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Why Vetrimaaran is the most interesting director in Tamil films today

Vetrimaaran is arguably among the most interesting filmmaker working in the tamil film industry. here’s documenting his rise and what it takes to be a talent like him..

His production house’s name, Grass Root Film Company, is a clear pointer to Vetrimaaran’s worldview. This Deepavali’s biggest release in Tamil Nadu is, arguably, Kodi (Flag), a political thriller he has produced that stars Dhanush in his first double role, as twin brothers. The twins may be identical but their natures are mutually exclusive. Refreshingly, Kodi casts Trisha as a feisty woman politico, giving Dhanush’s eponymous hero a run for his money.

“For a hero movie, it’s pretty decently written,” pronounces Baradwaj Rangan, film critic and associate editor at The Hindu. “There’s a conflict, there are surprises and even within a commercial film, it’s properly written and directed. It’s not some random moments strung together to get people whistling.”

The film’s premise is how politics and political interests shape communities and the quality of their life. In this case, it involves skullduggery surrounding a factory emitting toxic effluents. It could be happening not too far away from our backyards.

At the Oscars

Vetrimaaran himself, however, was conspicuous by his absence during Kodi’s promos. He has a bigger task on hand. Visaaranai (Interrogation), the part-docudrama, part-crime thriller he directed, is India’s official entry to the 89th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. So he is in the US persuading jurors take note of his film, which has some truly hairy torture scenes. The last Tamil film that made it to the Oscars was 16 years back: Hey Ram starring Kamal Haasan.

Usually, the choice of any film to represent the country at the Oscars polarises critics, but Visaaranai remains largely unchallenged. Rangan agrees. “Visaaranai was a fantastic film.”

It tells the story of innocent migrant labourers picked up and tortured by the police to extract a false confession for a fatal robbery at an influential man’s house. How the film, shot in 42 days on a Rs 2-crore budget and eventually wining three National Film Awards, got made is interesting. After his Aadukalam in 2011, Vetrimaaran had busied himself with his production ventures, Udhayam NH4, Poriyaalan and Kaaka Muttai. When he was prepared to shoot his next, the script he picked was Soodhadi, a story on gambling, proposing Dhanush in the lead role. However, the actor had to take time off to work in Balki’s Shamitabh, being shot in Mumbai.

Vetrimaaran was mooting a book adaptation when director Balu Mahendra’s assistant serendipitously presented him with Lock Up, a riveting, partly autobiographical book written by M Chandrakumar, a former autorickshaw driver. The book, which took five years to write and another four to publish, narrates his harrowing experience while in jail in (then) Andhra Pradesh.

“When I pitched the story to Dhanush, who later produced the film, I said I can only guarantee you a three-day weekend run at the box office. But it’s a low-budget venture; you’ll get your investment back,” Vetrimaaran laughs. “Dhanush was amused, but agreed to fund the project. [I thought] it’s the kind of film that would not bring in repeat audiences. I was proved wrong and it got a good three-week run.”

The author, Chandrakumar, was incarcerated for a fortnight way back in 1983. “Yet his experiences are relevant even today,” points out Vetrimaaran. “Visaaranai reflects a stark reality from which you cannot shut yourself out: that is its success. It was challenging to find the right kind of actors and locations. We employed real stuntmen who could exercise restraint while beating up the actors.”

“What was unique was that there were a lot of first-time actors in the film; that added rawness to it,” says K Hariharan, filmmaker and critic. “Actors like Samuthirakkani and Kishore were entirely on the sidelines. That made it an interesting watch.”

Astutely, the team decided to send it to international film fests right away, confident it would work with foreign audiences. Visaaranai premiered at the Orrizonti section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival, a first for a Tamil film, and won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Crucially, the European audience was exposed to a hitherto unexplored form of Tamil cinema that dealt with grim reality in a non-dramatic but powerful way.

“Europeans have a different policing system. They found my narrative a bit harsh, though they were moved,” explains Vetrimaaran.

A rooted voice

It is Vetrimaaran’s preoccupation with sometimes gritty, sometimes heartwarming reality that makes this 41-year-old one of the best filmmakers of our times.

“The best thing about the regional filmmakers is that they bring in a very ‘native’ feel,” says Rangan. “Like if I watch Nagraj Manjule’s Sairat for instance, I find [elements] that remind me of Vetrimaaran. But that’s more because these filmmakers do these ‘rooted’ things very well. They give you the sense of the atmosphere, the rhythms of life in that particular environment, they take care to bring them alive.”

His critically acclaimed debut venture, Polladhavan (Ruthless Man) in 2007, followed a lower middle-class young man’s search for his stolen bike, an exercise that takes him through the seamy underworld. Four years later came Aadukalam (Arena), a Pongal release that raked in six National Film Awards. The cockfight arena was where love, ego, honour, friendship and betrayal were played out in the rustic backdrop of Madurai.

Says Manimaran, long-time friend and assistant, “Vetri used to like watching cockfights in the neighbourhood in our hometown. So he thought we could develop a story around them.”

There was no doubt about who would play the lead. “I wrote Aadukalam keeping Dhanush in mind,” says Vetrimaaran. “As an actor, he delivers exactly what I need and sometimes more. As a producer, he offers me complete freedom and does not interfere at all. He trusts me completely.”

Rangan explains the Vetrimaaran touch, “There is a world of difference in the way he uses the song and dance elements in Polladhavan and Aadukalam. They have become more organic and rooted; they’re not fantasy elements.”

“I personally prefer Aadukalam to Visaaranai, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges,” says Hariharan. “Aadukalam had a certain kind of warmth and spontaneity. Visaaranai, to me, looked rather staged.”

He explains, “Visaaranai’s [appeal across the world] is that for the first time in Tamil cinema, you see this kind of brute reality without the director taking recourse to a love story or family drama. It’s also interesting that a country like India allowed such a strongly critical film on the system. There’s no doubt that Vetrimaaran is a bold filmmaker.”

Vetrimaaran’s productive chemistry with Dhanush has paid rich dividends. The two went on to produce Kaaka Muttai (Crow’s Egg) in 2015, a subversive film poking fun at what is regarded as cool - pizzas, in this case. This little gem, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, tracks two brothers from a Chennai slum dying to taste a pizza. Directed by M Manikandan with wit, not once is the children’s dignity compromised. Their family struggles in a heartless and corrupt city and soon we find ourselves cheering for our little heroes. Kaaka Muttai pocketed two National Film Awards.

“There is a stamp of quality that people have begun to associate with Vetrimaaran, because even the films he produces are pretty decent,” says Rangan, adding that he looks for, and gets, that certain quality.

Vetrimaaran’s genius lies in shining a light on people we would not even glance at in our rat race. His films show us that ordinary people often lead extraordinary lives if only we stop to talk to them.

Smitten by cinema

Born in Cuddalore near Puducherry and raised in Ranipet, a suburban town in Vellore district, two and a half hours from Chennai, Vetrimaaran was smitten by cinema even as a child. His mother, a writer, ran a school in the area, while his father was a veterinarian. Friends remember him as a film buff who watched every movie that came to town.

“He would bunk classes and watch them, each three or four times. Then he would come to the school ground where we used to hang out until 7:30 in the evening and would retell the whole story to us. My friends and I have actually walked out of the theatre at times because the film was nowhere as good as his narration. He still has that quality,” says Manimaran, his assistant.

Vetrimaaran was in his second year of Masters in English Literature in 1999 when the now-deceased filmmaker Balu Mahendra was invited to judge a short film contest at the Loyola College, Chennai. Shortly afterwards, he attended a seminar conducted by the director and was inspired enough to assist him in Julie Ganapathy, Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam and the television series Kadhai Neram.

Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam cemented his friendship with the lead actor, Dhanush, whom he describes as his best friend. While still assisting Balu Mahendra, Vetrimaaran pitched the story of Desiya Nedunchalai, and the actor readily agreed to play the lead.

Recalls Manimaran, “Producers were not hard to come by because we had Dhanush. But a few had misgivings about how Vetri would handle the project as a newcomer. So we tossed aside that script, which I later made into Udhayam NH4.”

The initial years proved to be rough. “I was pitching different scripts to different people for three years and it was the sixth producer who okayed Polladhavan,” says Vetrimaaran on his directorial debut.

Adds Manimaran, who assisted him in the project, “After the film was edited, we were really scared to show it to the producer. We kept stalling the screening telling him it may not have come out as he expected. Finally, when he saw it, he was satisfied. We were relieved and gradually grew confident.”

Pushing for excellence

When Manimaran himself forayed into direction with Udhayam NH4 in 2013, Vetrimaaran returned the favour by stepping in as producer under his banner, Grass Root Film Company. As he puts it, “I want my production house to be a platform for good, interesting ideas. I can find a producer for my films, but others, who may be first-time filmmakers, might have innovative scripts that mainstream producers might not understand. Like Kaaka Muttai for instance.

“I produce films in partnership as I may not be able to afford the entire budget. Dhanush ends up co-producing some of them as our tastes are similar. None of my producers ever ask me for the budget. I always make sure it is within their means and I can give the desired returns.”

For someone who has been successful both commercially as critically, Vetrimaaran has directed only three films in nine years. “For me, every film is a learning process. After each, I take time to unlearn. Then I find new content, learn it completely and then execute it.”

Manimaran describes his working process thus, “Many directors make changes to the script on the spot. But Vetrimaaran is different because he pays attention to detail. He puts in a lot of effort, so there may be last-minute adjustments with lighting and locations. Unlike working with other directors, you need to be available 24 hours.”

Outside of work, the father of two, who met his wife Aarthi while at college, likes to race pigeons, pretty much like the characters he portrays. His rootedness has also led him to voice the germ of an idea: setting up an organic farm eventually.

Rangan describes grit as the definitive quality of Vetrimaaran’s films, and praises his skill in animating the atmosphere in terms of the integrity of the characters, the plot, and the texture. “The way he shapes the characters and writes them, you feel that these are not [just] individual people; you get a sense of where they come from, where they belong. [They’re] not just some random characters floating around.”

His fans are already talking about his fourth film, Vada Chennai (North Chennai), an ambitious gangster trilogy he has been planning since 2003. After undergoing several changes of scripts and stars, Dhanush, Vijay Sethupathi, Amala Paul and Samuthirakkani are among those confirmed on the project that is currently under way. Slated for release next year, Vada Chennai is also bound to have the by-now classic Vetrimaaran stamp.

(Published in arrangement with GRIST Media.)

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Ranking Vetrimaaran Films — From Polladhavan to Viduthalai Part 1

Ranking Vetrimaaran’s films — excluding the short films he made — can feel like picking a winner from a competition of despair. And yet, because of the artistry, his films end up challenging his own filmography; building on his flaws, adopting newer visual languages to express older tropes of a violent world. 

Beginning with Polladhavan (2007), his films increasingly hold you in a brusque, violent, and breathless chokehold. Visaranai (2016), his third and most celebrated film, which was even sent to the Academy Awards as India’s nomination, is best described as a relentless marathon of brutality. Every time you think the film has let go, like steam released from a pressure cooker, the plot tightens into lashings and screams.

That none of this violence feels gratuitous is because of how normal violence feels in the world Vetrimaaran creates on screen. When characters die, they just do. When they are violated, they just are. Is this violence repetitive? Yes. But does it feel repetitive? No, because his films are not hinged on stylized violence. He doesn’t need to find innovative ways to stage it, since his films are about the contexts in which violence begins to feel like an everyday phenomenon — brutal but, like air, everywhere. It is these contexts that keep changing — from Madurai to Vada Chennai (North Chennai), Andhra Pradesh to the forested hills of Tamil Nadu — and the violence remains unsettlingly natural to all of them. 

6) Polladhavan (2007)

The opening credit of “non-linear editor”, the voiceover narration, and the opening shot yanking you into a flashback in Polladhavan — Vetrimaaran’s debut film is preoccupied with time flipping over itself, bending, contorting, staring at a bloody present and then tracing backwards to how we reached this bloodbath. The film follows the fallout after its happy-go-lucky protagonist Prabhu (Dhanush) loses his bike, and comes in contact with first an insecure underworld and then the inefficient blackhole of the police station.  There is a visual recklessness, almost a disenchantment with stillness in the film. When the image does become still, it is usually like a jerk — either a photograph or a forceful pausing of the frame. Here is a director who refuses to be bound by conventional framing and narrative. He will bung in two narrative voiceovers — what Preston Sturgess called “narratage”. He will place the camera between two vessels on the gas, the foreground of coffee being flipped from tumbler to tumbler, with Prabhu entering from behind. 

Polladhavan is dated in the sense that you see a director struggling with his style and the template that he wants to both tap into and wreck open — the grating dream songs of love and amorous celebration in a disco, for example. Vetrimaaran himself said in an interview with Film Companion , “From Polladhavan , I learnt I should never make a film like that.”

5) Aadukalam (2011) 

We begin in the present, but return to it only in the last half hour of this film. Karuppu (Dhanush) is a masterful cockfighter, but the Othello-like machinations of jealousy lead his mentor (played by V.I.S. Jayapalan) to exact violence by slowly chipping away at Karuppu’s reputation through gossip and cross-speak. And yet, as Karuppu’s fortunes balloon, his love for his mentor is never challenged. His mentor’s rejection of him never translates to Karuppu’s resentment. It is the kind of mythological devotion Ekalavya showered on Drona — one incapable of rancour. Blind love, as director Vetrimaaran notes in an interview with Film Companion , can be most dangerous.

The “centrepiece” — where Karuppu has to make his cock fight, not once, but thrice in the dust-flung competition,— is a grunting, unending tapestry of tension. It cemented Vetrimaaran as a director with a vision that drew from the well of Cine Madurai violence while cutting against it, stamping his distinct visual style, his trademark panting exposition in the beginning and his casual irreverence towards heroism. In the first “action scene” Karuppu is given, the camera is static, staring at the fight like a spectator, watching as Dhanush’s lithe frame tries to pummel the goons.

Aadukalam ends with Karuppu escaping the scene with his Anglo-Indian lover (Taapsee Pannu), not wanting to explain himself to those who have misunderstood  him or been manipulated into believing incorrect things about him. It’s a rare, mature narrative closing that shows a protagonist who is okay being thought of as wrong, even though he was wronged. If that means keeping the memory of his mentor — who orchestrated the manipulation — unsullied, so be it. 

4) Visaranai (2015)

Visaranai felt like an aesthetic sharp-turn for Vetrimaaran, showing us that as a director, he is capable of patient storytelling, linear storylines; neat, spare flashbacks, that unfold at the pace of life, without sizzling it up or slurring it down. The only throbbing background score in the film is that of ominous rain and crickets.

Perhaps, because the film is based on events that are true and shocking, Visaranai looks as though it is “captured” and not “shot” as a film (look at these violent words used to describe cinema). It does not even have that “centrepiece” moment of bloodshed that Vetrimaaran usually places carefully somewhere in the middle. It does not need it. The film, based on accounts of police custodial violence — first in Andhra Pradesh to poor Tamil Nadu migrants, then in Tamil Nadu to a white collar auditor — yanked from M. Chandrakumar’s novel Lock Up , is brimming with blood. The centrepiece, if anything, is that moment of quiet, of silence, of hope, that comes in little snatches before it is pulled away. 

The cinematic virtue of this film is its relentless violence which never feels gratuitous. What differentiates one from another? Here is violence treated as life — without drama, without emphasis. A rare restraint that nonetheless produces horror unlike in another film — by Vetrimaaran or anyone else. 

3) Vada Chennai (2018)

With Vada Chennai , Vetrimaaran returns to the titular North Chennai where he shot his debut film. This time, however, there is more blood, more history, and more politics, and a richer, denser world full of human foibles and fumbles. The detailing is more vivid — like prisoners snorting lizard tails to get high. The violence is more structural — it telescopes its attention on a neighbourhood over time, not a group of friends like in Visaranai .  

Like Aadukalam , Vada Chennai starts with bloodshed, which it returns to in the last half-hour. Unlike Aadukalam, this structure feels perfunctory, because the beginning is almost forgotten in the blitzkrieg of rat-a-tat action centred around Anbu (Dhanush), a sincere carrom player, who gets caught in the crossfire of a gang war that he further curdles and erupts. 

This is a hypnotic movie, moving across time, back and forth, sometimes a flashback within a flashback. If you pause the film, turn and ask what year the events are taking place, it takes a moment because of how much is churning in the story. The death of M.G. Ramachandran and Rajiv Gandhi are used as temporal walking sticks to help us wade through the film. The original cut for Vada Chennai was 5.5 hours long, and the reason we feel scenes end abruptly with moments often collapsing as they begin, is because of the unsparing edit to bring it down to 2.5 hours. The action, the relentless throw of context, dialogue, and exposition, keeps you afloat, as though you were being swept away in an furiously rushing river. 

What sets Vada Chennai apart is not just Anbu as an ambivalent hero who is swept into heroism by circumstances, but a hero who is unsure of who is right and who is wrong. He expresses this moral dilemma to his wife in a moving scene. There is a sense that if this film was narrated from another perspective, it might easily flip the moral labels we have slapped on characters. That a film allows its characters this latitude is a triumph of an expanded, exploded imagination — both moral and literary. 

2) Asuran (2019)

Both Vada Chennai and Asuran are, perhaps, the most cinematic of Vetrimaaran’s films — with a slow-motion pay-off that belongs to the masala template, lodged comfortably alongside the various Vetrimaaran-isms. Both insert their intermission after a rousing action sequence that disarms you with its style and emotional punch. However, while Vada Chennai is impatient in its storytelling — by narrative design and editorial desperation — Asuran digs deeper. 

The first shot of the film, of a moon among milky clouds, crumples when feet are placed over it — we realise that we were seeing a reflection of the moon over still water, which is now being trampled over by escaping feet, that of Sivasaami (Dhanush) and his son Chidambaram (Ken Karunas). Chidambaram has just hacked the man who murdered his elder brother — an act of vengeance that dislocates his family, who are now fugitives. 

Asuran perfects a lot of Vetrimaaran’s pursuits — the mass film without the mass conventions. There is no hero entry scene. There is, instead, the intermission block. There is no hip dangling love. There is, instead, trauma and affection. Humour does not exist, distilled in the form of a separate character, like a court jester. It is baked into the exchanges. There is no beauty, no polish. There is a harsh abruptness with which scenes transition. And yet, Asuran has packed in it the most potent scenes of grief and redemptive violence. It is Vetrimaaran allowing his films to char your heart, not just your senses. The second half gives the origin for Sivasaami’s docile nature, one that he has arrived at after a youth of bloodshed that left him orphaned and without love. This mirroring of the two halves is another beautiful Vetrimaaran-ism — from the slippers, to the heroism, to the tragedy that culminates in an escape. It is easy to dismiss this film as templated, but there is a reason templates have survived the onslaught of genre, taste, and time shifts. That it is predictable does not take away from what an artist can do with and within that predictability. Asuran is Vetrimaaran’s most emotionally staining — not draining, but staining — film; its violence lingering as hurt, not horror. 

1) Viduthalai Part 1 (2023)

In one sense, Viduthalai is the culminating artistic collaboration between Vetrimaaran and cinematographer Velraj, who has lensed all of Vetrimaaran’s films except Visaranai . The opening shot of around 10 minutes takes us, in one sweeping, single take, through the debris of a train bombing. The sheer audacity of the scene, the lubricated ease with which the camera slides, both vertically and horizontally, sets the stage for Kumeresan (Soori), a kind-hearted police officer who has been sent to the forested hills as part of a police force that is trying to weed out an extremist group. It invokes awe while depicting horror. The dense prologue, the unfussy heroism of Vetrimaaran are both here. The politics is just as long winded and stiff — like how Vada Chennai questioned development, here, too, the story hinges on how the state uses development as a cover for profiteering; the police, here, too, are brutal beasts. Love comes as a reprieve — both to the character and the narrative. 

But what marks Viduthalai apart is how it makes violence seem so routine, Vetrimaaran isn’t even interested in sharpening it. There is a blunt relentlessness to it. It is not that the director can’t show violence that whips our moral sense of the world. It’s just impossible to fixate and linger on violence the way he did in the previous films. In Visaranai what was happening to a group of friends, in Asuran what was happening to a family, is, in Viduthalai happening to a whole movement of people. Vetrimaaran employs a disenchanted cutting away from these moments before their full impact is even felt, for the impact is not in its festering but in its unrelentingness.

If you notice closely, these rankings are in the order of Vetrimaaran’s filmography, suggesting that, at least artistically, he seems to be streamlining ahead, a swift, sure motion away from where he first began. 

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Vetrimaaran

Vetrimaaran stands as a towering figure in the of Indian cinema, celebrated for his multifaceted contributions as a film director, producer, and screenwriter, primarily within the vibrant tapestry of Tamil cinema. As of 2021, his illustrious career has been adorned with accolades, boasting five National Film Awards, eight Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards, and two Filmfare South Awards.

Born in 1975 in the culturally rich city of Cuddalore, Vetrimaaran inherited a legacy of academia. His father, Dr. V. Chitravel, a distinguished veterinary scientist, and his mother, Megala Chitravel, a respected novelist, provided the backdrop for his early years. The seeds of his cinematic journey were sown during his tenure at Loyola College, where a course on television presentation ignited his passion for the art of filmmaking.

The pivotal juncture in Vetrimaaran’s career came through his association with veteran filmmaker Balu Mahendra. Serving as one of Mahendra’s lead assistants, Vetrimaaran gleaned invaluable insights into the nuances of filmmaking. Faced with the perennial dilemma of choosing between academia and the allure of cinema, Vetrimaaran chose the latter, forsaking his academic pursuits at Loyola to chart a course into the world of films.

His directorial debut, “Polladhavan” in 2007, was a cinematic endeavor inspired by the quest for a lost bike. The film garnered acclaim, with Vetrimaaran’s directorial style drawing favorable comparisons to Balu Mahendra’s illustrious approach. The subsequent venture, “Aadukalam” (2011), delved into the intense world of cockfighting in Madurai and earned Vetrimaaran six National Film Awards, solidifying his status as a formidable directorial force.

In an expansion of his cinematic footprint, Vetrimaaran founded the Grass Root Film Company, a production house that would serve as a vehicle for his creative endeavors. “Visaranai” (2015), a film exploring the brutal hardships faced by Tamil laborers at the hands of the police, emerged as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards, shedding light on societal injustices.

The ensuing years witnessed Vetrimaaran’s continued ascendancy. Collaborations with actor Dhanush in films such as “Vada Chennai” (2018) and “Asuran” (2019) not only garnered critical acclaim but also tasted success at the box office. “Vada Chennai,” in particular, distinguished itself by portraying the narrative of a skilled carrom player ensnared in a gripping gang war. In his role as a producer, Vetrimaaran championed several noteworthy films, including “Poriyaalan” (2014) and the critically acclaimed “Kaaka Muttai” (2015). Both his directorial ventures and productions consistently received accolades, establishing him as a revered figure within the film industry.

Vetrimaaran’s creative prowess extended to the anthology “Paava Kadhaigal” (2020), where his segment, “Oor Iravu,” delved into the sensitive issue of honor killings. The segment, marked by its powerful storytelling and deft direction, earned acclaim from audiences and critics alike.

Throughout his illustrious career, Vetrimaaran’s films have been a canvas for exploring diverse themes, seamlessly blending realism with commercial elements. His ability to capture the essence of societal issues and present them cinematically has bestowed upon him the status of one of the preeminent directors in the panorama of Indian cinema.

More Details

Name	Vetrimaaran
Also Known as	Vetrimaaran
Date of Birth	04/09/1975
Current Residence	Chennai
Religion	Hindhu
Nationality	Indian
Hobbies	reading, writing
Father	Dr. V. Chitravel
Mother	Megala Chitravel
Spouse	Aarthi
Children	Poonthendral, Kathiravan
Educational Qualification	Graduation
College (s)	Loyola College

Debut Movies
Language	Movie Name
Tamil	Polladhavan

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Awards List
Year	Award	Category	Movie Name
2007	Vijay Award for Best Director		Polladhavan
2011	National Film Award for Best Director		Aadukalam
2011	National Film Award for Best Screenplay		Aadukalam
2011	Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Director		Aadukalam
2019	National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil		Asuran
2016	National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil		Visaranai
2015	National Film Award for Best Children's Film		Kaaka Muttai

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Upcoming movies, filmography of vetrimaaran.

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Every Vetrimaaran Movie Ranked and Where to Watch Them

Published on.

Shaurya Singh Thapa

Official JustWatch writer

Known for his gritty crime dramas, underdog heroes, and numerous collaborations with actor Dhanush , Vetrimaaran has established himself as one of Tamil film industry’s leading directors.

If you wish to know more about the Asuran and Vidhuthalai director’s filmography, we have got you covered with a complete streaming guide that leads you to all of Vetrimaaran’s movies and information you need on where to stream them online.

Which Vetrimaaran movies should I watch first? 

The best way to watch Vetrimaaran’s movies is in the same order as their release date, as this sequence would show how the director has only improved in his craft with every passing movie. Vetrimaaran made his directorial debut in 2007 with the action thriller Polladhavan . Dhanush played the lead character, a man whose fate changes after he buys a bike and later gets it stolen. Opening to rave reviews for Dhanush’s acting and Vetrimaaran’s directing, the movie spawned numerous remakes in other languages and popularised the Bajaj Pulsar (the bike featured in the movie) among Tamil youths.

The director and actor joined forces again for the drama Aadukalam . The 2011 hit found Dhanush’s protagonist embroiled in an unattainable romance and a rooster-fighting business. The movie earned Vetrimaaran a National Award for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

While Vetrimaaran’s first two movies addressed social themes like an economic class divide, his political themes got more evident in his third film: a police thriller titled Visaranai (also released as Interrogation). The gruelling social drama revolves around the fates of two men who are forced to confess to a crime after they are locked up by the cops. The film won a National Award for Best Tamil Film and also opened much debate and discourse over the ethics of the police force in Tamil Nadu.

Visaranai’s success opened the avenues for more ambitious projects like the period gangster epic Vada Chennai , yet again starring regular collaborator Dhanush. The movie charts an underdog’s journey between rival criminal factions in a fishing community in ‘70s-era South Chennai. Vada Chennai ended on a nail biting cliffhanger, teasing the possibility of a sequel that fans still await.

With Dhanush already starring in several anti-caste dramas, Vetrimaaran cast him again in Asuran. Addressing the oppression faced by marginalised castes, Asuran starred Dhanush as a hot-headed lower-caste youth who kills an oppressive upper-caste landlord. The ensuing chaos made for a violent, powerful, and relevant watch. As is the case with many Vetrimaaran films, Asuran also earned the National Award for Best Tamil Film. 

Why is Vidhuthalai Part 1 Vetrimaaran’s best movie to watch? 

Intending to direct a two-part saga next, Vetrimaaran directed Vidhuthalai Part 1 . Set in the 1980s and inspired by real-life politics of the era, Viduthalai explores the conflict between the police and a separatist group. However, neither side is good or bad as Vetrimaaran’s story explores the morally grey areas of the policemen and their atrocities as well. Boasting impressive performances by Vijay Sethupathi and Soori, Vidhuthalai is a gripping political thriller.

Where can I watch the best Vetrimaaran movies online? 

Below you can find the latest streaming information for every Vetrimaaran movie. This includes every offer for viewers in India today.

Viduthalai: Part I

Kumaresan, a police constable, gets recruited for an operation implanted to capture Perumal Vaathiyar, who leads a separatist group dedicated to fighting against the authorities for committing atrocities against innocent village women in the name of police interrogations.

Vada Chennai

A young carrom player in North Chennai becomes a reluctant participant in a war between two feuding gangsters.

The teenage son of a farmer from an underprivileged caste kills a rich, upper caste landlord. How the pacifist farmer saves his hot-blooded son is the rest of the story.

Pandi and his friends, immigrant workers in Andhra Pradesh, are picked up by cops for a crime they never committed. And thus begins their nightmare, where they become pawns in a vicious game where the voiceless are strangled by those with power.

Pettaikaaran is famous in his town for an impeccable track record of successes in rooster fights. When one of his aides, Karuppu, goes against his word in a fight, it leads to an enmity between them.

Polladhavan

Prabhu is dejected when he learns that his bike has been stolen. He decides to find the people who stole the bike, but lands in trouble when he realises that his bike has been used to transport drugs.

Ranking All Vetrimaran Movies

1. Vada Chennai

2. Visaaranai

3. Aadukalam

5. Viduthalai: Part 1

6. Polladhavan

More to explore, recently viewed.

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Director Vetri Maaran

Mr. Vetri Maaran is a National award winning Director who primarily works in the Tamil film industry. A graduate in Literature from Loyola College, Chennai, his grounding in Tamil Culture and Literature, his keen eye for detail and his sensitivity to the Political, socio-cultural context within which he stages his stories drives his unique film journey. He wears multiple hats – Producer, Director, Writer and as an educator with the founding of International Institute of Film and Culture (IIFC). IIFC is his way of giving back to society by providing opportunities to dreamers and creators from marginalised communities.

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August 31, 2024

Vetrimaaran Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Children, Family, Caste, Wiki & More

Updated On : October 7, 2019

Vetrimaaran

Film director.

BIRTHDAY	4 September,1975 (Thursday)
BIRTH PLACE	Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu
COUNTRY	India
AGE (in 2024)	48 Years Old
BIRTH SIGN	Virgo
HEIGHT	in centimeters- in meters- in Feet Inches-
WEIGHT	in Kilograms- in Pounds-
CASTE	N/A

Vetrimaaran Photos

Vetrimaaran popularity on social media, short biography.

National Award Winner, Ace Tamil Film Director, Vetrimaaran was born on 4th September 1975 in a small town called Cuddalore in Tamilnadu, India. The Grim Movie maker has made India proud with his Film Visaranai becoming the official entry at Oscars in Foreign Film Category.

Other Name:	Vetri Maaran
Other Professions:
Appearance:

Vetrimaaran Complete Bio & Career

Vetrimaaran popular videos.

Vetrimaaran Family, Relatives and Other Relations

He was born to Dr. V. Chitravel and Megala Chitravel . Vetrimaaran is married to Aarthi who is working as a General Manager in a Multinational company. The couple is blessed with 2 children including a daughter named Poonthendral .

Life's Important Dates Of Vetrimaaran

• LIFE EVENTS
• FAMILY EVENTS

Body Measurements

Chest Size	40
Biceps Size	13
Waist Size	32
Skin Colour	Dark
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black

Personal Info

Home Town	Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu
Nationality
Religion	Hindu
Address	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
School	N/A
College	Loyola College, Chennai
Qualification	Graduate
Hobbies	Travelled and Reading Books
Marital Status	Married
Debut	As a director of Tamil films - Polladhavan (2007) As a Producer of Tamil films - Visaaranai (2016)
Best Movies	Polladhavan (2007), Aadukalam (2011), Visaaranai (2016), Vada Chennai (2018), and Asuran (2019)
Salary	N/A
Net Worth	N/A
Official Website	N/A

Favorite Color	White
Favorite Sport	Cricket
Favorite Actress
Favorite Actor
Favorite Food	South Indian Dishes

Shocking / Interesting Facts & Secrets About Vetrimaaran

• After Asuran, he will be shooting for a movie based on Kota Neelima's much acclaimed novel 'Shoes Of The Dead' . He announced this film in 2016 but is yet to start shooting.
• Vetrimaaran also launched his own production house called the Grass Root Film Company in the year 2012.
• He is someone who believes in quality rather than quantity as he has directed just 5 films thus far in his 12 years long career.

Vetrimaaran Age, Birthday Facts and Birthday Countdown

48 years, 11months, 27 days old age Vetrimaaran will turn 49 on 04 September, 2024. Only 3 days, 11 hours,57 minutes has left for his next birthday.

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Every Vetrimaaran Film Ranked and Where to Stream Them

Tamil filmmakerVetrimaaran belongs to a breed of directors whose taut scripts, apt casting, and realistic storyline treatment have fundamentally changed the very nature of mainstream filmmaking. Vetrimaaran films are made for a multicultural audience and backed by the strength of their storytelling and sculpted dialogue, which has reinvigorated the art of popular cinema with a breath of fresh air.

Each film is imbued with a powerful, coherent aesthetic that guides viewers through a dark matrix. At its best, it augments a captivating narrative and sinks viewers into a world of rural and urban Tamil Nadu social realism. The reality that’s depicted is populated with more fallible and life-like characters. The cinema of the carnivalesque, with its larger-than-life characters, melodramatic orientation, and highly romanticized canvas, is something that does not whet his appetite for creativity.

With a filmography of six features and one short film as a director, he has earned his reputation as one of the most accessible filmmakers of the last decade. His style flourishes in a deliberate, soothing rhythm, creating an atmosphere rich with realistic undertones. While some viewers may find his films brutally intense and emotionally jarring, they are also unexpectedly heartwarming, offering moments of surprising tenderness amidst their ruthless depictions.

6. Polladhavan (2007)

Vetrimaaran’s debut feature film opens with a gruesome and brutal fighting sequence. Then, using flashback, the filmmaker takes us into the dynamic world of contemporary Chennai, where an educated young man, Prabhu ( Dhanush ), fights injustice and, in the process, is forced to unleash the animal within him.

Also, Read: Every Sriram Raghavan Film Ranked

The protagonist is an unemployed youth who confronts his father (Murali), and an argument regarding the responsibilities of parents towards their offspring ensues. As a result of this conflict, Prabhu gets a hefty amount from his father, and he uses the money to purchase a Bajaj Pulsar bike. This appears to be a wise investment because owning the vehicle enables him to get a job and earn respect in society. But the situation takes a drastic turn when a gang of anti-socials steals his bike. After that, the film presents the viewers with the transformation of resilience into power and its hold over the life of an individual’s struggle to maintain his position in the harsh reality of everyday life.

The plot of the film has similarities with Wang Xiaoshuai’s Bejing Bicycle (2001). But the well-worked-out mise-en-scenes of “Polladhavan” make it an entertaining tale of a casual, urban, carefree person’s conversion into a person of genuine worth and true dignity. “Polladhavan” was remade in Kannada as “Punda,” in Telugu as “Kurradu” starring Varun Sandesh, in Sinhala as “Pravegeya,” in Bengali as “Borbaad” (2014), and in Hindi as “Guns of Banaras” (2020). However, none of them could achieve the excellence earned by the original version.

Where to Watch:

5. aadukalam (2011).

As the roosters combat in the arena with each other, it becomes a fight of the egos of the individuals who own the fowl. So, when Karuppu’s rooster emerges victorious, he not only earns a lot of money but also the enmity of his bosses, Periyasamy (V. I. S. Jayapalan) and Rathnasamy (Naren). From then onwards, the life of our protagonist will be filled with one hurdle after another as the tale of loyalty, self-esteem, deception, and honor unfolds.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: 10 Great Tamil Movies You Can Stream On Netflix Right Now

In his sophomore venture, Vetrimaaran presents a varied cultural pattern of rural Tamil Nadu. He uses realism, tradition, and contemporaneity, soaked in local flavor within the narrative structure of his tightly structured screenplay. The conflicts introduced within the plot points create tension by employing smart conventions that are able to sustain the viewer’s anticipation. The film’s editing pattern makes a commendable pace and multi-layered visual design that heightens the film’s impact. Though the filmmaker has openly admitted that he was inspired by the dogfighting scene of “Amores Perros” (2000), Vetrimaaran has infused his style and poise within the narrative.

Despite its strong content and potential for box-office success, filmmakers from other regions have not dared remake the film until now. The reason is that the film’s milieu is so rooted in Tamil Nadu. At the 58th National Film Awards, the film won five awards: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Choreography, and Special Jury Award for Acting.

4. Viduthalai: Part I (2023)

Vetrimaaran’s “Viduthalai,” based on prolific author Jeyamohan’s short story “Thunaivan,” started as a low-budget project like “Visaranai,” reintroducing comical actor Soori as the protagonist. But considering the story’s scope and the casting of Vijay Sethupathi as the rebel leader Perumal ‘Vaathiyar,’ “Viduthalai” became the long-gestating project in Vetrimaaran’s career. Set during the turbulent 1980s period in Tamil Nadu and heavily drawing from the documented cases of police brutality (like the Vachathi case), “Viduthalai: Part I” unfolds from the perspective of Kumersan (Soori), a low-ranked police official assigned to the special police battalion in charge of quelling the Tamil People’s Army’s rebellion, and catch its leader, Perumal. Kumerasan drives the police jeep in the hilly terrain and witnesses firsthand the various oppressive tactics to displace the tribal communities and clear the land for the mining operations. 

“Viduthalai: Part I” is not only the most brutally violent film in Vetrimaaran’s filmography but also one of the most disturbing films ever made in Tamil cinema. The graphic depiction of the police authorities’ violence – particularly against women – can profoundly distress the viewers. Like Vetrimaaran’s previous works, “Viduthalai” highlights the major issues of environmental exploitation and social injustice. Yet one could wish the film was relatively concise and not make us wait for the answers with a sequel that’s going through one reshoot after another. The most significant discovery of “Viduthalai” is Soori as the leading man. Unlike most comedian-turned-lead actors, Soori has proved his incredible acting range and followed it with versatile performances in “ Garudan ” and “Kottukaali.”

3. Asuran (2019)

What becomes the last resort for a farmer who goes on the run with his family as he is compelled to protect his son, who has murdered a wealthy upper-caste landlord in a fit of vengeance? The reply should be to fight with the oppressing forces and reclaim his identity. That is precisely what Sivasaami (Dhanush) does to break away from the uncomfortable social status he has inherited. Based on the novel “Vekkai” by Poomani, Vetrimaaran’s screen adaptation is so watertight that every occurrence in the screenplay feels alluring.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Asuran (2019) Review: Rise, Asuran, Rise!

With “Asuran,” Vetrimaaran continues his excellent cinematic flair as a director, enhancing his commendable grasp on the tropes of mainstream cinema. The film also benefits from technical polish – the cinematography, background score, and editing are all top-notch. “Asuran,” too, has gut-wrenching violence and prepares the viewer for the edge-of-seat tension. The narrative follows a rhythm where the plot is revealed without wasting much of the screen time. The film belongs to the genre of revenge saga, which is told from the perspective of an oppressed caste protagonist.

It’s one of those mainstream films that fulfills a social purpose, for it’s hard to imagine anyone viewing “Asuran” and not abhorring the evil practice of casteism in our country and how it voluntarily degrades human values and status. At the Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards 2020, Vetrimaaran won the award for best director. The film also won two National Film Awards—Best Feature Film in Tamil and Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Asuran (2019) Here

2. visaranai (2016).

Based on the novella “Lock Up” by M. Chandrakumar, Vetrimaaran’s third outing in its first half has such brutal scenes of police torture that one could genuinely feel the bestial act of police torture. The viewers are compelled to cringe and empathize with the plight of four helpless souls. The film’s narrative can be strictly divided into two sections. Four Tamil migrant workers are falsely accused in a burglary case that has taken place at a wealthy and affluent man’s bungalow in Andhra Pradesh. The police beat these four men, black and blue, and want them to confess. Not able to withstand the pain, they agree to accept the charges. Once they are produced in the court, the film’s narrative takes a twist, and the viewers are presented with one shocking surprise after the other.

The filmmaker displays superb craftsmanship and commitment to an engaging dramatic tale that ends in a tragedy. The film subtly depicts that the characters in the movie become victims because of the system that protects criminal behavior. It is a profoundly troubling film that is devoid of cathartic and healing moments. Vetrimaaran is not hesitant to construct the brutal scene with ease, and he is not afraid to carve out his unique style. The film premiered at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Back home, it won three National Film Awards: Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Editing.

1. Vada Chennai (2018)

A tale of criminal activities narrated in a non-linear pattern over the span of more than two decades is the perfect recipe for a crime drama. Vetrimaaran’s narrative takes the viewers on a journey lasting nearly a hundred and sixty-four hours. It introduces them to the world of guilt, regret, and vital decisions leading to loyalty turned into betrayal. The protagonist of the film Anbu (Dhanush) is an expert carrom player but his life gets entwined into the world of crime. He gets pulled into the vortex so deeply that penitence alludes to him after a point in time.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Top Tamil Movies of 2018 and Where To Watch Them

With an ensemble cast, the film’s story is set in the underbellies of North Chennai, as the title implies, and the film’s theme is more nuanced than the conventional black-and-white morality tales where evil is punished by good at the end. “Vada Chennai” blatantly showcases the graphic world of crime and violence and investigates the nature of friendship and the ethics of vigilantism. Vetrimaaran’s script is a masterclass in non-linear narration. He delves deeply into the minds of his conflicted characters and explores how marginalized people grapple with moral codes and their emotions.

He further engages with many of the most fundamental questions about our humanity and how we relate to one another in a complex world. The stylistic elements in the film earn comparisons, bearing marked connections to several of Vetrimaaran’s other films. The film won the Best Film (People’s Choice Award) at the Pingyao International Film Festival 2018. At the Filmfare Awards South, Dhanush won the trophy for the Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Vada Chennai (2018) Here

Special mention: oor iravu (2020).

“Oor Iravu” is a part of the Tamil anthology drama “Paava Kadhaigal” (2020). Owing to its shorter running time, I have included it in the special mention category. On the surface level, the film depicts the tale of a daughter, Sumathi (Sai Pallavi), who had eloped from her village and now has reunited with her father, Janakiraman (Prakash Raj). However, as the story progresses, we discover the sensitivity and intricacies of the complex human psyche of individual characters within the film.

Also, Read: Paava Kadhaigal (2020) Netflix: Sinful Filmmaking under the Garb of Hard Hitting Social Drama

Vetrimaaran treated the film with a bold and innovative style, choosing a subject in which form and content merge. The pacing is not fast like in his other films; instead, it is a slow study of how Sumathi’s decision has impacted the lives of various family members. Vetrimaaran did not deviate from his usual style of narrative exploration, but he brought an understated rhythm to the unfolding of the events. “Oor Iravu” ends on a depressing note as we realize that such evil things are a reality and will continue to happen unless and until the evils of casteism are not obliterated from our society.

Vetrimaaran Links: IMDb , Wikipedia

Dipankar Sarkar is a freelance writer on various topics related to cinema. His articles have appeared in Scroll, The Hindu, Livemint, The Quint, The Tribune, Chandigarh, Upperstall, and vaguevisages.com amongst others.

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Vetrimaaran: A certified Dravidian stockist regurgitating Dravidian stockist BS

There is no shortage for virtue-signallers in Kollywood who function as propagandists for the DMK.

There is actor Suriya Sivakumar who became vocal in the lead up to the 2021 Assembly Elections, parrotting the DMK’s rhetoric on NEET, National Education Policy and other issues.

His wife Jyothika took to virtue-signalling when she said her heart weeps on seeing money being spent on maintaining temples instead of hospitals.

Then came alleged ‘comedian’ Soori who while showering praises for Suriya, said that educating one child is far nobler than building temples or giving money for  Annadanam  (food served for free at temples).

Needless to mention is Kamal Haasan who has been in this pseudo-rationalism virtue-signalling trade for a long time.

Then there are blatantly anti-Hindu demagogues like Pa. Ranjith, Ameer Sultan and Karu Pazhaniappan, spewing venom about Hinduism whenever there is a mike in front of them.

The latest to get added to this list is the acclaimed film director Vetrimaaran. He is known for blockbuster films like  Visaranai, Aadukalam, Vada Chennai, Asuran , to name a few.

While the man may be good at his craft, he is your typical Dravidian Stockist who seeks to separate Hindu identity from Tamil culture. This separation of Hindu identity from Tamil culture to form a distinct ‘Dravidian’ identity has always been the aim of external evangelical forces.

Vetrimaaran: An agmark Dravidian stockist

Not many may know but Vetrimaaran hails from a family that owes its allegiance to the DMK. His maternal uncle Ela. Pugazhendi was a 3 time DMK MLA from Cuddalore. It was Pugazhendi who named him Vetrimaaran.

Pugazhendhi’s father Ere. Elamvazhuthi was also a DMK MLA from Cuddalore and had worked closely with rabid anti-Hindu demagogue E.V. Ramasamy Naicker (known as Periyar by his followers) and also with CN Annadurai and Karunanidhi.

So, the anti-Hindu DNA runs in the family.

Vetrimaaran: A regurgitator of Dravidian stockist BS

It isn’t just his family’s inclination to the DMK that makes Vetrimaaran a Dravidian Stockist. Vetrimaaran has acted as a propaganda vehicle for the DMK both on and off screen.

Like this one time, he fanned the linguistic chauvinism lit by DMK MP Kanimozhi who in 2020 claimed that she was questioned and ridiculed by CRPF personnel at Chennai airport for not knowing Hindi.

Today at the airport a CISF officer asked me if “I am an Indian” when I asked her to speak to me in tamil or English as I did not know Hindi. I would like to know from when being indian is equal to knowing Hindi. #hindiimposition — Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) August 9, 2020

Just days after Kanimozhi’s claims,  Vetrimaaran alleged in an interview  that he was insulted by the immigration officials at Delhi Airport back in 2011 when he was returning from Canada.

Apparently, the immigration official also told him “You people are like this…You Tamils, Kashmiris are only breaking this country.”.

That he chose to casually pass of this as a matter of fact trying to draw an equivalence between Tamils and Kashmiris says a lot about his intentions.

He would have done a similar thing in his film Visaaranai where he casually superimposes Tamil identity with LTTE in a scene.

A Tamil Muslim man named Afzal is interrogoated by an Andhra Pradesh police officer who asks “Are you LTTE?”

The beauty in these two instances is that the extrapolations and superimpositions about Tamilians comes from the antagonists of his stories – the immigration official from his alleged real life incident and the police official in the reel life  Visaranai .

When the ‘Hindi Theriyathu Poda’ t-shirt campaign was kicked off and given patronage by Kanimozhi and Udhayanidhi Stalin, he was also one of the film personalities to join the brigade.

Even in his films he has peddled the Dravidian Stockist propaganda.

In the critically acclaimed blockbuster  Asuran , there is a scene where Sivasaami (played by Dhanush) is made to fall at the feet of villagers by members of the dominant caste. Sivasaami is shown trying to reach the feet of a man clad in black-shirt who asks him not to, indicating that the blackshirt man is a member of the Dravida Kazhagam (DK) started by E.V. Ramasamy Naicker.

The village where dominant caste members live is named (Vadakkoor – northern village) and the place where Dalits live is named (Thekkoor – southern village).

This is the typical dichotomy drawn by Dravidian Stockists to peddle their separatist victimhood propaganda.

North : Oppressors :: South : Oppressed

“ Vadakku Vaazhgiradhu, Therku Theigiradhu  (North is flourishing, South is perishing)”, as stated by DMK founder Annadurai.

In the same film, there is a scene where Sivasami’s family along with many others, are burned alive in their huts similar to the horrific Keezhvenmani massacre. But there is no subtle reference to the original perpetrators of the crime, the apathy of the then DMK government or to E.V. Ramasamy Naicker who refused to condemn the incident and instead justified the crime saying, “ Labourers should simply accept the wages offered to them by the land-owners instead of demanding more than what they deserve ”.

Vada Chennai which was released in 2018, had heavy anti-development propaganda when the DMK was upping the ante against Chennai-Salem Expressway, Sagarmala, Indian Neutrino Observatory and other projects.

Vetrimaaran: A coward of the first order?

Vetrimaaran in his recent controversial speech stated that art is inherently political and that it was very important to politicize cinema.

Yes, cinema is political and it is through cinema that the Dravidian political parties reaped benefits.

It is important that cinema apart from providing entertainment also educates and enlighten people about things that they should know about.

In that light, will Vetrimaaran have the courage to take a film on the rotten state of affairs in Tamil Nadu where corruption is the order of the day?

Will Vetrimaaran have the guts and the gumption to take a film on the  Maanjolai Massacre  that happened under Karunanidhi’s watch in which 17 innocent Dalit tea estate workers including two women and a two-year-old child were killed for demanding a wage increase of ₹30?

Will Vetrimaaran have the guts and the gumption to take a film on the horrific murder of Leelavathi, a Communist Party councillor in Madurai who was hacked to death in broad daylight by DMK goons?

Will Vetrimaaran have the guts and the gumption to talk about the casteist venom spewed by DMK leaders?

If he doesn’t even make an attempt to do any of the above, then there is no bigger coward of the first order like him.

Vetrimaaran: A hypocrite of the first order?

Vetrimaaran also said that art is for people and that it should reflect the society which we live in. He talked about ‘erasure of identities’.

“We should handle art responsibly. If we don’t, our identities will be taken from us. Constantly our identities are being snatched away.”, he said.

Vetrimaaran should have thought twice before making this statement.

In his film Vada Chennai, he had portrayed people of (Meenavar) fishermen community of north Chennai as if they were involved only in piracy, drugs, goondaism and crime. He had shown the women folk as lacking decency and using cuss words.

The Meenavar community which includes communities like Pattanavar, Paravars and Sembadavars have a glorious history in seafaring. The Pattanavars are maritime community densely populated in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Cuddalore, Vizhupuram and Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu. They have traditionally been involved in fishing, shipment, navy, and trade. They had served as naval force under various Tamil kings. According to historian Hermann Kulke, the Pattanavars were instrumental in in the organization and exploits of Chozha Navy.

Yet, Vetrimaaran chose to snatch away this glorious history and identity of Meenavars and showed them as uncouth people.

Vetrimaaran: A cog in the Breaking India machinery

Speaking at the 26th edition of International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) held at Thiruvananthapuram in March 2022, Vetrimaaran said “Today’s world is divided. Most of us feel that you have to choose – you are either left or right. There is no middle. If you say that you are middle then you are right. So, it is either left of right. So, there is a time where you have to choose.”

"Today's world is divided. You have to choose. You are either left or you are right. There is no middle. If you say that you are in the middle, then you are in the right." – Vetrimaaran, Tamil Director. A filmmaker with a spine & conscience, which is rare in today's India. pic.twitter.com/pw9jABePQu — Advaid അദ്വൈത് (@Advaidism) March 23, 2022

The left has always built careers by exploiting linguistic, religious, and caste faultlines. This statement of Vetrimaaran shows where he belongs and what his agenda is. Through his movies and statements he makes it clear that his agenda is to peddle political propaganda favourable to the DMK and the left.

Vetrimaaran: A filtered bigoted illiterate?

In his recent controversial speech Vetrimaaran said that his friend had done a meticulous study on how literature and cinema were in ‘their’ hands (Brahmins), and how the Dravidian movement took over cinema from them.

Well here are some facts:

• KB Sundarambal who lives in the hearts of millions of Tamils as Avvaiyaar was a Gounder.
• MK Thiyagaraja Bhagavathar, the first superstar of Tamil cinema belonged to the Aasaari/Aachari (goldsmiths) community
• The iconic Sivaji Ganesan who ruled the Tamil film industry for decades and helped us visualize Lord Siva, Karnan, Veerapandiya Kattabomman and VO Chidambaram Pillai was a Thevar.
• Then lady superstar Saroja Devi belonged to a Vokkaliga family.
• Accclaimed director Bhimsingh who gave hits like Pasamalar, Kalathur Kannamma, Paalum Pazhamum was a Bondil Rajput (a migrated community who settled in then Madras Presidency from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh).
• Superstar Rajinikanth (originally Sivaji Rao Gaewad) who still rules the Tamil film industry as an actor belongs to a Marathi Kunbi family.

And the list is endless which busts the Brahmin – non-Brahmin narrative peddled by Vetrimaaran who has shown himself to be the typical Dravidian Stockist bigot.

Vetrimaaran also took to expose his cultural illiteracy with his comments on Rajaraja Chozhan “being appropriated as a Hindu”.

The Chozha rulers – Rajaraja Chozha, Rajendra Chozha I, Rajadhiraja I, Rajendra Chozha II, Virarajendra Choza – aestablished Vedic schools all across the then Tamil land. According to the Karandai copper plates, Rajendra Chola I himself studied the Vedas apart from learning horseriding and military skills.

To those who say Cholas are Saivites and not “Hindus”, well the Chozhas not just built and patronaged Sivan temples but also Perumal (Lord Vishnu) temples.

Nanda Chozha built the Azhagiya Manavalan Perumal temple at Uraiyur near Trichy. Chozha kings namely Dharmavarcholan and Killivalavan developed the Srirangam Renganathaswamy Temple.

Alas, the Chozhas didn’t built any mosque or church. So, Chozhas like Thiruvalluvar will be known as Hindu kings who strengthened Hindu spirituality and Tamil culture.

To the argument that there was no Hinduism back then and there existed various sects like Saivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktham, Ganapathyam and Kaumaram, well even Tamil Nadu didn’t exist back then. The region was split as Chera Nadu, Chozha Nadu and Pandiya Nadu. The name Tamil Nadu was not there earlier. Does that mean Tamil people and culture did not exist?

Today, a Hindu who goes to a temple prays to Vinayagar, Murugan, Siva, Sakthi, Vishnu, and every 33 crore Gods present in the Hindu pantheon. He/she prays at Ekambaranathar temple and also prays at Ulagalanda Perumal temple in Kanchipuram. They go to Uchipillayar Koil in Trichy and also go to Srirangam Ranganathar temple. He visits Tirupati and also prays at Kalahasthi. He goes to Palani praying to Lord Murugan and also carries his irumudi for Ayyappa at Sabarimala.

As a fellow director from Tamil film industry says, the pseudo-rationalists are more dangerous and vicious who are hell bent on breaking the unity of this country.

So, Mr. Vetrimaaran, please spare us you regurgitated Dravidian Stockists BS.

(The story was published on thecommunemag.com on October 5, 2022 and has been reproduced here with consent.)

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• Asuran Director Vetrimaaran Brings Home The BMW R nineT Scrambler Worth Rs. 16.75 Lakh

By car&bike Team

1 mins read

Published on February 17, 2022

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• Director Vetrimaaran was spotted taking delivery of his R nineT Scrambler
• The BMW R nineT Scrambler gets a more rugged look and setup
• The BMW R nineT Scrambler is worth Rs. 16.75 lakh (ex-showroom, India)

One of the more prolific directors of the Tamil film industry Vetrimaaran is known for some incredible cinema. But little did we know that the filmmaker likes his machines to be fast and powerful as well. The director, popular for films like Adukalam, Vada Chennai, Asuran, Polladhavan, among others, recently purchased the BMW R nineT Scrambler, images of which are now going viral on social media. The BMW R nineT Scrambler is the retro-styled offering from the Bavarian manufacturer and is priced at Rs. 16.75 lakh (ex-showroom, India).

Also Read:  Actor Avneet Kaur Brings Home The Range Rover Velar Worth Rs. 86.75 Lakh

BMW R nineT Scrambler differentiates itself with a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear wheel, high-mounted exhaust and a different colour scheme

The BMW R nineT Scrambler is the more ruggedly-packaged version based on the R nineT. The bike gets the atypical Scrambler look with the relaxed seating posture, brown-finished leather seat, and a high-mounted twin exhaust. Vertirmaaran's machine is finished in the Granite Grey Metallic shade, while you also have the option of Black storm metallic/Racing red, Cosmic blue metallic/Light white uni, and Kalamata metallic matt. The styling remains true to the standard R nineT with the boxer engine sticking out, making it an instantly recognisable motorcycle.

Director Vetrimaaran's BMW R nineT Scrambler is finished in the Granite Grey Metallic shade

In terms of power, the BMW R nineT Scrambler uses the 1170 cc twin-cylinder, air/oiled-cooled boxer engine that develops 108 bhp at 7,250 rpm and 116 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. The motor is paired with a 6-speed gearbox with a hydraulically actuated clutch and a shaft final drive. The top speed is rated at 200 kmph on the motorcycle while you get two rider modes - Rain and Road, cornering ABS, and traction control, as part of the electronics suite.

Also Read:  Actor Athiya Shetty Brings Home The New Audi Q7 Worth Rs. 88.33 Lakh

The BMW R nineT Scrambler uses 43 mm telescopic forks upfront and a monoshock at the rear, while braking performance comes from 320 mm twin disc brakes at the front and a 265 mm single disc at the rear.  Compared to the standard R nineT, the Scrambler makes do with a 19-inch wheel at the front and a 17-inch wheel at the rear. The Scrambler promises to slush it out better where there's no tarmac and we do hope Vetrimaaran makes full use of his newest possession.

Director Vetrimaaran checks out his BMW R nineT Scrambler before delivery

On the work front, the five-time National Award-winning director has quite a bit lined up. He is currently busy with Viduthalai with actors Soori, Vijay Sethupathi, and Gautham Vasudev Menon in prominent roles. He will then helm Vaadivasal which is based on the ancient sport of Jallikattu. Vetrimaaran also has several web series in his kitty while he is also producing Adhigaaram with actor Raghava Lawrence in the lead role.

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Last Updated on February 17, 2022

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Vetrimaaran’s fiery speech on Tamil cinema: ‘Cladding Thiruvalluvar in saffron, presenting Rajaraja Cholan as a Hindu king, our identities are being erased’

Filmmaker vetrimaaran has alleged that many identities are being removed from cinema. he also mentioned how rajaraja cholan is being presented as a hindu king..

Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran recently emphasised the importance of shaping the art of cinema as a tool to disseminate political knowledge. He was speaking at the birthday celebration of MP and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi’s (VCK) leader Thol. Thirumavalavan when he made a passionate speech about the country’s current political scenario.

Vetrimaaran recalled that when he wanted to make Asuran (2019), he first met Thirumavalavan to take his advice to ensure his film doesn’t go wrong politically. “When I asked what should be the priority when we deal with such a subject in movies, he told me not to make the mistake of telling that one person can bring about changes in society. Everyone is doing the same mistake. Show that the changes happen through a movement,” said Vetrimaaran.

Vetrimaaran claimed that Tamil cinema had stopped making politically relevant movies for some time. And he also emphasised the need to keep movies well within the realm of politics. “Art is inherently political. But, Thirumavalavan went a step further and told me that our very existence is political. Knowing or unknowingly, we occupy a certain political space. The way we dress, talk, and everything about us is the reflection of the political ideology that we have imbibed. It is because the Dravidian movement took over Tamil cinema, Tamil Nadu remains a secular state and has given us the maturity to resist the influence of various external factors. Cinema is an art form which very easily reaches common people and it’s important to politicise it,” he added.

Vetrimaaran is very vocal about politics in his movies. All his movies deal with an important social issue, be it the horrors of police brutality and custodial torture in Visaranai, or the ills of casteist society in Asuran. He promised he would continue to talk about politics in his movies.

“When the Dravidian movement took over the cinema, there were arguments about doing art for art’s sake and not for the masses. They talked a lot about aesthetic beauty. Yes, that’s also important but no art is complete if it doesn’t touch the lives of people,” he added.

He also alleged that many identities are being removed from cinema. “The art is for the people, and reflecting the people is the art. So we should properly handle this art form if we don’t… already many of our identities are being erased. Be it cladding Thiruvalluvar in saffron, or presenting Rajaraja Cholan as a Hindu king, such things keep happening (in our society). This will also happen in cinema and many identities are (already) removed from the cinema. We should protect our identities,” he said.

It’s noteworthy that Vetrimaaran’s comments have come just days after the release of filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s much-awaited movie, Ponniyin Selvan: 1, which is based on Kalki ’s fictional novel inspired by Rajaraja Cholan.

Vetrimaaran is now busy with his upcoming film, Viduthalai. The film stars Soori and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role. After completing it, he will start shooting Vaadivaasal with Suriya in the lead.

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• Vetrimaran reacts to controversial removal of Nayanthara starrer 'Annapoorani': ' The OTT's action undermines the powers of the CBFC'

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Nayanthara starrer 'Annapoorani' taken down from OTT platform for THIS reason!

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Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, the Palmetto State is blessed with a moderate climate, abundant rainfall, and picturesque scenery. These factors make it an ideal location for growing a beautiful lawn. But with numerous options available, choosing the right grass type for your yard can take time and effort.

Take a closer look at the 6 best grass types for South Carolina, from the drought-tolerant bermudagrass to the shade-loving Zoysiagrass. You’ll learn about crucial factors like water requirements, disease resistance, and ease of maintenance. With this information, you’ll be well on your way to a lush, green yard that’s the envy of the neighborhood.

Warm-Season vs. Cool-Season Grasses

• Bermudagrass
• Carpetgrass
• Centipedegrass
• St. Augustinegrass
• Tall Fescue
• Zoysiagrass

FAQ About South Carolina Grass Types

Warm-season and cool-season grasses have distinct differences that are crucial to understanding their growing patterns. While warm-season grasses grow rapidly and are drought-resistant, cool-season grasses have a resilient and thick growth pattern.

However, these differences barely scratch the surface of their contrasting characteristics. The following additional details can help you distinguish between warm-season and cool-season grasses:

Warm-Season Grasses

• For optimal growth, warm-season grasses should be planted in late spring or early summer .
• They have a rougher texture with thicker blades compared to cool-season grasses.
• They should be mowed at a shorter height.
• These grasses thrive when the temperature is between 80 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit .
• Warm-season grasses will become dormant in the winter, but they will start to grow again in the spring when the temperature begins to warm up.

Cool-Season Grasses

• The perfect time to plant cool-season grasses is in late summer or early fall.
• Their thin blades make them an excellent match for overseeding fine or medium-textured warm-season grasses.
• Cool-season grasses should be mowed at a taller height compared to warm-season grasses.
• The ideal temperature range for these grasses to thrive is typically between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit .
• These cold-tolerant grasses will go dormant during the hot summer months, but they will begin to grow again once the temperature cools in the fall.

6 Warm-Season and Cool-Season Grasses for South Carolina

Whether you’re looking for a warm-season or cool-season grass, here are the top picks that are perfectly suited to South Carolina’s humid subtropical climate and soil conditions:

1. Bermudagrass

Photo Credit: Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

A warm-season turfgrass that’s well-adapted to the hot and humid climate of South Carolina, bermudagrass boasts fast growth, which means it can quickly establish a thick and healthy turf. This grass variety is known for being drought-tolerant and able to withstand heavy foot traffic, which is why it’s a popular choice for lawns, sports fields, and golf courses in the area.

Several types of bermudagrass are available, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. For example, common bermudagrass is coarser and requires less maintenance. On the other hand, hybrid cultivars have a fine texture and refined appearance but require greater care to maintain.

Proper care and attention are crucial to maintaining a healthy and beautiful bermudagrass lawn. Regular mowing and watering are necessary, and the grass also requires fertilization and aeration to keep it in top shape. In addition, the soil type and pH can affect the grass’s health and appearance, so homeowners should consider these factors when selecting a bermudagrass variety.

Classification: Warm-season grass

Spreads by: Stolons and rhizomes

Shade tolerance: Low – some cultivars need more exposure to direct sunlight than others

Drought tolerance: High – may become dormant in extended periods of drought

Foot traffic tolerance: High

Maintenance needs: Moderate to high – requires frequent mowing, fertilization, and watering to maintain its health and appearance

Recommended mowing height: 1-2 inches – increase the mowing height during bouts of extreme heat or drought

Potential for disease: Moderate resistance – can be prone to leaf spot, spring dead spot, brown patch, and dollar spot

Potential for pests: Low resistance – mostly prone to armyworms, mole crickets, hunting billbugs, and white grubs

Soil pH : 6-6.5

Soil type: Grows in most soil types

Other notes: This grass species is notable for its extraordinary potential for quick growth, making it a favored alternative for homeowners seeking fast recovery from damage. However, this aggressive growth can have negative implications because it can cause the grass to invade and overrun other carefully manicured areas or nearby flower beds.

2. Carpetgrass

Photo Credit: Sugeesh / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Despite its similar appearance to crabgrass, carpetgrass has distinct qualities that make it a favored choice for homeowners in the southern parts of the state who are dealing with problematic lawn conditions. Specifically, it has the ability to thrive in areas that are prone to drought and lack nutrients, which makes it an attractive option when other types of grass may struggle to survive.

In addition, carpetgrass also can grow and flourish in areas with limited sunlight, such as those surrounded by trees or other structures that block out the sun. This characteristic sets it apart from other grasses that may not be able to adapt to such conditions.

Also referred to as Louisianagrass, this type of grass is able to withstand flooding and other water-related challenges. It can tolerate standing water for prolonged periods, which makes it an excellent option for properties that are susceptible to hurricanes, heavy rainfall, and flooding or that have poor drainage.

Another benefit of carpetgrass is that it can grow without the need for additional fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. While some homeowners may choose to apply nitrogen to encourage growth, it is not necessary for the grass to thrive.

Spreads by: Stolons

Shade tolerance: Moderate – although St. Augustinegrass is more shade-tolerant

Drought tolerance: Moderate

Foot traffic tolerance: Low to moderate

Maintenance needs: Moderate to high – it needs weekly mowing to control its tall seed heads

Recommended mowing height: 1-2 inches

Potential for disease: Low resistance – can be susceptible to large patch

Potential for pests: Low resistance – mostly prone to white grubs and nematodes

Soil pH : 5-6

Soil type: Sandy, moist, acidic soil

Other notes: Late spring to early summer is the optimal time to reseed carpetgrass, as the warm soil temperature will promote seed germination.

3. Centipedegrass

Photo Credit: James Becwar / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0

Commonly found in lawns across the southern U.S., centipedegrass is known for its dense, low-growing, and carpet-like appearance. Unlike other turfgrasses, this warm-season grass requires minimal mowing, fertilizer, and water, making it a great option for low-maintenance grass. In fact, it’s known as the “lazy man’s grass.”

With a preference for partial shade and well-drained soils, centipedegrass is perfect for those who want a lawn that doesn’t need regular upkeep. Although it may not have the same deep green color as other types of grass, centipedegrass produces beautiful seed heads that become brown as they mature.

Shade tolerance: Moderate – grows best in areas with the most sun exposure but can survive even with six hours of direct sunlight per day

Drought tolerance: Low to moderate – may become dormant during long periods of drought

Foot traffic tolerance: Low

Maintenance needs: Low – thrives even with minimal fertilization, mowing, and watering

Recommended mowing height: 1.5-2 inches – for shaded areas, raise the mower height by half an inch

Potential for disease: Moderate resistance – can be prone to iron chlorosis and centipedegrass decline

Potential for pests: Moderate resistance – mostly prone to ground pearl insects, nematodes, spittlebugs, sod webworms, and mole crickets

Soil type: Acidic, infertile, and well-drained soils

Other notes: This grass variety is ideal for homes in central South Carolina and most of the state.

4. St. Augustinegrass

Photo Credit: Jay Morgan / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0

Also known as Charleston grass, St. Augustinegrass is a popular choice for lawns in coastal homes due to its ability to thrive in both sandy and clay soils. This makes it ideal for many areas along the Carolina coast. It can withstand the heat and salt that is common in these beachfront properties while also preferring warm winters and moist soil conditions.

With its flat stems and broad leaves, St. Augustinegrass creates a lush and dense turf, resulting in a beautiful blue-green lawn. Its thick growth also makes it effective at crowding out most weeds. However, this grass variety is susceptible to fungal diseases and pests like chinch bugs.

Shade tolerance: Moderate – some cultivars are more shade-tolerant

Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate

Maintenance needs: Moderate to high – needs frequent watering, mowing, and fertilization

Recommended mowing height: 2.5-4 inches (mow tall in shade, standard cultivars 3-4 inches, and dwarf cultivars 2.5-3 inches)

Potential for disease: Low to moderate resistance – mostly prone to gray leaf spot, take-all root rot, and large patch

Potential for pests: Low resistance – common pests include mole crickets, grubs, cutworms, chinch bugs, armyworms, webworms, and grass loopers

Soil pH : 6-7.5

Soil type: Prefers moist (not muddy) and moderately fertile soil but can grow in most soil types

Other notes: St. Augustinegrass is native to coastal regions and thrives in moist soils and temperate winters. But with the right growing conditions, it also can grow successfully in inland regions. Note, though, that compacted, clay soils would not be suitable for this grass variety.

5. Tall Fescue

Photo Credit: Billy Lau / Canva Pro / License

With its striking, dark green color and coarse, textured appearance, this cool-season grass is ideal for lawns in the northwestern parts of the state, like Greenville. It can withstand a wide range of growing conditions, including shade, heat, and drought.

One of the benefits of tall fescue is its ability to maintain a deep root system, which allows it to maintain its green appearance. Although it requires moderate maintenance, including regular watering, fertilization, and mowing, this grass variety is known for its resilience, making it an excellent option for lawns that experience heavy foot traffic or environmental stressors.

While it may not have the same fine-textured appearance as other grass types, tall fescue’s hardiness makes it a favorite among homeowners who prioritize lawn health and longevity over aesthetics.

Classification: Cool-season grass

Spreads by: Tillers (Bunch forming)

Shade tolerance: Moderate to high

Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate – doesn’t recover easily from wear

Maintenance needs: Moderate

Recommended mowing height: 2-4 inches (Check your cultivar and state recommendations, as many tall fescue lawns grow best when they’re mowed on the tall side.)

Potential for disease: Low to moderate resistance – can be prone to leaf spot, seedling disease, and brown patch

Potential for pests: Low to moderate resistance – can be susceptible to armyworms, cutworms, sod webworms, and grubs

Soil pH : 5.5-6.5

Soil type: Grows in most soil types but prefers clay soils

Other notes: For optimal results, apply fertilizer once during the months of September and November. Also, plant fresh grass seeds every couple of years if you wish to maintain a lush lawn and tackle any sparse or thinning spots.

6. Zoysiagrass

Photo Credit: Forest & Kim Starr / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Another popular choice for lawns in South Carolina, Zoysiagrass grows well in hot and dry conditions – making it well-suited for the region’s climate. This warm-season turfgrass boasts a light green color and fine texture, creating a dense, carpet-like appearance. And because of its low to moderate maintenance needs, it’s a fantastic choice for homeowners who want a beautiful lawn without a lot of work.

One of the standout features of Zoysiagrass is its ability to spread rapidly, thanks to its rhizomes and stolons. This allows it to quickly establish a thick and resilient turf that can withstand heavy foot traffic and pet use. Also, remember that although it can tolerate some shade, it prefers direct sunlight.

While Zoysiagrass requires less maintenance than some other grass varieties, it still needs proper care and attention to remain healthy and beautiful. This includes infrequent watering, fertilization, and mowing at the appropriate height.

Shade tolerance: Low to moderate – it needs ample sun exposure

Drought tolerance: High – although it needs supplemental watering during dry periods

Maintenance needs: Low to moderate

Recommended mowing height: 1-2.5 inches

Potential for disease: Moderate resistance – common diseases include large patch, fairy rings, leaf spot, dollar spot, curvularia, brown patch, root decline, powdery mildew, pythium blight, rust, and spring dead spot

Potential for pests: Moderate resistance – can be prone to chinch bugs, nematodes, armyworms, hunting billbugs, grubs, sod webworms, and mole crickets

Soil type: Grows in most soil types but prefers well-drained soils

Other notes: This grass variety is the top choice for homeowners who often organize backyard barbeques since it can withstand heavy foot traffic.

Lawns that experience heavy foot traffic require grass varieties that can withstand wear and tear. So if you’re looking for a grass type that can hold up to frequent use, both bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass are popular options . These grasses are known for their deep root systems, which help them stay resilient even when subjected to heavy foot traffic.

Caring for a lawn in a transition zone can be confusing, as it is located between the cool-season and warm-season grass regions. The best approach is to choose a grass type adaptable to both hot and cold temperatures and do the following: • Fertilize it twice a year, in the fall and spring, with a balanced fertilizer. • Water the lawn infrequently but deeply, allowing the soil to dry out between watering sessions. • Aerate the soil in the fall or spring to improve drainage and nutrient absorption. • Mow the grass to its recommended height, and leave some of the clippings to provide nutrients. Also, monitor your lawn for pests and diseases, as the transitional climate can create favorable conditions for both . Look for signs of stress, such as discoloration or wilting, and address any issues promptly.

To have a pet-friendly lawn, choose a grass variety that can tolerate the challenges posed by pets, such as wear and tear, frequent paw traffic, and pet waste. For this purpose, many homeowners prefer tough grass varieties like bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass . These grasses are known for their ability to withstand the challenges of pet use, making them excellent candidates for a pet-friendly lawn in South Carolina.

Pick the Right Grass for Your South Carolina Landscape

Choosing the right grass for your lawn in South Carolina can be tricky. But by considering factors like moisture, sunlight, and maintenance requirements, you can find the perfect match for your specific needs. Whether you opt for the heat-tolerant bermudagrass or the resilient tall fescue, each of these grass types has unique strengths that make it a great choice for South Carolina’s unique climate and soil conditions.

By giving your lawn the proper care and attention it deserves, you can ensure it stays healthy and vibrant year-round, enhancing the beauty and value of your home. Reach out to a local lawn care professional today, and get started on your journey toward a lush, green yard that you can be proud of.

Main Image Credit: Anderson University, South Carolina / Good Grades / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

About Wikilawn

Wikilawn’s mission is to provide the best resources and information to help you enjoy your outdoor spaces the way you want. Whether you are a DIY, lawn-loving, gardening guru, or someone who wants help in picking a local lawn care professional, we can smooth your path to a beautiful backyard!

TN: Transgender friend kills woman after she rejected advances

Police investigations reveal that the accused, vetrimaran, playfully suggested binding the victim's legs and hands, assuring her it was 'just for fun'. then, he slashed her throat and burned her alive.

A 25-year-old software engineer was chained and burnt alive by her transgender friend in Chennai, police said.

The victim, Nandhini, was murdered on the eve of her birthday (December 23) by 26-year-old accused, who was identified as Vetrimaran, at Thalambur near Kelambakkam. Born as Pandi Maheshwari, Vetrimaran underwent a sex reassignment surgery after finishing MBA.

A sex reassignment surgery is a medical procedure that changes a person’s physical characteristics from one gender to another, aligning their physical appearance with their gender identity.

Nandhini and Vetrimaran studied in the same girls’ school in Madurai and were close friends, a Times of India report quoted police. They kept in touch even after Vetrimaran’s sex-change surgery.

After completing her studies, Nandhini started working in a software company in Chennai. She was staying with her uncle. During the period, Vetrimaran developed feelings for Nandhini, which was rejected by the latter. However, the two remained friends.

Murder fueled by rejection

Police investigations reveal that on December 23, the eve of her birthday, Nandhini met Vetrimaran for a few hours. During that period, he reportedly bought her new clothes, took her to an orphanage near Tambaram, and made a donation there, Outlook reported.

He then offered to drop Nandhini home. While on their way back, Vetrimaran requested a few photos, which she accepted. Playfully, he suggested binding her legs and hands, assuring her it was ‘just for fun’.

Subsequently, Vetrimaran slashed her neck with a sharp object and then proceeded to burn her alive. As she called for help, he fled the spot.

Her screams attracted passersby who rescued her and immediately took her to the government hospital in Chromepet. However, she succumbed to her injuries.

Vetrimaran was arrested the following day. Confessing the murder, Vetrimaran said he was upset by Nandhini’s rejection. He had undergone the sex change at a private hospital, but Nandhini told him they had no future together, police said.

A case has been filed and further investigations are on. Vetrimaran is currently under police custody.

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