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Thupparivaalan

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Thupparivaalan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMysskin
Written byMysskin
Produced byVishal
Starring
CinematographyV. I. Karthik
Edited byN. Arunkumar
Music byArrol Corelli
Production
company
Distributed byMadras Enterprises
Release date
  • 14 September 2017 (2017-09-14)
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Thupparivaalan (transl. Detective) is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Mysskin, and produced by Vishal, who also enacts the lead role with Prasanna. The film features Vinay Rai, Anu Emmanuel (in her Tamil debut), Andrea Jeremiah and K. Bhagyaraj in supporting roles. Loosely inspired by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, the film follows a private detective and his associate who investigate the death of a child's pet dog, which leads to them uncovering a bigger conspiracy. The film began production in 2016, and was released on 14 September 2017.

Plot

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IT company owner Dhivakar is celebrating his birthday with his family when a sudden lightning strike fatally electrocutes him and his son before burning their bodies in front of his horrified wife and daughter. ACP Paul Dhanarajan intervenes in a groping incident at a cinema, and later dies in the middle of a police conference three days later. A brash yet brilliant private detective, Kaniyan Poongundran, aka Kani, who lives with his associate Manohar, aka Mano. They both come across Mallika, who leads a pickpocketing scheme with her younger siblings. After Kani deals with her alcoholic, abusive uncle, she comes to work as his housekeeper.

Naveen, a schoolboy, seeks help from Kani and Mano in solving the murder of his pet German Spitz, Nemo, which was shot dead on a beach. He provides them with a 9 mm ricocheted bullet retrieved from Nemo's body. Investigating the crime scene, Kani discovers a tooth, leading him to Swarnavel, a former physics professor, who is linked to a personal tragedy involving the accidental death of his son, which led to a divorce with his wife. Concurrently, a man named Kamalesh is involved in dubious dealings at a travel agency, delivering a money-laden sofa to a group of associates involved in contract killings, consisting of Devil, Muthu, Pritha, and a bald man.

Kani recollects a news article about the deaths of Dhivakar and his son and visits Mrs Dhivakar's house, where he finds that Swarnavel was present at a nearby construction site on the day of the incident. He then concludes that Swarnavel's artificial lightning killed Dhivakar. When the assassins learn that Kani is on their tail, Devil disposes of Swarnavel's body, who was killed earlier.

Kani and Manohar visit Dhivakar's office to learn that a tender has been transferred to Ram Prasad, a rival, who is soon assassinated. Kamalesh, seeking revenge, hires Chinese mercenaries to kill Kani. Kani defeats them and uncovers Kamalesh's involvement, but Pritha ultimately kills Kamalesh and an elderly couple. Kani then pursues the bald man and Pritha. The bald man then kills himself, allowing Pritha to escape. The next day, in a shopping mall, Pritha fails to kill Kani, but Mallika saves him.

Kani and Mano meet Police Inspector Madhivanan and ACP Vijayakumar in a hotel, where yet another failed assassin attempt is made. Muthu plans to inject Kani with a poison dart, but Mano is caught in the crossfire and rushed to the hospital. They learn that the same dart hit Mano as Paul. They raid the travel agency, and Devil kills Muthu to cover his tracks, and Muthu kills his dying wife before succumbing to his death. They find some physics books related to lightning

Kani receives a threatening SMS about the danger to his loved ones. He secures Manohar in the hospital but cannot save Mallika, who Devil fatally stabs. It is revealed that Madhivanan acted as an informer for Devil. Under interrogation, he confesses that Ram Prasad hired Devil's team to assassinate Dhivakar for a tender, enlisting Swarnavel to create artificial lightning. Swarnavel, overwhelmed by guilt over the collateral death of Dhivakar's son—who resembled his own late son—decides to expose the conspiracy. To silence him, Devil's team tracks down Swarnavel at a beach, where he is killed while attempting to flee with false passports. Nemo, the dog, tries to intervene but is accidentally shot during the struggle. Meanwhile, Paul, who was investigating a rape case involving a hotelier and his driver's wife, is murdered by Devil's team as they feared he was close to identifying the culprit. Kani, Manohar, and a police squad venture into a mangrove forest to locate Devil, resulting in the deaths of everyone except Kani, Manohar, and Vijayakumar. Eventually, Devil captures Kani and Vijayakumar and kidnaps Naveen to use as a hostage.

In a fight, Kani kills Devil. In his dying moments, Devil tells Naveen that he is sorry for killing Nemo. Later, as Naveen returns home from school one afternoon, he finds a Pomeranian puppy along with a note bearing Kani's name in a basket at his doorstep.

Cast

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Production

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In February 2016, director Mysskin was reported to have begun working on a film starring Vishal.[1] The film, titled Thupparivaalan, was formally launched at a ceremony in Chennai on 10 March 2016.[2][3] Prior to the start of shoot, Mysskin cast several other leading actors and the film was dubbed by the media to be a "multi-starrer". Actress Rakul Preet Singh was cast in a leading role, making her comeback to Tamil films after becoming popular in the Telugu film industry. Likewise actors Vinay and Prasanna were signed to portray supporting roles.[4][5] K. Bhagyaraj was also selected to portray a key antagonistic role.[6] Vinay said he accepted the film to break out of the "chocolate boy" image he had been stereotyped in for years.[7]

Principal photography began in Chennai on 26 September 2016.[8] Soon after, Singh opted out of the film citing scheduling clashes,[9] and was replaced by Malayalam actress Anu Emmanuel, who would make her debut in the Tamil film industry. Anu was signed following a test photo shoot in October 2016, where Mysskin asked her to sport a sari.[10] Akshara Haasan was also signed on to portray another pivotal role during the same month and was expected to shoot for the film alongside her commitments in Vivegam (2017).[11] Haasan later opted out of the project and was replaced in the role by Andrea Jeremiah.[12][13] Mysskin signed Ashvatt for the pivotal role of Swarnavel, after he was impressed by the actor's earlier performance in his film Pisaasu and Savarakathi.[14]

In May 2017, Mysskin said there were only ten days more of filming required. He added that he was inspired by the tales of Sherlock Holmes, a detective created by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle and Vishal's character was inspired by the detective, while Prasanna's character was inspired by Dr. Watson from the Holmes stories.[15][16][17] In August 2017, near the end of filming, Vishal suffered a minor injury on his knee while Vinay hurt his shoulders while filming an action scene. The pair, however, chose to continue with the shoot to avoid delays.[18] Unlike most Indian films, the makers avoided including multiple songs; the only song in the film is "Ivan Thupparivaalan", written by Mysskin (who sings along with Hemambiga) and composed by Arrol Corelli,[19] who also composed the background music.[20]

Release and reception

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Thupparivaalan was released on 14 September 2017.[21] M. Suganth of The Times of India wrote "[..] what sets Thupparivaalan apart from regular action thrillers is how it not only thrills us, but also makes us feel".[22] Baradwaj Rangan wrote for Film Companion, "It was perhaps only a matter of time before Mysskin reached for Arthur Conan Doyle for what are his films, in essence, if not mysteries that involve a lot of detecting and end with big reveals?".[23] Vishal Menon of The Hindu wrote, "After the disastrous Mugamoodi, Thupparivaalan was always going to be Mysskin's trial-by-fire in the world of big budget commercial cinema. With Thupparivaalan, Myskkin has opened up his universe to the common man, reminding us that there's nothing as pleasurable as seeing someone sneak a bit of art into entertainment cinema".[24] Srivatsan of India Today wrote, "It's difficult not to think about Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes, in which he asks Watson to think. But in Thupparivaalan, Mysskin asks the audience to observe, with a fair bit of Mysskin-ness".[25]

Shelved sequel

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A sequel titled Thupparivaalan 2, to be directed by Mysskin, was announced in 2019, with Vishal and Prasanna reprising their roles. The rest of the cast included Rahman, Nassar, Jayaprakash, Gautami and Suresh Chakravarthi.[26] The music of the film was to be composed by Ilaiyaraaja.[27] Principal photography began in early November 2019 in Bristol,[26] and the first schedule wrapped a month later.[28] After Mysskin and Vishal drifted apart in March 2020 over budget issues,[29][30] filming resumed in November 2020 with Vishal as the primary director of the film.[31] The film was planned to resume shooting in 2023, but the shooting never took place.[32] The same year, Vishal announced his plans to revive the project in 2024.[33] Pre-production subsequently began in March 2024,[34] and principal photography was expected to begin in May 2024,[35] but was later pushed to that November.[36] As of 2025, the project has not materialised.[37]

References

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  1. ↑ Subramanian, Anupama (28 February 2016). "Vishal to team up with Mysskin". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "Vishal and director Mysskin come together for a fantasy film". India Today. 10 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "Vishal-Mysskin film titled Thupparivaalan". The Times of India. 10 March 2016. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  4. ↑ "Vinay Rai in Vishal's 'Thupparivalan'". Sify. 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rakul Preet Singh makes her comeback in Kollywood". Deccan Chronicle. 27 August 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "Filmmaker-actor K Bhagyaraj to join Thupparivaalan". The New Indian Express. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  7. ↑ Karthik, Janani (22 September 2017). "Vinay Rai Interview: 'I Had To Wait 11 Years To Shed My Chocolate Boy Image'". Silverscreen India. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  8. ↑ Vishal [@VishalKOfficial] (26 September 2016). "Startd my nxt home prod @VffVishal #Thupparivalan wit #mysskin sir wit @Prasanna_actor @ArrolCorelli.gna b an xciting one.need ya wishes.GB" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 June 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2025 – via Twitter.
  9. ↑ K, Janani (14 October 2016). "Rakul Preet walks out of Thupparivaalan!". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "Anu Emmanuel replaces Rakul in Mysskin's movie". The Times of India. 16 October 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "Akshara Haasan to star with Vishal in Mysskin's Thupparivaalan". Hindustan Times. 8 October 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  12. ↑ "Andrea Jeremiah to be a part of Thupparivaalan". Deccan Chronicle. 10 December 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  13. ↑ "Andrea replaces Akshara Haasan in 'Thupparivalan'". Sify. 6 January 2017. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  14. ↑ Jyothsna (29 September 2016). "A New Addition in Mysskin's Camp". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  15. ↑ Aiyappan, Ashameera (30 August 2017). "I am a dictator but one full of compassion: Thupparivalan director Mysskin". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  16. ↑ "Mysskin: Vishal and Prasanna's characters are inspired by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson!". Sify. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  17. ↑ "'Thupparivaalan' features Sherlock, Dr Watson type characters". The New Indian Express. 20 May 2017. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  18. ↑ "Vishal, Vinay Injured On Sets Of 'Thupparivalan'". Silverscreen India. 8 August 2017. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  19. ↑ Karthik, Janani (30 August 2017). "'Ivan Thupparivaalan' Song Gives Insight into Vishal's Character". Silverscreen India. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  20. ↑ "No songs in Mysskin's next". Cinema Express. 8 July 2017. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  21. ↑ "WATCH Thupparivaalan trailer: Vishal's film looks like promising thriller". India Today. 10 September 2017. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  22. ↑ Suganth, M (14 September 2017). "Thupparivaalan Movie Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  23. ↑ Rangan, Baradwaj (14 September 2017). "Thupparivaalan Movie Review". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  24. ↑ Menon, Vishal (14 September 2017). "'Thupparivaalan' review: The adventure of an eccentric bachelor". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  25. ↑ Srivatsan (15 September 2017). "Thupparivaalan review: Vishal's film is a solid crime thriller". India Today. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  26. 1 2 "Vishal's 'Thupparivaalan 2' begins rolling". The News Minute. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  27. ↑ "Ilayaraja roped in to compose music for Vishal's Thupparivaalan 2, see pics". Hindustan Times. 12 September 2019. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "Vishal wraps up shoot of Thupparivaalan 2". DT Next. 24 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  29. ↑ Kumar, Pradeep (11 March 2020). "Vishal responds to Mysskin on 'Thupparivaalan 2' rift: 'No producer should go through such an ordeal'". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  30. ↑ "First look of Vishal's Thupparivaalan 2 is here". Cinema Express. 11 March 2020. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  31. ↑ "Thupparivaalan 2 to resume shooting from November, Vishal to take over as director". Hindustan Times. 28 October 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  32. ↑ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (20 December 2022). "Actor Vishal on playing a constable in 'Laththi' and his obsession with action films". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  33. ↑ Rajaraman, Kaushik (27 September 2023). "Let my films do the talking: Vishal Krishna". DT Next. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  34. ↑ "Vishal begins pre-production work for Thupparivaalan 2". Cinema Express. 17 March 2024. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  35. ↑ "Vishal's Thupparivaalan 2 to commence filming from May". Cinema Express. 16 April 2024. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  36. ↑ "Vishal's directorial debut Thupparivaalan 2 to go on floors next month". The Indian Express. 20 October 2024. Archived from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  37. ↑ Syed, Shanaz B. (31 October 2025). "Vishal Faces Another Major Setback, Film Shoot Stopped Abruptly". Tupaki. Archived from the original on 24 June 2026. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
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