Sathuranga Vettai

2022-02-25T15:25:50Z

2A01:E0A:9A8:C2A0:88DC:E3EA:94BC:57A3:

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Sathuranga Vettai
| image = Sathuranga Vettai poster.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[H. Vinoth]]
| producer = [[Manobala]] Sanjay Rawal [[Thirrupathi Brothers|N. Subash Chandrabose]]
| writer = [[H. Vinoth]]
| starring = [[Natarajan Subramaniam|Natraj]] [[Ishaara Nair]] [[Ponvannan]] [[Ilavarasu]] [[Piraisoodan]]
| music = [[Sean Roldan]]
| cinematography = K. G. Venkatesh
| editing = Raja Sethupathi
| studio = Manobala's Picture House SR Cinema [[Thirrupathi Brothers|Thirrupathi Brothers Film Media]]
| distributor = [[Thirrupathi Brothers|Thirrupathi Brothers Film Media]]
| released = {{Film date|2014|07|18|df=y}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Tamil
| budget = ₹ 5 Crore
}}

'''''Sathuranga Vettai''''' ({{translation|Chess Hunt}}) is a 2014 [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[heist film|heist]] [[thriller film]] written and directed by debutant [[H. Vinoth]], starring [[Natarajan Subramaniam|Natraj]] and [[Ishaara Nair]] in the lead roles, while [[Ponvannan]], [[Ilavarasu]], and [[Piraisoodan]], among others, play supporting roles.<ref>{{cite web|first=Nikhil |last=Raghavan |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/shot-cuts-double-trouble/article5623588.ece |title=Shot Cuts: Double trouble |work=The Hindu |date=2014-01-27 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> Produced by [[Manobala]], it features music by [[Sean Roldan]] and cinematography by K. G. Venkatesh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/sathuranga-vettai-gets-ready-imagegallery-kollywood-oe2pwyfahddsi.html |title='Sathuranga Vettai' gets ready |publisher=Sify.com |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> The film, touted to be an "indianized con movie", was released by [[Thirrupathi Brothers|Thiruppathi Brothers Film Media]] on 18 July 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=http://silverscreen.in/news/sathuranga-vettai-july-18/ |title=Sathuranga Vettai on July 18 |date=10 July 2014 |publisher=Silverscreen.in |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> and received positive reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web|first=Sangeetha |last=Seshagiri |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/sathuranga-vettai-review-roundup-well-made-film-worth-watching-604722 |title='Sathuranga Vettai' Review Roundup: Well-Made Film; Worth Watching |publisher=Ibtimes.co.in |date=2014-07-18 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> A sequel is currently under development titled ''[[Sathuranga Vettai 2]]'' starring [[Arvind Swamy]] and [[Trisha (actress)|Trisha]]. It has been remade in Telugu as ''[[Bluff Master (2019 film)|Bluff Master]]'' and is being remade in Kannada as ''Jagath Khiladi''.<ref>http://chitraloka.com/news/13727-niranjan-in-the-remake-of-sathuranga-vettai.html</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/bluff-master-its-a-wrap-for-the-satyadev-kancharana-and-nandita-swetha-starrer/articleshow/64837186.cms|title = 'Bluff Master': It's a wrap for the Satyadev Kancharana and Nandita Swetha starrer - Times of India|website = [[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

==Plot==
Gandhi Babu is a skilled con artist. He dreams of doing ingenious scams and executes them perfectly. His scams include selling ignorant people ordinary snakes, claiming that they are exotic and will fetch crores in the international market, promoting a nonexistent [[multilevel marketing]] company with its controversial chain referral schemes promising a BMW car within a year. His scams include duping people through impersonation - posing close to/claiming relationship with influential people, the convincing people of things such as [[Lilliput and Blefuscu|Lilliput]], exotic stones, and artifacts, last but not least the infamous Emu scam, where the investors were offered exorbitant returns through Emu farms. Bhanu is from a poor family. She comes to work for Gandhi and falls for his charms. Gandhi, despite having a soft corner for her, has money as his first priority. Because of this, he abandons Bhanu.

Gandhi is arrested in a minor scam but the local police didn't realise his real identity. As the newspaper publishes this scam as a small box news of low importance, ACP Jaya Prakasham of Chennai Police identifies Gandhi and informs the local police and multiple cases are filed against him. The police subject him to torture and try to recover the money, but in vain. As the court releases him months later due to absence of solid evidence, his associates betray Gandhi and escape with the remaining money. An angered investor hires Valavan and his gang to recover his money and kill Gandhi Babu, The gang nabs him outside the court and is beaten to a pulp. Later he convinces them of making another con of worth a billion and pay them more than their hirer. Believing his abilities they kill and dispose their hirer and pull another scam to fuel a bigger one. He believes that if a person is foolish or greedy enough to be duped, then the person is to be blamed. He argues that every election voters are conned by the candidates who promise them the moon, but never come through. The next scam was nothing but a trap laid for gang by Gandhi Babu, he sends the gang to a his old scam's victim Chettiyar, knowing that they'll get caught as he's alert and will call the police due to his past experience.

The gang gets arrested and angered by Gandhi Babu's betrayal. Meanwhile he moves back to Bhanu and she looks after him and they get married. Later, she becomes pregnant. As the gang gets released they give Babu a choice whether to pull a bigger scam and compensate their losses, or he and his wife get killed by them. Babu agrees to help them, The gang leaves Dravidan to keep an eye on pregnant Bhanu and leaves to Madurai to perform a final heist to hand over the money to them.

They target Moovendhar, a rich and politically well-connected marble and granite businessman, they target him through the rice pulling scam, one of the high-profile scams during the times. They offer the artifact involved in the scam as a solution to his problems. As Moovendar agrees to the deal, the artifact is transferred after rituals and the gang receives ₹100 crores as payment. The passage of money results in a tussle. Gandhi kills them and returns to his wife and child with the money. Finally, the look on her face makes him realize the value of life, and he leaves the money to the police custody.

==Cast==
{{colbegin}}
* [[Natarajan Subramaniam|Natty]] as Gandhi Babu, a skilled conman
* [[Ishaara Nair]] as Bhanu
* [[Ponvannan]] as ACP Jeya Prakasham IPS
* [[Ilavarasu]] as Chettiyar
* [[Piraisoodan]] as Judge
* [[Ramachandran Durairaj]] as Dravidan
* [[Madhusudhan Rao (actor)|Madhusudhan Rao]] as Cheta
* [[K. S. G. Venkatesh]] as Moovendhar, an influential businessman
* Valavan as Valavan
* Dharani Vasudevan as Guru
* Senthi as Valli
* Vani Shree as Snake Doctor
* Flower A. Manoharan
* Divya Krishnan as NGO akka (sister)
{{colend}}

==Production==
Director Vinoth said that he was turned down by several producers before he met director [[Nalan Kumarasamy]] who he handed over his film's script. While Nalan was on a trip, his mother found the script, read and loved it and asked Nalan to read it too, who too liked it and came forward to help him find a producer. Actor [[Manobala]], who had wanted to start a new production house and had asked Nalan to find some good stories, read the script by Vinoth and instantly agreed to produce it.<ref name="business-standard1">{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/need-to-thank-nalan-s-mother-for-sathuranga-vettai-director-114070900283_1.html |title=Need to thank Nalan's mother for ;Sathuranga Vettai': Director | Business Standard News |work=Business Standard |date=2014-07-09 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref>

The film was said to be a "con film". Vinoth stated, "My film is about the pace at which we all want to make money in our lives. It's about the anger of common man who thinks money is the solution to all his problems. When there's imbalance in nature, we experience tsunami and earthquake. Likewise, my story is about the imbalance in the social morals of a common man".<ref name="business-standard1"/> Although it was a [[heist film]], the director said that he had made the film "as funny as possible" and that it had been narrated with "a lot of fun, [[satire]] and [[Black comedy|dark humour]]".<ref name="business-standard1"/> It was reported that the film's screenplay was written in "a six-episode format".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indulge.newindianexpress.com/made-in-madras-34/chennai/12794 |title=Made in Madras | Indulge |work=The New Indian Express |date=2014-07-04 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name = Sathuranga Vettai
| type = Soundtrack
| longtype = to Sathuranga Vettai
| artist = [[Sean Roldan]]
| cover =
| border = yes
| alt =
| released = 27 April 2014
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Film soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]]
| length = 16:59
| language = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
| label = [[Think Music India|Think Music]]
| producer = [[Sean Roldan]]
| prev_title = [[Vaayai Moodi Pesavum]]
| prev_year = 2013
| next_title = [[Mundasupatti]]
| next_year = 2014
}}

The film's soundtrack was composed by [[Sean Roldan]]. The album features five tracks and was released on 27 April 2014. Many colleagues of Manobala were present at the launch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/sathuranga-vettai-audio-launched-news-tamil-oe2mJwbijehsi.html |title='Sathuranga Vettai' audio launched |publisher=Sify.com |date=2014-04-28 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref>

''[[The Times of India]]'' gave the soundtrack a rating of 3 stars and wrote, "the composer doesn't disappoint in his second outing. This five-track album has a fair mix of every genre...with a touch of Sean's [[guitar]] techniques that you cannot miss out".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/music/Music-Review-Sathuranga-Vettai/articleshow/34477104.cms |title=Music Review: Sathuranga Vettai |work=The Times of India |date=2014-05-02 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> Indiaglitz.com wrote that ''Sathuranga Vettai'' was "Sean's supreme sophomore effort" and that he "is definitely here to stay for a long time".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/musicreview/18643.html |title=Sathuranga Vettai Music Review songs lyrics |publisher=Indiaglitz.com |date=2014-05-08 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| all_lyrics =
| total_length = 16:59

| title1 = Yemarum Jename
| extra1 = [[Pradeep Kumar (musician)|Pradeep Kumar]], Sean Roldan
| length1 = 3:33
| title2 = Kadhala Kadhala
| extra2 = [[Kalyani Nair]]
| length2 = 3:44
| title3 = Verichodi Ponathada
| extra3 = Sean Roldan
| length3 = 3:13
| title4 = Munne Yen Munne
| extra4 = [[Sathya Prakash]]
| length4 = 3:55
| title5 = Porape Nadape
| extra5 = [[Anthony Daasan|Anthony Dasan]]
| length5 = 2:34
}}

==Release==
The film's rights were bought by [[Thirrupathi Brothers|Thiruppathi Brothers Film Media]] in June 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/thirrupathi-brothers-buys-sathuranga-vettai-news-tamil-ogtsqHeafdfjd.html |title=Thirrupathi Brothers buys 'Sathuranga Vettai' |publisher=Sify.com |date=2014-06-19 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> The satellite rights of the film were sold to [[STAR Vijay]]. Prior to the release, Manobala had held several sneak previews of the film for personalities from the film industry, who were impressed with the film. Thereafter, Thirrupathi Brothers were trying to release the film in over 200 screens in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/terrific-buzz-about-sathuranga-vettai-news-tamil-oholiJdgbhbje.html |title=Terrific buzz about 'Sathuranga Vettai' |publisher=Sify.com |date=2014-07-14 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
[[The Times of India]] gave it 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "''Sathuranka Vettai'' shows what good writing can do to a film. The film is an expertly woven tale of a remorseless con man, for whom, "money is the ultimate"...The real hero of ''Sathuranka Vettai'' is its script, which, with its twists and turns, keeps us guessing for most parts of the film".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Sathuranka-Vettai/movie-review/38625909.cms |title=Sathuranka Vettai movie review: Wallpaper, Story, Trailer |work=The Times of India |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> Sify wrote, "With terrific screenplay, racy narration and out-of-the-box presentation, ''Sathuranga Vettai'' is a surprisingly fresh film that works big time. The film rests on intelligent writing peppered with smart dialogues and the fresh appeal of its lead actors. H Vinoth is definitely one of the great new finds of Tamil cinema and scores for his near perfect script, narration and packaging. Here is superior quality cinema perfect for a night out at the movies".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/sathuranga-vettai-review-tamil-15057994.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718193705/http://www.sify.com/movies/sathuranga-vettai-review-tamil-15057994.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-07-18 |title=Movie Review : Sathuranga Vettai |publisher=Sify.com |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> [[The New Indian Express]] wrote, "With an intelligently-crafted screenplay, deft treatment, racy pace and some meaningful lines, director Vinoth establishes his credentials as a writer-director in ''Sathuranga Vettai'', his very first effort. Weaving a tale centered around a conman, he infuses in it a judicious blend of humour, sentiment, intrigue and suspense, keeping one’s attention glued to the screen".<ref>{{cite web|last=Mannath |first=Malini |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/reviews/An-engaging-take-on-a-conman%E2%80%99s-life/2014/07/19/article2338549.ece |title=An engaging take on a conman's life |work=The New Indian Express |date=2014-05-28 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> Silverscreen.in wrote, "It’s a con movie of the highest order. It could also be a book. There’s intrigue, there’s laughter, there’s conspiracy, and more laughter. One moment, there’s feverish excitement, and the next, we slap our forehead in exasperation. It also makes us whistle. It’s that cool".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://silverscreen.in/reviews/sathuranga-vettai-review/ |title=Sathuranga Vettai Review |date=19 July 2014 |publisher=Silverscreen.in |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> [[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]] gave it 3 stars out of 5 and wrote, "The reason newcomer Vinoth's ''Sathuranga Vettai'' is an almost flawless film in the genre is because it succeeds in managing to con the audiences as well, more than once. It's not a film about people who con but one about those who get conned, why they get conned and how they get conned".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/sathuranga-vettai-you-re-conned-ians-tamil-movie-review-114071900396_1.html |title='Sathuranga Vettai' - you're conned! (IANS Tamil Movie Review) | Business Standard News |work=Business Standard |date=2014-07-19 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref>

[[Baradwaj Rangan]] gave a more mixed review, writing, "Vinoth employs a series of tricks to amp up his narrative, to make us feel we’re watching a really cool movie...What we don’t get is the pleasure of being conned. We don’t see too many of these films in Tamil, so the newness keeps us watching (this is one of those not-bad-for-a-first-film films) — but the cons aren’t shaped well. They seem too easy (except for the last one) and the victims seem too dumb".<ref>{{cite news|first=Baradwaj |last=Rangan |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/spicy-con-masala/article6229118.ece |title=Spicy con masala |work=The Hindu |date=19 July 2014 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref>

==Accolades==
* [[Vikatan]] Award for Best Film <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/vikatan-awards-2014-dhanush-dulquer-salmaan-sathuranga-vettai-honoured-winners-list-619905|title = Vikatan Awards 2014: Dhanush, Dulquer Salmaan, 'Sathuranga Vettai' Honoured [WINNERS LIST]|website = [[International Business Times]]|date = 9 January 2015}}</ref>
* Second Best Feature Film at [[Chennai International Film Festival]]<ref>[http://www.sify.com/movies/amitabh-bachchan-youth-icon-award-for-karthik-subbaraj-news-tamil-om0jDlehggfhd.html sify.com]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=3711164}}

{{N. Lingusamy}}
{{H. Vinoth}}

[[Category:2014 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Indian heist films]]
[[Category:2014 black comedy films]]
[[Category:Indian black comedy films]]
[[Category:2010s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Sean Roldan]]
[[Category:Indian thriller films]]
[[Category:Films about con artists]]
[[Category:Tamil films remade in other languages]]
[[Category:2014 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2014 comedy films]]
[[Category:2014 thriller films]]

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Sathuranga Vettai