Aanai(2005)
Aanai (also known as Aanai: Born to Fight) is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language vigilante action film directed by Selvaa. The film stars Arjun, Namitha, and Keerthi Chawla in lead roles, with Vadivelu, Sanghavi, and Manoj K. Jayan in supporting parts. The story follows Vijay, a disgraced ex-police officer who becomes the bodyguard of a wealthy man's eight-year-old daughter in London. When the child is kidnapped by a militant group led by Ahmed Khan, Vijay launches a brutal one-man war to rescue her. The film is a remake of the 2004 American film Man on Fire. It was produced by K. S. Sreenivasan under Vasan Visual Ventures. The soundtrack was composed by D. Imman. Aanai was released on 2 December 2005 to mixed reviews, with critics praising the action sequences and Arjun's performance but criticizing the second-half pacing and unnecessary songs.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Sun NXT, Airtel Xstream Play, Plex
- Theatrical Release
- 2 December 2005
- Director
- Selva
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 37m 0
Storyline
An ex-police officer named Vijay is hired to protect an eight-year-old girl named Priya. When she is kidnapped by a ruthless militant group in London, Vijay must use every violent skill he has to find her. He will kill anyone who stands in his way.
“One man. One mission. No mercy.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Aanai
Cast reunions in this film: Arjun & D. Imman (7 films together), Selva & D. Imman (4 films together), Keerthi Chawla & D. Imman (2 films together), Arjun & Selva (2 films together), and Namitha & D. Imman (2 films together).
Trivia
- The film's title 'Aanai' means 'command' or 'order' in Tamil, reflecting the protagonist's past as a disciplined police officer.
- Director Selva initially planned a different climax but changed it during filming to heighten the action sequences.
- Actress Malavika, who played a supporting role, was cast after the director saw her in a popular television serial at the time.
- The movie's soundtrack by Srikanth Deva included a song that was partly filmed at a then-new amusement park in Chennai.
- Some of the chase scenes were shot in real suburban locations to create a more gritty, realistic feel for the thriller.
- The character Ahmed Khan was inspired by popular portrayals of psychotic villains in 1990s Tamil and Hindi action films.
- Despite being an action film, it had a relatively modest budget compared to other Vijay-starrers released around the same period.