Underplayed Gems

Viduthalai (2023)

Viduthalai poster
Original title
விடுதலை: பாகம் I
Directed by
Vetrimaaran
Genre
action, thriller, drama
Country
India
Runtime
2h 26m
Rated
15
Rating
7.8 of 10 from 52 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

Set in 1987, a young police constable is assigned to capture the leader of a separatist group in rural Tamil Nadu. As he gets deeper into the assignment, he begins to question his own role and the authorities he works for.

tensegrittyslow-burnpolitically chargedmorally complexatmosphericbroodingserious

What happens

Viduthalai Part 1 (transl. Liberation Part 1) is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language period political crime thriller film directed and co-produced by Vetrimaaran under Grass Root Film Company and RS Infotainment. Set in 1987, the film follows a police constable, who is recruited to arrest the leader of a separatist group but soon gets caught in ethical dilemmas. The ensemble cast includes Soori, Vijay Sethupathi, Bhavani Sre, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Rajiv Menon, Ilavarasu, Balaji Sakthivel, Saravana Subbiah, Chetan, Munnar Ramesh, and Pavel Navageethan. Viduthalai was originally announced as a single film in April 2021, with principal photography already having commenced in December 2020. However, it was later announced to be split into two parts. It was predominantly shot in Chengalpattu, with the first part's portions wrapping by late December 2022. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, cinematography handled by R. Velraj and editing by R. Ramar. Viduthalai Part 1 was released in theatres on 31 March 2023. The film received critical acclaim and became a box-office success. Viduthalai Part 2, the sequel, was released in 2024. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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