Ambuli

Ambuli is a 2012 Tamil science-fiction thriller film directed by Hari Shankar and Hareesh Narayan, who earlier directed Orr Eravuu (2010). The film was made in stereoscopic format, making it the first 3-D film in Tamil cinema.^[1] It has also Dubbed in Hindi Under the Title "Kaal Purush".

Story

Amudhan (Ajay) and Vendhan (Srijith) stay in a hostel even after their friends leave home for vacation. Amudhan wants to visit Poo madandhipuram a neighbouring village where his lover Poongavanam (Sanam) lives. One night when he crosses the corn field to reach her house, he comes across horrifying things. He runs for his life and reach hostel to narrate his friend Vendhan everything. They enquire villagers and find out that it was a beast Ambuli, a man-eating monster. The villagers too live in fear of Ambuli. The duo takes it as a challenge and starts researching about Ambuli. They decide to decode the monster and put an end to all its menace. The plot gets thicker when they meet Sengodan (Parthiban), who lives alone in the field. Marudhan(Jagan) meanwhile convinces the villagers to fight the monster. How the duo and the villagers accomplish the task forms the climax.

The film begins with a scene happening in a corn field in south India, where A British Forest Ranger who is in charge of the fields is being alerted by some strange noises coming form deep inside the fields. He sets out with his dog and searches for the source of this strange noise, then suddenly the dog is being dragged inside and brutally killed by an unknown beast creature. Then the ranger is also dragged inside and killed by the creature. Then the plot shifts to the 1970s where a college (sir arthur wellington college) farewell party is taking place. Two friends Amudhan and Vendhan (the son of the college watchman), decide to stay back in the college hostel and spend the vacation there. This is mainly because Amudhan's Girlfriend Poongavanm lives in the nearby village of poomanandhipuram, so that he can't miss her during this vacation. The only thing that lies between the college and the village is the same corn field (now protected by a big wall), that is believed to be the hunting ground of the strange creature, that the people now call Ambuli. Though some people called it a myth, many believed that ambuli did exist. One night, despite warnings from Vendhan, Amudhan decides to go through the corn field to reach poomanandhipuram to meet Poongavanam. He makes the first trip successfully, but while he returns, he hears the same strange noise and is been chased and thrown off his cycle by Ambuli (which is not yet shown on screen). Amudhan runs for life and reaches the college, where he meets Vendhan and narrates him what happened and says to him that Ambuli is real. Vendhan is little convinced by Amudhan's narration and they both decide to visit the corn field together that night to see what really is happening. They both travel the entire field and reach one corner and find a wood house (the place where the British ranger once lived), and they meet Sengodan there. Sengodan guards the fields but his looks cause a little bit of suspicion to the boys that he might be the ambuli. But Sengoden does not harm them and the boys fled the place.

The next day, they ask Vendhan's father (the longtime watchman of the college) about Ambuli and also they enquire about Sengodan. Vendhan's father is very much angered by the news that they both travelled alone at night in the corn fields and cries to them saying that Death awaits whoever enters the field at night, as there lives a ferocious creature called Ambuli, that has killed so many people in the past and is still hungry for human life. He says that Vendhan is the only person he has got and if something happens to him he can't live. So he humbly requests them not to go there again. But still accepts to say about Ambuli and Sengodan. "About some 40 years ago, on the day of Solar eclipse, a pregnant women who has no one except her elder child, walks into the village of poomanandhipuram but faints right under the sun (it was believed that one who comes out on a solar eclipse, will be affected badly by the radiation ). The villagers rescue her and she gives birth the very night. But the baby born was not exactly a human being. It was half human, half beast like a neanderthal. The beast baby bites the arm of the village doctor and it also attacks her mother fatally and escapes into the fields, and it has been till date killing humans. And Sengoden is none other than the elder brother of Ambuli and Sengoden is a murderer as he killed the founder of the college, and says that they are lucky not to be harmed by Sengoden". This is the story said by Vendhan's father to Vendhan and Amudhan.

Vendhan and Amudhan decide to collect more details about Ambuli and they visit many people in the village and enquire. They meet one of their seniors Marudhan, who is a practical youth who does not believe in Ambuli at all. But ironically, Marudhan's grandma is the village lady doctor, whose arm was bitten by ambuli at birth. They find a painting of ambuli from another senior, (who writes a journal in the previous edition of the college magazine, about the mass migration of people from the poomanandhipuram village into another place, due to the fear of Ambuli). With this painting as a proof, they try to make a complain in the police station, where the Head cop says, they need at least a photograph as a proof and not a painting. Vendhan and Amudhan accept the challenge and decides to visit the corn field to take a pic of Ambuli. But they are once again interrupted by Sengoden and they take a pic of him, thinking that he is Ambuli.

As things went ths way, one night, Marudhan gets very curious about Ambuli, and decides to investigate things on his own. Thus he secretly follows a villager, who takes a full grown goat with him, and ties it to a small boat and sends into the lake that lies ahead of the old temple caves (that are now abandoned by the people). Maruthan watches the boat shake and the goat is now gone. He understands that the villagers were paying sacrifice to ambuli to vent his anger. So the next day he decides to see what lies ahead of the lake. He goes in the same boat and enters the cave where he encounters the creature. Terrified, he runs for his life and escapes from that place. Now having started to believe in Ambuli, he enquires about it to his grandma. At the same time, Amudhan and Vendhan check for some details in the library about Ambuli. They enter the Founder's room (which was not opened at all in the recent past) and find an Important Clue on his table. The Clue leads them to a key that leads them to the secret Projector room, which also turns out to be the chemical lab that has been locked for years. They Find some Projector reels and start watching them, as at the same time Maruthan's Grandma narrates what actually happened to Ambuli's mother and why Ambuli was born like a beast.What follows is some terrible truth that entire shocks Amudhan, Vendhan and Maruthan.

The founder of the college (Sir Wellington), is basically a scientist, who worked with the British Army in the second world war. After retirement he begins the college in South India. His longtime goal is to successfully carry out and finish his project. That is to create humans who can live for 150 years healthily. He decides to use Sengodan's mother as his specimen and injects his chemicals into the womb. This starts having an impact on Ambuli. The scientist dopes her with strong sedatives so that she visits him often for checkup, so that he can carry out his test without any problem. As she reaches her pregnancy date, she is affected too much by the sedatives and starts walking to the scientist to get herself checked. That day turns out to be the Solar eclipse, and unfortunately she is affected by the radiation form the eclipse. This causes a big change in her womb and thus Ambuli is born, as a Beast. The Lady doctor who checked her pregnancy is terrified by the looks and behaviour of Ambuli and tells his mom to kill Ambuli right then. But she lets Ambuli escape and commits suicide. Angered by this, Sengoden kills the founder who is the reason for all this.Still the story continues

Now Having collected all details about Ambuli, Amudhan, Vendhan and Maruthan decide that there is no use hiding from ambuli and they must fight against it. Or else they all will die of fear. So the village people gather as a strong mass and set to hunt Ambuli, headed by Maruthan. at the same time, Amudhan and venthan, along with their girlfriends, meet sengodan. Sengodan promises that he will take them to ambuli's place. They visit the cave at night, and there comes a Tall, fierce looking ape like creature, which is finally shown to be ambuli. As Ambuli tries to attack vendhan, Sengodan fights it bravely. The villagers also rush to the place. Then suddenly the army comes there with tranqualisers (The army is alerted by the head cop, who is convinced by Amudhan and Vendhan that Ambuli does exist). After an Intense battle in the field between the army and Ambuli, Ambuli is Tranqualised with the help of sengoden. The army captures Ambuli and he is taken away in a secured box. The villagers finally thank Maruthan, Sengodan, Amudhan and Venthan for their heroics in capturing Ambuli and thus ending their long-time fear.

As the credits roll out, a final shot is shown which is to happen in Dehradun, Where the box in which Ambuli is being carried. The box slowly starts moving a little and it cracks suddenly. It is to be Understood that Ambuli escapes from the box and sets on his next hunt. The film ends with the line

"AMBULI'IN VETTAI THODARUM"... Which means, Ambuli's hunting will continue !

Cast

• R. Parthiban as Sengodan
• P. S. Srijith as Vendhan
• R. Ajay as Amudhan
• Gokulnath as Ambuli
• Sanam Shetty as Poongavanam
• Jothisha as Valarmathi
• Uma Riyaz Khan as Ponni
• Thambi Ramaiah as Vethagiri
• Kalairani as Seemati
• Rajendran as Gugan
• Krishna Sekhar as Varugunapandian
• Ashokan as Kumaraguruparan
• Jagan as Marudhan
• Bosskey as Velpari
• Bala Singh as Neelakesi

Production

Hari Shankar and Hareesh Narayan, who made their directorial debut with the horror film Orr Eravuu (2010), decided to shoot a mystery thriller based on folklore and superstition. In an interview they stated: "We have taken inspirations from folklore and Ambuli tells the story of a village which is soaked in superstitions. Ambuli means ‘moon’ and it is a moon light mystery".^[2] The film was promoted as being the "first ever-stereoscopic 3D film in Tamil cinema".^[1][2] The directors further disclosed that the plot revolved around "four youngsters who go in search of a story, the problems they face and how they overcome them", while clarifying that there was no villain in the film.^[3] Newcomers R. Ajai, P. S. Srijith, Sanam and Jothisha Ammu were signed on to enact the lead roles,^[3] while Gokulnath, best known from the reality-based dance competition Maanada Mayilada was selected to play the titular character. The filming began on 4 February 2011.^[4]

Reception

Times of India rated the movie 3.5/5 ^[5] and Behindwoods rated Ambuli 3/5 calling it between ‘not bad’ and ‘good’^[6]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack features eight tracks composed by four music directors, K. Venkat Prabu Shankar, C. S. Sam, Sathish and Mervin Solomon. The album was released at the Kamarajar Stadium on 19 August 2011.^[7] A 3D trailer of the film was also showcased at the event.^[8]

References

External links

• Official website
• Ambuli at the Internet Movie Database