Kaaki Sattai

Kaaki Sattai

Theatrical release poster
Directed by R. S. Durai Senthilkumar
Produced by Dhanush
P. Madhan
(Release)
Written by Pattukkottai Prabakar
(Dialogues)
Screenplay by Pattukkottai Prabakar
R. S. Durai Senthilkumar
N.R.Vijay
Sarathi
P.Ramesh
T.Gopinathan
Kailash Rishi
R.Aarib
T.Dhamodharan
Story by R. S. Durai Senthilkumar
Starring Sivakarthikeyan
Sri Divya
Vijay Raaz
Prabhu
Imman Annachi
Music by Anirudh Ravichander
Cinematography M. Sukumar
Edited by Vivek Harshan
Production
company
Distributed by Escape Artists Motion Pictures[1]
Release dates
  • 27 February 2015
Running time
157 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
Budget INR140 million (US$2.2 million)[2]
Box office INR500 million (US$7.9 million) (25 days)[2]

Kaaki Sattai (English: Tan Uniform) is a 2015 Indian Tamil action masala film co-written and directed by R. S. Durai Senthilkumar and produced by Dhanush, their second collaboration after Ethir Neechal (2013). The film features Sivakarthikeyan and Sri Divya in the lead roles. The film's music was composed by Anirudh Ravichander. The story revolves around police constable Mathimaran who wants to prove himself as a true, powerful cop by finding ways to solve issues of corruption in the law and order system in the department of police.

The film which commenced filming in April 2014 released on 27 February 2015 with positive reviews. The film had great opening and was declared a hit at the box office.[3][4]

Plot

Mathimaran (Sivakarthikeyan) is a police constable who only reports to work and goes home daily without contributing anything useful to the society as his boss, Inspector Sathyamurthy (Prabhu) doesn't want to get on the wrong side of the upper levels of the police, who are corrupt and politically influenced, and is also unwilling to rock the present system due to past experience. Mathimaran and his fellow policemen never get any cases as a result, much to his irritation.

Mathimaran falls in love with Divya (Sri Divya), who works as a nurse in a hospital, and keeps his identity due to Divya's family hating police officers. With her help, he finds out about an illegal organ donation racket orchestrated by Durai (Vijay Raaz), a politician, and Dr. Devasagayam (Yog Japee), who is the chairman of the hospital where Divya works. They capture sick and injured migrant workers from North India, make them brain dead by administering them carbon monoxide instead of oxygen and then harvest their organs which they sell abroad for huge amounts of money. This organ donation scam gives Mathimaran his first real case, and he takes it on with enthusiasm, due to Sathyamurthy being killed in a bomb blast including Durai's father.

Mathimaran first confronts Devasagayam, who commits suicide, but not before admitting his role in the scam and giving detailed information about it. He then decides to confront Durai and get him arrested, but the problem is there is not enough evidence against Durai except Devasagayam's word, and Devasagayam is dead. He tries to get more information about Durai's role in the scam incognito. Unfortunately, Durai soon finds out that Mathimaran is after him and a cat-and-mouse game begins between the two. In the process however, several people close to Mathimaran, are killed, and Mathimaran is even suspended from duty as the police commissioner is close to Durai. Undaunted, he manages to expose the scam and Durai's involvement in it to the media. But Durai wriggles out of arrest.

Mathimaran decides to finish off Durai to end the scam once and for all. He creates a ruckus during a felicitation function for Durai. In the chaos that ensues, he shoots Durai in the leg and gives him the same treatment which had been meted out to the North Indian workers: administering him carbon monoxide and then harvesting his organs after he is declared brain dead. In a cover-up, Durai's death is attributed to a terrorist attack. Mathimaran is eventually promoted to Inspector in reward for his efforts in thwarting the organ donation scam.

Cast

  • Siva Karthikeyan as R. Mathimaran (the police constable)
  • Sri Divya as Divya (Hospital Devasagayam's nurse)
  • Prabhu as Sathyamurthy (Inspector of Police)
  • Vijay Raaz as Durai Arasan
  • Manobala as Jyothi Lingam
  • Mayilsamy as Sankara Narayanan / Cyber Sanki / Sankiji Swamy
  • Imman Annachi as Samarasam
  • E. Ramdoss as Subramanian
  • Yog Japee as Dr. Devasagayam
  • Nagineedu as Singaperumal
  • Manohar
  • Kalpana as Meenakshi, Mathimaran's mother
  • Sujatha as Divya's mother
  • Jangiri Madhumitha
  • Vidyullekha Raman as Divya's friend
  • Sampath Ram
  • Besant Ravi as Ravi
  • Raveendran
  • Yogi Babu as beggar
  • Rail Ravi as Divya's father
  • R. Ravi as Commissioner
  • Suryakanth
  • Diwakar
  • Singapore Deepan
  • Douglas Moorthy
  • Yuvina Parthavi as Swetha, Divya's niece

Production

Development

Soon after the release and success of Ethir Neechal (2013), the team of that film including producer Dhanush, director Senthilkumar, music composer Anirudh Ravichander and actor Sivakarthikeyan announced that they would collaborate again for another venture.[5][6][7] Pattukkottai Prabakar was selected to write the screenplay of the film.[8] The film was initially titled Taana, but was changed to Kaaki Sattai after Kamal Haasan's 1985 film. In October 2014, the producers of Kamal Haasan's Kaakki Sattai were approached to obtain the rights for the title.[9] Senthilkumar revealed that he had written the script keeping Dhanush in the mind while working as an assistant director for Aadukalam (2011). He narrated the script to Dhanush but failed to materialise but later he changed the script to suit Siva's comedic timing.[10]

Casting

The team held talks with and briefly signed Amala Paul as heroine, before she opted out.[11][12][13] Sri Divya, seen opposite Sivakarthikeyan in Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam (2013), was consequently signed on to play the lead female role.[14] On 19 April 2014, actress Vidyullekha Raman revealed that she would be a part of the project.[15] Actor Imman Annachi and Bollywood actor Vijay Raaz were roped in to play important roles.[16] In June 2014, a newbie, Vinu Damodar, was selected to play a small but significant part in the film. His role was said to be a turning point in the protagonist's life.[17] On August 2014, it was confirmed that veteran actor Prabhu Ganesan was added to the cast in April 2014.[18] Actor-director Manobala was selected to play a supporting role, which he confirmed on his Twitter page.[19] The motion poster of the film was unveiled on 29 November 2014, which portrayed Sivakarthikeyan as a happy going man into an angry cop.

Filming

Principal photography began with a puja ceremony held on 6 March 2014.[20] The first schedule of the film's shoot began in March 2014 at a temple in Pammal near Pallavaram.[21] By April 2014, the movie completed 10 days shooting in an apartment in Mugappair and 'Semmozhi Poonga' in Cathedral Road, Chennai.[22] The team continued shooting in and around Chennai.[23] By June 2014, 40% of the movie had been completed and the second schedule began in Kerala.[24] Several sequences were shot at Binny Mills.[25] In July 2014, Sivakarthikeyan confirmed that 60% of the film was completed and the team would go to Norway to can two song sequences.[26][27] When asked about whether the movie would undergo a name change, he clarified that the production unit was thinking of various possibilities and that if a suitable title did not come up, Taana would be the title used.[26] As per Sivakarthikeyan's update, the team flew to Norway to can the song sequences from 1 September 2014 to 10 September 2014, which were choreographed by Sherif.[28] The shoot returned to Chennai on 15 September 2014.[29]

Soundtrack

Kaaki Sattai
Soundtrack album by Anirudh Ravichander
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Language Tamil
Label Wunderbar Studios
Divo
Producer Anirudh Ravichander
Anirudh Ravichander chronology

Kaththi
(2014)
Kaaki Sattai
(2014)
Maari
(2015)

Anirudh Ravichander composed six tracks for the soundtrack of the film.[16] The album was launched at Radio Mirchi 98.3 on 12 December 2014, with the team opting to release the album to coincide with actor Rajinikanth's birthday. The album received positive reviews from critics, with Indiaglitz.com rating the album 3.75/5 and judging "Anirudh plays to his potential to continue his winning streak".[30] Meanwhile Behindwoods rated the album 2.75/5, feeling that the "expectation from Anirudh is unfortunately way higher".[31]

No. TitleLyricsSinger(s) Length
1. "Kaaki Sattai Title"  Na. MuthukumarVishal Dadlani 3:43
2. "Kadhal Kan Kattudhe"  YugabharathiAnirudh Ravichander, Shakthisree Gopalan 4:16
3. "The Trooper Theme"   0:55
4. "I'm So Cool"  Arun Raja KamrajAnirudh Ravichander, Sivakarthikeyan 3:49
5. "Kaaki Sattai Theme Music"   0:47
6. "Kattikida"  Anthony DassanAnthony Dassan, Manasi, Durga, Anita 4:27
7. "Shake That"  Arun Raja KamrajAnirudh Ravichander, Brodha V 3:00
Total length:
19:04

Release

The satellite rights of the film were sold to Sun TV.[32] The film had a release on over 800 screens worldwide, making it the biggest release ever for Sivakarthikeyan's career.[33]

The film's distribution was handled by Wunderbar Films; it was sold for INR250 million for Tamil Nadu (combined with Dhanush's Velaiyilla Pattathari) and overseas rights (including in the United States) were sold for INR10 million, which is very high for Sivakarthikeyan's career; by comparison, Kaaki Sattai made INR crore in total. The film's overall pre-release business amounted to INR150 million worldwide.

Critical reception

IBTimes felt "Kakki Sattai' is a decent masala mass entertainer and if you enjoy this genre, you can definitely hit the theatres and enjoy your time with this entertainer", rating the film 3.5/5.[34] Indiaglitz rated it 3/5 and stated, "The 'Ethir Neechal' team has delivered one more winner here."[35] Sify called the film "time-pass entertainment".[36] Deccan Chronicle rated it 2.5/5 and wrote that director "Durai Senthilkumar and actor Sivakarthikeyan have done an estimable job in making the film at least worth experiencing."[37] Behindwoods gave the film 2.5 out of 5 and opined: "Siva Karthikeyan entertains, but the story's handling could have been better."[38]

Box office

The film had a substantial opening on its release day, grossing INR4.62 crore in Tamil Nadu alone. It was released on 372 screens and managed to cross 60% occupancy on its first day of release. It is the best-ever opening for a Sivakarthikeyan movie. Over its first weekend, the film made a total collection of INR133.4 million, which was also the biggest opening weekend for Sivakarthikeyan, beating the record set by Maan Karate (INR100 million).[39] Made on a budget of INR140 million (US$2.2 million), the film earned over INR500 million (US$7.9 million) worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of Sivakarthikeyan's career.[2]

References

  1. Escape Artists buys 'VIP' & 'Taana' theatrical rights!. Sify. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Prakash Upadhyaya (23 March 2015) Sivakarthikeyan's 'Kaaki Sattai' Completes 25 Days at Box Office. International Business Times. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  3. "'Kaaki Sattai' ('Kakki Sattai') Review: Audience Give Thumbs up to Sivakarthikeyan's Film". International Business Times. 26 February 2015.
  4. "'Kaaki Sattai (Kakki Sattai) First Day Box Office Collection: Sivakarthikeyan Starrer Makes ₹4.62 on Opening Day". International Business Times. 27 February 2015.
  5. Second round for 'Ethir Neechal' team !. Behindwoods. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  6. Gupta, Rinku (16 May 2013). Sivakarthikeyan finally gets to work with Lingusamy. The New Indian Express. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  7. Southern heroes who have donned the producer's hat. Business Standard. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  8. Sivakarthikeyan's film title is 'Kaakki Sattai'. Indiaglitz. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  9. OFFICIAL: Sivakarthikeyan's 'Taana' renamed as 'Kakki Sattai'. Onlykollywood. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  10. Vishal Menon (21 February 2015). "Cop with comic timing". The Hindu.
  11. Sivakarthikeyan's next with 'Ethir Neechal' team will start in January. Behindwoods. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  12. Amala Paul will be pairing up with Siva Karthikeyan in 'Taana'. Behindwoods. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  13. Is it Amala Paul for Sivakarthikeyan in 'Taana'?. Deccan Chronicle. 17 November 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  14. Siva Karthikeyan's next film is underway. Behindwoods. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  15. Vidyullekha Raman stars in 'Taana'. Onlykollywood. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  16. 16.0 16.1 An FIR on Siva Karthikeyan's 'Taana'. Behindwoods. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  17. A turning point in Siva Karthikeyan's 'Taana'. Behindwoods. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  18. Sivakarthikeyan's 'Taana' gets a major boost. Behindwoods. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  19. Manobala's politics with Sivakarthikeyan. Chennaivision. 12 August 2014.
  20. Sivakarthikeyan's 'Taana' starts rolling. Moviecrow. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  21. Sivakarthikeyan's 'Taana' starts rolling. Sify. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  22. Sivakarthikeyan and Sridivya in 'Semmozhi Poonga'. Indiaglitz. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  23. Ganesan. Rajeshwari (6 May 2014). 'TAANA' LIKELY TO RELEASE IN SEPTEMBER. Silverscreen. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  24. 'Taana' team gets a new face. The Times of India. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  25. Sivakarthikeyan's 'Taana' is getting ready!. Sify. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  26. 26.0 26.1 We will stick with 'Taana'. Behindwoods. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  27. Update on Siva Karthikeyan's next. Indiaglitz. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  28. It's Norway for Siva Karthikeyan & Sri Divya. Indiaglitz. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  29. Can Sivakarthikeyan and team meet the K.V.Anand standard?. Behindwoods. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  30. Kakki Sattai music review. Indiaglitz. 12 December 2014
  31. Kakki Sattai music review. Behindwoods.
  32. "SIVAKARTHIKEYAN'S KAKKI SATTAI REVIEW". Kollywood news. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  33. "Five Reasons Why Siva Karthikeyan's 'Kakki Sattai' Might be a Hit at Box Office". International Business Times. 26 February 2015.
  34. "'Kakki Sattai' Movie Review: Mass Entertainer Starring Siva Karthikeyan". International Business Times. 27 February 2015.
  35. "Kaaki Sattai Review | Kaaki Sattai Tamil Movie Review | Story | Rating – IndiaGlitz.com". IndiaGlitz.
  36. "Movie Review : Kakki Sattai-Time pass entertainer". Sify.
  37. "Movie review 'Kaaki Sattai': One is certain to be dazzled and amused". Deccan Chronicle.
  38. "Kaaki Sattai (aka) Kaakki Sattai review". behindwoods.com.
  39. "'Kakki Sattai (Kaaki Sattai) Opening Weekend Box Office Collection: Sivakarthikeyan's Film Earns ₹13.34 Crore in First Weekend". International Business Times. 2 March 2015.

External links