Jigarthanda(2014)
Jigarthanda is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language crime comedy film written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj. It stars Siddharth, Bobby Simha, and Lakshmi Menon in lead roles. The story follows an aspiring filmmaker who decides to research a ruthless Madurai gangster named Assault Sethu for his debut feature. He infiltrates Sethu's gang but gets trapped when the gangster demands to play himself in the film. The film won two National Film Awards — Best Supporting Actor for Bobby Simha and Best Editing for Vivek Harshan. It was praised for its clever meta-narrative, humor, and performances. Jigarthanda was released on 1 August 2014 and became a cult classic.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Hotstar
- Theatrical Release
- 1 August 2014
- Director
- Karthik Subburaj
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 51m
- Rating
- 7.8/10
Storyline
A young filmmaker named Karthik wants to make his first gangster movie. He travels to Madurai to secretly study a real gangster named Assault Sethu. But when Sethu discovers the plan, he forces Karthik to make the film with him as the lead actor. Karthik must find a way to survive and complete the movie without getting killed.
“A gangster film that laughs at itself.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Jigarthanda
Cast reunions in this film: Nassar & Delhi Ganesh (21 films together), Bobby Simha & Karunakaran (9 films together), Vijay Sethupathi & Bagavathi Perumal (7 films together), Nassar & Santhosh Narayanan (7 films together), Karthik Subbaraj & Santhosh Narayanan (7 films together), and Vijay Sethupathi & Nassar (6 films together).
Trivia
- The film's title 'Jigarthanda' is named after a famous Madurai cold drink, which is also a key plot element in the movie.
- Actor Bobby Simha, who played the gangster, won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
- Director Karthik Subbaraj made a cameo as a tea shop customer in the scene where the assistant director gets beaten up.
- The character 'Assault' Sethu was inspired by a real-life local gangster from Madurai known for his violent methods.
- The film's climax was shot in a single long take that lasts for over 10 minutes, requiring precise coordination from the cast and crew.
- Composer Santhosh Narayanan used a unique folk music style called 'Gaana' to create the gritty Madurai atmosphere in the soundtrack.
- The movie was remade in Hindi as 'Dharmaveer' and in Kannada as 'Dharmaveer 2', though with significant plot changes.