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{{Short description|2016 Indian Tamil mystery thriller film by Mani Nagaraj}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Pencil film poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Mani Nagaraj
| writer = Mani Nagaraj
| producer = S. P. Ragavesh
| starring = [[G. V. Prakash Kumar]]<br />[[Sri Divya]]<br />[[Shariq Hassan]]
| cinematography = [[Gopi Amarnath]]
| editing = [[Anthony (film editor)|Anthony]]
| music = G. V. Prakash Kumar
| studio = Kalsan Movies Pvt Ltd
| distributor = SVS Pictures<br />[[Kalasangham Films]]
| released = {{Film date|df=y|2016|05|13}}
| runtime = 134 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
'''''Pencil''''' is a 2016 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[Teen film|teen]] [[thriller film]] written and directed by debutant Mani Nagaraj. It is based on South Korean film ''[[4th Period Mystery]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=16 May 2016 |title=Pencil heavily inspired by Korean thriller 4th period mystery |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Cinema/2016-05-16/Pencil-heavily-inspired-by-Korean-thriller-4th-period-mystery/228364 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250427044900/https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Cinema/2016-05-16/Pencil-heavily-inspired-by-Korean-thriller-4th-period-mystery/228364 |archive-date=27 April 2025 |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=[[The Hans India]] |language=en}}</ref> The film stars [[G. V. Prakash Kumar]] and [[Sri Divya]], with the former also composing the film's music. It was released on 13 May 2016,<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 April 2016 |title=Pencil to release on 13th May |url=https://www.ritzmagazine.in/pencil-to-release-on-13th-may/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213040039/https://www.ritzmagazine.in/pencil-to-release-on-13th-may/ |archive-date=13 February 2025 |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=Ritz |language=en}}</ref> and received mixed reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pudipeddi |first=Haricharan |date=13 February 2018 |title=Naachiyar actor GV Prakash on working with Jyothika: 'She is one of the most humble artists I've worked with' |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/naachiyar-actor-gv-prakash-on-working-with-jyothika-she-is-one-of-the-most-humble-artists-ive-worked-with-4348439.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250427070429/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/naachiyar-actor-gv-prakash-on-working-with-jyothika-she-is-one-of-the-most-humble-artists-ive-worked-with-4348439.html |archive-date=27 April 2025 |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=[[Firstpost]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Plot ==
Shiva is the best student at his school. His rival Nithin, the son of a leading film star and a spoiled brat, takes any and every opportunity to knock him down both verbally and physically, and the two are known enemies amongst the other students. Shiva doesn't find much happiness in school other than his classmate and love interest, Maya Srinivasan who later reciprocates his feelings after he saves her from a science lab accident.

One day, Nithin burns Shiva's thesis, and when Shiva finds out, he assaults Nithin in front of the whole school until the school management intervenes. Later, Shiva returns to his class to fight Nithin once again, but this time he finds him dead, with his neck stabbed repeatedly with a sharp pencil. Shiva removes the bloody pencil from Nithin's neck just as Maya shows up, catching him in a most incriminating position. Fortunately for him, she not only believes his innocence, but also offers to help him solve the mystery and catch the real killer – a task made particularly urgent by the fact that in 40 minutes, the rest of the class will return and then the body will be discovered.

The suspects are many: the school driver with whom Nithin has a fight over an open wall behind the school; a local goon who enters the school through the open wall to meet his girlfriend, only to be driven out by Nithin; the chemistry teacher Sridhar ([[Thirumurugan (actor)|Thirumurugan]]), whose romantic relationship with his colleague Nandhini ([[Suja Varunee]]) ends after Nithin secretly records an intimate video of the two and blackmails Nandhini with that video to do what he says and Nithin's ex-girlfriend Indhulekha (Shamily Sukumar), whose 8-year-old friend Divya is accidentally killed by Nithin when she tries to break up with him and is constantly harassed and blackmailed by Nithin not to report the murder to the school management or the police.

Maya and Shiva go on a wild goose chase to find out who the real killer is. Indhulekha and Shiva's friend, Napoleon helps to find the killer. It then turns out that Divya's father is the killer because he wanted revenge for his daughter's death. Maya and Shiva also seem to be together but a small verbal fight ensues between the two in the end.

== Cast ==
{{colbegin}}
* [[G. V. Prakash Kumar]] as Shiva
* [[Sri Divya]] as Maya Srinivasan
* [[Shariq Hassan]] as Nithin
* [[Urvashi (actress)|Urvashi]] as Rajeshwari
* Giriprasad Damodar as Vicky
* [[T. P. Gajendran]] as Sudhanthiram
* [[VTV Ganesh]] as Anthony Gonsalves
* [[Abhishek Shankar]] as Sundarajaan
* [[Thirumurugan (actor)|Thirumurugan]] as K. Sridhar
* [[Suja Varunee]] as Nandhini
* [[Ravi Prakash (Telugu actor)|Ravi Prakash]] as School Chairman
* [[Balaji Venugopal]] as Arun Kumar
* [[Arunraja Kamaraj]] as Selvaraj
* [[Yashika Aannand]] as Swimming Instructor
* Shamily Sukumar as Indhulekha
* Mirchi Shah as Napoleon
* Priya Mosh as Sowmya
* Sri Vidhya
{{colend}}

== Production ==
In October 2013, it was announced that music composer [[G. V. Prakash Kumar]] would make his debut as an actor with director Mani Nagaraj's ''Pencil'', a school based thriller film.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 October 2013 |title=GV Prakash turns hero for Pencil |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/telugu/news-interviews/GV-Prakash-turns-hero-for-Pencil/articleshow/23648009.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110150927/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-07/news-interviews/42793278_1_gv-prakash-acting-debut-pencil |archive-date=10 November 2013 |access-date=28 November 2013 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> The team initially approached [[Priya Anand]] to be the lead actress, who was unable to accept due to other commitments, and subsequently [[Sri Divya]] was recruited.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 October 2013 |title=Priya Anand wishes GV Prakash |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/priya-anand-wishes-gv-prakash/articleshow/24430184.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250427053805/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/priya-anand-wishes-gv-prakash/articleshow/24430184.cms |archive-date=27 April 2025 |access-date=27 April 2025 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> [[Shariq Hassan]], son of actors [[Riyaz Khan]] and [[Uma Riyaz Khan|Uma Riyaz]] was announced to make his acting debut with a supporting role.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 November 2013 |title=Riyaz Khan's son to make film debut |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/riyaz-khans-son-to-make-film-debut/articleshow/26249870.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250427053734/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/riyaz-khans-son-to-make-film-debut/articleshow/26249870.cms |archive-date=27 April 2025 |access-date=27 April 2025 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> Mani Nagraj, who was a friend of Khan, offered the role of Nithin to Hassan, after seeing his photos on [[Facebook]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Rinku |date=27 November 2013 |title=New kid on the block: Shariq Hassan |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2013/Nov/27/new-kid-on-the-block-shariq-hassan-542043.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250427032730/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2013/Nov/27/new-kid-on-the-block-shariq-hassan-542043.html |archive-date=27 April 2025 |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref> Still photographs from the film's initial photo shoot were released to the media in November 2013, earning positive reaction from critics.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 November 2013 |title=GV Prakash, Sri Divya first look in 'Pencil' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/tamil/news-interviews/GV-Prakash-Sri-Divya-first-look-in-Pencil/articleshow/26144412.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203034352/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-11-21/news-interviews/44325985_1_gv-prakash-mani-nagaraj-sri-divya |archive-date=3 December 2013 |access-date=28 November 2013 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> It remains Mani Nagraj's only directorial credit before his death in 2022, as his second film, ''Vasuvin Garbinigal'', never released.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 August 2022 |title='Pencil' director Mani Nagaraj passes away |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/pencil-director-mani-nagaraj-passes-away/articleshow/93777479.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831084057/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/pencil-director-mani-nagaraj-passes-away/articleshow/93777479.cms |archive-date=31 August 2022 |access-date=27 April 2025 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
G. V. Prakash Kumar composed the soundtrack. The album was released on 19 February 2015 in [[Suryan FM]]. ''[[Sify]]'' wrote, "''Pencil'' is not an engaging album on the lines of ''Darling'' & is likely to work when viewed along with the visuals".<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 February 2015 |title=Pencil audio review |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/pencil-audio-review-news-tamil-pcuouAbgjhdbd.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222115704/http://www.sify.com/movies/pencil-audio-review-news-tamil-pcuouAbgjhdbd.html |archive-date=22 February 2015 |access-date=9 August 2022 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> [[Karthik Srinivasan|Karthik]] of ''[[Milliblog]]'' wrote, "Familiar GV Prakash Kumar fare, barring minor highs like Kangalilae".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Karthik |author-link=Karthik Srinivasan |date=23 February 2015 |title=Pencil (Music review), Tamil – G V Prakash Kumar |url=https://milliblog.com/2015/02/23/pencil-music-review-tamil-gv-prakash-kumar/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125200622/https://milliblog.com/2015/02/23/pencil-music-review-tamil-gv-prakash-kumar/ |archive-date=25 January 2025 |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=[[Milliblog]] |language=en}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Yaarai Polum Illa Neeyum
| extra1 = G. V. Prakash Kumar
| lyrics1 = [[Thamarai]]
| length1 = 5:20
| title2 = Why Machi Why
| extra2 = [[Tippu (singer)|Tippu]], V. Srihari, G. V. Prakash Kumar
| lyrics2 = [[Arunraja Kamaraj]]
| length2 = 4:58
| title3 = Kangalilae
| extra3 = [[Shreya Ghoshal]], [[Javed Ali]], G. V. Prakash Kumar, [[Vandana Srinivasan]]
| lyrics3 = Thamarai
| length3 = 5:14
| title4 = LED Kannala
| extra4 = Hariharasudhan, G. V. Prakash Kumar, Maalavika Sundar
| lyrics4 = Arunraja Kamaraj
| length4 = 4:13
| title5 = Yaarai Polum Illa Neeyum
| extra5 = EDM Mix
| lyrics5 = Thamarai
| note5 = reprise
| length5 = 4:24
| title6 = Kangalilae Karaoke
| extra6 =  —
| length6 = 5:20
| title7 = Yaarai Polum Illa Neeyum
| extra7 =  —
| note7 = karaoke
| length7 = 5:22
| title8 = LED Kannala
| extra8 =  —
| note8 = karaoke
| length8 = 4:10
| total_length = 39:01
}}

== Critical reception ==
''Chennai Vision'' wrote, "GVP has done a good job as music director and his work is complemented well by Gopi Amarnath, the cinematographer. On the whole, Pencil is an engaging thriller but gets lengthy and preachy as it progresses".<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 May 2016 |title=Pencil Tamil Movie Review |url=http://chennaivision.com/tamil-movies/pencil-tamil-movie-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716052339/https://chennaivision.com/tamil-movies/pencil-tamil-movie-review/ |archive-date=16 July 2024 |access-date=14 May 2016 |website=Chennai Vision}}</ref> M. Suganth of ''[[The Times of India]]'' wrote, "''Pencil'' could have been a thrilling whodunit but it also wants to be a message movie that rails against private educational institutions, and in trying to be both, it fails to be a satisfying film. And to make matters worse, its premise isn’t wholly original as well".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Suganth |first=M |date=14 May 2016 |title=Pencil Movie Review |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/pencil/movie-review/52265043.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713023706/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Pencil/movie-review/52265043.cms |archive-date=13 July 2024 |access-date=27 April 2025 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> [[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]] wrote that ''Pencil'' "could have been an excellent edge-of-the-seat campus thriller, provided the makers didn't try and commercialise it for the masses. Had they stuck to the template (sans a romantic track) that was followed in the original, this could've been a path-breaking film".<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 May 2016 |title='Pencil': A thriller that hardly thrills (IANS Review, Rating: **) |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/pencil-a-thriller-that-hardly-thrills-ians-review-rating-116051400269_1.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114235737/http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/pencil-a-thriller-that-hardly-thrills-ians-review-rating-116051400269_1.html |archive-date=14 November 2017 |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=[[Business Standard]] |agency=[[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]]}}</ref>

S Saraswathi of ''[[Rediff.com]]'' wrote, "At two hours 16 minutes, ''Pencil'' is an engaging thriller with an interesting plot and good performances. Definitely worth a watch".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saraswathi |first=S |date=13 May 2016 |title=Review: Pencil is worth a watch |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-pencil-is-worth-a-watch/20160513.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507072448/https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-pencil-is-worth-a-watch/20160513.htm |archive-date=7 May 2021 |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=[[Rediff.com]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Baradwaj Rangan]] wrote for ''[[The Hindu]]'', "the attempts at humour clash terribly with the whodunit tone. But the genre elements – red herrings, chases, lots of cross-cutting between concurrent events – make the movie vaguely watchable".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rangan |first=Baradwaj |author-link=Baradwaj Rangan |date=13 May 2016 |title=Pencil: A vaguely watchable whodunit |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-reviews/Pencil-A-vaguely-watchable-whodunit/article14317407.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721094517/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-reviews/Pencil-A-vaguely-watchable-whodunit/article14317407.ece |archive-date=21 July 2024 |access-date=27 April 2025 |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en}}</ref> Anupama Subramanian of ''[[Deccan Chronicle]]'' wrote, "While songs by GVP are distractions, BGM goes well with the mood of the film. Gopi Amarnath camera is brilliant and enhances the visuals. The movie is enjoyable in parts".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Subramanian |first=Anupama |date=14 May 2016 |title=Pencil movie review: Enjoyable in parts |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/140516/pencil-movie-review-enjoyable-in-parts.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420193643/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/140516/pencil-movie-review-enjoyable-in-parts.html |archive-date=20 April 2024 |access-date=27 April 2025 |website=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

[[Category:2016 Indian films]]
[[Category:2010s mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:2016 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:2010s teen films]]
[[Category:2016 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2016 films]]
[[Category:Films scored by G. V. Prakash Kumar]]
[[Category:Films set in schools]]
[[Category:Indian murder mystery films]]
[[Category:Indian mystery thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian remakes of South Korean films]]
[[Category:Indian teen films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language thriller films]]
[[Category:Teen thriller films]]

Pencil (film) - Revision history

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