Thee Full Story Explained (2009)
Imagine a cop who loses everything — his wife, his kids, his job — all because he did the right thing. That's the fire that burns inside Sarathy in the 2009 Tamil political action film 'Thee' (which means 'Fire'). Directed by G. Kicha, this movie stars Sundar C as the broken hero who transforms from an honest police officer into a corrupt politician to destroy the man who ruined his life. Namitha plays a famous actress who helps him, and Ramya Raj plays his tragic wife. The film released on 27 February 2009 and is a remake of the Telugu movie 'Operation Duryodhana'. It's a raw, emotional story about how far a man will go for revenge.
A Cop's Worst Nightmare
ACP Sarathy is an honest cop who never bends the rules. He arrests a corrupt MLA named J.P. and his men for their crimes. J.P. is furious and swears revenge against Sarathy. One night, J.P. sends goons to Sarathy's home. They kill Sarathy's two children and leave his wife Ganga for dead.
Full Plot
ACP Sarathy is an honest and straightforward police officer. He arrests a corrupt MLA named J.P. and his men for their crimes. J.P. is furious and swears revenge. One night, J.P. sends goons to Sarathy's home. They murder Sarathy's two children and leave his wife Ganga for dead. Ganga survives but is in serious condition in the hospital. J.P. also frames Sarathy for a crime, so Sarathy loses his job as a cop.
Sarathy is broken by the loss of his family. He realizes he cannot fight J.P. using the law because J.P. controls the system. So Sarathy decides to take a different path. He changes his name to Saami and enters politics. He gets help from a famous actress named Ruchi Devi, who uses her popularity to get him a political ticket. Saami wins the election and becomes an MLA.
While Sarathy is busy with his new political life, Ganga gives birth to their child in the hospital. But she is too weak from her earlier injuries and dies. Sarathy loses his wife forever. Now he has only his newborn child and his burning need for revenge.
As MLA Saami, Sarathy starts acting like a corrupt politician. He does illegal things and makes the police look bad on purpose. The police get so frustrated that they go on an indefinite strike. The whole system stops working — no one arrests criminals, and chaos spreads everywhere. People start hating the police force.
When the system is in chaos, Saami makes his final move against J.P. He uses his political power to corner J.P. and expose all his crimes. J.P. realizes he cannot escape this time. Saami destroys J.P. completely, getting justice for his murdered children and his wife. The movie ends with Sarathy holding his baby, knowing he sacrificed everything but finally got his revenge.
Characters
Sarathy / Saami
Sarathy is an honest and tough police officer who loves his family. After J.P. murders his children and attacks his wife, he becomes a politician named Saami to get revenge. He uses corruption to destroy the system and then takes down J.P. He ends up alone with his newborn child but gets justice.
J.P.
J.P. is a corrupt and powerful MLA who thinks he is untouchable. He orders the murder of Sarathy's children and frames Sarathy for a crime. He uses his money and goons to control everything. In the end, Sarathy destroys him completely.
Ganga
Ganga is Sarathy's loving wife and mother of his children. She is attacked by J.P.'s goons and left for dead. She survives but is in a coma. She later gives birth to Sarathy's child but dies from her injuries. Her death fuels Sarathy's revenge.
Ruchi Devi
Ruchi Devi is a famous and popular actress who helps Sarathy become a politician. She uses her fame to get him a political ticket and win the election. She is a key ally in Sarathy's plan to destroy J.P.
Rajesh
Rajesh is a supporting character played by comedian Vivek. He provides comic relief in the movie. He helps Sarathy in his journey from cop to politician.
ACP Jayan
ACP Jayan is a fellow police officer who works with Sarathy. He is an honest cop like Sarathy. He gets caught up in the chaos when Sarathy turns corrupt and the police go on strike.
Themes
Revenge and Justice
The main theme of the movie is revenge. Sarathy loses everything because he did the right thing. He decides that the only way to get justice is to become as corrupt as his enemy. The movie asks whether revenge can ever truly heal a broken heart.
Corruption in Politics
The film shows how deeply corruption runs in politics. J.P. uses his power to commit crimes and get away with them. Sarathy has to become corrupt himself to fight corruption. The movie suggests that the system is so broken that only a corrupt man can fix it.
Sacrifice for Family
Sarathy sacrifices everything for his family. He loses his job, his reputation, and his wife. He even becomes a criminal to get revenge for his children. His love for his family drives every decision he makes.
The Cost of Honesty
Sarathy is an honest cop, but honesty costs him everything. He arrests a corrupt politician and loses his family. The movie shows that being honest in a corrupt world can be dangerous. It makes the audience think about whether honesty is always worth it.
Ending Explained
In the final scenes of the movie, Sarathy — now known as MLA Saami — has successfully created chaos in the system. The police are on strike, criminals are running free, and the public is angry at the police. J.P. thinks he is safe because the system is broken. But Sarathy has been planning this all along. He uses his political power to corner J.P. and expose all his crimes. J.P. realizes he cannot escape this time — Sarathy has outsmarted him. Sarathy destroys J.P. completely, getting justice for his murdered children and his wife Ganga. The movie ends with Sarathy holding his newborn baby, alone but victorious. He lost his wife, his children, and his career, but he got his revenge. The message is clear: sometimes you have to become the fire to burn down evil. Sarathy's journey from honest cop to corrupt politician is complete, and he finally finds peace knowing his family's killers are punished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Thee is a remake of the Telugu film Operation Duryodhana. The Tamil version stars Sundar C in the lead role, while the original Telugu film had a different cast. Both movies tell the same story of a cop who becomes a politician for revenge.
Thee was directed by G. Kicha, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film. Kicha is known for directing Tamil action and political films. He adapted the Telugu original for Tamil audiences.
Thee means 'Fire' in Tamil. The title reflects the main character Sarathy's burning desire for revenge after his family is destroyed. It also represents the destructive path he takes to get justice.
The music for Thee was composed by Srikanth Deva. The soundtrack includes songs like 'Valliyamma Valliyamma', 'Kaalai Nera', 'Nee Illamal', 'Raghava Ranaiya', and 'Theepporiyil'. The lyrics were written by Gana Pazhani, Yugabharathi, and Piraisoodan.
Thee received mostly negative reviews from critics. Rediff called it a '3-hour long torture session' and criticized the screenplay and music. The Times of India noted that the director took a 'larger canvas to revisit a story seen many times' but praised the film for releasing ahead of elections.