizes soon that his real lover, the girl who had waited for him for so many years faithfully, was Meera. And they live together happily.
Cast
- Vijay as Bhoominathan (Bhoomi)
- AsinAsínAsín is a municipality located in the Cinco Villas comarca of the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, located a few kilometers west of Orés. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 106 inhabitants....
as Meera Muthuramalingam - RajkiranRajkiranRajKiran is a film actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 150 Tamil films.-Film career:...
as Muthuramalingam - Mithra KurianMithra KurianDalma Kurian, better known by her stage name Mithra Kurian , is an Indian film actress who appears in Malayalam and Tamil films. After appearing as a child artiste in a film, she starred in two Tamil films, before essaying lead female roles and gaining attention in Malayalam cinema...
as Madhu - RojaRoja SelvamaniRoja is a South Indian actress and politician. She is presently with YSR Congress party.-Early life:Roja was born in 1972 in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. She learnt Kuchipudi, a dance form, for a few years. She has two brothers Kumaraswamy Reddy and Ramprasad Reddy.-Film career:Roja entered the...
as Devika Muthuramalingam - VadiveluVadiveluVadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
as Ammavasai - LivingstonLivingston (actor)Livingston is a Tamil film actor who usually plays in supporting roles. He is credited in his earlier films by the stage name Ranjan. His first starring role was in Poonthotta Kavalkaran . He started out playing villains and graduated to playing lead roles with Sundara Purushan in 1997...
as college principal - Mahadevan as Devarajan
- Krishna KumarKrishna Kumar (actor)KK is an Indian film actor who has appeared in Tamil and Malayalam films in supporting roles.-Filmography:- References :...
as Karthik Muthuramalingam - Neepa as Poongodi
- 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 Parthasarathy - Yuvashree as Bhoominathan's mother
- M. S. Bhaskar Maadhu's father
- Madhan BobMadhan BobS. Krishnamoorthy , better known by his screenname Madhan Bob, is a popular comedian and Tamil film actor from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He started his film career as a musician and became an actor instead. Apart from appearing in supporting roles in Tamil films he also appears in the Sun TV...
as college lecturer - Guinnes Pakru as Meera's friend and classmate
- Sharmilee as hostel warden
Character map of remakes
The original Malayalam film Bodyguard is being remade in Hindi and Telugu. The Telugu version is being directed by Gopichand Malineli while all the other three versions are directed by Siddique himself. Below is a character map of the lead characters in the story of Bodyguard and its remakes.Development
During the post-production stages of Bodyguard, SiddiqueSiddique (director)
Siddique is an Indian film director and screenwriter who mainly works in Malayalam cinema.He started his career as an assistant director to Fazil. The duo of Siddique and Lal was spotted by Fazil when he saw them performing in the Cochin Kalabhavan troupe. Siddique later teamed up with Lal to...
had the idea of remaking the film in Tamil. He later announced his decision to remake the film with enhancements in the script to better suite the Tamil audience. The film was initially referred to as Kaavalkaaran, which transliterally means "bodyguard" in Tamil. After rumours of the title being changed to Kaaval Kaadhal,' the film was officially confirmed to be titled as Kaavalan in August 2010. The reason for the name confusion and its eventual permanent change was due to the complications in obtaining the rights to the title of Kavalkaran from M. G. Ramachandran
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran , popularly known by his initials , was an Indian film actor, director, producer and politician....
's producers. They refused to sell the title to Vijay, leading to the rechristening of the title to Kaavalan.
Casting
With the announcement of the remake, SiddiqueSiddique (director)
Siddique is an Indian film director and screenwriter who mainly works in Malayalam cinema.He started his career as an assistant director to Fazil. The duo of Siddique and Lal was spotted by Fazil when he saw them performing in the Cochin Kalabhavan troupe. Siddique later teamed up with Lal to...
had finalized Vijay
Joseph Vijay
Vijay is an Indian film actor and playback singer, who is based in the cinema of Tamil Nadu. He is the son of film producer and director S. A. Chandrasekhar. After performing uncredited roles as a child actor in films produced by his father, he made his debut in a lead role in the 1992 film...
to play the lead role, reminiscent to their previous venture Friends
Friends (2001 film)
Friends is a 2001 Tamil movie starring Vijay, Surya, Ramesh Khanna, Devayani, Abhinyashree, Vijayalakshmi, Sriman and Vadivelu. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja...
(2001), which was also a remake of Siddique's own Malayalam film
Friends (1999 film)
Friends is a 1999 Malayalam comedy film written and directed by Siddique, produced by Lal and starring Jayaram, Mukesh, Sreenivasan and Meena. It was later remade into Tamil with the same name and into Telugu as "Snehamante Idera" ....
. Asin Thottumkal
Asin Thottumkal
Asin Thottumkal , known mononymously as Asin, is an Indian film actress, model and stage performer who acts primarily in Bollywood and Kollywood....
was signed up to pair with Vijay for the third time after their previous pairings in Sivakasi
Sivakasi (film)
Sivakasi is a Tamil action-masala film directed by Perarasu, starring Vijay, Asin and Prakash Raj in lead roles. Nayantara perform in an item number. The film's music is composed by Srikanth Deva. The film released during Diwali 2005 and was declared a "blockbuster". It was leter remade into...
(2005) and Pokkiri
Pokkiri
Pokkiri is a 2007 Tamil action-thriller film directed by Prabhu Deva. The film stars Vijay and Asin with Prakash Raj, Nassar, Vadivelu, Sriman and Napoleon playing supporting roles. Mumaith Khan and Prabhu Deva make guest appearances. Nirav Shah handled cinematography while Kola Bhaskar was the...
(2007), also giving Thottumkal a comeback in Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
after her last appearance in Dasavathaaram (2008). Vadivelu
Vadivelu
Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards...
, Rajkiran
Rajkiran
RajKiran is a film actor, producer and director, who has acted in more than 150 Tamil films.-Film career:...
, and Roja Selvamani
Roja Selvamani
Roja is a South Indian actress and politician. She is presently with YSR Congress party.-Early life:Roja was born in 1972 in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. She learnt Kuchipudi, a dance form, for a few years. She has two brothers Kumaraswamy Reddy and Ramprasad Reddy.-Film career:Roja entered the...
were also signed up for supporting characters. The film's principal shoot began in April at Kumbakonam.
Filming
An incident occurred on sets in April, where Asin, her father, and her make up assistants had fainted in their caravan after being exposed to a gas leak. They were treated in hospital the same day and were eventually discharged. The second shoot schedule occurred in VelloreVellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
. Vijay and Asin, along with director Siddique and rest of crew had taken part in the shooting at the Vellore Institute of Technology
Vellore Institute of Technology
VIT University, commonly called Vellore Institute of Technology or VIT, is located in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. VIT has nine schools.-Academic organisation:...
. A song was shot at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Release
After the failure of VijayJoseph Vijay
Vijay is an Indian film actor and playback singer, who is based in the cinema of Tamil Nadu. He is the son of film producer and director S. A. Chandrasekhar. After performing uncredited roles as a child actor in films produced by his father, he made his debut in a lead role in the 1992 film...
's 2010 film Sura
Sura (film)
The soundtrack of the film, composed by Mani Sharma, was released on 29 March 2010. The album features 6 songs....
, the TN Film Exhibitors Association (TFEA) distributed a circular advising theaters not to screen the actor's future films until he compensated for the losses his movies had incurred. Vijay was asked to pay 30% of an estimated 9 crore loss suffered by theaters, or about 3 crore. Kaavalan ran into turmoil as the Theatre Owners’ Association threatened not to release the movie. The movie's release was postponed from December 17 to January 15, citing the lack of theaters available to release the movie. The actor shelled out his salary and four additional crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
s to release the movie with the help of producer Aascar Ravichandran. The film released a week later in Canada after initial expectations to have the film released on the same day as its worldwide release.
The trailer was world premiered on December 16 in the Bay Area, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, notably the first time for a Vijay film's trailer was launched outside India. Speaking at the event, Vijay made a request to his USA fans to provide support for the growth of Tamil Nadu.
The film was selected at the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival
Shanghai International Film Festival
The Shanghai International Film Festival , abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia.Along with Tokyo International Film Festival, the SIFF is one of the biggest film festivals in Asia. The first festival was held from October 7 to 14, 1993, and was held biennially until...
in the panorama section. SIFF had issued an invitation to actor Vijay as guest of honor.
Critical response
Sify.com gave the film a positive verdict, describing the film as "super fun" and a "perfect Pongal family entertainer". The reviewer particularly praised Vijay's performance, observing that the film works "purely on his star charisma and larger-than-life image" and that "he carries the film on his shoulders and is one good reason to watch the film". A critic from Rediff.comRediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
, while giving the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, credited Vijay for "for shedding his action/political persona and digging his toes in and choosing a script that focuses on comedy and emotions", going on to claim that "it's Vijay [...] who knits together the rather lackluster screenplay and keeps the laughs coming. For a nostalgic return to the Vijay of old, comic interludes and lack of double-edged dialogues and future plans, Kavalan works." Behindwoods rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and called it "a relatable love story shot in a cute and simple manner, rich with emotions, but on the slow side of narration". The reviewer noted that Kaavalan "is a throwback to the Thulladha Manamum Thullum days of Vijay" and that he has "lived the character", while Asin "convinces us with her portrayal." Chennai Online stated that the film had" "the potential to be another Kathalukku Mariyathai but it loses its edge thanks to a loose and redundant script", complimeting Vijay’s "brave effort to come out of the beaten path of mindless action movies". Oneindia commented, "After years Vijay has come out of his masala formula; Kaavalan is a family entertainer... [It] is not an extraordinary one but is watchable."
Box Office
The film, made on a budget of 30 crores, collected 45 crores, being declared a commercial success.Soundtrack
Kaavalans audio launch was held on December 8, 2010. The soundtrack consists 5 tracks composed by VidyasagarVidyasagar
Vidyasagar may refer to:People*Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the Bengali scholar *Acharya Vidyasagar, the prominent Digambar Jain Acharya *Vidyasagar , the South Indian music directorOther...
.