7aam Arivu
Encyclopedia
7aum Arivu is a 2011 Tamil
science fiction
thriller film written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss
, featuring Suriya, Shruti Haasan
and Johnny Tri Nguyen
in leading roles. The film, produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin
began production in May 2010. The film, featuring cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran
and music by Harris Jayaraj
, released on 26 October 2011 coinciding with Diwali
.
(Suriya), a master of martial arts and medical remedies, who is depicted in the film as the son of a great Tamil king of the Pallava Dynasty. He is sent to China by his guru
, who requests him to stop the spread of a pandemic disease existing there from spreading to India. Initially the people in China treated him as an inferior but later when he cures a little girl from the deadly disease and fights against some people who ill treated villagers there, the people of China began to respect and worship him. He begins to teach them how to cure many diseases, the skills of hypnotism and the physical training of the Shaolin monks that led to the creation of Shaolinquan. However after few years, when he expresses his desire to return to India, the villagers plot to poison him and bury him near the temple, believing that their place would be disease free if he's buried there. Bodhidharma agrees to die and subsequently becomes a fundamental figure in Chinese history, affectionately being dubbed as Damo.
The film switches to modern day China, where Dong Lee (Johnny Tri Nguyen
) is given the task of starting a government planned biological war against India, known as Operation Red. Dong Lee starts this operation by injecting a virus into a street dog. This disease was the one which occurred during the time of Bodhidharma in China. Meanwhile Subha Srinivasan (Shruti Haasan
) researched that Bodhidharma can be brought back to life if his sample of DNA is matched with another sample of DNA which she finds in Aravind (Suriya) a descendant of Bodhidharma who is working as Circus artist in chennai. Shuba tries to give life to Bodhidharma to end the menace of Dong Lee. But Dong Lee, who is capable of doing anything, does all impossibly bad things, mastered in 'Nokku Varmam' (Hypnotism), a martial art which was actually taught to the Chinese by Bodhidharma.Shuba with the help of her friends from her genetic department tries to activate the bodhidharma DNA in Aravind in a research centre .But Dong Lee with the help of Shuba's professor who had received a huge sum of money from the china government helps him to trace the location of Shuba and her friends.But after Dong Lee traces them he then kills the professor.Dong Lee then locates the place of the research centre .Shuba and her friends in the research centre try to escape in a van but Dong Lee chases them and the van collapses.Aravind was beaten badily by Dong Lee at first then Arvind manages to regain Bothidharma skills somehow in spite of the sunrays hitting him on his face which was not supposed to happen and a day before he was estimated to regain his skills. Then Aravind becomes Bothidharma and kills Dong Lee, like, Master Oogway defeats Tai Lung, in Kung Fu Panda
. Later Aravind eradicates the virus spreading and then he gives a lecture about the need for us to remember our history and to teach all our practices in the name of science and not god.
in the 5-6th century. However, it was clarified that the scientist's role would be performed by the female lead, Shruti Haasan
while Suriya would play a modern day circus artist as well as Bodhidharma
, a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th century. Vietnam
ese actor Johnny Tri Nguyen
, a stunt double in the Spider-Man
series, was signed to play the antagonist, while Kannada actor Avinash and Abhinaya
of Naadodigal
fame were selected to play minor supporting roles in the film.
Sources claimed that the film drew inspirations from Christopher Nolan
's Inception
. However, the director dismissed the news, reasoning that he had begun shooting much before the release of Inception. Murugadoss further denied reports that the film was a remake of the Bollywood
flick Chandni Chowk to China
, as both were supposed to be set in China
, and that the film's concept was similar to that of the Hollywood film Perfume
, confirming the script as original. After completing the film, he emphasized that he had not been inspired or remade any film, stating that Hollywood filmmakers can "feel free to remake 7aum Arivu".
, Chennai
forced Suriya to take a 3 day rest due to an ankle injury. The first schedule of the film was completed in China
, which was followed by shoots in the Ampa Skywalk Mall, and in Besant Nagar
, Chennai. Suriya trained to get a Six pack abs for a Kung Fu sequence within 16 days, following cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran
's request. Shabina Khan
designed the costumes for Suriya and Shruti, staying with the team throughout the filming process in Bangkok
and Hong Kong
. The song "Mun Andhi" was shot in Thailand
.
, consists of six songs including a Chinese track, sung by Chinese singer Hau. It marks the second collaboration of Jayaraj and Murugadoss after the success of Ghajini. Lyrics were penned by Madhan Karky
. The audio rights of the album were bagged by Sony Music reportedly for a whopping amount. The composition of the soundtrack took place in Singapore
. The audio was released on September 22, 2011 in Chennai Trade Centre in a grand manner. The event was hosted by Jai
and Anjali
, lead pair of Murugadoss' production Engeyum Eppodhum
, while Bollywood actress Isha Sharvani
, Lakshmi Rai
and several international artists performed on stage, which were choreographed by Shobi. Actors Dhanush
, Karthi, Jiiva, Jayam Ravi
, Vishal Krishna
and Ram Charan Teja
attended the function, with Dhanush releasing the trailer. Though initial reports said that Shahrukh Khan
would appear in the launch, it was later dismissed.
said that the album had "variety of songs. The soundtracks will have larger appeal when it is watched."
's intervention, it was brought forward by one day, opening ahead of the other films. The satellite and promotional rights were sold to Sun Pictures
. Divya Pictures acquired the Kerala
theatrical rights for 2.4 crore for release in more than 100 theaters, while Bharat Creations bought the North America
n rights. The film was given a U certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification
. In Chennai
, the film released in 51 screens.
The film was the largest release in Suriya's career, opening with 1000 prints worldwide, with 400 prints in Tamil Nadu
alone. The Telugu dubbed version, 7th Sense had the second largest release in Andhra Pradesh
for a dubbed film by opening up in 400 screens across the state.
. In its six-day opening weekend, the film grossed , according to Behindwoods. Sify declared the film an "average grosser". In the UK, the film made £1,67,524 on four screens.
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
thriller film written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss
A. R. Murugadoss is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:A. R. Murugadoss was born in Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. He studied B.A. in Bishop Heber College, Trichy. In the College he had the great affinity towards Tamil films and friends...
, featuring Suriya, Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
and Johnny Tri Nguyen
Johnny Tri Nguyen
Johnny Tri Nguyen is a Vietnamese American film and television actor, stunt double, and martial artist. He left Vietnam at the age of 8 with his mother, father, elder brother, and elder sister and moved to Los Angeles, CA. He is half Vietnamese and half Chinese, with his mother being...
in leading roles. The film, produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin
Udhayanidhi Stalin
Udhayanidhi Stalin is a Tamil cinema producer. He is the owner of Red Giant Movies banner.His grandfather is M. Karunanidhi, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His father is M. K. Stalin, the former deputy Chief Minister and former Home Minister of Tamil Nadu...
began production in May 2010. The film, featuring cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran
Ravi K. Chandran
Ravi K. Chandran is an Indian cinematographer. He has frequently collaborated with leading Indian filmmakers like Priyadarshan, Mani Ratnam, and Rajiv Menon and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Ravi has won two Filmfare Awards and one Southern Filmfare Award during his career.-Career:Ravi K. Chandran was...
and music by Harris Jayaraj
Harris Jayaraj
Harris Jayaraj is an Indian film composer. He has written scores and soundtracks for Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films.- Early life :Harris Jayaraj hails from a pious Christian Nadar family and was born and brought up in Chennai. Harris studied at Krishnaswamy Matric School, Nungambakam. His father,...
, released on 26 October 2011 coinciding with Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
.
Plot
The film starts with the fictional life of BodhidharmaBodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
(Suriya), a master of martial arts and medical remedies, who is depicted in the film as the son of a great Tamil king of the Pallava Dynasty. He is sent to China by his guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
, who requests him to stop the spread of a pandemic disease existing there from spreading to India. Initially the people in China treated him as an inferior but later when he cures a little girl from the deadly disease and fights against some people who ill treated villagers there, the people of China began to respect and worship him. He begins to teach them how to cure many diseases, the skills of hypnotism and the physical training of the Shaolin monks that led to the creation of Shaolinquan. However after few years, when he expresses his desire to return to India, the villagers plot to poison him and bury him near the temple, believing that their place would be disease free if he's buried there. Bodhidharma agrees to die and subsequently becomes a fundamental figure in Chinese history, affectionately being dubbed as Damo.
The film switches to modern day China, where Dong Lee (Johnny Tri Nguyen
Johnny Tri Nguyen
Johnny Tri Nguyen is a Vietnamese American film and television actor, stunt double, and martial artist. He left Vietnam at the age of 8 with his mother, father, elder brother, and elder sister and moved to Los Angeles, CA. He is half Vietnamese and half Chinese, with his mother being...
) is given the task of starting a government planned biological war against India, known as Operation Red. Dong Lee starts this operation by injecting a virus into a street dog. This disease was the one which occurred during the time of Bodhidharma in China. Meanwhile Subha Srinivasan (Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
) researched that Bodhidharma can be brought back to life if his sample of DNA is matched with another sample of DNA which she finds in Aravind (Suriya) a descendant of Bodhidharma who is working as Circus artist in chennai. Shuba tries to give life to Bodhidharma to end the menace of Dong Lee. But Dong Lee, who is capable of doing anything, does all impossibly bad things, mastered in 'Nokku Varmam' (Hypnotism), a martial art which was actually taught to the Chinese by Bodhidharma.Shuba with the help of her friends from her genetic department tries to activate the bodhidharma DNA in Aravind in a research centre .But Dong Lee with the help of Shuba's professor who had received a huge sum of money from the china government helps him to trace the location of Shuba and her friends.But after Dong Lee traces them he then kills the professor.Dong Lee then locates the place of the research centre .Shuba and her friends in the research centre try to escape in a van but Dong Lee chases them and the van collapses.Aravind was beaten badily by Dong Lee at first then Arvind manages to regain Bothidharma skills somehow in spite of the sunrays hitting him on his face which was not supposed to happen and a day before he was estimated to regain his skills. Then Aravind becomes Bothidharma and kills Dong Lee, like, Master Oogway defeats Tai Lung, in Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
. Later Aravind eradicates the virus spreading and then he gives a lecture about the need for us to remember our history and to teach all our practices in the name of science and not god.
Cast
- Suriya as BodhidharmaBodhidharmaBodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
and Aravindhan - Shruti HaasanShruti HaasanShruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
as Subha Srinivasan - Johnny Tri NguyenJohnny Tri NguyenJohnny Tri Nguyen is a Vietnamese American film and television actor, stunt double, and martial artist. He left Vietnam at the age of 8 with his mother, father, elder brother, and elder sister and moved to Los Angeles, CA. He is half Vietnamese and half Chinese, with his mother being...
as Dong Lee - Guinnes Pakru as Aravind's Friend
- Ashwin KakumanuAshwin KakumanuAshwin Kakumanu is an Indian film actor, who is best known for his role in Venkat Prabhu's action thriller, Mankatha.-Career:Ashwin initially unsuccessfully auditioned for a role in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. The director Gautham Menon was close to giving him the role. However, the producers...
as Ashwin - Saahil Chitkara as Imran Saahil
- Dhanya Balakrishna as Malathi
- Misha Ghoshal
- AvinashAvinashAvinash is an Indian actor who stars predominantly in South Indian language films and notably in the Kannada and Tamil film industries. Known for his authentic portrayal of complex characters and versatility, Avinash is one of the most sought after actors in the supporting category...
- IlavarasuIlavarasuIlavarasu is an Indian cinematographer-turned-actor, who works in the Tamil film industry. He started his career as a cinematographer and worked for 13 films, winning a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for one of them. He, however, became better known as an actor, after he debuted and appeared in...
as Aravind's father - AbhinayaAbhinaya (actress)Abhinaya is an Indian film actress and model. Despite being hearing and speech impaired, she has played characters that can talk and hear. She made her acting debut in Naadodigal and went on to reprise the role in it's Telugu and Kannada remakes....
as BodhidharmaBodhidharmaBodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
's Wife - Azhagam PerumalAzhagam Perumal-Directorial:-Acting:-External links:...
in a guest appearance
Casting
Initial reports suggested that Suriya would play three characters; a circus artist, a scientist and a Buddhist monk, for a portion set in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in the 5-6th century. However, it was clarified that the scientist's role would be performed by the female lead, Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan
Shruti Haasan is an Indian actress, singer and music composer who has worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. Her parents are noted actors, Kamal Haasan and Sarika. As a child artiste, she sang in films and appeared in a guest role, before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 action drama,...
while Suriya would play a modern day circus artist as well as Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
, a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th century. Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese actor Johnny Tri Nguyen
Johnny Tri Nguyen
Johnny Tri Nguyen is a Vietnamese American film and television actor, stunt double, and martial artist. He left Vietnam at the age of 8 with his mother, father, elder brother, and elder sister and moved to Los Angeles, CA. He is half Vietnamese and half Chinese, with his mother being...
, a stunt double in the Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
series, was signed to play the antagonist, while Kannada actor Avinash and Abhinaya
Abhinaya (actress)
Abhinaya is an Indian film actress and model. Despite being hearing and speech impaired, she has played characters that can talk and hear. She made her acting debut in Naadodigal and went on to reprise the role in it's Telugu and Kannada remakes....
of Naadodigal
Naadodigal
Naadodigal is a 2009 Indian drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani. The film stars Sasikumar along with Chennai 600028 fame Vijay Vasanth and Kallori fame Bharani in lead roles, with newcomers Ananya, Abhinaya and Malaysia-based Shanthini Deva enacting the lead female roles and Ganja...
fame were selected to play minor supporting roles in the film.
Influences
Sources claimed that the film drew inspirations from Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
's Inception
Inception
Inception: The Subconscious Jams 1994-1995 is a compilation of unreleased tracks by the band Download.-Track listing:# "Primitive Tekno Jam" – 3:23# "Bee Sting Sickness" – 8:04# "Weed Acid Techno" – 8:19...
. However, the director dismissed the news, reasoning that he had begun shooting much before the release of Inception. Murugadoss further denied reports that the film was a remake of the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
flick Chandni Chowk to China
Chandni Chowk To China
Chandni Chowk to China , shortened as CC2C is a Hindi film which released on 16 January 2009. It is directed by Nikhil Advani and stars Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles, with Hindi cinema veteran Mithun Chakraborty and Hong Kong action cinema veteran Gordon Liu among the co-stars...
, as both were supposed to be set in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and that the film's concept was similar to that of the Hollywood film Perfume
Perfume (2001 film)
Perfume is a 2001 film about the fashion industry in New York City.-Plot:Prior to a major show, the people involved find themselves embroiled in their own personal battles....
, confirming the script as original. After completing the film, he emphasized that he had not been inspired or remade any film, stating that Hollywood filmmakers can "feel free to remake 7aum Arivu".
Filming
A group of 1000 junior artists were alloted for a song (Oh Ringa Ringa) which was claimed as the highlight of the film. A stunt sequence which involved shooting at Binny Mills at PeramburPerambur
Perambur , is a locality in Northern part of the metropolitan city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India.It is one of expensive area in chennai with all facilities of needs....
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
forced Suriya to take a 3 day rest due to an ankle injury. The first schedule of the film was completed in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, which was followed by shoots in the Ampa Skywalk Mall, and in Besant Nagar
Besant Nagar
Besant Nagar is one of Chennai's well known neighbourhoods, named after the famous lady theosophist Annie Besant, and adjoins the Theosophical Society. The Theosophical Society Headquarters is located here. It was founded in 1875, and is a worldwide body whose primary objective is Universal...
, Chennai. Suriya trained to get a Six pack abs for a Kung Fu sequence within 16 days, following cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran
Ravi K. Chandran
Ravi K. Chandran is an Indian cinematographer. He has frequently collaborated with leading Indian filmmakers like Priyadarshan, Mani Ratnam, and Rajiv Menon and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Ravi has won two Filmfare Awards and one Southern Filmfare Award during his career.-Career:Ravi K. Chandran was...
's request. Shabina Khan
Shabina Khan
Shabina Khan is an Indian fashion designer, mainly working for the Indian movie industry Bollywood. She has designed costumes for over thirty films and has been working since 1988.- Career :...
designed the costumes for Suriya and Shruti, staying with the team throughout the filming process in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The song "Mun Andhi" was shot in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack, composed by Harris JayarajHarris Jayaraj
Harris Jayaraj is an Indian film composer. He has written scores and soundtracks for Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films.- Early life :Harris Jayaraj hails from a pious Christian Nadar family and was born and brought up in Chennai. Harris studied at Krishnaswamy Matric School, Nungambakam. His father,...
, consists of six songs including a Chinese track, sung by Chinese singer Hau. It marks the second collaboration of Jayaraj and Murugadoss after the success of Ghajini. Lyrics were penned by Madhan Karky
Madhan Karky
Madhan Karky Vairamuthu is an Southindian software engineer, research associate, lyricist, and film dialogue writer. He is better known as the son of poet and lyricist Vairamuthu. He is also an assistant professor of computer science at the College of Engineering, Guindy.-Early life and...
. The audio rights of the album were bagged by Sony Music reportedly for a whopping amount. The composition of the soundtrack took place in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The audio was released on September 22, 2011 in Chennai Trade Centre in a grand manner. The event was hosted by Jai
Jai (actor)
Jai is a Tamil film actor. He is best known for his performances and appearances in the films Chennai 600028, Subramaniapuram and Engeyum Eppodhum. He is the nephew of music director Deva. Srikanth Deva is his cousin....
and Anjali
Anjali (actress)
Anjali is an Indian film actress and model, who predominantly appears in Tamil films. Following a stint in modelling, she was cast in starring roles in two low-profile Telugu productions, before gaining attention with her critically acclaimed performance as Anandhi in Kattradhu Thamizh , for which...
, lead pair of Murugadoss' production Engeyum Eppodhum
Engeyum Eppodhum
The film score and soundtrack for Engeyum Eppodhum was composed by debutant C.Sathya. The album consists of 5 tracks, featuring lyrics penned by Na. Muthukumar and M. Saravanan. It was released on 3 August 2011 in Chennai released by actors Surya, Vivek and music director Harris Jayaraj.-Critical...
, while Bollywood actress Isha Sharvani
Isha Sharvani
Isha Sharvani is an Indian dancer and actress. She is known for her stylistic and difficult dance performances...
, Lakshmi Rai
Lakshmi Rai
Lakshmi Rai is an Indian film actress and model from Belgaum, Karnataka, predominantly appearing in Malayalam and Tamil films. While most of her Tamil releases performed poorly at the box office, she rose to fame with the popular Malayalam-language films Annan Thambi , 2 Harihar Nagar ,...
and several international artists performed on stage, which were choreographed by Shobi. Actors Dhanush
Dhanush
Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja , better known by his stage name Dhanush , is an Indian film actor, occasional playback singer and lyricist, working in the Tamil film industry...
, Karthi, Jiiva, Jayam Ravi
Jayam Ravi
Jayam Ravi is an Indian film actor. Ravi has appeared in films including Jayam, M. Kumaran Son Of Mahalakshmi, Unakkum Enakkum, Santhosh Subramaniam and Thillalangadi all of which have been directed by his brother, M...
, Vishal Krishna
Vishal Krishna
Vishal Krishna is an Indian film actor who has appeared in primarily Tamil cinema. Often starring in his home productions, Vishal became an actor after a stint as an assistant director in films....
and Ram Charan Teja
Ram Charan Teja
Ram Charan Teja Konidala is an Indian film actor. He is the son of Telugu actor Chiranjeevi. He made his debut as lead actor with the film Chirutha in 2007. He currently serves on the board of directors for MAA TV. He was the brand ambassador for Pepsi and Airtel in Andhra Pradesh for sometime...
attended the function, with Dhanush releasing the trailer. Though initial reports said that Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
would appear in the launch, it was later dismissed.
Critical response
The soundtrack received mixed response. P.G. Devi from Behindwoods gave 3.5/5 and commented: "The album promises a couple of big chart-busting hits like the peppy 'Ringa Ringa', the melodious 'Mun Andhi' and the pathos-ridden 'Yamma Yamma'. Though there is a déjà vu feel all around the album, its a sure shot commercial success". Indiaglitz stated that "the unique stamp of Harris can be felt throughout the disc, and that makes songs [...] a treat to senses, recommending it for "those who love and appreciate good music". Pavithra Srinivasan from Rediff.com provided 2.5/5, mentioning that "it looks like Harris Jeyaraj has run out of steam. While Yemma Yemma and The Rise of Damo are appealing, the rest sound like he remixed some of his own older numbers, or chose to be inspired by other classics [...] 7aum Arivu's music does have its moments, but these are few and far between." Prakash Upadhyaya from Oneindia.inOneindia.in
Oneindia.in is an Indian online portal owned by Greynium Information Technologies Pvt. Ltd., which provides news updates, sports news, travel, entertainment, videos, and classifieds. Alexa Traffic Rank of Oneindia.in is ranked number 525 in the world and Google page rank of Oneindia.in is 7...
said that the album had "variety of songs. The soundtracks will have larger appeal when it is watched."
Release
The film was scheduled for a Diwali release on 25 October 2011; with producer Udhayanidhi StalinUdhayanidhi Stalin
Udhayanidhi Stalin is a Tamil cinema producer. He is the owner of Red Giant Movies banner.His grandfather is M. Karunanidhi, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His father is M. K. Stalin, the former deputy Chief Minister and former Home Minister of Tamil Nadu...
's intervention, it was brought forward by one day, opening ahead of the other films. The satellite and promotional rights were sold to Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures is a film distribution and production studio unit of Chennai, based Sun Network owned by Kalanidhi Maran. Founded in 2008, it started distributing low-budget Tamil-language films, Kadhalil Vizhunthen being the first, and holds the credit of producing India's costliest film Enthiran...
. Divya Pictures acquired the Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
theatrical rights for 2.4 crore for release in more than 100 theaters, while Bharat Creations bought the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n rights. The film was given a U certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification
Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification is a Government of India regulatory body and censorship board of India controlled by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It reviews, rates and censors motion pictures, television shows, television ads, and promotional material...
. In Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, the film released in 51 screens.
The film was the largest release in Suriya's career, opening with 1000 prints worldwide, with 400 prints in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
alone. The Telugu dubbed version, 7th Sense had the second largest release in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
for a dubbed film by opening up in 400 screens across the state.
Critical response
The film received positive to mixed reviews. Sify called the film "average", writing that "the effort of Murugadoss to make a special kind of film is laudable but seems to lack the imagination required to pull off what he set out to achieve". Indiaglitz claimed that Murugadoss had made a "bold attempt" and "succeeded in it with the help of Suriya and Udhayanidhi Stalin", lauding him for "conveying a bitter truth [...] in a sugar coating", and going on to claim it to be a "winner in all his invasions". Behindwoods described it as "technical finesse catering to commercial compulsions", giving the film 3 out of 5. Rediff.com gave 3 out of 5, noting that it was "worth a watch" and had "severals things working for it". Nowrunning.com rated it 3/5 stating that "a hopeful beginning makes this routine fare an absolute disappointment. This is not a bad film. You just expect better from a director like Murugadoss".Box office
The film took a big opening on 25 October, a day prior to DiwaliDiwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
. In its six-day opening weekend, the film grossed , according to Behindwoods. Sify declared the film an "average grosser". In the UK, the film made £1,67,524 on four screens.