Papanasam (film)

Papanasam

Theatrical poster
Directed by Jeethu Joseph
Produced by Suresh Balaje
George Pius
Rajkumar Sethupathi
Sripriya
Written by Jeyamohan, Suka
(Dialogue)
Screenplay by Jeethu Joseph
Story by Jeethu Joseph
Starring Kamal Haasan
Gautami
Niveda Thomas
Esther Anil
Asha Sarath
Anant Mahadevan
Kalabhavan Mani
Music by Ghibran
Cinematography Sujith Vaassudev
Edited by Ayoob Khan
Production
company
Wide Angle Creations
Raj Kumar Theatres
Distributed by Maxlab Entertainments
Release dates
  • 3 July 2015 (2015-07-03)
Running time
 181 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil

Papanasam (Destruction of Sins) is a 2015 Indian Tamil drama thriller film directed by Jeethu Joseph, a remake of his 2013 Malayalam film Drishyam. The film is jointly produced by Suresh Balaje and Rajkumar Sethupathi. It stars Kamal Haasan and Gautami reprising the respective roles played by Mohanlal and Meena in the original.

The film tells the story of Suyambulingam, a middle-class cable TV operator, and his family. They come under suspicion when Varun, the son of the Inspector-general of police (IG), goes missing soon after harassing Suyambu's daughter. The rest of the film reveals how Varun disappeared and what Suyambulingam does to keep his family from going to prison.

The production work of Papanasam was undertaken by Suresh Balaje and George Pious. Music for the film was composed by Ghibran. The cinematography was led by Sujith Vasudev and the editing by Ayoob Khan. Principal photography commenced on 25 August 2014 and lasted three months. Papanasam released on 3 July 2015 to positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Suyambulingam (Kamal Haasan) is an orphan who had dropped out of school after his 4th grade. Now he is a businessman running a cable TV service in Papanasam, a small town in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He is married to Rani (Gautami Tadimalla) and they have two daughters, Selvi (Niveda Thomas) and Pulimeena aka Meena (Esther Anil). His only interest apart from his family is watching films. He spends most of his time in front of the TV in his small office.

During a nature camp, Selvi gets photographed in the bathroom by a hidden cell phone. The culprit, Varun (Roshan Basheer) is the son of Inspector General Geetha Prabhakar (Asha Sarath). Varun is accidentally killed by Rani and Selvi when he comes to blackmail them. They hide his body in a compost pit, which is witnessed by Meena. Rani tells Suyambulingam about the incident and he devises a way to save his family from the law. He removes Varun's broken cell phone, places the SIM card on another mobile phone which he throws onto a Mumbai-bound lorry and disposes of his yellow-coloured Maruti Zen, which is seen by Constable Perumal (Kalabhavan Mani), who has a grudge against Suyambulingam. Suyambulingam takes his family out on a trip to Tenkasi to pray in a temple, watch a movie, stay in a hotel and eat at a restaurant. Geetha, seeing that her son has gone missing, starts an investigation.

After a preliminary investigation, Geetha calls Suyambulingam and his family for questioning. Suyambulingam, who had predicted that this would happen, had already taught his family how to change their alibi at the time of murder. When questioned individually, they give the same replies. Suyambulingam also presents the bill of the restaurant, the hotel bill, the movie ticket and the bus tickets as proof of their alibi. Geetha questions the owners of the establishments they have been to and their statements prove Suyambulingam's alibi. However, Geetha realises later that Suyambulingam had faked the evidence and established his alibi on the owners by going on a trip with his family to the same establishments later. Meanwhile, Suyambulingam tells his brother-in-law, Thangaraj (Abhishek Vinod) that if they are ever taken away by the police, he has to call the media and report about their unlawful arrests.

Geetha arrests Suyambulingam and his family and Perumal uses brute force to beat the truth out of them. Eventually, Meena gives in and reveals the place where the body is buried. After digging the compost pit, they find the carcass of a calf, indicating that Suyambulingam had moved the body. Meena reports to the media and complains against Perumal. The constable is suspended and Geetha resigns from her post.

Later, Geetha and her husband Prabhakar (Anant Mahadevan) meet Suyambulingam to ask forgiveness for their rude and violent behavior. Prabhakar asks Suyambulingam if he can tell them about their son. Suyambulingam then reveals indirectly that his family has committed a crime. Now in remand, Suyambulingam signs a register at the newly constructed local police station. As he leaves, a flashback shows him leaving the incomplete police station with a shovel in hand, indicating that he has hidden Varun's body in the foundations of the police station itself.

Cast

Production

Development

After the commercial and critical success of the 2013 Malayalam film Drishyam directed by Jeethu Joseph and starring Mohanlal, several regional producers approached the makers for remake rights. A Tamil version was planned to be jointly produced by Suresh Balaje, George Pius of Wide Angle Creations, Raj Kumar Sethupathy and Sripriya Rajkumar of Raj Kumar Theatre. The team subsequently signed on Kamal Haasan in late January 2014, to enact the leading role after successful negotiations, with Jeethu Joseph choosing to direct the Tamil version himself.[2][3] Jeethu said that Rajinikanth was initially approached to do the lead role and although he was interested to take up the role, he had doubts regarding a few scenes and how they would appeal to his fans.[4] The pair then chose to alter the storyline to feature a Hindu family from Papanasam instead of Christian Keralite's, to make it familiar with Tamil audiences.[4] Jeethu further said that the Tamil version had been made "more emotional" since Kamal Haasan felt that Tamil audiences like to be "emotionally piqued".[5] In August 2014, the film was reported to be titled Papanasam.[6] Pranav Mohanlal joined the team as an assistant director during the film's first schedule.[7] Jeyamohan was selected to write the dialogues for the film.[8] Noted writer/ director Sukawho is known for his characteristic Tirunelveli based short story series called 'Moongil Moochu' that was published in Ananda Vikatan trained Kamal Hassan to speak in Tirunelveli accent.[9][10]

Casting

Several actresses were considered and approached for the leading female roles, before the team made a final decision. Simran was reported to have signed the film, though she later stated that she was not working in the film.[11][12] Nadhiya,[13] Sridevi,[14] and Abhirami were also considered for roles in the film.[15] Joseph confirmed that Sridevi was not part of the project and that the team would make the official announcements as soon as the cast and crew were finalized.[16] Kamal Haasan's partner Gautami was later confirmed to play Meena's role from the original in June 2014, marking her comeback to acting after a sixteen-year sabbatical.[17][18] Asha Sarath was chosen to reprise her role as a police officer from the original version,[19] while Kalabhavan Mani would portray Kalabhavan Shajon's role from the original.[20][21] Niveda Thomas was signed on to play the elder daughter of the lead pair,[22] while child artiste Esther was also added to the cast, reprising her role from the original as well.[23] Anant Mahadevan was selected to play the role of Siddique from the Malayalam version.[24] Roshan Basheer was also selected to reprise his role as Varun from the original.[25]

Filming

Jeethu Joseph confirmed that shooting for the film would commence from the second half of 2014.[26] The film kick-started with a formal pooja on 16 July 2014.[27][28] Principal photography commenced on 25 August 2014.[29][30] with first schedule beginning in Tirunelveli where scenes featuring Kamal Haasan and Gautami were initially shot.[31] Shooting took place in Nanguneri and Tenkasi , kuthukalvalasai, Mekkarai, a town in the Tirunelveli district.[32] Shooting also took place in Thodupuzha in the house originally used in the Malayalam version. The house underwent minor changes to look like a Tamil household.[33] Working stills from the film were released on 11 September 2014.[34]

Alleged similarities with Malayalam novel

Sathish Paul, a Malayalam filmmaker-scriptwriter filed a petition with the Ernakulam District Court asking to stop the Tamil remake of Drishyam, alleging that the original film was a copy of his story published as a book in May 2013 called Oru Mazhakalathu. Benoy Kadavan, Sathish's advocate, informed that his client was told by Jeethu that Drishyam was going to be a family drama, and not a thriller. But when the movie was released, he noted that it was an exact copy and that a notice was sent to Jeethu Joseph and both the Malayalam and the Tamil production houses asking for equal shares in the profits of the film.[35] Jeethu clarified that his story might have had some similarities with the Japanese film, Suspect X (2008), but cited that it was not a copy of any other story and was willing to move to the high court to prove it.[36]

In mid-March 2015, it was proved at the High Court that the allegation was false, with a verdict being passed confirming the film's originality.[37][38]

Soundtrack

Papanasam
Soundtrack album by Ghibran
Released 22 June 2015
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Language Tamil
Label Think Music
Producer Ghibran
Ghibran chronology
Uttama Villain
(2015)		 Papanasam
(2015)		 Vishwaroopam 2
(2015)

Ghibran composed the music for the film, with Na. Muthukumar writing the lyrics.[39] The soundtrack, featuring two songs with lyrics written by Na. Muthukumar, six instrumental tracks from the score, performed by Sofia Session Orchestra and two karaoke tracks,[40] was released on 22 June at a Chennai FM station.[41][42]

No. TitleLyricsSinger(s) Length
1. "Yeya En Kottikara"  Na. MuthukumarSundar Narayana Rao, Malavika Anilkumar 5.08
2. "Vinaa Vinaa"  Na. MuthukumarHariharan 5.51
3. "Papanasam theme music"     3.08
4. "Bond of Family"     1.27
5. "Sinking Car"     1.51
6. "Police Investigation"     2.31
7. "Kill for life"     1.47

Release

The satellite rights of the film were sold to Sun TV.[43] The film released on 3 July 2015 worldwide.

Critical response

Hindustan Times gave the film 4 out of 5 and stated "A must watch for those fans of Kamal who have been waiting to see him as an actor -- not just a star driven to stunts".[44] Deccan Chronicle gave 4 stars as well and wrote, "Riffing a sophisticated mix of the human condition and a simplistic storyline, Papanasam is a movie that engages your senses while managing to dispel any misgivings on a timely basis...director Jeethu Joseph has recreated the original magic of Drishyam but with a more localized flavor to boot".[45] Filmibeat rated the film 4.5 out of 5 and concluded "Papanasam is a winning script and retaining Jeethu Joseph has helped immensely. But when a performer called Kamal Haasan takes up such a project, magic on screen is rest assured."[46]

Sify wrote "the Tamil version is even tighter (than Drishyam) and there is absolutely no room for error in the writing. Flawless is the word", going on to call the film "excellent".[47] Writing for Rediff, Sukanya Verma, while calling the film a "worthy remake of Drishyam, stated, "I still like Drishyam better but Papanasam is a laudable runner up even if somewhat self-aware".[48]

References

  1. ↑ "Sree Raam thrilled to act with Kamal Haasan". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Kamal Haasan to don Mohanlal's role in Drishyam remake?. The New Indian Express. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Kamal Haasan to do Drishyam`s Tamil version. Sify. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 Kurian, Shiba (1 February 2014). Kamal Haasan to act in Drishyam's Tamil remake. The Times of India. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  5. ↑ IANS. "Papanasam more emotional than Drishyam: Jeethu Joseph". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  6. ↑ Nicy V. P. (11 August 2014). 'Drishyam' Tamil Remake Starring Kamal Haasan Titled 'Papanasam'?. International Business Times. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  7. ↑ Mohanlal’s son Pranav turns Assistand Director in 'Papanasam'. Deccan Chronicle. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  8. ↑ An experienced addition to Kamal Haasan's 'Drishyam'. Behindwoods. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  9. ↑ Kamal Haasan trains in Tirunelveli accent for ‘Papanasam’. Indian Express. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Kamal Haasan trains in Tirunelveli accent for 'Papanasam'. IANS. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  11. ↑ Simran in Drishyam remake?. The Times of India. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Simran denies Drishyam remake. The Times of India. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  13. ↑ Nadhiya pair up with Kamal for the first time?. Indiaglitz. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  14. ↑ Will Kamal Haasan and Sridevi agree to reunite?. The Times of India. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  15. ↑ Sridevi is okay with Vijay, but with Kamal Haasan?. Behindwoods. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  16. ↑ Sridevi not part of Tamil-remake of Drishyam. The Times of India. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  17. ↑ Kamal, Gauthami reuniting in Drishyam's remake. Sify. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  18. ↑ C. Pillai, Radhika (18 August 2014). Gauthami will make a comeback to films with Drishyam’s Tamil remake. The Times of India. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  19. ↑ Menon, Akhila (23 July 2014). Asha Sarath To Share Screen Space With Kamal Hassan. Oneindia Entertainment. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  20. ↑ Drishyam Tamil Remake titled 'Papanasam'?. Sify. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  21. ↑ C. Pillai, Radhika (12 August 2014). Kalabhavan Mani will reprise Shajon’s role in Drishyam’s Tamil remake. The Times of India. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  22. ↑ M. Suganth (17 August 2014). Vijay's sister is Kamal Haasan's daughter. The Times of India. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  23. ↑ C. Pillai, Radhika (17 August 2014). Esther Anil in 'Drishyam' remake!. The Times of India. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  24. ↑ Drishyam remake-Cast updates. Sify. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  25. ↑ C. Pillai, Radhika (27 August 2014).I never felt bored of playing same character again: Roshan Basheer. The Times of India. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  26. ↑ Kamal Haasan to shoot 'Drishyam' Tamil remake from mid-2014. Business Standard. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  27. ↑ Kamal Haasan to start shooting for Drishyam remake. The Times of India. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  28. ↑ Nicy V. P. (23 August 2014). Kerala Court Halts 'Drishyam' Tamil Remake Starring Kamal Haasan over Copyright Issue. International Business Times. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  29. ↑ Kamal Haasan’s Drishyam to roll out from August. The Hindu. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  30. ↑ Kamal's 'Papanasam' starts rolling. Indiaglitz. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  31. ↑ Kamal starts shooting for 'Papanasam'. Sify. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  32. ↑ பாபநாசம் படப்பிடிப்பில் சமூக சேவகருடன் கமலஹாசன் சந்திப்பு. Maalai Malar. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  33. ↑ Kamal haasan joins papanasam team in Kerala.
  34. ↑ Papanasam Movie Stills. Onlykollywood. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  35. ↑ Prakash, Asha (23 July 2014). Drishyam’s Tamil remake stalled by Kerala court. The Times of India. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  36. ↑ Prakash, Asha (24 August 2014). "Drishyam's court drama: We will counter all arguments, says Jeethu". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  37. ↑ "High Court Says Drishyam Is Not Copied". CineSpider. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  38. ↑ "Court rejects plea of Drishyam being copied". indiaglitz.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  39. ↑ Kamal Haasan kick starts Drishyam remake. The Times of India. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  40. ↑ "'Papanasam' Music Review Round Up: Ghibran Does Magic for Kamal Haasan Again [AUDIO]". International Business Times, India Edition. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  41. ↑ "Kamal's 'Papanasam' audio launch". Sify. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  42. ↑ "Papanasam audio on June 22". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  43. ↑ "No tax exemption for 'Papanasam'! Major blow for the makers!". Sify Movies. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  44. ↑ "Papanasam review: Kamal Haasan's back as we once knew him". Hindustantimes. 3 May 2015. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  45. ↑ "Movie review 'Papanasam': A fulfilling experience and a must watch film". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  46. ↑ "Papanasam Movie Review-A World-Class Actor's Date With An Extra-Ordinary Script". filmibeat. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  47. ↑ "Review : Papanasam". Sify. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  48. ↑ "Review: Papanasam is a worthy remake of Drishyam!". Rediff. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
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