Thambi Arjuna Full Story Explained (2010)
Thambi Arjuna is a 2010 Tamil action film that hits you right in the heart. It tells the story of two orphan brothers, Arjuna and Dharma, who will do anything for each other. Arjuna is a smart aeronautical engineering student who returns from Australia. His older brother Dharma is a powerful don who gave up his life of crime for his brother's future. The film stars Ramana as Arjuna, Feroz Khan as Dharma, and Ashima Bhalla as Radhika. It was directed by Vijay R. Anand and released on 30 July 2010. What makes this movie special is the raw bond between the brothers and the tragic choices they make for love and family.
Brothers Bound by Blood
Arjuna and Dharma are orphan brothers raised by a rowdy named Mani. Dharma wants a better life for his younger brother Arjuna. He makes Arjuna study aeronautical engineering in Australia. Dharma leaves Mani's gang and becomes a powerful don himself. But he never lets Arjuna see his dark side. Their bond is everything.
Full Plot
Thambi Arjuna begins with Arjuna, a young man who studied aeronautical engineering in Australia, returning to Chennai after two years. He remembers everything that made him leave. Arjuna and his older brother Dharma were orphans raised by a rowdy named Mani. Dharma did not want Arjuna to become a criminal, so he made him study hard and sent him to Australia. Dharma himself left Mani's gang and became a powerful don in Chennai.
Arjuna fell in love with Radhika, the daughter of Police Commissioner Vedagiri. Radhika loved him too, but she was scared of Dharma's criminal life. To make his brother happy, Dharma went to Vedagiri and asked for Radhika's hand in marriage for Arjuna. Vedagiri humiliated Dharma badly. He beat Dharma with his shoe in public. When Arjuna found out, he was furious. He beat Vedagiri with the same shoe in front of Radhika and told her he did not want to marry her anymore. After this, Arjuna went back to Australia. Dharma surrendered to the government and left his don life to live peacefully.
Two years later, Arjuna returns to Chennai. Mani, the old rowdy, kidnaps Dharma. Mani tells Arjuna that if he rescues Radhika from a dangerous tribe, he will release Dharma. Arjuna agrees and saves Radhika. Radhika still loves Arjuna, but he is focused on saving his brother. Unknown to Arjuna, Mani is actually following Vedagiri's orders. Vedagiri wants revenge for the humiliation.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister gives the police full power to kill all rowdies. The police start encountering and killing everyone connected to the underworld. They kill Mani and Dharma's friend Kaaka. Dharma is now a target even though he is reformed. The police want to kill him too.
In the final scenes, Dharma escapes from captivity. He confronts Vedagiri directly. Both men pull out their guns and shoot each other at the same time. They both die from their injuries. Arjuna arrives but cannot save his brother. The film ends with the two men dead, their hatred destroying both families.
Characters
Arjuna
Arjuna is the younger brother who studies aeronautical engineering in Australia. He loves his brother Dharma deeply and will do anything to protect his dignity. He beats Vedagiri with a shoe for humiliating Dharma. He returns to Chennai to save his brother and Radhika, but loses Dharma in the end.
Dharma
Dharma is the older brother who becomes a powerful don to give Arjuna a better life. He leaves his criminal life and surrenders to the government for his brother's sake. He is kidnapped by Mani and later killed in a shootout with Vedagiri. He sacrifices everything for family.
Radhika
Radhika is the daughter of Police Commissioner Vedagiri. She falls in love with Arjuna but is scared of his brother's criminal life. She is kidnapped by a tribe and rescued by Arjuna. She still loves Arjuna but loses her father in the final confrontation.
Vedagiri
Vedagiri is the Police Commissioner and Radhika's father. He hates rowdies and humiliates Dharma by beating him with a shoe. Arjuna beats him back, which fuels his desire for revenge. He uses Mani to trap Arjuna and dies in a shootout with Dharma.
Mani
Mani is the rowdy who raised Arjuna and Dharma as orphans. He later follows Vedagiri's orders and kidnaps Dharma. He forces Arjuna to rescue Radhika in exchange for Dharma's release. He is killed by the police during the encounter operation.
Chief Minister
The Chief Minister gives the police free rein to kill all rowdies in the state. His order leads to the deaths of Mani, Kaaka, and eventually Dharma. He represents the system that destroys even reformed criminals.
Themes
Brotherly Sacrifice
Dharma gives up his criminal life and surrenders to the government just so Arjuna can have a peaceful future. Arjuna returns from Australia and risks his life to save his brother. Both brothers are willing to lose everything for each other. This theme drives the entire story.
Revenge Destroys Everyone
Vedagiri cannot forgive Arjuna for humiliating him. He plans a revenge that leads to the deaths of many people, including himself. Dharma also seeks revenge on Vedagiri and dies in the process. The film shows that revenge only brings more pain and death.
Class and Social Status
Radhika's father Vedagiri looks down on Dharma because he is a rowdy. He refuses to let his daughter marry into a criminal family. Dharma tries to change his status by leaving crime, but society still judges him. The film shows how hard it is to escape your past.
Violence Begets Violence
The film is full of violence that keeps repeating. Dharma becomes a don because of his upbringing. Vedagiri uses violence to humiliate Dharma. Arjuna uses violence to defend his brother. The police use violence to kill rowdies. In the end, everyone dies because no one stops the cycle.
Ending Explained
The ending of Thambi Arjuna is tragic and violent. Dharma escapes from Mani's captivity and goes straight to confront Vedagiri. Both men are filled with hatred and want revenge. They face each other with guns in their hands. Without any words, they both fire at the same time. The bullets hit their targets. Dharma and Vedagiri fall to the ground, bleeding. They die within moments of each other. Arjuna arrives at the scene, but he is too late. He sees his brother dead on the ground. Radhika also arrives and sees her father dead. The two lovers are left alone, their families destroyed by revenge and violence. The director leaves the audience with a powerful message: hatred and revenge do not solve anything. They only lead to more death and suffering. The final image is of two families broken forever. There is no happy ending, only the harsh reality of choices made in anger.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Thambi Arjuna is not based on a true story. It is a fictional action film written and directed by Vijay R. Anand. The story of two orphan brothers and their struggles is created for entertainment.
The music for Thambi Arjuna was composed by Dhina. The soundtrack has six songs with lyrics written by Na. Muthukumar, Yugabharathi, and Uma Subramaniam. Popular singers like Hariharan, Unni Menon, and Shankar Mahadevan performed the songs.
Ashima Bhalla suffered severe burns during the climax scene. The scene required her to be surrounded by fire, and kerosene was poured around her. A freak accident caused the fire to catch her legs. She was immediately taken to the hospital.
Yes, Thambi Arjuna was dubbed into Hindi under the title Bhai Arjuna. The Hindi version was released for audiences who do not speak Tamil. The story and characters remain the same.
The role of Dharma was played by Feroz Khan, who was a newcomer at the time. This was his first film in the Tamil industry. He played the older brother who becomes a don and sacrifices everything for his younger sibling.