Tick! Tick! Tick!
Encyclopedia
Tick! Tick! Tick! is a 1981 Tamil Crime thriller starring Kamal Haasan
in the lead role of the protagonist, directed by P. Bharathiraja. It was Bharathiraaja's second tryst with crime thriller after Sigappu Rojakkal
, which also starred Kamal Haasan in the lead role.
after a modeling stint abroad. She is received by the modeling agency and is soon drugged and operated upon. Her dead body is soon found.
Dileep (Kamal Haasan) is a photographer working for a newspaper run by Thengai Srinivasan
. He is a photographer in a beauty pageant run by a rich industrialist, Oberoi, which was won by Madhavi
, Radha
and Swapna
. He becomes professionally involved with Radha and Swapna while romantically involved with Madhavi. Soon Swapna’s deadbody turns up and he becomes the main suspect in the murder investigation and is on the run from police. As his face is plastered in wanted ads all over the city and police watching Madhavi’s house, he goes to meet Radha.
Radha, who always considered Kamal as her brother as he was always nice to her, helps him and lets him stay in her apartment. The next morning, when Kamal wakes up and turn on the tap, the water is bloody red and he hears screaming coming from the apartment water tank. He goes to investigate when a group of people are gathered around the tank and is shocked to find Radha’s bloody body inside the tank. Soon people recognize him from the wanted ad and mistakenly think that he murdered Radha. He is once again on the run from police for the murders.
He starts to investigate the murders and deduce that the only thing the two girls had in common, apart from him, was the modeling agency. When he secretively meets up with Madhavi, he finds a small incision on her body. Remembering that the other two girls had the same incision, he questions her. Although she doesn’t remember how she got it, she remembers that she didn’t have one before she left on a photo shoot abroad for the agency. She also finds it strange that she was unconscious for a few hours during the shoot but cannot remember what happened.
They eventually find out that Oberoi, has a nefarious business thro’ his modeling agency. He drugs the models during the photo shoot abroad, operates them and smuggles diamonds into India using their bodies. When the models return to India, they again drug the model and take it out and kill the girl.
Kamal gets captured by Oberoi’s goons but with the help of his editor and his girlfriend, he has already got the truth out. Before Oberoi can kill Kamal, they hear the police siren coming towards him. Oberoi, an obsessive diamond collector, rather than get caught and go to prison, eats his own diamonds and commits suicide.
in 1984, with Kamal Haasan repeating the same role and Reena Roy
replacing Madhavi.
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
in the lead role of the protagonist, directed by P. Bharathiraja. It was Bharathiraaja's second tryst with crime thriller after Sigappu Rojakkal
Sigappu Rojakkal
Sigappu Rojakkal is a 1978 Tamil thriller film starring Kamal Haasan and Sridevi. Directed by Bharathiraja,music by Ilayaraja and cinematography by P.S.Nivas...
, which also starred Kamal Haasan in the lead role.
Plot
Sarika is a model who returns to ChennaiChennai
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...
after a modeling stint abroad. She is received by the modeling agency and is soon drugged and operated upon. Her dead body is soon found.
Dileep (Kamal Haasan) is a photographer working for a newspaper run by Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai Srinivasan
Thengai Srinivasan was a Tamil film comedian popular in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been given the title Thengai after he acted as a coconut-seller in the drama Kal Manam, staged by actor K. Kannan. Though basically a comedian, he proved himself an all-rounder by excelling in roles other than...
. He is a photographer in a beauty pageant run by a rich industrialist, Oberoi, which was won by Madhavi
Madhavi (actress)
Madhavi is a South Indian film actress. She played lead roles for 17 years in seven languages: Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Bengali, and Hindi. She has acted in more than 300 films.-Early life:...
, Radha
Radha
Radha , also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism...
and Swapna
Swapna (actress)
Swapna is a yesteryear actress of South Indian origin who also acted in a few Bollywood films in 80s and early 90s.Swapna began her career with the Bharathi Raja-directed Kamal Haasan-starring "Tik Tik Tik" and thereafter acted in several Tamil/Telugu/Malayalam language movies...
. He becomes professionally involved with Radha and Swapna while romantically involved with Madhavi. Soon Swapna’s deadbody turns up and he becomes the main suspect in the murder investigation and is on the run from police. As his face is plastered in wanted ads all over the city and police watching Madhavi’s house, he goes to meet Radha.
Radha, who always considered Kamal as her brother as he was always nice to her, helps him and lets him stay in her apartment. The next morning, when Kamal wakes up and turn on the tap, the water is bloody red and he hears screaming coming from the apartment water tank. He goes to investigate when a group of people are gathered around the tank and is shocked to find Radha’s bloody body inside the tank. Soon people recognize him from the wanted ad and mistakenly think that he murdered Radha. He is once again on the run from police for the murders.
He starts to investigate the murders and deduce that the only thing the two girls had in common, apart from him, was the modeling agency. When he secretively meets up with Madhavi, he finds a small incision on her body. Remembering that the other two girls had the same incision, he questions her. Although she doesn’t remember how she got it, she remembers that she didn’t have one before she left on a photo shoot abroad for the agency. She also finds it strange that she was unconscious for a few hours during the shoot but cannot remember what happened.
They eventually find out that Oberoi, has a nefarious business thro’ his modeling agency. He drugs the models during the photo shoot abroad, operates them and smuggles diamonds into India using their bodies. When the models return to India, they again drug the model and take it out and kill the girl.
Kamal gets captured by Oberoi’s goons but with the help of his editor and his girlfriend, he has already got the truth out. Before Oberoi can kill Kamal, they hear the police siren coming towards him. Oberoi, an obsessive diamond collector, rather than get caught and go to prison, eats his own diamonds and commits suicide.
Cast
- Kamal HaasanKamal HaasanKamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
as Dileep - MadhaviMadhavi (actress)Madhavi is a South Indian film actress. She played lead roles for 17 years in seven languages: Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Bengali, and Hindi. She has acted in more than 300 films.-Early life:...
- SwapnaSwapna (actress)Swapna is a yesteryear actress of South Indian origin who also acted in a few Bollywood films in 80s and early 90s.Swapna began her career with the Bharathi Raja-directed Kamal Haasan-starring "Tik Tik Tik" and thereafter acted in several Tamil/Telugu/Malayalam language movies...
- RadhaRadha (actress)Udaya Chandrika, better known by her screen name Radha is an Indian actress popular in the 80s and early 90s. She has acted in numerous movies with top actors of the South Indian cinema such as Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan , Sathyaraj, Prabhu, Vijayakanth, Chiranjeevi, Karthik, Suresh, Mohan,...
- Thengai SrinivasanThengai SrinivasanThengai Srinivasan was a Tamil film comedian popular in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been given the title Thengai after he acted as a coconut-seller in the drama Kal Manam, staged by actor K. Kannan. Though basically a comedian, he proved himself an all-rounder by excelling in roles other than...
- V. K. RamasamyV. K. RamasamyV. K. Ramasamy was a Tamil actor, comedian and film producer who was known for the supporting roles he played in films in the years between 1950s and 1980s.-Notable Filmography:...
- Nisha NoorNisha NoorNisha also known as Noor Nisha was a popular South Indian actress. She mainly concentrated on Tamil and Malayalam films.She was popular for her roles in the films like Kalyana Agathikal and Iyer The Great...
- Shyam Sundar as Oberoi
- Thyagarajan (Guest role)
- SarikaSarikaSarika was born on 3 June 1962 into a Maharashtrian family in New Delhi, India, and became an acclaimed National Award winning Indian actress.-Career:...
... Miss India (Guest role)
Reaction
Commenting on the did well at the box office performance. Bharathiraja commented "It makes more sense to make a film in a language not understood by your people rather than making one in your own language understood by your people!". When asked to comment on this, arasu (of 'arasu badhilgaL' fame in Kumudam): "A non- speaking Bharathiraja is (often) better than a speaking Bharathiraja!!. Considered a highly underrated thriller Tik Tik Tik is still remembered for Madhavi's bikini act.Remake
The film was remade in Hindi as KarishmaKarishma
Karishmaa is a 1984 Hindi language film starring Kamal Haasan, Reena Roy, Tina Munim, Danny Denzongpa. Other cast include Jagdeep, Sarika, Raza Murad, Viju Khote, Mac Mohan, Swaroop Sampat, Satyendra Kapoor, Mahesh Anand, Baby Pinky....
in 1984, with Kamal Haasan repeating the same role and Reena Roy
Reena Roy
Reena Roy was one of the top Hindi film actresses in India. She performed leading roles in many films from 1972 to 1985 .-Early life and background:...
replacing Madhavi.
Trivia
- Bollywood actress SarikaSarikaSarika was born on 3 June 1962 into a Maharashtrian family in New Delhi, India, and became an acclaimed National Award winning Indian actress.-Career:...
played a small role in the film, who later married Kamal Haasan. - The film also marked the playback singing debut of Latha RajinikanthLatha RajinikanthLatha Rajinikanth is an Indian philanthropist, film producer, playback singer, and the wife of actor Rajinikanth. She is the founder and correspondent of The Ashram, a Chennai-based school, and is the chairperson of her daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth’s production company, Ocher Studios.-Early life...
. - Chithra Lakshmanan, ManobalaManobalaManobala is a Tamil director and comedian actor who prominently plays supporting roles.-Career:Manobala has directed 40 films, 16 television serials and 3 tele-films during his career as a director. As an actor, he had appeared in 175 films as of July 2009...
and ManivannanManivannanManivannan is a popular Tamil actor and director. With over 400 films to his name, Manivannan is one of the most experienced actors in the field. He normally plays the role of a dad or a senior comedian.- Background :...
worked as assistants to Barathirajaa in this film, before becaming directors on their own. - The film has elements of Michelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
's 1966 film Blow UpBlow UpBlow Up is a club night that was founded in the early 1990s by promoter and DJ Paul Tunkin at a North London pub called "The Laurel Tree". The night quickly became the centre of the emerging Britpop scene in Camden attracting long queues of people eager to gain entry to the tiny venue...
.