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Visaranai review: Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan are right; this film on police brutality is brilliant

Hats off to Vetrimaran who has preferred to take the road less traveled and taken Tamil cinema to a new level with Visaranai.

Take a bow Vetrimaran, Visaranai, in one word, is just brilliant.

The film is hard hitting, dark, gritty and riveting. It is a realistic take on police brutalities inside a cop house and how the enforcers of law torture innocent people to extract confessional statements. The director throws light on how police investigation and charge sheets are made and how the system works.

Visaaranai is an adaptation of a real life incident based on autorikshaw driver turned writer Chandrakumar’s book Lock Up . The writer had spent 13 days in police custody and was tortured to admit to a crime he had not committed. The director along with Chandran has come out with a very provocative film which is meaningful, at a time when courts are exposing a lot of cooked up police evidences.

The director Vetrimaran has set the story revolving around three principal characters. The first half of the film is set in Guntur in Andhra, where a lot of Tamilians work. Pandi (Dinesh) works in a provision stores and is falsely implicated along with his friends in a robbery case by the local Andhra Police. The cops are under pressure from their higher up’s as the robbery took place in a politically influential person’s house.

Enter Muthuvel (Samuthirakani) a Tamil Nadu policeman in search of an accountant KK (Kishore) of corrupt politicians and businessman who specialises in black money laundering. Fate intervenes as the life of three characters entangles leading to a nail biting climax with its twists and turns. The ending is a stunning reminder that the corrupt system prevails above everything else and there are no winners or losers.

The film succeeds due to razor sharp writing and linear screenplay aided by terrific performances by its lead actors. One of the major highlights is that actors have been aptly cast. Dinesh’s normal mannerisms fit in with the character. Samuthirakani as the reluctant cop is fantastic especially in the police station scene with his higher –up’s . Kishore has come out with a stunning performance as the corrupt auditor, who gets the biggest surprise of his life when the tables turn. Anandi the only female in the film as a domestic help is good in her scenes with Dinesh.

Technically the film is slick. The cameraman Ramalingam using only natural light and his colour tone makes the film visually stunning. Editor Kishore’s (he passed away recently), cuts make the film under two hours racy. GV Prakash’s background score lifts the film to a new height. Another major plus is the production design of the film, especially the Andhra police station and the row of toilets for prisoners and the marshland inside a housing colony in Chennai where the climax is set.

Vetrimaran has made it as realistic as possible with police torture scenes looking disturbing. But the director himself has made it clear that the film is not for the weak hearted and carries a UA certificate for violence and profanities (muted in India theatrical version).

Hats off to Vetrimaran who has preferred to take the road less traveled and taken Tamil cinema to a new level with  Visaranai.

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India's Oscar Hope 'Visaranai' is a Gritty Police Procedural That Grips the Viewer

Made with a modest budget, the film is already a commercial and critical success, and has won several awards in India and abroad.

A still from the Tamil film Visranai that has been selected for competing int he best foreign film awards at the Oscars

India’s official entry to the Oscars in 2017 is not in Hindi nor does it deal with a subject that symbolises this historic nation to the western world – no colours of Rajasthan, no snake-charmers of Varanasi or the slums of Mumbai. Vetrimaran’s Tamil film  Visaranai (Enquiry) is a triumph in that sense. The film deals with a set of events that happen inside a police cell in the name of an enquiry (hence the title) and the story can be typed out in a single line – an enquiry that ‘quietly’ happens in a little town bordering Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh that ends up in an bloody encounter .

Visaranai  is an in-depth insight into the procedures of a ‘black-money’ investigation by a police officer that embroils four hapless young boys into its nightmarish tale. As gruesome as one can imagine but not without losing its sense of being ‘cinema’ where story-telling rules, Visaranai’s  success lies entirely in its screenplay and direction. The story is adapted from the book  Lock Up by M. Chandrakumar , who is the sole survivor of a real-time police investigation (his ‘by chance’ exit from the police jeep forms the film’s interval point).

Writer-director Vetrimaran is considered the foremost amongst his peers in Tamil cinema. His films bridge the divide between ‘art’ and ‘commercial’ films, and he sustains the Indian format of song and dance as well, whenever a script calls for it. He won accolades and box office success with his first film Polladhavan  (‘The Bad Guy’; 2007) starring Dhanush. He followed it up with the multiple award-winning Aadukalam (‘Arena’;   2011), which fetched Dhanush a national award in the best actor category. Dhanush and Vetrimaran have a rapport that has delivered some good films from Tamil Nadu to the world such, as the 2011 film  Kakka Muttai (‘Crow’s Egg’) directed by Manikandan, and produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films and Vetrimaran. They are currently working on a gangster series called Vada-Chennai  (North Madras), the underbelly of the apparently calm and staid city.

Visaranai  is a commercial film with the music relegated to being just the background score. The ‘commercial’ quotient lies in the layered-with-suspense scenes and their staging. This is not a film where you can update plot points minute-by-minute on twitter. Vetrimaran cleverly strings you along into his taut narrative with minimal moments for a breather and ensures you are never free to ignore what’s happening on screen. The plight of the boys is preset with the opening shot in the wee hours of dawn in a quiet park, where they ‘live’, unknown to the watchman; the film ends in the wee hours of another dawn. What follows from here-on are the building blocks for arguably the best police procedural film from an Indian director in Indian cinema.

The unfairness of it all arrives pretty much early on and just like there is no escape from one’s own life with all its vagaries, there is no escaping this story. Constantly the heart beats for only one answer – will these four boys ever escape to a regular, normal life? The film grips you and makes you own its suffering . Every character reacts to what happens to their situation at hand; it’s enacted so well that there is no ‘pre-meditated’ moment. The film is a box office winner, having so far collected Rs 110 million as against its budget of Rs 22 million. Vetrimaran’s command over his craft shines through the cinematography of S. Ramalingam and the powerful sound mixing delivers the constable’s blow on our back.

Apart from Samuthirakani, who plays Muthuvel, the investigating officer, a man caught between the selfish police team and his humanitarian self, Dinesh (one film old at the time) and Kishore (a Kannada theatre-film actor whom Vetrimaran introduced in Polladhavan ) the rest of the cast are not recognisable or ‘saleable actors’. The film was produced on a budget that was as tight as its screenplay.

Visaranai  was sent to film festivals the world over where it garnered much appreciation. For those who expected a low profile release at home, the opening day was a surprise. The film’s story at the box office had a happy ending, even though the film itself had a heavy one.

Visaranai won the Amnesty International Italia Award at the 72 nd  film festival and won best film, best supporting actor ( Samuthirakani ) and best editing award (posthumous, for T.E. Kishore) at the 63 rd  National Film Awards. A film with these many ‘awards’ was usually destined to just have one or two shows in a multiplex but Visaranai got more shows after its modest release in every town of Tamil Nadu, in theatres big and small.

Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur begins with a dedication (and rightly so) to the Madurai triumvirate – directors Bala, Ameer and Vetrimaran, all of whom were assisting the late cinematographer-director Balu Mahendra. Among the three, Vetrimaran is consistent in making films which work at the box office and also win awards and admiration from the fraternity and film lovers alike. Having won so many honours, its  selection to compete to be nominated in the best foreign film category at the 89th Academy Awards is a rather light feather in its already glittering crown.

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2015 ‘விசாரணை’ Directed by Vetrimaaran

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.

Dinesh Ravi Samuthirakani Kishore Anandhi Aadukalam Murugadoss Alva Vasu Ajay Ghosh E. Ramadoss Munnar Ramesh Misha Ghoshal Saravana Subbiah Dhaya Senthil Muthukumar Cheran Raj Pradheesh Raj Silambarasan Rathnasamy Adukalam Naren Supergood Subramani

Director Director

Vetrimaaran

Assistant Director Asst. Director

Producers producers.

Dhanush Vetrimaaran

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

S Vinodkumar

Writer Writer

Original writer original writer.

M. Chandrakumar

Editor Editor

Kishore Te.

Cinematography Cinematography

S Rama Lingam

Art Direction Art Direction

Composer composer.

G. V. Prakash Kumar

Sound Sound

Udhaya Kumar

Grassroot Film Company

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

Telugu English Tamil

Alternative Titles

Interrogation, Visaaranai, 審問, 취조, Interogatoriu, ปิดปากสารภาพ, 审判

Thriller Drama

Crime, drugs and gangsters Intense violence and sexual transgression Violent crime and drugs Brutal, violent prison drama Show All…

Releases by Date

12 sep 2015, 09 jan 2017, 04 feb 2016, 05 feb 2016, releases by country.

• Theatrical UA
• Premiere Premiered at 72nd Venice Film Festival
• Premiere Palm Springs International Film Festival

United Arab Emirates

118 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Michael James ★★★★½ 6

Vetrimaran adapts a real life incident, based on the book Lock Up, to deliver a hard hitting provocative drama on police brutality, power abuse and the corrupt system. The brilliant writing, realistic execution along with the terrific performances, solid visuals and musical score, makes it a top notch piece of work. The helplessness of the characters and the torture scenes are so disturbing, that it sends chills through your spine. The climax is another stunner, with unexpected twists and turns. It’s definitely not for the faint hearted, but for others, this suspenseful thriller is a must watch masterpiece.

Review by Larry ★★★★

There's a scene where a man is suspended in the air by a rope that's tied tightly against his forearms. In a few seconds, the man moans with pain as his entire body weight is on his shoulders and before you know it, both his arms are broken.

There are numerous scenes in Visaranai that gleam a realism not seen much on film, making the message all the more straightforward and urgent. A brutal socially-charged exploration of a deplorable justice system and the unfortunate that bears it's brunt, Visaranai or Interrogation is a visceral, violent and eye-opening look on a system gone haywire. With no holds barred, Vetrimaaran subjects a trio of migrant labourers to stomach-churning torture sequences, sinister policemen…

Review by MK ★★★★★

This will keep you in thoughts for a while.. Outstanding movie with an apt cast and deadly acting!! There is love, emotion and betrayal and what not.. A masterpiece that must be watched by every movie lover..DONT MISS THIS!!

Review by Arsaib Gilbert ★★★★ 2

[ Favorites—2010s ]

The first Tamil-language film to ever compete at the Venice International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere in 2015 in the Orizzonti sidebar, Interrogation ( Visaranai ) is the most visceral and multilayered portrait of police corruption and brutality I’ve seen since Pablo Trapero’s El bonaerense (2002).

Directed with blunt conviction by Vetrimaaran, a relative newcomer who made his feature debut in 2007, this true-life story deals primarily with the nightmarish predicament of four young migrant workers from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Although at times excessively violent, the otherwise admirably single-minded first half meticulously depicts the savagery the quartet suffer at the hands of an indifferent and racist group of cops hell-bent on extracting a false confession…

Review by PUNQ ★★★½

Visaaranai [Interrogation] (2015) confirms that India is one of the best movie nations at making thrillers right now. They've definitely got the source of a very corrupt system to build their intricate stories from. And as long as quality film makers like this takes care of business making movies with an international appeal, we can hope they restore the reputation of country with a rich cinematic history which Bollywood continually want to ruin with their dumbed down song & dance films. This one is quality.

Review by Yogesh Chhikara ★★★★★

- it made me speechless , you ought to watch this to have the full experience. -so raw , felt like , I was watching some real life scenario shot by somebody. - Everything was perfect especially the acting and direction.

Review by nrh ★★★★½

the state as amoral apparatus of power in which nobody is spared, and all are expendable as it moves forward. like writer/director/producer vetri maran's last film, the madurai-set cockfighting epic aadukalam , the gets deeper and stranger just at the moment you think you've understood what kind of film this is; all the strengths of that film (the exacting local detail, love of speech and procedure, the clear-eyed understanding of human failure, the heart of night finale) with none of that film's missteps.

Review by ash ★★★★½ 2

Raw , brutal and hard hitting.

This movie just shows how inconsequential you are in the grand scheme of things and there will always be something above you that may take decisions for you , this is what happens when you're a part of a system.

The cinematography and scoring of this movie along with the amazing performances by each and every cast member will glue your eyes onto the screen . Vetrimaaran truly hit it outside of the park as he succeeded in shooting all of the scenes as real as it gets.

The hanging and the state of the body afterwards was just too real and that's how a body will be once life leaves it , that was just tooooo real.

Review by Nabamita (Mrs. Mastroianni Mifune Dolan Leung Weerasethakul Blanchett Isaac Dhanush AVS) ★★★★★

Based loosely upon a semi-autobiographical novel called Lock-Up by M. Chandrakumar , Visaranai isn't a fiction feature. Visaranai should always be praised (unofficially) as a documentary feature on police brutality, corruption of politicians and justice, and the imbalanced social structure of India.

Review by Nafees Ahmed ★★★★

There is a scene in the film, where one of the police officers hit on the elbow of a dead body to straighten his stiffed hand. It is shown in the background & it is a trivial scene to say. But, that is the kind of realistic detailing film has. It raises the bar of realistic cinema to a new height, that will certainly be unattainable by anyone, but Vetrimaran himself. Visaranai seems like a distant cousin of brilliant film 'Court'. Such films redefine cinema and reassures why we love cinema so much in the first place. Can't recall when was the last time I was so moved by any Police procedural film. It is shocking, brutal, and a very honest…

Review by Moresbi ★★★★½

"Visaranai", based on a novel and real life events, was quite well crafted.

I thought the plot/narrative/script were pretty great all around. The theme is very real (and relevant) and also quite relatable. I thought the movie felt quite realistic, while somewhat avoiding overdramatizing and with a very sharp pace. It also quite twisty, somewhat ironic and bending around some grey areas, without ever faultering.

I thought the acting, while maybe not spectacular, was great. There's characters and roles for all tastes.

The movie achieves to raise a lot of (concerning) issues, for sure. Production values seemed good/great, again with a more less spectacular but quite effective approach. The black and white felt like a great decision too.

The ending…

Review by Mihir Nanda ★★★★½

In the very first scene of the film, we see a man taking a bath early in the morning even before dawn. He was shivering and was very cold from that bath. That's how this film made me feel throughout it's runtime. COLD! And NUMB. I haven't ever seen a film as brutal and heartbreaking as this.

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Every Vetrimaaran Film Ranked

Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaaran belongs to one of those breeds of director whose tight scripts, apt casting, and realistic treatment of storyline has made fundamental changes to the very nature of mainstream filmmaking. His films are made for a multi-cultural 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.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Every Lijo Jose Pellissery Film Ranked

Each of the films 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 social realism of rural Tamil Nadu. Even urban reality is being depicted showcasing 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 five features and one short film as a director, he has earned his reputation as the most one of the most accessible filmmakers of the last decade. His style involves artistically thriving with a soothing pace lending itself to an atmospheric work filled with oneiric undertones. Some viewers may find his films brutal and gut wrenching as it gets; yet, despite its ruthless depiction, it’s also surprisingly heartwarming.

5. Polladhavan (2007)

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

Also, Read: Every Sriram Raghavan Film Ranked

The protagonist of the film is an uneducated youth who due to turn of events 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. Thereafter 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 makes 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). But none of them could achieve the excellence earned by the original version.

4. Visaranai (2016)

Based on the Tamil novel 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 as well as empathize with the plight of four helpless souls. The narrative of the film can be divided into two sections-before and after the intermission. Four migrant workers are falsely accused in a burglary case that has taken place at a rich and affluent man’s bungalow. The police beat these four characters in 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 narrative of the film takes a twist and the viewers are presented with one shocking surprise after the other.

Related Read to Vetrimaaran Films: Salt Of The Earth (1954) : A Landmark American Independent Cinema On The Working Class  

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 film become a victim because of the system that protected the criminal over the accuser. It is a deeply troubling film that is devoid of cathartic and healing moments. Vetrimaaran does not feel hesitant in constructing the brutal scene with ease and he is neither afraid to carve out its own unique style.

The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Amnesty International Italia Award. Back home it had won three National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing.

Watch Visaranai (2016) on Netflix

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 exactly 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 told from the perspective of a lower caste protagonist.

It’s one of those mainstream films that fulfill 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 degrade human values and status. At the Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards, 2020, Vetrimaaran won the award for best director. The film had won two National Film Awards- Best Feature Film in Tamil and Best Actor.

Read the Complete Review of Asuran (2019) Here

Watch asuran (2019) on prime video , 2. vada chennai (2018).

A tale of criminal activities narrated in a non-linear pattern over the span of more than a decade is the perfect recipe for a crime sage. Vetrimaaran’s narrative takes the viewers on a journey that lasts for nearly a hundred and sixty-four hours and 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 a multiple cast the story of the film is set in the underbellies of North Chennai as the title of the film implies and the theme of the film is more nuanced than the conventional black-and-white morality tales where evil is punished by good at the end. The film blatantly showcases the graphic world of crime and violence, investigates the nature of friendship, the ethics of vigilantism, and the nature of unhappiness. Vetrimaaran delves deeply into the minds of his tortured characters and explores how the men and women he depicts grapple with moral codes and their emotions.

He further engages with many of the most basic 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

Watch vada chennai (2018) on disney hotstar, 1. 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 boss Periyasamy (V. I. S. Jayapalan) and Rathnasamy (Naren). And from then onwards the life of our protagonist will be filled with one hurdle after the other 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, Vetrimaaran presents a varied cultural pattern of rural Tamil Nadu and 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 editing pattern of the film creates a commendable pace and multi-layered visual design that heightens the impact of the film. Though the filmmaker has openly admitted that he was inspired by the dogfighting scene of Amores Perros (2000), Vetrimaaran has infused his own style and poise within the film, which is anything by blatant copy.

Despite having strong content and potential for box-office success, filmmakers from another region could not dare to remake the film until now. The reason being the milieu of the film is so rooted in the soil of Tamil Nadu and that makes it the best film in the oeuvre of Vetrimaaran’s impressive career. 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.

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 category of special mention. On the surface level of its narrative, the film depicts the tale of a daughter Sumathi (Sai Pallavi) who had eloped from her village and now she has reunited with her father Janakiraman (Prakash Raj). But as the story of the film moves forward 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 style that is bold and innovative with the choice of a subject in which the form and content merge into one. The pacing is not fast like his other films rather it is a slow study of how Sumathi’s drastic decision had impacted the lives of various members of his family. Vetrimaaran did not deviate from his usual style of narrative exploration but he has brought an understated rhythm to the unfolding of the events.

There is a kind of freshness in his approach and courage displayed in choosing to build a film around the brutal concept of associating the honor of the family with the sanctity of a woman. The film 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.

Watch Oor Iravu (2020) on Netflix

Vetrimaaran links : imdb , wikipedia, recommended posts.

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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Visaranai, India’s official Oscar entry is now out of race

National award-winning filmmaker vetrimaaran's tamil drama visaranai has been winnowed out of the oscar race..

National Award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaaran’s Tamil drama Visaranai has been winnowed out of the Best Foreign Language Film category of the upcoming 89th Academy Awards.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday announced the nine films that will advance to the next round of voting.

As many as 85 films had originally been considered in the category. The shortlist will be further trimmed down to the final five nominations, to be announced on January 24, next year.

Based on the novel “Lock Up” by auto-rickshaw driver-turned-writer M. Chandrakumar, the film is about organised crime within the police force. It also focuses the spotlight on police brutality. “Visaranai” features Dinesh, Samuthirakani, Ajay Ghosh and Kishore in the lead.

Here are the facts that you must know about Visaranai:

1. Visaranai is the based on the novel written by an auto-rickshaw driver, M Chandrakumar, popularly known as Auto Chandran. He wrote the book based on the police brutality and corruption that he suffered in his early life.

2. In 1983, Chandran was locked up along with his three friends in Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, where they were subjected to brutal police treatment to accept a crime that they never even committed.

3. However, Chandran survived to tell the tale. Decades later, based on the advice of his friend, he wrote the novel, which was adopted for the big screen by National Award-winning filmmaker Vetrimaran.

4. Actor Dhanush may have played the lead character in the film, if he wasn’t busy with his Bollywood project at that point in time. However, Dhanush still decided to be part of the film. He gave his consent to Vetrimaran to produce the film under his home banner Wunderbar Productions even before fully hearing the story.

5. Sending Visaranai to international circuits had been the main aim of its makers, even though they knew that it ran the risk of film getting pirated and affecting its prospects at the box office when it would release in theatres back home.

6. Some changes were made to the theatrical version of Visaranai, including a few dialogues were muted to suit the sensibilities of Indian audience. The theatrical version also has music, while its international version didn’t.

7. Vetrimaaran and team wanted to screen the film at one of the four major festivals including Venice, Cannes, Toronto and Berlin. And they accomplished so much more than they aimed at.

8. In the 72 year history of the Venice International Film Festival, Visaranai became the first Tamil movie to premiere in the competition segment. Besides receiving a standing ovation, the film also bagged ‘Cinema for Human Rights’ award at the event.

9. Back home, Visaranai released to rave reviews from the critics, celebrities and fans alike and also saw a moderate success at the box office. Its investors also made money through selling its satellite rights.

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10. The film also won three prestigious National Awards, including best Tamil feature film and the award for best editing went to Kishore Te, while the best supporting actor went to Samuthirakani. It has also won the Amnesty International Italia Award 2015.

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Vetrimaran: 5 Lesser Known Inspiring Facts

Vetrimaran aka Vetrimaaran is the mastermind behind blockbusters like Vadachennai, Asuran Adukalam, Visaranai, and Polladhavan. He is one of the most successful directors of Kollywood. Besides, Vetrimaran-Dhanush is amongst the best director-hero combo of all time. Also, Visaranai was India’s official nomination to the Oscars.

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1. Vetrimaran Used To Smoke 15 Packets of Cigarettes Everyday

Vetrimaran admitted that he used to smoke 150 to 180 cigarettes on a daily basis. In the sets of  Polladhavan, his assistants reminds him of the count of packets he smoked. Even so, he would ask them to buy extra packets. Vetri started smoking at the tender age of 13. Ever since he was addicted to nicotine.

But after seeing the film GVM’s Varanam Aayiram he had given up his habit. In the film, Surya’s father meets with ill-fated demise due to smoking. Indeed, this has motivated Vetrimaran to stop nicotine.

He is a teetotaller for more than 10 years now. He also added that it made him physically more capable than before.

2. He Walked out of MA Literature

Vetrimaran hated engineering and any science studies for that matter. He also used to bunk schools and watch films every day. Clearly, he lacked focus and no plan on what to do. He kept on switching from one interest to another.

He then was convinced that he wanted to do law from a prestigious university. Then he enrolled himself in  BA literature in Loyola. In just a few months, his LLB dream faded. He was immersed in the world of literature. Then, Vetri said his mom that he shall be a professor.

Later, he enrolled himself in a 6-month course offered by the college’s Viscom department. The final exam demanded a short film or docufiction. He did docufiction on ball boys of the tennis court. During the process he realized that his propensity toward filmmaking constantly hung with him since his adolescence. Vetrimaran decided that he wanted to learn more about films. He then joined MA literature only to learn cinema.

One day, Balu Mahendra came to a seminar in his college. Vetrimaran was convinced that he should be his mentor. He got in touch with Balu Mahendra. Vetri got an opportunity to work with his master. But, he had to give up on his final semester exams. He can only choose one path. So, he opted out and joined as an assistant. The decision turned out to be a gamechanger in his life. In his TEDx speech he said that one has so many choices. Still, it important to know which bridge(choice) to burn and which one to cross.

3. Vetri’s Wife Is A General Manager

Usually, wives of big celebrities commit to their family duties. But, Vetrimaran’s wife, Aarthi had pursued her profession.  When she was first posted in Hyderabad, she was confused about whether to take up the job or not. However, Vetri clearly said there is no point in loving each other if it comprises on their respective careers. This motivated her to climb the professional ladder. Now, she is in a very respectable position as a GM in a company.

4. His Wife Supported Him Financially

5. Vetrimaran Is An Atheist

Vetrimaran neither likes visiting temples nor believes in god. He rather perceives humanity. His wife once said in an interview that he doesn’t like to come inside temples for worship. She is also okay with it because at the end of the day, he is very conscious of his words and ensures that he hurts none.

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