{{Short description|2016 Indian film by Ramesh Subramaniam}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox film | image = Vil Ambu poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Ramesh Subramaniam | writer = Ramesh Subramaniam | producer = Suseenthiran<small> (Presenter)</small><br />N. Thai Saravanan<br />A. Nandha Kumar | starring = Sri<br />Harish Kalyan<br />Srushti Dange<br />Chandini Tamilarasan<br />Samskruthy Shenoy | cinematography = E. Martin Joe | editing = Ruben | music = Navin | studio = Star Film Land | distributor = Nallusamy Pictures | released = {{Film date|df=y|2016|02|12}} | country = India | language = Tamil }} '''''Vil Ambu''''' ({{translation|Bow and arrow}}) is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Ramesh Subramaniam, and presented by Suseenthiran. The film stars Sri, Harish Kalyan, Srushti Dange, Chandini Tamilarasan, and Samskruthy Shenoy, while Harish Uthaman and Yogi Babu play supporting roles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 April 2015 |title='Vil Ambu', a film on how society influences commoners |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/vil-ambu-a-film-on-how-society-influences-commoners/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414184506/http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/vil-ambu-a-film-on-how-society-influences-commoners/ |archive-date=14 April 2015 |access-date=7 April 2015 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |agency=Indo-Asian News Service}}</ref> The music was composed by Navin with cinematography by E. Martin Joe and editing by Ruben. The film was released on 12 February 2016.<ref name="don't meet">{{Cite web |last=KR |first=Manigandan |date=10 February 2016 |title='My Film's Heroes don't Meet' |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2016/Feb/10/my-films-heroes-dont-meet-890452.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20250317110338/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2016/Feb/10/my-films-heroes-dont-meet-890452.html |archive-date=17 March 2025 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
== Plot == {{More plot|date=March 2025}} ''Vil Ambu'' is a journey of two characters and talks about how humans are responsible for each other's loss or gain. The story is about how the loss of one person becomes the gain of the other.
== Cast == {{cast listing| * Sri as Karthik * Harish Kalyan as Arul * Srushti Dange as Nithya * Chandini Tamilarasan as Kanakavalli * Samskruthy Shenoy as Poonkodi * Nandakumar as Sekar, Poonkodi's father * Nisha Ganesh as Kavya, Arul's sister * Harish Uthaman as Siva * Yogi Babu as Honest * Ramachandran Durairaj as Logu * Hello Kandasamy as Karthik's father * Saivam Kala as Karthik's mother * Rindhu Ravi as Arul's mother * Five Star Kalyan as Balaguru }}
== Production == Explaining the relevance of the title ''Vil Ambu'', meaning a bow and arrow, Ramesh Subramaniam said that no one ever has a permanent role in life because "If you are a bow one day, you will be an arrow the next".<ref name="don't meet" /> The director also said the script is based on the six degrees of separation theory.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raghavan |first=Nikhil |date=5 September 2015 |title=A tale of two people |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/a-tale-of-two-people/article7619441.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317113858/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/a-tale-of-two-people/article7619441.ece |archive-date=17 March 2025 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=The Hindu |language=en}}</ref> Chandini Tamilarasan was cast after the makers were impressed by her fluency in Tamil; because she plays a slum dweller, she "worked on [her] body language" to achieve the required speaking style.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 April 2015 |title='I Like Stepping out of my Comfort Zone' |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/I-Like-Stepping-out-of-my-Comfort-Zone/2015/04/01/article2740250.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406014015/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/I-Like-Stepping-out-of-my-Comfort-Zone/2015/04/01/article2740250.ece |archive-date=6 April 2015 |access-date=7 April 2015 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> In April 2015, the official title was revealed to be ''Vil Ambu'', with actress Kajal Aggarwal launching the film's motion poster.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 April 2015 |title=Kajal Aggarwal Launches Vil Ambu Motion Poster |url=http://silverscreen.in/media/kajal-aggarwal-launches-vil-ambu-motion-poster/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416035421/http://silverscreen.in/media/kajal-aggarwal-launches-vil-ambu-motion-poster/ |archive-date=16 April 2015 |access-date=7 April 2015 |website=Silverscreen.in |language=en}}</ref> By December, 70% of filming was complete, having taken place mostly in Coimbatore.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 December 2015 |title=Shooting in live locations extremely challenging: 'Vil Ambu' director |url=https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=373332 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317112033/https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=373332 |archive-date=17 March 2025 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=Daijiworld |language=en |agency=IANS}}</ref>
== Soundtrack == Music is composed by Navin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Karthik |author-link=Karthik Srinivasan |date=22 October 2015 |title=Vil Ambu (Music review), Tamil – Navin |url=https://milliblog.com/2015/10/22/vil-ambu-music-review-tamil-navin/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251209051001/https://milliblog.com/2015/10/22/vil-ambu-music-review-tamil-navin/ |archive-date=9 December 2025 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=Milliblog |language=en}}</ref> A single, "Neeyum Adi Naanum" was released on 20 September 2015 at Loyola College, Chennai,<ref>{{Cite web |last=KR |first=Manigandan |date=21 September 2015 |title=Single Track From Vil Ambu Released |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2015/Sep/21/single-track-from-vil-ambu-released-817981.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317124217/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2015/Sep/21/single-track-from-vil-ambu-released-817981.html |archive-date=17 March 2025 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> while the audio launch was held a week later at Sathyam Cinemas.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=646928056544661504 |user=iamharishkalyan |title=#VilAmbu audio launch .. Sep 27th@satyamcinemas 9am!! #markit #lookingup |first=Harish |last=Kalyan |author-link=Harish Kalyan |access-date=17 March 2025 |language=en |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/ruCNm |archive-date=17 March 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Track listing | headline = Track listing<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vili Ambu |url=https://avdigital.in/products/vili-ambu?gQT=2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317125716/https://avdigital.in/products/vili-ambu?gQT=2 |archive-date=17 March 2025 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=AVDigital |language=en}}</ref> | extra_column = Singer(s) | total_length = 13:01 | title1 = Ala Sachuputta Kannala | lyrics1 = Ekadasi | extra1 = Anirudh Ravichander | length1 = 04:27 | title2 = Kurum Padame | lyrics2 = Madhan Karky | extra2 = G. V. Prakash Kumar | length2 = 04:30 | title3 = Neeyum Adi Naanum | lyrics3 = Madhan Karky | extra3 = D. Imman, AV Pooja | length3 = 04:04 }}
== Critical reception == S Saraswathi of ''Rediff.com'' wrote, "Director Ramesh may have failed to capitalise on an intelligent plot but ''Vil Ambu'' is an engaging thriller, well worth a watch."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saraswathi |first=S |date=14 February 2016 |title=Review: Vil Ambu is worth a watch |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-vil-ambu-is-worth-a-watch/20160214.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406081448/http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-vil-ambu-is-worth-a-watch/20160214.htm |archive-date=6 April 2016 |access-date=26 March 2016 |website=Rediff.com |language=en}}</ref> M Suganth of ''The Times of India'' wrote appreciated its premise but criticised the director for not taking full advantage of its novelty.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Suganth |first=M |date=14 February 2016 |title=Vil Ambu Movie Review |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Vil-Ambu/movie-review/50984200.cms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220122409/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Vil-Ambu/movie-review/50984200.cms |archive-date=20 February 2016 |access-date=17 March 2025 |work=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> Sudhir Srinivasan of ''The Hindu'' appreciated the film's "interesting" concept, but criticised its slow pace and predictability.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Srinivasan |first=Sudhir |date=13 February 2016 |title=Vil Ambu: Good concept, average execution |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/vil-ambu-good-concept-average-execution/article8232436.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905083004/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/vil-ambu-good-concept-average-execution/article8232436.ece |archive-date=5 September 2017 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=The Hindu |language=en}}</ref> Malini Mannath of ''The New Indian Express'' wrote that the director's "effort in carefully etching the screenplay with not many contrived moments, as he merges and separates the two tracks, is laudable".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=14 February 2016 |title=Review: 'Vil Ambu' Narration Helps it Sail Through |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2016/Feb/14/review-vil-ambu-narration-helps-it-sail-through-892068.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317121127/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2016/Feb/14/review-vil-ambu-narration-helps-it-sail-through-892068.html |archive-date=17 March 2025 |access-date=17 March 2025 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb title}}
Category:2016 action thriller films Category:2016 films Category:2016 Indian films Category:2016 Tamil-language films Category:Films set in slums Category:Films shot in Coimbatore Category:Indian action thriller films Category:Tamil-language action thriller films Category:Tamil-language Indian films