{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}} {{Infobox film | name = Kaaviyyan | image = Kaaviyyan poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Sarathi | producer = K. V. Shabarreesh | screenplay = | story = | starring = Shaam <br /> Sridevi Kumar<br /> Athmiya Rajan | narrator = | music = Syam Mohan MM | cinematography = N. S. Raajesh Kumar | editing = Arun Thomas AKD | studio = 2 m Cinemas | distributor = SDC Picturez | released = {{film date|2019|10|18|df=y}} | runtime = 109 minutes | country = India | language = Tamil | budget = | gross = }}
'''''Kaaviyyan: Challenge To Win''''' is a 2019 Indian road thriller film directed by Sarathi in his directorial debut. The film is based on the Hollywood film ''The Call'' (2013)<ref name="Di" /> and features Shaam, Sridevi Kumar, Athmiya Rajan, Nahum Vikazis and Srinath play supporting roles. The music was composed by Syam Mohan, and the film released on 18 October 2019 to negative reviews.
== Plot == Two cops from the Cyber Crime Department from Chennai, Akilan Vishwanath and Baskar, are sent as trainees to Las Vegas by the police chief. While in Vegas, they work with Isha Thomas, a 9-1-1 dispatcher who receives several calls for help; Batten, the chief police inspector of the Las Vegas Police Department; and Swetha Menon, a Malayali dispatcher from Kozhikode. On one such phone call, Isha gets a call from Jennifer Edward Rubis, who tells her that a man has entered her house. Much to the man's demise, Jennifer is able to escape out of an upstairs window. Akilan and Baskar later figure out that the man who entered Jennifer's house was Lucifer Fernando, a psychopath who murders girls for their blood type (B+) to "purify" his blood. Lucifer is taking a Sri Lankan Tamil woman, Mathangai Kumaravel, hostage. While searching for details about Lucifer, Akilan learns of Kasie, Lucifer's ex-wife who filed a divorce after she learned that he was flirting with another woman. Kasie recorded her phone calls with Lucifer on behalf of her lawyer and hands them to Isha. How Akilan sets out to rescue Mathangai forms the rest of the story.
== Cast == {{Cast listing| * Shaam as Akilan Vishwanath * Sridevi Kumar as Isha Thomas * Athmiya Rajan as Mathangai Kumaravel * Nahum Vizakis as Lucifer Fernando (credited as Justin Vikash) * Srinath as Baskar * Lucas Sanders as M. Batten * Jennifer Brofer as Kasie * Jennifer Antony as Shwetha * Vanitha Hariharan as Isha's younger sister * K. R. Selvaraj as the Indian chief of police * Murali as Isha's father (uncredited, in portrait) }}
== Production == === Development === The film was announced in May 2016 and was to be produced by 2 m cinemas, making it will be their first venture. Producer K. V. Shabarreesh came on board after seeing director's Sarathi's short films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Subramanian |first=Anupama |date=21 October 2017 |title=Shaam plays an intense police officer in Kaaviyan |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/211017/shaam-plays-an-intense-police-officer-in-kaaviyan.html}}</ref> Stun Siva was signed on to direct the action sequences.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menon |first=Thinkal |date=16 May 2016 |title=Shaam to act in a road thriller |url=http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31807&articlexml=Shaam-to-act-in-a-road-thriller-16052016108034 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329063944/http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31807&articlexml=Shaam-to-act-in-a-road-thriller-16052016108034 |archive-date=29 March 2017 |access-date=16 May 2016 |website=The Times of India}}</ref> This film was originally announced to be a bilingual film in Tamil and Telugu (titled ''Vaadu Osthaadu''), but the Telugu version was dropped.<ref name="D" /><ref name="Deccan2">{{Cite web |last=Anupama Subramanian |date=24 May 2016 |title=Shaam as a police officer in a road thriller |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/240816/shaam-as-a-police-officer-in-a-road-thriller.html |website=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref> The film was a road thriller and started shooting in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 May 2016 |title=Shaam and Athmeeya's 'Kaaviyyan' to hit the floors soon |url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/kaaviyyan-to-start-rolling-soon.html |website=Malayala Manorama |access-date=12 October 2019 |archive-date=12 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012023749/https://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/kaaviyyan-to-start-rolling-soon.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The title ''Kaaviyyan'' was revealed to be a portmanteau of ''ka'' from ''kaval thurai'' (police), and ''viyyan'' from ''viyakkathakkavan'' (amazing person). <ref>{{Cite news |last=Lakshmi Venkatachalam |title=Shaam continues his cop act |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/shaam-continues-his-cop-act/articleshow/60449763.cms |work=Times of India}}</ref>
=== Casting === Shaam plays the main lead role, marking his comeback into Tamil cinema as a lead actor after ''6'', which released in 2013.<ref name="Silverscreen" /><ref>{{Cite web |title='Kaaviyyan' has actor Shaam in the lead |url=https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/south-indian/kaaviyyan-has-actor-shaam-in-the-lead-1.2061087 |website=Gulf News |date=November 2018 }}</ref> Sridevi Kumar, a Malayali based in Las Vegas, and Athmiya Rajan, who is known for her role in ''Manam Kothi Paravai'', are also doing important roles in this thriller.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pillai |first=Radhika C. |title=Sreedev Sasha Kumar: From Las Vegas to Mollywood |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Sreedev-Sasha-Kumar-From-Las-Vegas-to-Mollywood/articleshow/23461578.cms |work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name="M" /> Srinath, who has acted alongside Shaam in ''12B'' and ''Ullam Ketkumae'' is also part of this film. The villain is a Hollywood artist whose name is yet to be revealed was not revealed as of 2016.<ref name="M">{{Cite web |date=8 June 2016 |title=Kaaviyyan has two Malayali heroines |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/080616/kaaviyyan-has-two-malayali-heroines-1.html |access-date=8 June 2016 |publisher=Deccan Chronicle |archive-date=8 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608005550/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/080616/kaaviyyan-has-two-malayali-heroines-1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2017, Hollywood actor and bodybuilder Justin Vikash (real name Nahum Vizakis) was reported to play the villain.<ref name="Deccan" /> Hollywood artists Lucas Sanders and Jennifer Brofer were signed to play important roles.<ref name="Deccan">{{Cite web |last=Subramanian |first=Anupama |date=12 October 2019 |title=Thriller shot in USA gets release date |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/121019/thriller-shot-in-usa-gets-release-date.html |website=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref> Shaam gained a couple of kilograms in order to play his role as a police officer.<ref name="Deccan" />
=== Filming === The film shooting began in August 2016 in Las Vegas.<ref name="D">{{Cite web |last=Subramanian |first=Anupama |date=26 May 2017 |title=Actor Shaam in road thriller |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/250517/actor-shaam-in-a-road-thriller.html |access-date=28 June 2019 |website=Deccan Chronicle |archive-date=20 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020032921/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/250517/actor-shaam-in-a-road-thriller.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A majority of the film was shot in Las Vegas.<ref name="Deccan2" /> The stunt sequences featured fancy cars such as Rolls-Royce and Hummers.<ref name="Deccan2" />
== Soundtrack == {{Infobox album | name = Kaaviyyan | type = Soundtrack | artist = Syam Mohan M.M | cover = | released = 2018 | genre = Soundtrack | length = 3:23 | label = Times Music Tamil | language = Tamil | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Thandagan | next_year = TBA }} Debutant Syam Mohan composed two songs for the film.<ref name="Silverscreen">{{Cite web |last=Balu |first=Aparajitha |date=25 September 2019 |title='Kaaviyyan' Promises To Be A Good Comeback For Actor Shaam |url=https://silverscreen.in/news/kaaviyyan-shaam-hero-interview/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929220907/https://silverscreen.in/news/kaaviyyan-shaam-hero-interview/ |archive-date=29 September 2019 |website=Silverscreen}}</ref>
{{Track listing | total_length = 6:31 | headline = | extra_column = Singer(s) |title1=Siru Mazhaithuli |lyrics1=Pragaa |extra1=Vandana Dhivyaraja |length1=3:24 |title2=Ethuvandha Enna |lyrics2=Mohan Rajan |extra2= Ananthu, Dhivakar |length2=3:07 }}
== Release == The film was released on October 18, 2019.<ref name="Deccan" />
=== Critical reception === ''Kaaviyyan'' released to negative reviews. Thinal Menon of ''The Times of India'' gave the film 1 out of 5 stars stating "A sloppy script staged in an artificial set up with hardly any character arc".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thinkal Menon |date=19 October 2019 |title=Kaaviyyan Movie Review : A sloppy script staged in an artificial set up with hardly any character arc. |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/kaaviyyan/movie-review/71659166.cms |website=Times of India}}</ref> Ashameera Aiyappan of ''The New Indian Express'' gave the film a 1.5 stars out of 5 stars stating that "This Shaam-starrer is a lost case".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashameera Aiyappan |date=19 October 2019 |title='Kaaviyyan' film review: This Shaam-starrer is a lost case |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2019/oct/19/kaaviyyan-film-review-this-shaam-starrer-is-a-lost-case-2049670.html |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> A critic from ''Maalai Malar'' praised the cinematography and criticized the screenplay of the film.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 October 2019 |title=மர்ம நபரால் கடத்தப்படும் பெண்ணை காப்பாற்றும் நாயகன் - காவியன் விமர்சனம் |url=http://cinema.maalaimalar.com/cinema/review/2019/10/18231122/1266874/Kaaviyyan-movie-review-in-Tamil.vpf |website=Maalai Malar}}</ref> A critic from ''Dinamalar'' praised the music and cinematography and criticized the film's screenplay.<ref name="Di">{{Cite web |title=காவியன் - விமர்சனம் |url=https://cinema.dinamalar.com/movie-review/2374/Kaaviyan/ |website=Dinamalar}}</ref>
==See also== * List of films set in Las Vegas
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title|7225434}}
Category:2019 thriller films Category:Indian thriller films Category:Indian multilingual films Category:Films shot in the Las Vegas Valley Category:2019 films Category:2019 Tamil-language films Category:2019 Indian films Category:2019 multilingual films Category:2010s road movies Category:Indian remakes of American films