Aalavandhan(2001)
Aalavandhan is a 2001 Indian Tamil-language psychological action thriller film directed by Suresh Krissna. It stars Kamal Haasan in dual roles as twin brothers Vijay and Nandu, alongside Raveena Tandon and Manisha Koirala. The story follows Major Vijay, a commando, and his schizophrenic twin Nandu, who escapes from a mental asylum to kill Vijay's pregnant wife. The film uses magical realism to depict Nandu's hallucinations and trauma. It won the National Film Award for Best Special Effects. Though initially a commercial failure, it later achieved cult status and was screened at Fantastic Fest in 2016. A digitally remastered version was released in December 2023.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Apple TV, Prime Video, Sun NXT
- Theatrical Release
- 14 November 2001
- Director
- Suresh Krishna
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 56m
- Rating
- 5.9/10
Storyline
A brave commando named Vijay has a twin brother Nandu who is locked in a mental asylum. Nandu escapes and starts hunting Vijay's pregnant wife. Vijay must protect his family while confronting the dark childhood trauma that broke his brother's mind.
“One brother is a hero. The other is a monster.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Aalavandhan
Cast reunions in this film: Suresh Krishna & Suresh Krissna (19 films together), Kamal Haasan & Sarath Babu (6 films together), Manisha Koirala & Raveena Tandon (5 films together), Sarath Babu & Suresh Krissna (5 films together), Kamal Haasan & Manisha Koirala (4 films together), and Suresh Krishna & Sarath Babu (4 films together).
Trivia
- The film was originally shot in Hindi as 'Abhay' with Kamal Haasan reprising his dual role, but the Tamil version was released first.
- Kamal Haasan performed many of his own stunts, including a dangerous scene where he hangs from a helicopter.
- The movie's special effects were done by the same team that worked on Hollywood films like 'The Mummy' and 'Star Wars'.
- Aalavandhan was one of the earliest Tamil films to extensively use computer-generated imagery (CGI) for action sequences.
- The film's climax was shot in a real mental asylum in Chennai to create an authentic atmosphere.
- Despite its high budget and technical achievements, the movie did not perform well at the box office upon release.
- The character of Nandu was inspired by real-life cases of dissociative identity disorder, which Kamal Haasan researched deeply.