imported>BattyBot: /* Sequel */Removed/fixed incorrect author parameter(s), performed general fixes

2021-08-03T20:12:03Z

Sequel: Removed/fixed incorrect author parameter(s), performed general fixes

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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Pisaasu
| image = Pisaasu.jpg
| caption = First look poster
| director = [[Mysskin]]
| producer = [[Bala (director)|Bala]]
| writer = Mysskin
| starring = Naga [[Prayaga Martin]] [[Radha Ravi|Radharavi]] Raj Kumar Ashvatt Kalyani Natarajan [[Harish Uthaman]]
| music = [[Arrol Corelli]]
| cinematography = Ravee Roy
| editing = Gopinath
| studio = [[B Studios]]
| distributor = [[Sri Thenandal Films]]
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2014|12|19}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
| runtime = 114 minutes
| budget = {{INRConvert|20|m}}
| gross = {{INRConvert|80|m}}
}}
'''''Pisaasu''''' ({{lit|[[Pishacha]]}}; English: ''Phantom'') is a 2014 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[gothic horror]] film written and directed by [[Mysskin]] and produced by [[Bala (director)|Bala]] under B Studios. The film stars newcomers Naga and [[Prayaga Martin]] with Raj Kumar and Ashvatt alongside [[Radharavi]], Kalyani Natarajan and [[Harish Uthaman]]. The film released on 19 December 2014 to highly positive reviews. The Telugu dubbed version titled ''Pisachi'' released on 27 February 2015. The film was remade in Kannada as ''Raakshasi'' and in Hindi as ''[[Nanu Ki Jaanu]]''.

== Plot ==
Siddharth Soundaarajan (Naga) is an upcoming violinist in Chennai, who stumbles upon an accident where a girl ([[Prayaga Martin|Prayaga]]) is lying in a pool of blood. He rushes her to the hospital with the help of an auto driver and a couple. However, he is too late and the girl passes away holding his hand. Traumatized by the whole episode, Siddharth comes home with one of her slippers. He then drives around the city aimlessly with his red car while helping homeless people, unable to come out of the depression due to the girl's death.

After the incident, strange things start happening at Siddharth's apartment. He begins to feel a supernatural presence at his house. The house is cleaned up even if he makes it messy and his bottle opener goes missing whenever he tries to drink beer. With the help of his friend Badri (Ashvatt), he employs a psychic to exorcise the ghost, but she turns out to be a fraud and is scared out of the apartment by a strange apparition. Siddharth also comes to realise that his next door neighbour's autistic son plays with an imaginary friend. When Siddharth's mother (Kalyani Natarajan), Janaki comes to visit him, she is hit by a drunk neighbour ([[Harish Uthaman]]), who is abusing his wife ([[Kani Kusruti]]). The neighbour is then attacked by a mysterious ghost. The following day, Janaki meets with a freak accident in the bathroom and is saved by the ghost who alerts the neighbours. But, Siddharth mistakes that the ghost had attacked his mother and threatens the ghost that he would kill himself and come as a ghost to take revenge on her. Many rituals of various religions to drive the ghost away were performed by Siddharth, but everything is proven futile and the ghost continues to stay. Also, a petty thief is also stabbed while trying to steal from Siddharth's apartment.

Siddharth is assured that the ghost of the girl whose life he tried to save is behind all these strange occurrences and goes in search of her family to see if they can help get rid of her. He finds that girl's name is Bhavani and her father ([[Radha Ravi]]) runs a local ice factory. Siddharth confronts the father and asks him to cremate his daughter to save him from her ghost. Siddharth brings the father to his apartment to show him the ghost, when his mother calls from the hospital to tell him that it was actually the ghost who has saved her life. Bhavani's father then tries to see if the ghost is actually trying to protect Siddharth. When the ghost appears as expected, her father begs her to come home with him, but she remains at the apartment. Siddharth understands that Bhavani's spirit never meant him any harm.

Realizing that the only way Bhavani can rest in peace is by bringing her killer to face justice, Siddharth and his friends attempt to solve the mystery of her death themselves. They track down the auto driver that helped Siddharth save Bhavani and he tells them that he saw a green car driving away after the accident. They then manage to track down the green car at a shady workshop. The driver turns out to be a young man who stole an orphaned child from the hospital, since he and his wife cannot have children of their own. The driver's cousin, who was in the car that day tells Siddharth that she saw the actual car that hit Bhavani that day and that it was not green but red, much like Siddharth’s own car. Siddharth then goes back to the auto driver and asks him to differentiate between red apples and green ones, which he cannot since he is colour blind.

Finally realising that he himself is the killer, Siddharth goes to tell Bhavani's father the truth. The ghost tries to stop him, but he still reveals the truth. Over-ridden with guilt, Siddharth tries to commit suicide. Bhavani's spirit saves Siddharth from committing suicide by cremating her own body that her father had preserved all this time in the ice, thus moving on to the next world. Bhavani's father comforts Siddharth by saying that he is a very kind hearted person and he would have never done that intentionally and that is why his daughter fell in love with him and stayed with him.

== Cast ==
{{colbegin}}
* Naga as Siddharth Soundarrajan
* [[Prayaga Martin]] as Bhavani
* [[Radha Ravi]] as Bhavani's father
* Raj Kumar Pitchumani as Yugi
* Ashvatt as Badri
* Kalyani Natarajan as Janaki Soundarrajan
* [[Harish Uthaman]] as Angry husband
* [[Kani Kusruti]] as Angry husband's wife
* [[Vinodhini Vaidyanathan]] as Mahesh's mother
* A. Dinesh Kumar as Mahesh's father
* Nimmy Raphael as Aavi Amala
* Siddhanth as Plato
* Samarth as Mahesh
* Amudhan as Sampath
* Supergood Subramani as Adaikalam (Auto Driver)
* Mohan Natarajan as Inspector
* Vincent Arul as Mechanic
{{colend}}

== Production ==
After receiving positive reviews for ''[[Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum]]'' (2013), [[Mysskin]] was signed up by director [[Bala (director)|Bala]] to make a film under his production house, B Studios. Mysskin subsequently left for the US to research and write the script for the horror film, before a launch ceremony for the venture was held in Chennai in May 2014 at midnight, contrary to typical morning time launches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/mysskin-begins-shoot-for-paranormal-thriller/article6013335.ece |title=Mysskin begins shoot for paranormal thriller |work=The Hindu |date=16 May 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> Newcomers Naga and Prayaga Martin were cast in the principal roles, with the latter being selected to play a ghost after a successful audition.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Mysskin-is-the-exact-opposite-of-what-he-is-made-out-to-be-Prayaga/articleshow/42634491.cms |title=Mysskin is the exact opposite of what he is made out to be: Prayaga |website=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=17 September 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/regional/pisasu-explores-the-paranormal-dimension-says-mysskin/article1-1280100.aspx|title=Pisasu explores the paranormal dimension: Mysskin |work=Hindustan Times |accessdate=5 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226035759/http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/regional/pisasu-explores-the-paranormal-dimension-says-mysskin/article1-1280100.aspx |archivedate=26 December 2014 }}</ref> Naga had been selected by Bala, whom he had associated with as an assistant director for the director's project ''[[Tharai Thappattai]]'' (2015).<ref>{{cite web|last=Gupta |first=Rinku |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/%E2%80%98I-Was-Terrified-of-Bala-and-Mysskin%E2%80%99/2014/11/18/article2528078.ece |title=I Was Terrified of Bala and Mysskin |publisher=The New Indian Express |date= |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> [[Harish Uthaman]] was signed up to play a pivotal role and shot for his portions in June 2014.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/Mysskin-comes-with-a-Pisasu/articleshow/37957099.cms |title=Mysskin comes with a Pisasu |website=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=7 July 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/mysskin-ropes-in-hong-kong-based-stuntman-for-pisasu-news-others-okmnatehjhgje.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924185257/http://www.sify.com/movies/mysskin-ropes-in-hong-kong-based-stuntman-for-pisasu-news-others-okmnatehjhgje.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 September 2015 |title=Mysskin ropes in Hong Kong-based stuntman for 'Pisasu' |website=Sify.com |date= |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> The team shot action scenes with Hong Kong stuntman Tony Leung Siu Hung, who collaborated with Mysskin after ''[[Mugamoodi]]'' (2012), while Ravi Roy, Jayashree Lakshminarayanan and newcomer [[Arrol Corelli]] joined the team as cinematographer, art director and music composer respectively.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/Radha-Ravi-joins-Mysskins-Pisasu/articleshow/43410203.cms |title=Radha Ravi joins Mysskin's Pisasu |website=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=25 September 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> Malayalam actress [[Kani Kusruti]], who had earlier featured in the film ''[[Burma (film)|Burma]]'', was also cast for a supporting role.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Kani-Kusruti-in-Pisasu/articleshow/45191228.cms |title=Kani Kusruti in Pisasu |website=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=18 November 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref>

The team released a teaser trailer on 15 November 2014, revealing that production had been finished in fifty two days and the project had entered the post-production stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-14/pisasu-trailer-from-tomorrow.html |title=Pisasu trailer from tomorrow |website=Behindwoods.com |date=14 November 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
Soundtrack was composed by debutant Arrol Corelli and had only one track written by Thamizhachi Thangapandian.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gaana.com/album/pisasu|title=Pisasu Song: Pisasu MP3 Tamil Song by Arrol Corelli Online Free on Gaana.com|via=gaana.com}}</ref>
*Pogum Paadhai - [[Uthara Unnikrishnan]]
BackGround Score-ilayaraja

==Release==
The satellite rights of the film were sold to [[STAR Vijay]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://tamiltvchannelexpress.blogspot.in/2015/04/pisasu-movie-premiere-on-vijay-tv.html |title= Pisasu movie premiere on vijay tv |publisher= tamiltvchannelexpress.blogspot.in |date= 29 April 2015|accessdate=12 April 2016}}</ref>

== Critical reception ==

[[The Hindu]]'s [[Baradwaj Rangan]], who called ''Pisaasu'' a "terrific addition to one of the most exciting oeuvres in Tamil cinema", further wrote, "With most of our movies, we sense pages from the script being transposed to screen -- there's so little that can be called cinema. Mysskin's cinema is all cinema, and it appears to rise from some place deep within him, some place even he may not be aware of. And he's at a point now where he can execute the must-haves of commercial cinema in increasingly inventive ways...The filmmaking is more than clean. It's...pure".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-reviews/pisasu-a-terrific-addition-to-one-of-the-most-exciting-oeuvres-in-tamil-cinema/article6708812.ece |title=Pisasu: A terrific addition to one of the most exciting oeuvres in Tamil cinema |work=The Hindu |date=19 December 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> [[Rediff]] gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Deliberately paced, with stunning music and an intriguing plot, ''Pisaasu'' is a typical, thought-provoking Mysskin film that deserves much applause. The taut screenplay, simple dialogues, excellent characterisation and admirable performances coupled with perfect execution, make Mysskin's ''Pisaasu'' a must watch".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-ipisaasui-is-a-haunting-tale-of-love/20141219.htm |title=Review: Pisaasu is a haunting tale of love |website=Rediff.com |date=19 December 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> [[Sify]] called it a "very satisfying horror movie. The film works to a large extent because there is a level of acting here that's rarely seen in films in this genre. Simple filmmaking techniques like camera angles, keen concepts and fantastic sequencing to create a truly terrifying horror experience that is mostly free of blood and gore, makes it an edge-of-the-seat thriller".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/pisaasu-review-tamil-15058760.html |title=Pisasu review - Sify |work=Sify |accessdate=22 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222171535/http://www.sify.com/movies/pisaasu-review-tamil-15058760.html |archivedate=22 December 2014 }}</ref> silverscreen.in wrote, "The director's fascination for everything morbid is what drives the script. He's one of those artistes that paints penury in flattering colours, glorifies everything that is bare and poor, and gets lyrical with the dark and the dismal. ''Pisaasu'' is elementally Mysskin that way. It is dotted with the specially-abled, set against a grim canvas".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://silverscreen.in/reviews/pisaasu-review-horror-in-grey/ |title=Pisaasu Review: Horror in Grey |website=Silverscreen.in |date= |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref>

[[Deccan Chronicle]] gave 2.5 stars and wrote, "It may not scare you to death, but has interesting elements in it to keep you entertained. It is a different conceptualization of ghost and can be watched once for its novel experience".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/141220/entertainment-kollywood/article/movie-review-%E2%80%98pisasu%E2%80%99-different-usual-horror-films |title=Home |publisher=Deccan Chronicle |date=13 July 2015 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> [[The Times of India]] gave the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote, "the film, the second half to be specific, suffers from the same problem as Naga's ''[[Anandhapurathu Veedu]]''. Once we realize the attitude of the ghost towards the protagonist, it takes away quite a bit of the tension. We know he will remain unharmed and so, there is nothing to dread anymore, and horror films need an element of fear to keep the viewer on the edge of the seat. But, the climax compensates for this..."<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/Pissasu/movie-review/45577921.cms |title=Pissasu Movie Review, Trailer, & Show timings |website=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=19 December 2014 |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref>

== Box office ==
''Pisaasu'' released in 212 screens throughout Tamil Nadu and grossed {{INR}}11.8 million on its first day, which was the best opening for a Mysskin film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/mysskin-s-pisaasu-takes-a-good-opening-news-tamil-omvm8Dbahfiag.html |title=Mysskin's 'Pisaasu' takes a good opening! |website=Sify.com |date= |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> Its opening weekend gross was estimated at {{INR}} 28.6 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/pisaasu-strikes-gold-at-the-box-office-news-tamil-omxj5bijabjda.html |title='Pisaasu' strikes gold at the box office |website=Sify.com |date= |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref> According to Sify, ''Pisaasu'' was one of the most profitable Tamil films of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/Top-10-Tamil-films-at-the-box-office-imagegallery-0-kollywood-pbdmrucgifiac.html |title=Top 10 Tamil films at the box-office |website=Sify.com |date= |accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref>

== Sequel ==
In 2020, a sequel was announced with [[Andrea Jeremiah]] and Rajkumar Pitchumani.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/mysskin-to-helm-pisaasu-sequel/article32658315.ece|title=Mysskin to helm 'Pisaasu' sequel|author=The Hindu Net Desk|date=21 September 2020|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|4290746}}

{{Mysskin}}
{{Bala (director)}}

[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:2010s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:Films based on Indian folklore]]
[[Category:Films directed by Mysskin]]
[[Category:Indian horror films]]
[[Category:2014 films]]
[[Category:Tamil films remade in other languages]]
[[Category:2014 horror films]]

Pisaasu - Revision history

imported>BattyBot: /* Sequel */Removed/fixed incorrect author parameter(s), performed general fixes