Pattiyal Full Story Explained (2006)
Pattiyal is a 2006 Tamil action thriller that will break your heart. It tells the story of two orphaned contract killers, Kosi and Selva, who only have each other. Directed by Vishnuvardhan, the film stars Arya as Kosi and Bharath as Selva. Pooja Umashankar and Padmapriya play the women who make them dream of a normal life. But their violent world does not let them escape. The film is based on the 1999 Thai movie Bangkok Dangerous. It became a huge commercial success and is remembered for its raw emotion and Yuvan Shankar Raja's brilliant music. This is not a glamorous gangster film. It is a tragic story about friendship, love, and the price of violence.
Two friends kill for money
Kosi and Selva walk into a hotel room. A man sits on the bed, waiting for death. Selva stabs him without hesitation. Kosi watches silently. This is their job. They are contract killers who work for a middleman named Saami. They feel nothing. They only trust each other.
Full Plot
Kosi and Selva are two orphaned boys who grew up on the streets of Chennai. They became contract killers to survive. They work for a middleman named Saami, who pretends to be a friendly government employee. Saami gives them targets, and they kill with knives and aruvals. They never use guns. Kosi is cold and drinks heavily. Selva is deaf and mute but has a gentle heart. They are best friends and brothers in every way that matters.
Saroja is a cheerful salesgirl who loves Kosi. Kosi ignores her. He does not want love or attachment. Selva meets Sandhya and falls in love. Sandhya's grandmother approves of him. For the first time, Selva feels hope. He wants to leave the killing life behind. Kosi and Selva decide to do one last job. They must kill Avinashi Nachimuthu Gounder, a rising politician. Saami gives them a gun for this job. They practice and learn to use it.
Kosi gets drunk one night and sleeps with Saroja. He finally admits he loves her. But Saroja reveals that her boss Azhagu raped her. Kosi goes insane with rage. He finds Azhagu in a public toilet and kills him savagely. Azhagu's father-in-law is Rana, a powerful don. Rana swears revenge. He captures Saami and forces him to bring Kosi to him. Saami betrays Kosi. Kosi is ambushed and shot dead by Rana.
Selva returns after killing Gounder. He learns about Kosi's death. He is devastated. He writes a farewell letter to Sandhya, telling her he is lonely. He then attacks Rana's house alone. He kills many henchmen and finally stabs Rana to death. He returns home, badly injured. Sandhya sees him and runs to get help. While she is gone, a boy named Sappa stabs Selva. Sappa pours sand on the wounds to prevent healing. Selva dies on the street, remembering his friends.
The final scene shows Saami recruiting Sappa. He uses the same words he used with Kosi and Selva. The audience realizes Sappa will be the next victim. The cycle of violence will never end.
Characters
Kosi
Kosi is a cold, stubborn contract killer played by Arya. He refuses to love anyone except his friend Selva. He drinks heavily and pushes Saroja away when she tries to love him. After Saroja is raped, he kills her attacker in a brutal rage. He is betrayed by Saami and shot dead by Rana.
Selva
Selva is a deaf and mute contract killer played by Bharath. He is Kosi's best friend and partner. He falls in love with Sandhya and dreams of a normal life. After Kosi is killed, he takes revenge on Rana. He is then stabbed to death by Sappa, a boy who wants his job.
Saroja
Saroja is a cheerful salesgirl played by Padmapriya. She loves Kosi deeply, but he ignores her. She is raped by her boss Azhagu. This event triggers Kosi's revenge and leads to his death. She is left alone and heartbroken at the end.
Sandhya
Sandhya is a sweet woman played by Pooja Umashankar. She falls in love with Selva after a series of funny encounters. She represents the normal life Selva wants. She is with Selva when he dies, crying in despair.
Saami
Saami is the middleman played by Cochin Haneefa. He pretends to be friendly but is completely ruthless. He betrays Kosi to save his own life. He then recruits Sappa to continue the killing cycle. He is the true villain of the story.
Rana
Rana is a powerful don played by Mohan Natrajan. He is Azhagu's father-in-law. He kills Kosi to avenge Azhagu's death. He is then killed by Selva in his own home.
Themes
Friendship and loyalty
Kosi and Selva are not just partners. They are brothers. They trust each other completely. When Kosi dies, Selva risks everything to avenge him. Their bond is the only pure thing in their dark world. The film shows that true friendship can survive even the worst circumstances.
Violence begets violence
Every violent act in the film leads to more violence. Kosi kills Azhagu, so Rana kills Kosi. Selva kills Rana, so Saami has Selva killed. The cycle never ends. The film's final scene shows this clearly. A new boy, Sappa, is recruited to continue the killing. The director's message is clear: violence only creates more pain.
Love as a weakness
In the world of contract killers, love is dangerous. Kosi refuses to love because it makes him vulnerable. When he finally gives in to his feelings for Saroja, it leads to his death. Selva's love for Sandhya makes him want to leave the life, but he cannot escape. The film suggests that in a violent world, love is a luxury that costs everything.
The trap of poverty
Kosi and Selva did not choose to become killers. They were orphans with no options. The streets forced them into this life. They try to escape, but their past pulls them back. The film shows how poverty and lack of opportunity trap people in cycles of crime. There is no way out once you are in.
Ending Explained
The ending of Pattiyal is brutal and heartbreaking. After Selva kills Rana, he returns home with serious injuries. Sandhya sees him and runs to get an auto rickshaw to take him to the hospital. While she is gone, Sappa appears. Sappa is the annoying boy who kept begging Kosi and Selva for a job. He stabs Selva multiple times. Then he pours sand on the wounds. This ensures that even if doctors try to save Selva, the sand will cause infections and he will die. Selva falls to the ground. He thinks of Kosi, Saroja, and Sandhya. He regrets his life as a killer. He dies with Sandhya crying beside him. The final scene shows Saami talking to Sappa at the same restaurant where he used to meet Kosi and Selva. Saami tells Sappa they are a team. Sappa begs Saami not to kill him. The audience understands that Sappa will be the next contract killer. He will be used and thrown away just like Kosi and Selva. The cycle of violence continues. There is no justice. There is no escape. The director leaves the audience with a powerful message: in this world, killers are just tools. They are used and discarded. The system never changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Pattiyal is not based on a true story. It is a fictional film directed by Vishnuvardhan. However, the director spoke to real hired killers for a month to make the film feel authentic. Arya's character Kosi was inspired by a real person.
Pattiyal is a Tamil word that translates to 'list' in English. The title refers to the list of targets that the contract killers have to eliminate. It is a simple but powerful title that captures the film's cold, business-like approach to murder.
Yes, Pattiyal is based on the 1999 Thai film Bangkok Dangerous. Both films follow two contract killers who work together. However, Vishnuvardhan added his own emotional depth and Tamil cultural context. The ending and character relationships are different from the original.
The music for Pattiyal was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The soundtrack became very popular. The song 'Poga Poga Boomi Virikirathe' was a breakthrough for singer Vijay Yesudas. Yuvan Shankar Raja won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director for this film.
Selva dies because Saami orders his death. After Selva kills Rana, Saami sees him as a loose end. Saami uses Sappa, a new recruit, to kill Selva. Sappa stabs Selva and pours sand on the wounds so he cannot be saved. This shows that in the criminal world, no one is safe. Even the most loyal killers are disposable.