{{Short description|2015 Indian film by Anucharan}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}} {{Infobox film | name = Kirumi | image = Kirumi poster.jpg | caption = Poster | director = Anucharan | producer = {{unbulleted list|K. Jayaram|L. Prithiviraj|M. Jayaraman|S. Rajendran}} | writer = {{unbulleted list|M. Manikandan|Anucharan}} | starring = {{unbulleted list|Kathir|Reshmi Menon|Charle}} | music = K | cinematography = Arul Vincent | editing = Anucharan | studio = JPR Films<ref name="behindwoods.com">{{Cite web |date=23 September 2015 |title=Kirumi (aka) Kirumi photos stills & images |url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/kirumi/kirumi-photos-pictures-stills.html#.VeVqzX0508J |access-date=2016-12-19 |website=Behindwoods.com}}</ref> | distributor = Escape Artists Motion Pictures<ref name="EA Distrib">{{Cite web |date=24 September 2015 |title=TOP 10 ALBUMS #10.TOP 10 ALBUMS |url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/kirumi/kirumi-top-ten-songs-naanal-poovaai-sep-24.html |access-date=2016-12-19 |website=Behindwoods.com}}</ref> | released = {{Film date|df=yes|2015|09|24}} | runtime = 104 minutes | country = India | language = Tamil | budget = | gross = }}
'''''Kirumi''''' ({{translation|Germ}}) is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language thriller film written, directed and edited by Anucharan in his debut feature.<ref name="The Hindu 1">{{Cite news |last=Raghavan |first=Nikhil |date=23 January 2015 |title=Etcetera |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/etcetera/article6812700.ece |access-date=10 September 2015 |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 September 2015 |title=Kirumi Tamil Movie - Preview, Trailers, Gallery, Review, Events, Synopsis |url=http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/16117/tamil/kirumi/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129043912/http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/16117/tamil/kirumi/index.htm |archive-date=29 January 2018 |access-date=1 September 2015 |website=Now Running}}</ref> The film is co-written by M. Manikandan and produced by JPR Films, and stars Kathir and Reshmi Menon. K composed the music and Arul Vincent, was the cinematographer. It released on 24 September 2015.
==Plot== Kathir is a selfish youth in search of a job. Despite being married and having a child, he is waiting for a job offer that he feels meets his standards. Meanwhile, his wife Anitha is the breadwinner of the family. Prabhakar, a friendly neighbour who acts as his father figure, gets him a job as an informant with the less than honest local police inspector. Kathir uses this opportunity to take revenge against the violent bar owner who humiliated him in front of his friends, despite Prabhakar's advice. With his tip-off, the police raids the bar and arrests the owner for running an illegal gambling den as a side business. One night, Prabhakar is murdered by a group of thugs while scared Kathir runs for his life. Suspecting that Prabhakar was murdered because he too was an informant, Kathir starts becoming paranoid. Eventually, he comes to realize that the inspector he is working for is now collaborating with the bar owner after being promised a large sum of money as commission in return for permission to run their illegal businesses. Since Kathir is the only witness for most of the inspector's corrupt activities, the inspector has the bar owner send his thugs to kill Kathir too. However, the inspector eventually feels sorry for Kathir and allows him to live as long as he stays silent about all the underground operations being carried out by the local police station. In the end, Kathir takes up a low-paying but proper job at his wife's garment factory and earns an honest living.
==Cast== {{colbegin}} * Kathir as Kathir * Reshmi Menon as Anitha * Charle as Prabhakar * Yogi Babu * G. Marimuthu as Mathiarasu * Thennavan as Club Owner * Vanitha Krishnachandran as Anitha's mother * David Solomon Raja as Soundarapandian * Sai Dheena as Shankar * Sathya as Sathya * Tamilselvi as Gayathri Prabhakar * Thanjai Mahendran * Vijayamuthu * Vinod Sagar * Supergood Subramani * Mohan * Ravi Venkatraman * Gemini Mani {{colend}}
==Production== Anucharan, a director of several short films, music videos and television shows in Australia, had come to Chennai for his sister's wedding, when M. Manikandan, the director of ''Kaaka Muttai'' and a close friend of him, and composer G. V. Prakash Kumar, encouraged him to make a Tamil film, after hearing the script of ''Kirumi''.<ref name="ie">{{Cite news |date=2014-09-29 |title='I Aim to Make Simple Movies' |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/I-Aim-to-Make-Simple-Movies/2014/09/29/article2453724.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140929201200/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/I-Aim-to-Make-Simple-Movies/2014/09/29/article2453724.ece |archive-date=29 September 2014 |access-date=2016-12-19 |work=The New Indian Express}}</ref> Manikandan introduced Anucharan to Jayaraman, a former assistant, who had worked with actor Rajinikanth for 24 years and who decided to produce the venture along with his friends Prithiviraj and Rajendran as he liked the script since it was "contemporary" and had a message for society.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rajinikanth's 'super' advice to his former assistant |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150915/entertainment-kollywood/article/rajinikanth%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98super%E2%80%99-advice-his-former-assistant |access-date=2016-12-19 |website=Deccanchronicle.com}}</ref> Following G. V. Prakash Kumar's suggestion, Kathir was cast as the protagonist of ''Kirumi'', who had also been part of Prakash Kumar's debut production ''Madha Yaanai Koottam''.<ref name = ie/> Despite the film being titled ''Kirumi'' (eng. ''Virus''), Kathir said that the film would not deal with a virus or natural disasters but that it was a "realistic film that deals with the life of an ordinary youngster and how certain incidents change his course of life",<ref name="south">{{Cite web |title=KIRUMI – A NEWFANGLED ATTEMPT IN TAMIL CINEMA | Southscope.in |url=http://www.southscope.in/tamil/news/kirumi-%E2%80%93-newfangled-attempt-tamil-cinema |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109081023/http://www.southscope.in/tamil/news/kirumi-%E2%80%93-newfangled-attempt-tamil-cinema |archive-date=9 January 2015 |access-date=17 January 2022 |website=www.southscope.in}}</ref> while its director Anucharan added that the film had elements of a psychological thriller.<ref name="New Indian Express 1" /> He further informed that it was based on something he saw when he "was roaming on the streets of Chennai".<ref name = ie/>
Reshmi Menon signed on to portray the female lead in the film, although she was initially apprehensive as she felt that the role—a typical North Madras woman, sporting a "no-makeup" look and talking "proper Tamil"—was "very much outside my comfort zone".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-09-23 |title=Reshmi Menon Goes De-glam |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Reshmi-Menon-Goes-De-glam/2015/09/23/article3041986.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928043433/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Reshmi-Menon-Goes-De-glam/2015/09/23/article3041986.ece |archive-date=28 September 2015 |access-date=2016-12-19 |work=The New Indian Express}}</ref> David Solomon Raja, who had appeared in several television serials and as a police officer in ''Kaththi'', was reported to have played a major role in the film.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Acting schools: Who's attending these classes? |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/acting-schools-what-does-it-take-to-enter-cinema/article7625082.ece |access-date=2016-12-19 |work=The Hindu}}</ref> Arul Vincent, a former associate of P. C. Sreeram, was signed to handle the cinematography.<ref name = south/>
90 per cent of the film was filmed in Chennai while some shooting had taken place in Puducherry and Kovalam. In September 2014, Anucharan spoke with ''The New Indian Express'' and shared that "now it has been six months and ''Kirumi'' is almost complete."<ref name="India West 1">{{Cite news |last=The New Indian Express staff |date=29 September 2014 |title=Anucharan: 'Kirumi' is realistic drama with Psychological Thriller Elements |url=http://www.indiawest.com/entertainment/south_indian/anucharan-kirumi-is-realistic-drama-with-psychological-thriller-elements/article_d3529f1e-4839-11e4-aff0-77b6e8dabcac.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930171150/http://www.indiawest.com/entertainment/south_indian/anucharan-kirumi-is-realistic-drama-with-psychological-thriller-elements/article_d3529f1e-4839-11e4-aff0-77b6e8dabcac.html |archive-date=30 September 2014 |access-date=10 September 2014 |publisher=India West}}</ref> It was announced in January 2015 that filming was complete and the project had moved into post production.<ref name="New Indian Express 1">{{Cite news |last=Express features staff |date=15 January 2015 |title=Kirumi Shooting Complete |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Kirumi-Shooting-Complete/2015/01/15/article2619672.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210023936/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Kirumi-Shooting-Complete/2015/01/15/article2619672.ece |archive-date=10 February 2015 |access-date=10 September 2015 |publisher=New Indian Express}}</ref>
==Soundtrack== {{Infobox album | name = Kirumi | type = soundtrack | artist = K | cover = | alt = | released = 22 July 2015 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = Feature film soundtrack | length = 21:08 | language = Tamil | label = Think Music India | producer = K | prev_title = Kallappadam | prev_year = 2015 | next_title = Kammatipaadam | next_year = 2016 }}
''Kirumi'''s music was composed by K. The soundtrack album features six tracks, sung by composer G. V. Prakash Kumar, Gana Bala, Yazin Nizar, Janani S. V. and K himself; all lyrics were written by Gnanakaravel.
Upon its July 2015 release, the soundtrack met with critical approval. Karthik Srinivasan, writing for ''The Hindu'', stated, "Composer K has been fairly consistent with his output even as the films they are part of...have been failing consistently. ''Kirumi's'' soundtrack is almost a comeback of sorts for K as he delivers a brilliant collection akin to the sound of Santhosh Narayanan. Topping the soundtrack is "Naanal Poovaai" that has a curiously ethereal sound (which becomes more evident and interesting in the karaoke version) and K uses the vocal interplay between himself and Janani to beautiful effect".<ref name="The Hindu 2">{{Cite news |last=Srinivasa |first=Karthik |date=1 August 2015 |title='Naanal Poovaai', Kirumi (Tamil) |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/hitman/article7489162.ece |access-date=10 September 2015 |work=The Hindu}}</ref> Musicaloud.com gave a score of 8.5 out of 10 and similarly wrote that the music had "something of a Santhosh Narayanan/Sean Roldan type quality to it", but went on to add that it was not "a matter to complain about" and that the soundtrack "definitely ranks among K's top works".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-07-26 |title=Kirumi - Music Review (Tamil Movie Soundtrack) |url=http://www.musicaloud.com/2015/07/26/kirumi-music-review-tamil-movie-soundtrack/ |access-date=2016-12-19 |publisher=Music Aloud}}</ref> The score by K was also received well, with Sify writing that "the pulsating background score by K is the biggest strength of the movie; especially the intermission portion is top notch".<ref name = sify/> Silverscreen.in wrote that the score was "soulful, and amply enhances the mood of the film".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Niveda Manohar |date=2015-09-25 |title=Kirumi Review: Eyeing Greatness |url=http://silverscreen.in/tamil/reviews/kirumi-review-eyeing-greatness/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926080631/http://silverscreen.in/tamil/reviews/kirumi-review-eyeing-greatness/ |archive-date=26 September 2015 |access-date=2016-12-19 |website=Silverscreen.in}}</ref>
{{track listing | headline = Track listing | extra_column = Singer(s) | total_length = 21:08 | all_lyrics = Ganakaravel
| title1 = OC Soru | extra1 = Gana Bala | length1 = 2:38 | title2 = Naanal Poovaai | extra2 = Janani S. V, K | length2 = 2:52 | title3 = Naa Parraka | extra3 = G. V. Prakash Kumar | length3 = 3:35 | title4 = Vaal Veesum Vazhkai | extra4 = Gana Bala | length4 = 4:55 | title5 = Boom Boom Boodham | extra5 = Yazin Nizar | length5 = 4:00 | title6 = Orayiram Ottaigal | extra6 = K | length6 = 3:08 }}
==Release== Escape Artists Motion Pictures signed contract for the distribution rights for the film across India.<ref name="EA Distrib" /> ''Kirumi'' was theatrically released on 24 September 2015, coinciding with the Bakrid festival, alongside five small-budget films.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-09-26 |title=Cost-cutting in Kollywood |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/costcutting-in-kollywood-the-financial-crisis-has-necessitated-outofthebox-thinking/article7692442.ece |access-date=2016-12-19 |work=The Hindu}}</ref> The film will have its international premiere at the 19th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, the first Tamil film to be screened there.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-09-19 |title=Kirumi starring Kathir to have international premiere in Toronto! |url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/kirumi-starring-kathir-to-have-international-premiere-in-toronto.html |access-date=2016-12-19 |website=Behindwoods.com}}</ref>
===Critical reception=== Baradwaj Rangan of ''The Hindu'' wrote that, "Sometimes, five minutes is all it takes to know that you're in the hands of a genuine filmmaker — like Anucharan...In those five minutes, he establishes everything — tone, texture...and the fact that this is an anti hero film..., a film that goes against the grain of the traditional heroics of Tamil cinema", going on to call the film a "superb, low-key character study masquerading as a thriller".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baradwaj Rangan |date=25 September 2015 |title=Kirumi: A superb, low-key character study masquerading as a thriller |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/kirumi-a-superb-lowkey-character-study-masquerading-as-a-thriller/article7688939.ece |work=The Hindu}}</ref> ''The Times of India'' rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and wrote "What makes ''Kirumi'' stand apart from other thrillers set in the backdrop of crime is its understated quality. Even when the situation offers scope to turn things into full-blown melodrama, Anucharan keeps things at a low key...and this refreshing change of pace actually keeps things interesting".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Movie Reviews |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Kirumi/movie-review/49099841.cms |website=The Times of India}}</ref> ''Bangalore Mirror'' rated the film 4.5 out of 5 and wrote "For a debutant, Anucharan shows a lot of maturity as well as expertise and clearly proves to the audience that he is a new kid on the block who is worth watching".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Movie Review: Kirumi |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/entertainment/reviews/Movie-Review-Kirumi/articleshow/49095294.cms |website=Bangalore Mirror}}</ref> Sify wrote "''Kirumi'' does have an original story and a tight screenplay. Well shot, well edited and brilliantly enacted by most of the lead actors, debutant director Anucharan gives us a bunch of fully flesh-and-blood characters with whom you can quickly relate to", describing the film as "pitch perfect".<ref name="sify">{{Cite web |last=Moviebuzz |title=Kirumi Review |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/kirumi-review--pjxjSsedjibig.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926001212/http://www.sify.com/movies/kirumi-review--pjxjSsedjibig.html |archive-date=26 September 2015 |website=Sify.com}}</ref>
Malini Mannath of ''The New Indian Express'' wrote, "''Kirumi'' is an example of how a script can be worked within the parameters of commercial cinema and also can be made entertaining without losing sight of reality and reason".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malini Mannath |title=Kirumi Review: A Crime Thriller That Keeps it Real |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/reviews/Kirumi-Review-A-Crime-Thriller-That-Keeps-it-Real/2015/09/26/article3047421.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927101957/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/reviews/Kirumi-Review-A-Crime-Thriller-That-Keeps-it-Real/2015/09/26/article3047421.ece |archive-date=27 September 2015 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> Behindwoods rated the film 2.5 out of 5 and wrote "''Kirumi'' is one of the better stories that you have come across in recent times, but its execution should have been on par with the smartness in the script" and called it a "safe one-time watch".<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 September 2015 |title=KIRUMI MOVIE REVIEW |url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/kirumi/kirumi-review.html |access-date=2016-12-19 |website=Behindwoods.com}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|5090220}}
{{M. Manikandan}}
Category:2015 thriller films Category:Indian thriller films Category:2015 films Category:2015 Tamil-language films Category:Films scored by K (composer) Category:2015 directorial debut films