Kaithi (2019 film)

Kaithi (transl. Prisoner) is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film[3] written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. It is produced by S. R. Prakashbabu and S. R. Prabhu under Dream Warrior Pictures and co-produced by Tiruppur Vivek under Vivekananda Pictures. It stars Karthi in the lead role, along with Narain, Arjun Das, Harish Uthaman, George Maryan, and Dheena in pivotal roles. In the film, a recently released prisoner races against time to drive poisoned cops to a hospital in exchange for meeting his daughter while evading criminals chasing him.

Kaithi
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLokesh Kanagaraj
Written byLokesh Kanagaraj
Pon Parthiban
Produced byS. R. Prakashbabu
S. R. Prabhu
Thiruppur Vivek
StarringKarthi
CinematographySathyan Sooryan
Edited byPhilomin Raj
Music bySam C. S.
Production
companies
Release date
  • 25 October 2019 (2019-10-25)
Running time
146 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Box officeest. ₹105 crore[2]

Lokesh initially worked on two scripts after the success of Maanagaram (2017), which he scrapped working on due to issues regarding the extensive research and casting process, until he came up with a news article about an ex-prisoner's life. He initially wanted Mansoor Ali Khan to play the lead role, but during the writing process, Karthi was demanded to play the lead, with the scale of the budget being increased further. Principal photography began in December 2018, and was completed by August 2019. The film was entirely shot at night, without any daytime sequences taking place during the shoot. It is a songless film, with the background score being composed by Sam C. S. The cinematography and editing were handled by Sathyan Sooryan and Philomin Raj, respectively.

Kaithi was released on October 25, 2019, ahead of the Diwali festival. It opened to positive reviews from critics.[4] Following the positive reception, the film became a box-office success, grossing ₹105 crore. The film was further selected for official screening at the International Indian Film Festival Toronto (IIFFT) in August 2020 and had won two Ananda Vikatan, three Norway Tamil Film Festival, SIIMA, and four Zee Cine Awards, respectively. The story is the first installment of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), which follows the dismantling of drug trafficking. Kaithi is followed up in Vikram (2022) with Narain reprising his role as Bejoy, while George Maryan reprises his role as Napoleon in Leo (2023), also directed by Lokesh. A sequel, titled Kaithi 2, is planned.

Plot

The caretakers at an orphanage inform a young girl named Amudha that an important person will meet her the next day, and she waits anxiously. Meanwhile, Inspector Bejoy and his team catch a van smuggling 900 kilos of cocaine. The drugs and the criminals smuggling them are locked up at the commissioner's office. The syndicate's kingpin, Adaikalam, a wanted, dangerous smuggler in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, remains unknown. Adaikalam's brother, Anbu, plans to capture and kill the police officers involved in the bust and retrieve the smuggled drugs. The entire city's top ranked police officials fall unconscious after consuming spiked alcohol at the IG's retirement party. However, since Bejoy was on medication, he avoided the spiked drink and attempts to save his colleagues without attracting media attention at the insistence of the IG.

Bejoy convinces Dilli, an ex-prisoner detained for looking suspicious and being the only one who can drive a truck, to help him save the officers' lives by threatening him that he would not let him meet his daughter Amudha the following morning, with the help of a truck borrowed from Kamatchi, a caterer present at the party. Dilli, Bejoy, and Kamatchi load the unconscious officers into the truck and try their best to get them to the hospital quickly. Anbu announces a massive bounty as a reward for catching the police officers, and gangsters from Anbu's gangs try to hunt down Bejoy and his team. Paalpandi, a corrupt cop (who Stephen Raj, Zonal Head of Narcotics Division, recruited), pretends to be unconscious while giving information about the truck's location to the gangs.

Bejoy orders Constable Napoleon and a group of college students, detained due to drunk driving, to close all the possible exits and try to keep Anbu's gangsters outside the commissioner's office, preventing them from taking the drugs and freeing Adaikalam's men. Dilli, Bejoy, and Kamatchi come across the various gangs, but Dilli takes care of them brutally. As Napoloen starts getting nervous, Bejoy instructs him to negotiate a deal with the captured Adaikalam's men. Napoleon makes one of the men call Anbu, who agrees to release the prisoners in exchange for his and the students' safety. Surprisingly, Anbu agrees. However, Bejoy realizes Adaikalam himself is among the captured and instructs Napoleon to cancel the deal.

Anbu climbs onto the roof and breaks into the building, but the students subdue him and tie him up. Dilli and Kamatchi manage to transfer the unconscious officers to a school bus from the hospital and make their way to the commissioner's office. However, they stumble across a massive armed gang led by Tips, Anbu's right hand man. Paalpandi, pretending to have recovered from the effects of the alcohol, stabs Dilli in the back. Bejoy gets beaten up and Tips kills Ajaz Ahmed, who was Bejoy's mole in Adaikalam's gang. Dilli manages to recover in the nick of time and finishes all of them off while rescuing Bejoy and Kamatchi. Meanwhile, Anbu's men manage to catch one of the students at the commissioner's office and kill him upon Anbu's order. Infuriated, Napoleon bludgeons and renders Anbu unconscious with a fire extinguisher, to which Adaikalam swears he will kill all of them.

Dilli, Bejoy, and Kamatchi make it to the building. Dilli alone enters the building through a secret passage and sends the students through the tunnel while he and Napoleon go to burn the cocaine. The duo find a confiscated M134 minigun. Instead of just burning the drugs, Napoleon decides to eliminate Adaikalam's gang to prevent them from ruining innocent children's lives. They reach the ground floor as the goons break in. Dilli uses the gun to kill Anbu's gang outside the building. The doctor resuscitates all the police officers and Stephen Raj gets arrested. Bejoy thanks Dilli and promises to give him and his daughter a good life. Nalini, Dilli's probation officer, brings Amudha to the spot, and they meet with tears of joy.

Back in the prison cell, while one of his goon yells in anguish at the stranger who came in and ruined their operation, Adaikalam responds that the man is no stranger and implies that he knows Dilli. Dilli, Amudha, and Kamatchi are then seen walking on the highway, intending to lead a new life.

Cast

Production

Origin

After the success of Maanagaram (2017), director Lokesh Kanagaraj had rejected several offers from various production houses as he did not want to "succumb to the pressure of staying relevant in the industry by signing back-to-back projects".[5] Nonetheless, since he was already assigned to direct a project for the producers of Maanagaram, S. R. Prakash Babu and S. R. Prabhu under the company Dream Warrior Pictures, he began research to develop a script, but the project failed to materialise as he needed more time for research works. Lokesh began developing another script, but this was also dropped.[5] He came upon a news article about an ex-prisoner that instantly caught its attention and decided to work on the script.[6]

He examined his previous film, as the story is set in a span of 48 hours, and developed the script, which takes place on a single night, with the characters, story and setting revolving in the short time-span, but in a different genre – action.[7] Eventually, he worked on the final draft that consisted of 45 pages and sent it to Prabhu's office, which Lokesh felt that "given the size of the script, he was perplexed when I handed it over to him".[5] The film did not have a female lead or songs in the film,[8] which is considered to be something new for Tamil cinema as Lokesh himself insisted that it "wasn't such a barrier to not have a heroine or a song in a commercial film".[9] Vivekananda Pictures, an established film production company in 1980s, also co-produced and distributed this project with Tiruppur Vivek as the producer, thereby marking its return to film production after two decades.[10]

Development

"In the beginning, when I was writing for Mansoor Ali Khan, the script had that wacky element you'd associate with him. But when Karthi sir came onboard, I wanted to change the character arc to include some of the things we were familiar with, even though he was fine with the original characterisation. So I took another 20 days, rewrote his character without removing anything that excited him during the narration. He liked the new arc and how he behaves. We didn't change any major scenes or plot lines for it, though."

 – Lokesh Kanagaraj, in an interview with critic Baradwaj Rangan[9]

Lokesh stated that the script was initially written with Mansoor Ali Khan in mind, but as the process of writing went forth, the stature of the lead character went bigger, and demanded a popular actor to play the lead role, thereby increasing the scale of the film.[9][11] Prabhu later narrated the one-liner of the story to Karthi, during the shooting of his film Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, which he had interested.[12] After Lokesh's narration of the script, he immediately agreed to work on the film.[13][14] In an interview with Srivatsan S of The Hindu, he stated that since the film "doesn't have songs or a heroine, people assumed it would be under two hours. See, that's how they are conditioned. The entire movie takes place in a single night but it needed to be told in that stipulated duration".[5]

Lokesh wanted to expand the film after Karthi's inclusion, and as a result, writer Pon Parthiban was hired to pen down the additional screenplay and dialogues for the film, as per Karthi's insistence, as he appreciated his work in Kaatrin Mozhi (2018).[15][16] The film was launched on 12 December 2018, with the announcement of the technical crew – Sam C. S. as the composer, Sathyan Sooryan as the cinematographer, Philomin Raj as the editor, who previously worked in Lokesh's Maanagaram, and the action choreographer duo Anbariv – being included in the film.[17] In March 2019, the first look of the film was released, with the film's title also being revealed as Kaithi (transl. Prisoner).[18][19][20]

Characters

"Lokesh sir called me for the audition and asked me to perform a scene from the film, which didn't make the final cut. Once I finished, he said I'd be playing Anbu and that I would have to lead a gang of 100 members. I got [intimidated] on hearing this. I had zero confidence when I stepped into the project, but the team was encouraging and the faith Lokesh had on me made me give my best."

 – Arjun Das, in an interview with The New Indian Express.[21]

Karthi plays the role of Dilli, an ex-convict, whose character was "physically and emotionally demanding". He stated that "It might be something I've not done before, something I can convert into a challenge for myself, or a film I'd like to watch as an audience [...] And, during that climax scene, we were all in that zone where we were pitch-perfect, where we were giving our very best. We actually felt like a family. As an actor, that's such a wonderful space to be in. It's almost addictive."[22]

Lokesh stated that the film did not have backstories for the characters, but there is a connection established between them and the audience. He further stated this an interview with The Indian Express, saying "I pay attention to even the trivial characters who contribute to a film. Starting from Narain, Dheena to Hareesh Peradi and Harish Uthaman—everyone's character was important. They were roped in because of their unique voice and dialogue delivery."[23]

Narain played the role of Inspector Bejoy, and was cast after Karthi's persistence to have him in that particular role. He stated that his role in the film is "interesting" and similar to the role he played in Anjathe (2008).[24][25] George Maryan's character, the constable Napoleon, was considered by Lokesh to be "one of the most honest roles" he had written to that point.[23] Arjun Das was chosen to play the main antagonist Anbu since Lokesh felt he had the powerful voice needed for the character.[21]

Filming

Principal photography began on 13 December 2018, the day after the film was launched.[26] The first schedule of the film began in Chennai during mid-December and was completed in less than 15 days.[27] The team began the second schedule in Tenkasi on 4 January 2019.[28][27] Major portions of the film were also shot in the surroundings of Tirunelveli.[29] As the storyline takes place in a single night in a short span of time, Lokesh made use of shooting the film in night time and did not feature any day time sequences, except for the film's climax. It was to provide authenticity to the story and the setting.[30]

Narain faced difficulties while filming some stunt scenes. He claimed that due to one hand being in a sling, running down a steep slope during a scene was "dangerous, and took every ounce of concentration, as I couldn't balance myself properly while running downhill. As it was my first time doing stunts with a sling, it took a lot of skill and judgement to tackle the kicks, fisticuffs and falls in the chase and fight sequences".[31] During another scene, Narain was told to "run out of a verandah, past a swimming pool, and keep running, halting only at a designated spot at a distance". He recalled, "But as I ran past the pool, I tripped on a slippery patch of water on the concrete. With one hand in a sling, I couldn't balance myself to stop the fall and fell down flat, my shoulder and chest taking the brunt of the fall [...] I felt I'd had a narrow escape, since it was hard concrete around the pool", but was left with shoulder pain for four months.[31]

Karthi practised to drive a lorry in one of the sequences. Since he had not driven a lorry before, he felt it was "quite challenging".[32] Lokesh explained about few sequences, particularly the climax scenes, as he stated that "Cinema is all about making the audience believe it is real. So, I didn't mind those couple of larger-than-life fights, towards the climax portions. Every fight had a backstory to it, and wasn't away from the premise. I only wanted my characters to behave and sound authentic."[23] Principal photography wrapped on 9 May 2019.[33] While many sources claimed that the film was shot within 62 days, Lokesh and Karthi themselves stated that they took about 36–45 days for shooting the film.[23][32]

Themes and influences

Commentators have noted the film's similarities to Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) and Con Air (1997).[34][35][36] However, Lokesh in Srivatsan's interview to The Hindu, stated that Die Hard (1988) and Virumaandi (2004), served as additional references for Kaithi,[5] and had also credited them in the film.[37] The character Dilli and his looks were also modelled from the titular character played by Kamal Haasan in Virumaandi.[38] Pon Parthiban also admitted in an interview, further stating that audience need to compare the scenes where both characters talk about their wives, and you can sense the spiritual connection they share, whereas Parthiban replied that "The dialogue in Virumaandi is even more beautiful".[15]

The setting of where the entire story takes place in a night, was also referenced from the filmography of directors Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. Lokesh believed that "movies shot in the dark are underrated and offer so much scope in terms of lighting". He took the hostage scene in Die Hard as an example, where the "darkness made it very atmospheric" and concluded that "In a way, this film was a reverse of that situation, where the bad guys are locked inside a police station that is under siege".[39] For the making of the pre-climax action sequence choreographed by the duo Anbariv, where Karthi had to perform risky stunts on a moving lorry. He cited the stunt sequences of Naan Mahaan Alla (2010) as the benchmark for it.[23]

Music

The original score is composed by Sam C. S. Despite not having any songs in the film, four tracks with vocals have been included in the background score, with a song titled "Neel Iravil" was featured in the film's teaser. Sam stated that "In Kaithi, we didn't have any routine songs so I had to put in all my efforts in trying to narrate a story through the music as well. We decided to have different themes for different junctures and it worked well."[40] In an interview to The Hindu, Sam recalled that Lokesh had hinted musical references from American films, and wanted to incorporate in the film score. He cited The Dark Knight (2008) as an example for one of the themes he had composed.[41]

The score which consisted of a "metal clanging sound" played in the teaser is one of the themes, that was hinted to Dilli's past life during the prison, which will be used as the main theme in the sequel.[41] The original soundtrack which features 17 tracks were released, nearly a month after the film's release, on 22 November 2019. The vocals were written and performed by Sam and Sharanya Gopinath, with the latter rapping a few versions in English.[42] The score received positive response from critics, with Sify calling Sam as "another silent hero of the film"[43] and Kaushik Rajaraman, writing for DT Next, stated that Sam's background score for the film "on a par with his theme music in Vikram Vedha".[44]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Kill and Destroy" (Lyrics and English rap versions performed by Sharanya Gopinath)3:19
2."Dilli's Swag"0:50
3."Grief of Dilli"3:44
4."Rise of Dilli"1:19
5."Nepolean Theme"2:25
6."Nee Eppo Varuva Appa"1:14
7."The Hot Biriyani" (Vocals performed by Sam C. S.)1:50
8."The Battle of Cop and Killer"1:30
9."Kaithi Main Theme"0:28
10."Beginning of the War"2:11
11."The Phase of Deathcall"0:34
12."Eternal Love of Father" (Vocals performed by Sam C. S.)3:14
13."Arrival of the Ruffian"0:48
14."Neel Iravil" (Vocals and lyrics performed by Sam C. S.)1:21
15."The Emotion Hustler"0:42
16."The Maze"0:58
17."Night is Dark" (Vocals performed by Sam C. S, with English rap versions done by Sharanya Gopinath)1:53
Total length:28:18

Release

Kaithi was initially scheduled to release during mid-July 2019,[10] but post-production delays meant that the film's release being pushed to 27 September 2019.[45][46] The release was further postponed to October 2019, before eventually finalising the release during Diwali (27 October 2019).[47] The release eventually coincided with the Vijay-starrer Bigil (2019).[48][49] A week before the scheduled release, the makers announced the release date as 25 October 2019, ahead of the Diwali festival.[50][51] The film was cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in mid-October.[52][53]

Prior to the scheduled release, the Tamil Nadu government denied permission to conduct early morning shows for the film and Bigil in concern of the increased ticket rates being levied by the exhibitors.[54][55] Kaithi was released in more than 250 screens across Tamil Nadu, despite competition from Bigil.[56] It was also showcased in 1400 screens worldwide, with the film releasing over 330 screens in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; 75 screens in Kerala, 100 screens across Karnataka, 125 screens across other parts of India, and 400 screens in the overseas centres.[57] Due to the positive reception for the film, the number of shows has been increased from 350 screens in Tamil Nadu during its second week,[58] and also reported an increase in the number of shows across Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other overseas markets.[59]

"I see lot of genuine concerns over the 30-day window for films in OTT while running successfully in BO. Theatrical audience will reduce eventually if we continue this trend!? Yes! But, piracy & less terms from third week can be compensated for producers only through this!"

 – S. R. Prabhu, on the film's early digital premiere.[60]

Following its successful run, the digital streaming service Hotstar premiered the film on 25 November 2019, a month after its release date.[61] It eventually received criticism from the exhibitors and distributors as the early digital premiere might lead to reducing number of footfalls in theatres.[62] While producer S. R. Prabhu, attributed that the threat of piracy might be the reason for the 30-day window between theatrical and streaming run, many theatre owners opposed this.[60] Major multiplex chains such as PVR, INOX and AGS, stopped its screening, soon after the digital premiere of the film.[63] Irrespective of these factors, the film completed 50-day theatrical run on 13 December 2019.[64]

The satellite rights were brought by Star Vijay. Kaithi was selected for screening at the International Indian Film Festival in Toronto (IIFFT), which was held on 9–15 August 2020.[65] In November 2021, the producers of the film confirmed the theatrical release in Japan, after one of the Japanese distributors piqued interest in showcasing the film in the country.[66] With an initial agreement being signed, the producers announced that the film will be titled as Kaithi Dilli for its release in Japan, and will be screened from 19 November 2021.[67][68] The film was intended to be released in Russia on 10 March 2022, with a Russian language dub,[69][70] but eventually released in over 121 theatres at 297 cities in Russia on 19 May 2022.[71][72]

Home media

Following its acquisition by Aha, Khaidi(Telugu) premiered exclusively on their platform on 15 February 2020.[73]

Reception

Box office

In the opening day of its release, the film collected ₹3.5 crore (US$440,000) on first day, despite competing with Bigil.[74][57] The film collected ₹40 lakh (US$50,000) from the Chennai city box-office on its first day.[74] The film collected around ₹2.8 crore (US$350,000) on second day and about ₹4.7 crore (US$590,000) on third day, adding its estimated collection to ₹11 crore (US$1.4 million) on the first 3-day weekend, with ₹1.07 crore (US$130,000) from Chennai alone.[75][76] At the end of the first week, the film collected about ₹25 crore (US$3.1 million) at the box-office.[77][78] International Business Times published that the film had collected ₹70 crore (US$8.8 million) worldwide in the first 10 days, with ₹35 crore (US$4.4 million) from Tamil Nadu, ₹5.5 crore (US$690,000) in Kerala, close to ₹10 crore (US$1.3 million) in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and over ₹7 crore (US$880,000) in Karnataka.[77] The film further collected ₹13 crore (US$1.6 million) from overseas markets.[77]

Due to the factors of increased screenings, in second week, boosting the film's collections, the film earned ₹83.4 crore (US$13 million) worldwide as of 12 days.[79] On 12 November 2019, the makers officially announced that the film had collected ₹100 crore (US$15.59 million) worldwide,[80] thereby becoming Karthi's first film to cross the 100-crore mark.[81] The film earned ₹56.5 crore (US$7.1 million) from Tamil Nadu, ₹15.1 crore (US$1.9 million) from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ₹6.2 crore (US$780,000) from Kerala, ₹7.43 crore (US$930,000) from Karnataka and ₹1.87 crore (US$230,000) from rest of the country. The film's final collection stands at ₹105 crore (US$13 million), with a net collection of ₹74.5 crore (US$9.3 million).[81][2]

Critical response

Kaithi received positive reviews from critics. Owing to its critical response, it was featured in many year-end lists as one of the best Tamil films of 2019 by several publications such as The Indian Express,[82] Film Companion South,[83] Hindustan Times,[84] Sify,[85] Firstpost[86] and India Today.[87]

Calling it as a "tense and impressively shot action thriller", M. Suganth gave 4.5 stars (out of 5) in the review for The Times of India, and stated "Lokesh Kanagaraj gives us a pure genre film minus the frills, like songs and romance, that we are used to in Tamil cinema". Though he concerned about "the film which feels overlong for its genre, as a couple of action blocks getting over-indulgent" but concluded "when it is action that we have signed up for, we cannot complain much about that".[88] Janani K of India Today gave four out of five stars stating, "Kaithi is a film that showcases filmmaking at its best" and praised Karthi's performance as "terrific and natural that one could literally picture a prisoner going through a tough time".[89] Sreedhar Pillai of Firstpost gave four-and-a-half out of five stars rating to the film saying "Kaithi is a well made film that takes the road less travelled and provides enough thrills". He further added that "Karthi's raw and intense performance, the film's taut screenplay and excellent technicality, along with awesome action scenes, makes Kaithi an edge-of-the seat thriller".[90]

News18-based critic Gauthaman Bhaskaran gave three out of five stars stating "Karthi's stunning performance makes it an engaging watch".[91] Manoj Kumar R. of The Indian Express gave 3.5 stars (out of 5) stating, "Karthi has essayed his role in an almost self-effacing manner while allowing the space for other people's acts of courage in the narration to get their due screen time. Kaithi is the director's canvas. It is necessary to appreciate Karthi to let Lokesh do his thing without trying to bend the narration to suit his star image. The director softly but firmly announces himself as a major new force in the commercial space of the Tamil film industry, which still largely feeds on the narrow definition of mainstream entertainment."[92] S. Srivatsan, writing for The Hindu, stated the film as "one of the best action thriller ever made since Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru". Further reviewing that "Kaithi does have its 'mass' moments, but there is a certain level of screenwriting that has gone into conceiving those. The plot contains all the elements of a conventional suspense-thriller, but where Kaithi differs is by how Lokesh Kanagaraj treats the genre and its audience with respect."[93] Karthik Kumar of Hindustan Times stated it as "an action film with a soul and a purpose" while also stated that "though it is not a crowd-pleasing commercial film, it still caters to the masses".[94]

Sify gave three-and-a-half out of five stars stating "Kaithi is a solid action thriller and it will be a feast for action lovers".[43] Ashameera Aiyyappan of The New Indian Express stated the film as "a well-made commercial thriller".[95] Calling it as "brilliant" and "engaging thriller", Anupama Subramanian of Deccan Chronicle gave four out of five, saying "Kaithi with its solid story combined with outstanding performances and flawless making is set to stand the test of time".[96] The News Minute-based editor-in-chief, Priyanka Thirumurthy, gave four out of five stating "There is no star in Kaithi, as director Lokesh shows that a hero is anyone who goes beyond thinking about just himself."[97] Baradwaj Rangan wrote for Film Companion, "Kaithi is certainly a sturdy vehicle for Karthi, who – as Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru so memorably demonstrated – is one of our few actors who can do both Clark Kent (through his face) and Superman (through his stocky frame). There's a fantastic "mass" scene, set around a swimming pool, where Dilli stuffs himself with biriyani – it's a stunning few minutes of a purely physical performance. It's strange how this Karthi looks and sounds so genteel and urban in real life, but his best work on screen is when he's got a bit of animal inside him."[98]

Accolades
Award[lower-alpha 1] Date of ceremony[lower-alpha 2] Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards 11 January 2020 Best Supporting Actor – Male George Maryan Won [99]
Best Stunt Director Anbariv Won
Critics' Choice Film Awards 14 March 2020 Best Actor – Male Karthi Nominated [100]
[101]
Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards 15 January 2020 Best Actor Karthi Won [102]
Best Villain Arjun Das Won
Best Editor Philomin Raj Won
South Indian International Movie Awards 18 September 2021 Best Film – Tamil Dream Warrior Pictures Won [103]
[104]
Best Director – Tamil Lokesh Kanagaraj Nominated
Best Actor – Tamil Karthi Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Tamil George Maryan Won
Narain Nominated
Best Actor in a Negative Role – Tamil Arjun Das Won
Best Actor in a Comedian – Tamil Dheena Nominated
Best Cinematographer – Tamil Sathyan Sooryan Nominated
Zee Cine Awards Tamil 4 January 2020 Favourite Director Lokesh Kanagaraj Won [105]
[106]
Best Stunt Director Anbariv Won
Best Villain Arjun Das Won
Best Supporting Actor – Male George Maryan Won

Impact
Kaithi's success made the lead antagonist Arjun Das gain popularity after its release and becoming a much sought actor.[107]

Kaithi received appreciation from several members of the film fraternity,[108] including Gautham Vasudev Menon heaped praise on the film's trailer saying it as "intense and theatre worthy".[109] Karthik Subbaraj called the film as "kick-ass film with lot of Wow moments through out",[110] while Mahesh Babu, who watched the film, praised Lokesh for the exclusion of songs and technical brilliance, as a "welcome change" for the industry.[111] Cinematographer P. C. Sreeram, who watched the film through Hotstar, called it as "an edge of the seat experience". He further praised Lokesh's direction and Sathyan Sooryan's (an apprentice of Sreeram) work in the film.[112] Lokesh, in an interview with an online portal, stated that Vijay, who signed him for directing Master (2021), during the post-production of Kaithi, had watched the final rushes of the film before its release. He further stated that Vijay appreciated his work in the film and congratulated him before the release.[113]

The film's success made Lokesh a most sought director in Tamil cinema who later worked on several projects of top actors.[114][115] Arjun Das, who played the main antagonist, Anbu, received praise for his characterisation and performance and his loud bass voice for the character gained him a huge following.[21] Lokesh roped him for Master.[116][117] Further, Arjun Das' Andhaghaaram, which completed production in 2014 but remained unreleased for more than six years following exhibitors' refusal to distribute the film, citing lack of prominent faces, was presented by director Atlee in 2020, following Arjun Das' popularity after in Kaithi, and released directly through Netflix the same year.[118][119]

Kaithi's success had trade analysts researching about how commercial films without featuring songs but become hits are a rarity in Tamil cinema.[120] Film producer-cum-analyst G. Dhananjayan examined that "For certain type of films, songs are not required while for others, right inclusion of songs satisfy audience who are looking for entertainment as the key element [...] Directors like Sridhar, K Balachander, Bharathirajaa, Balu Mahendra, Mahendran, Mani Ratnam, Shankar have used songs effectively to communicate their stories and not as commercial elements [...] If such approach is followed by other filmmakers, the necessity of songs in films would be unquestioned".[121]

The film revived the popularity of the song "Jumbalakka", composed by A. R. Rahman from the film En Swasa Kaatre (1999);[122] in a scene from Kaithi where the students play an assortment of songs using a music player in loud volume to distract the prisoners from commandeering instructions to their comrades outside the police station. The song became a trend after the release of the film.[39] The film's screenplay was released as book published by Pesaamozhi Publications in January 2023.[123]

Future

Lokesh Cinematic Universe
Further information: Lokesh Cinematic Universe

Kaithi serves as the first instalment in the planned Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). In June 2022, Lokesh stated that the film was interlinked with the Kamal Haasan-starrer Vikram (2022).[124] Avinash Ramachandran, writing for Cinema Express stated the possibilities of the connection, within the two films, referring to stash of drugs which had scorpion symbol (shown in Vikram's trailer), and in a scene where, Inspector Bejoy (Narain) while speaking to informer Ajhas Ahmed (Kanna Ravi), questions about "The Ghost", Suriya's undisclosed cameo before the film's release and several speculations.[125] Before Vikram's release, Lokesh asked fans to watch Kaithi before Vikram to understand the context of the film,[126] thereby confirming its connection with the two films.[127]

Narain reprises his role in brief as Inspector Bejoy in Vikram. Additionally, Arjun Das, Harish Uthaman, Hareesh Peradi, Dheena and Baby Monica, reprises their roles in cameo appearances as Anbu, Adaikalam, Stephen Raj, Kamatchi and Amudha, respectively, in the film's mid-credits scene, while Karthi reprised his role in a voice-over.[128]

Sequels

As implied at the end of the film, Lokesh had planned for a sequel, which he confirmed after its release.[129] In an interview with Subha J Rao to Firstpost, Lokesh conveyed his interest on developing the film into a franchise, stating that he had an idea for both prequel as well as sequel, which depends on the recurring schedules of the cast members.[39] In May 2021, the film's producer S. R. Prabhu had confirmed the sequel is in the works.[130] It has been reported that the team had filmed most of the scenes during the shooting of the first part and only 30 days of shooting has been left.[131][132]

Kaithi 2 is intended to be a prequel for Dilli, focusing on his character.[133] In June 2022, Lokesh, in an interview with Baradwaj Rangan, revealed the backstory of Dilli, saying that he was a kabaddi player, and won several trophies in tournaments conducted when he was in prison.[134] He also hinted in the climax, as Dilli walks with a bag full of trophies.[133][134] Later, in an interaction with fans through Twitter, he further explained about Anbu's return in Vikram, as he was knocked out and not dead, though he had stitch marks in his jaw, due to the injuries.[135]

Following the success of Vikram, Lokesh planned to expand the scale of the sequel,[133] with S. R. Prabhu admitting that it would be bigger than the first film.[136] Production of the film was expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022, but was delayed as Lokesh intended to resume the project after completing his planned project with Vijay, titled Leo.[137]

Remakes

In February 2020, Madhu Mantena and Reliance Entertainment bought the rights for the Hindi remake of the film.[138][139] Ajay Devgn was signed to play the lead role.[140] The film's title Bholaa was announced on 13 January 2022, and it was theatrically released on 30 March 2023.[141][142] In March 2020, it was reported that the film will be remade in Kannada, with Shiva Rajkumar playing the lead role.[143]

Controversy

A petition was filed against the producer S. R. Prabhu, by Rajiv Ranjan, a native from Kollam district in Kerala, for lifting his story without his permission.[144] In his statement, he wrote an autobiography after spending years at the Puzhal Central Prison (Chennai) in 2000. He narrated his story to Prabhu in 2007, which he had agreed to use as a film script and paid Rajeev ₹10,000 in advance. When Lokesh made the film, he was shocked to see that it was the same story, which the producer narrated to him and felt cheated, resulting him to file a petition at Kollam High Court, Kerala to stop the works on the sequel and its remake. The court gave verdict in favour of him in July 2021, while also demanded the producer to pay ₹4 crore (US$500,000) as a compensation, for allegedly mimicking his story.[145] This was pointed on a leading news channel, which also led derogatory comments against Lokesh in response to the issue.[146] Following the accusations, Prabhu slammed the channel for the way the issue was reported and claimed that they do not have details pertaining to the case and hence cannot comment on the issue. However, they noted that they are ready to face any legal issues with respect to the controversy, since their records are clean.[147] In mid-February 2022, the Kerala Court dismissed the copyright allegations and stated that the story belongs to Lokesh.[148][149]

Notes
  1. Awards, festivals and organisations are in Alphabetical order.
  2. Date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References
  1. "Kaithi (2019)". Irish Film Classification Office. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  2. "Bigil, Petta, Viswasam, Kanchana 3, Nerkonda Paarvai, Kaithi power Kollywood's theatrical takings in 2019 to Rs 1000 cr". Firstpost. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  3. "Kaithi". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  4. Upadhyaya, Prakash (25 October 2019). "Kaithi movie review by audience: Live updates". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  5. S, Srivatsan (19 October 2019). "Lokesh Kanagaraj on 'Kaithi' and 'Thalapathy 64'". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  6. Cinema Vikatan (11 September 2019). Karthi's Kaithi Vs Vijay's Bigil: Lokesh Kanagaraj Opens | Kaithi trailer (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  7. "Lokesh Kanagaraj: We can achieve anything with a performer like Karthi". Cinema Express. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  8. Suganth, M. (13 December 2018). "No heroine for Karthi in film with Lokesh Kanagaraj". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  9. "How a film written for Mansoor Ali Khan became Kaithi". Film Companion. 30 October 2019. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  10. "'Kaithi': Release date of Karthi and Lokesh Kanagaraj's next revealed!". The Times of India. 14 June 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  11. "Karthi wasn't the first choice for Kaithi: Lokesh Kanagaraj". Cinema Express. 12 September 2019. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  12. "Karthi in Maanagaram director's next?". The Times of India. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  13. "Did you knew Karthi was not the first choice for 'Kaithi'?". The Times of India. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  14. "Kaithi will showcase Karthi's potential as a versatile actor: Lokesh Kanagaraj". The Times of India. 11 March 2019. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  15. "Filling the blanks: Writer Pon Parthiban talks about films and more". The New Indian Express. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  16. "Sense of a scene: Kaithi climax breakdown – All guns blazing". The New Indian Express. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  17. "Karthi plays a prisoner in 'Kaithi'". Sify. 9 March 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  18. "Kaithi first look: Karthi promises an intense action thriller". The Indian Express. 8 March 2019. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  19. "Karthi's film with Lokesh Kanagaraj titled Kaithi". Cinema Express. 8 March 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  20. "Kaithi: Karthi's film seems to an intense thriller". The Times of India. 9 March 2019. Archived from the original on 10 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  21. Darshan, Navein (30 October 2019). "When Kaithi's antagonist Arjun Das stood with his voice". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  22. Rao, Subha J (24 October 2019). "Karthi on working with Lokesh Kanagaraj in Kaithi: I accept a film because something about it strikes a chord with me". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  23. Subhakeerthana, S (15 November 2019). "I didn't want to be a one-film wonder: Lokesh Kanagaraj". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  24. Menon, Vishal (21 October 2019). "Actor Narain on Kaithi, his hopes from the film, and the various stumbling blocks in his career". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  25. Kumar, Pradeep (21 October 2019). "'Kaithi' should pick me up from where 'Anjathe' left me: Narain". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  26. "Karthi teams up with Maanagaram director Lokesh Kanagaraj". India Today. 12 December 2018. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  27. CR, Sharanya (4 January 2019). "Karthi shoots in Tenkasi for Lokesh Kanagaraj's film". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  28. "Shooting for Karthi-Lokesh Kanagaraj film begins in Tenkasi". The News Minute. 6 January 2019. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  29. Balasubramaniyan, Vijayalaxmi (6 March 2019). "Actor Karthi to team up with Jyothika for next movie?". Times Now. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  30. "Interesting detail on Karthi's Kaithi!". IndiaGlitz. 18 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  31. Gupta, Rinku (26 October 2019). "Location Diaries: Had a narrow escape while shooting for 'Kaithi', says actor Narain". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  32. Subhakeerthana, S (30 October 2019). "Karthi: I miss being on the Kaithi sets". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  33. "It's a wrap for Karthi's Kaithi". Cinema Express. 9 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  34. "Has this Hollywood movie inspired Kaithi?". The Times of India. 29 October 2021. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  35. "Karthi's Kaithi Hindi remake release date announced". Behindwoods. 19 April 2022. Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  36. Rajendran, Sowmya (3 June 2022). "Vikram review: Kamal, Fahadh and Vijay Sethupathi film is action all the way". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  37. "Two movies which inspired Karthi's Kaithi!". IndiaGlitz. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  38. S, Srivatsan (25 October 2019). "Lokesh Kanagaraj on why he admires Kamal Haasan – the writer". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  39. Subha J Rao (7 November 2019). "Kaithi director Lokesh Kanagaraj reveals plan to expand film into a franchise: 'I have the idea for both a prequel and sequel'". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  40. "Kaithi: Sam CS talks about the different musical approach for the film". Only Kollywood. 1 November 2019. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  41. S, Srivatsan (16 November 2019). "Lokesh Kanagaraj wanted 'The Dark Knight' feel in 'Kaithi': Sam CS". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  42. "Lokesh Kangaraj directed Karthi's Kaithi original soundtrack released". Behindwoods. 22 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  43. "Kaithi review: Prepare to be thrilled". Sify. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  44. Rajaraman, Kaushik (26 October 2019). "Film Review 'Kaithi': A commercial film with a realistic touch". DT Next. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  45. "Kaithi to hit screens on September 27th?". The Times of India. 18 August 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  46. "Karthi's 'Kaithi' aims for September 27 release?". The News Minute. 22 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  47. "Vijay's Bigil, Karthi's Kaithi, Sethupathi's Sanga Thamizhan up for box office clash of epic proportions on Diwali 2019". Firstpost. 4 September 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  48. "It will be Bigil versus Kaithi this Diwali, both films to release on October 25. See posters". Hindustan Times. 18 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  49. "Karthi reacts on Kaithi clash with Vijay's Bigil". The Times of India. 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  50. "It's Vijay vs Karthi this Diwali as Bigil and Kaithi to release on October 25". The New Indian Express. 17 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  51. "Bigil vs Kaithi: Vijay and Karthi to have a box office face off this Diwali". The Indian Express. 17 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  52. "Diwali releases- 'Kaithi' and 'Bigil' censored". Sify. 15 October 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  53. "Whistle vs Khaidi: Direct box-office clash between Vijay and Karthi in the Telugu states". The Times of India. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  54. "Bigil and Kaithi's special shows cancelled by Tamil Nadu government ahead of their Diwali release?". Pinkvilla. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  55. "No special shows of Vijay's Bigil and Karthi's Kaithi for Diwali". The Times of India. 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  56. "Despite Bigil storm, Kaithi manages to get good number of screens in TN". Moviecrow. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  57. Johnson, David (26 October 2019). "Kaithi 1st day box office collection: Karthi's movie off to a decent start despite Bigil storm". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  58. "Karthi's 'Kaithi' screens increased from 250 to 350". The Times of India. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  59. "Karthi's 'Kaithi' gets more screens across 5 South Indian states and overseas market due to huge demand". Moviecrow. 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  60. Menon, Thinkal (27 November 2019). "Exhibitors fume after Kaithi releases on OTT platform". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  61. "Kaithi is now streaming on Hotstar". The Indian Express. 25 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  62. "Kaithi: Karthi starrer becomes a cause of fights for producers and exhibitors; Here's Why". Pinkvilla. 25 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  63. "Kaithi's early premiere on Hotstar upsets theatre chain owners because of low footfall in screenings of Karthi's film". Firstpost. 2 December 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  64. "Vijay's 'Bigil' and Karthi's 'Kaithi' completes 50 days". The Times of India. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  65. "Karthi's 'Kaithi' to be screened at International Indian Toronto Film Festival". The Times of India. 1 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  66. "Karthi's Kaithi to release in Japan as Kaithi Dilli". The Times of India. 8 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  67. "Karthi's superhit Tamil film 'Kaithi' to release in Japan". DT Next. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  68. "Karthi-Lokesh Kanagaraj's Kaithi to be released in Japan". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  69. "Lokesh Kanakaraj's 'Kaithi' to release in Russia on March 10". DT Next. 19 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  70. "Karthi's Tamil Film Kaithi To Be Released In Russia Next Month". News18. 19 February 2022. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  71. "Karthi-starrer Kaithi releasing today in Russia". The Times of India. 19 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  72. "Karthi's Kaithi set to release in Russia in 121 cities at 297 theatres". Cinema Express. 19 May 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  73. "Watch Kaidhi on Aha Video". Aha. 15 February 2020. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  74. "Kaithi box office collection Day 1: Karthi starrer heading for a good start". The Indian Express. 26 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  75. "Kaithi box office collection Day 3: Karthi starrer holds strong against competition". The Indian Express. 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  76. "Kaithi box office collection Day 4: Karthi starrer maintains its pace". The Indian Express. 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  77. Johnson, David (5 November 2019). "Kaithi box office collection (worldwide): Karthi and Lokesh Kanagaraj's film mints Rs 70+ crore". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  78. "Kaithi mints over Rs. 50 crore at box-office, Karthi pens an emotional note". Hindustan Times. 3 November 2019. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  79. "Kaithi Box Office update: Karthi's action thriller collects Rs 83 crore in 12 days". The Times of India. 6 November 2019. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  80. "Kaithi Box Office (Worldwide): Karthi's Action Thriller Joins The 100 Crore Club". Koimoi. 13 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  81. "Kaithi: Karthi starrer collects Rs 100 crore, the first movie of the actor to do so". The Times of India. 12 November 2019. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  82. "Best Tamil movies of 2019: Super Deluxe, Asuran, Peranbu and more". The Indian Express. 31 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  83. Rangan, Baradwaj (24 December 2019). "Top 15 Tamil Films Of 2019". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  84. "Petta to Peranbu: Here are 10 best Tamil films of 2019 where innovative storytelling was the big winner". Hindustan Times. 27 December 2019. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  85. "10 Best Tamil movies in 2019". Sify. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  86. "Super Deluxe, Game Over, Sarvam Thaala Mayam, Peranbu: Best Tamil films of 2019 so far". Firstpost. 13 July 2019. Archived from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  87. K., Janani (31 December 2019). "Nerkonda Paarvai to Super Deluxe: 15 Tamil films that 2019 will be remembered for". India Today. Archived from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  88. Suganth, M. "Kaithi Movie Review : A pure genre film minus the frills". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  89. K, Janani (25 October 2019). "Kaithi Movie Review: Karthi is terrific in Lokesh Kanagaraj's gripping action flick". India Today. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  90. "Kaithi movie review: Karthi's edgy performance is the highlight of Lokesh Kanagaraj's gripping thriller". Firstpost. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  91. "Kaithi Movie Review: Karthi's Stunning Performance Makes It an Engaging Watch". News18. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  92. "Kaithi movie review: Karthi's light and pacy action thriller keep you engaged". The Indian Express. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  93. S, Srivatsan (25 October 2019). "'Kaithi' movie review: A terrific Karthi goes all guns blazing". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  94. "Kaithi movie review: Karthi starrer is a relentless action drama that has its heart in the right place". Hindustan Times. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  95. "'Kaithi' movie review: Lokesh, Karthi deliver an arresting film". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  96. Subramanian, Anupama (26 October 2019). "Kaithi review: A brilliant thriller set to stand the test of time". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  97. Thirumurthy, Priyanka (25 October 2019). "'Kaithi' review: A gripping tale of men imprisoned by their circumstances". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  98. Rangan, Baradwaj (26 October 2019). "Kaithi Movie Review: Lokesh Kanagaraj Crafts A Sturdy (But Generic) Star Vehicle For Karthi". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  99. "Vikatan Awards 2019: Taapsee Pannu wins 'Best Actor' for Game Over, shares surreal moment with Dhanush and Vetrimaaran". The Statesman. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  100. "Critics Choice Film Awards 2020: Complete nominations list". The Indian Express. 2 March 2020. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  101. "Critics' Choice Film Awards 2020: Complete winners list". The Indian Express. 28 March 2020. Archived from the original on 14 October 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  102. "11th NTFF 2020 – Winners list of Awardees – Tamilar Viruthu – Tamil Nadu". Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  103. "Dhanush, Manju Warrier, Chetan Kumar, others: SIIMA Awards announces nominees". The News Minute. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  104. "SIIMA 2021: The big winners from the South Indian movie awards night". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  105. "Zee Cine Awards Tamil 2020 winners list: Ajith, Kamal Haasan, Dhanush won these honours". International Business Times. 5 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  106. "Zee Cine Awards Tamil 2020: Dhanush bags Best Actor award, 'Peranbu' wins Best Film". The News Minute. 5 January 2020. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  107. Darshan, Navein (30 October 2019). "Arjun Das: I guess my voice made people accept Anbu in Kaithi". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  108. "Kaithi floors celebs & audience alike! More shows added for the Karthi starrer WW!". Moviecrow. 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  109. "Kaithi: Gautham Vasudev Menon heaps praise on the film's trailer". The Times of India. 9 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  110. "Karthik Subbaraj calls Kaithi an 'awesome film'". The Times of India. 18 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  111. "Mahesh Babu lauds Karthi's Khaidi: Thrilling action sequences and stellar performances from the team". India Today. 2 November 2019. Archived from the original on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  112. "PC Sreeram praises Lokesh Kanagaraj after watching 'Kaithi'". The Times of India. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  113. Sivasankari (24 October 2019). Thalapathy Vijay's Reaction for Kaithi | Lokesh Kanagaraj Interview | Karthi, Bigil Movie. Movies | Interviews | Shooting Spot | Review | Gossip. IndiaGlitz Tamil. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  114. "How solid word-of-mouth made Kaithi successful at the box office despite releasing alongside Bigil". Firstpost. 31 October 2019. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  115. "Lokesh Kanagaraj thanks people for making Kaithi success". The Times of India. 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  116. "Thalapathy 64: Antony Varghese out, Kaithi star Arjun Das hops on board". India Today. 1 December 2019. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  117. Pillai, Sreedhar (10 December 2019). "How Arjun Das has become the new go-to villain of Tamil cinema, from Karthi's Kaithi to Vijay's Thalapathy 64". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  118. "Atlee to present long-delayed 'Andhaghaaram'". The News Minute. 14 April 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  119. "Arjun Das starrer 'Andhaghaaram' to premiere on Netflix". The News Minute. 30 October 2020. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  120. Sekar, Raja (20 January 2020). "Tracing how music is still a big commercial pull in Tamil cinema, with films like Asuran, Comali benefiting from hit songs". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  121. Dhananjayan, G. (14 November 2019). "How are songs useful in tamil movies?". DT Next. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  122. R, Manasa (26 October 2019). "'Kaithi' film review: This film on drugs is pure drugs". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  123. "Lokesh Kanagaraj's four screenplay books released – Aspiring filmmakers rejoice". Indiaglitz. 6 January 2023. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  124. "Director Lokesh Kanagaraj confirms that Kaithi and Vikram are interlinked". Cinema Express. 3 June 2022. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  125. Ramachandran, Avinash (3 June 2022). "A Ghost and a prisoner — One-stop shop for all things that might connect Kaithi and Vikram". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  126. K, Janani (3 June 2022). "Lokesh Kanagaraj wants fans to revisit Kaithi before watching Vikram, pens moving letter about directing Kamal Haasan". India Today. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  127. "Here's why Lokesh Kanagaraj asked fans to revisit 'Kaithi' before watching 'Vikram'". The Times of India. 3 June 2022. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  128. Aiyappan, Ashameera (3 June 2022). "Vikram movie review: Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi serve up an entertaining action-thriller". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  129. "Lokesh Kanagaraj confirms 'Kaithi 2' with Karthi". The News Minute. 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  130. "Karthi's 'Kaithi 2' is in the works, says SR Prabhu". The Times of India. 25 May 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  131. "Karthi and Lokesh Kanagaraj to reunite for 'Kaithi 2'". The Hindu. 26 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  132. "Karthi, Lokesh Kanagaraj to reunite for a sequel of Kaithi; director confirms news of upcoming action thriller on Twitter". Firstpost. 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  133. "'Kaithi 2': Here's how Lokesh Kanagaraj and makers plan on 'Kaithi's sequel". The Times of India. 11 June 2022. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  134. Rangan, Baradwaj (10 June 2022). Lokesh Kanagaraj Interview With Baradwaj Rangan | Lights Camera Analysis | Vikram (in Tamil). Galatta Plus. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  135. "Anbu hasn't died, more details in Kaithi 2: Lokesh Kanagaraj in Q&A". DT Next. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  136. "கைதி 2 வேலைகள் எப்போது தொடக்கம்?... தயாரிப்பாளர் கொடுத்த அப்டேட்". Zee News (in Tamil). 12 June 2022. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  137. "Lokesh Kanagaraj opens up about rumoured film with Rajinikanth, shares update on Kaithi 2". The Indian Express. 19 July 2023. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  138. "'Kaithi' heads to Bollywood: Hindi remake of Lokesh Kanagaraj's film in works". The New Indian Express. 3 February 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  139. "It's official! Karthi starrer Tamil blockbuster 'Kaithi' to be remade in Hindi". The Times of India. 3 February 2020. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  140. "Ajay Devgn confirms Hindi remake of Tamil film Kaithi". India Today. 28 February 2020. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  141. "Ajay Devgn starrer Kaithi remake titled Bholaa, goes on floors today". Bollywood Hungama. 13 January 2022. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  142. "Kaithi's Hindi remake, Bholaa, gets a release date". The Times of India. 19 April 2022. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  143. "Shivarajkumar to feature in 'Kaithi' remake". The Times of India. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  144. "Kaithi controversy: Producer's statement on sequel and remake ban". The Times of India. 5 July 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  145. "Makers of 'Kaithi' respond to Kerala court's injunction against remake and sequel". The News Minute. 7 July 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  146. "Producer clarify on 'Kaithi' sequel and remake ban controversy". Indiaglitz. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  147. "SR Prabhu releases official statement about Karthi and Lokesh Kanagaraj's Kaithi controversy". Behindwoods. 4 July 2021. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  148. "Kerala court dismisses the case against Karthi's 'Kaithi'". The Times of India. 13 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  149. "Court Dismisses Case Against Lokesh Kanagaraj's Kaithi, Sequel to Go Ahead Now". News18. 15 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.