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Lal Salaam (2024 film)

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Lal Salaam
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAishwarya Rajinikanth
Screenplay byVishnu Rangasamy
Aishwarya Rajinikanth
Story byVishnu Rangasamy
Produced bySubaskaran Allirajah
Starring
CinematographyVishnu Rangasamy
Edited byB. Pravin Baaskar
Music byA. R. Rahman
Production
company
Distributed byRed Giant Movies
Release date
  • 9 February 2024 (2024-02-09)
Running time
150 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Budgetest. ₹80–90 crores[2]
Box office₹17.46 crores[3]

Lal Salaam (transl. Red Salute) is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language sports action film directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth and produced by Subaskaran Allirajah under Lyca Productions. The film stars Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth as main protagonists, with an ensemble supporting cast including Vignesh, Livingston, Senthil, Jeevitha, K. S. Ravikumar and Thambi Ramaiah, while actor Rajinikanth appeared in an extended cameo role.

The film was officially announced in November 2022. Principal photography commenced in March 2023. It was shot in several locations including Chennai, Mumbai, Pondicherry, and wrapped by early-August 2023. The film has music composed by A. R. Rahman, cinematography handled by Vishnu Rangasamy and editing by B. Pravin Baaskar.

Lal Salaam was released theatrically on 9 February 2024 in theatres. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb earning ₹17 crore against the budget of ₹80-90 crore.[4]

Plot

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Thirunavukarasu "Thiru" and Shamsuddin are talented and brilliant cricket players from Murarbad, a village where Hindus and Muslims co-exist harmoniously. Despite their religious differences, they live happily. Thiru's father, Manickam and Shamsuddin's father, D. G. Mohideen aka Mohideen Bhai, are good friends who are accustomed to seeing their sons engage in physical confrontations since childhood.

Parallelly, local politicians plan to incite communal riots in Murarbad to capitalise on the upcoming elections. One of the politicians son, Raj takes the sole task of exploiting Thiru and Shamsuddin's rivalry under the guise of a cricket match. In a fit of rage, Thiru injures Shamsuddin's right hand during a match, sparking a serious conflict between the Muslims and Hindus in Murrabad. Raj, also hailing from an upper-caste family begins troubling the lower-caste families, for political gain, by disrupting the Thiruvizha and confiscates the Thayr (temple cart). Meanwhile, Thiru is facing his own fate where the fellow townsmen and his family disown him. He also faces threats from Mohideen's men and escapes.

With some guidance from his friends and mentor, he plays cricket for the surrounding villages and wins, while also earning some money for the thayr funding. In need of another ₹1.5 lakh rupees, he and his friends go to Bombay relying on donations, where they get into the centre of another religious conflict and Thiru ends up saving Shamsuddin unknowingly, thus ending their feud. Mohideen then decides to give the additional funding for their own Thayr. However, a jealous Raj destroys it in retaliation. In the end it is revealed that it was Raj who made sure Shamsuddin injured his hand in the clash in Murarbad. Hearing this, his pregnant wife, Ammani, threatens him to surrender to the police for his criminal acts or lose their unborn child. Finally, the Muslim community in Murarbad helps the Hindu community with their Thiruvizha and the harmony is achieved once again.

Cast

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Production

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Development and casting

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In October 2022, Rajinikanth, who had signed a two-deal film with production house Lyca Productions after the success of 2.0 (2018), was reported to have signed his daughter Aishwarya Rajinikanth to direct the latter film in the deal, with the former film being Vettaiyan.[8] Soon after, Aishwarya reportedly made a new plan with Atharvaa starring in the lead role, while Rajinikanth would play an extended cameo role.[9] On 5 November, the production house made a public announcement, confirming the project. The official title, Lal Salaam, was revealed and a muhurat puja was held the same day in Chennai. Instead of Atharvaa, Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth were announced to play the lead roles.[10] Jeevitha made her comeback into acting after thirty-three years through this film.[11]

Filming

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The principal photography commenced on 7 March 2023 in Chennai, while a muhurat puja was held in December 2022.[12] The first schedule in Chennai was wrapped up in April.[13] The second schedule in Mumbai began in May.[14] Rajinikanth joined the schedule that month.[15] Former cricketer Kapil Dev also joined the schedule that month.[7] In June, moved the team to Pondicherry.[16][17] Rajinikanth had wrapped up his portions by 12 July.[18] The team completed shooting the second schedule in July.[19] Vishnu also wrapped up his portions by 5 August.[5] The principal photography wrapped up by 7 August.[20] A hard disk containing 21 days worth footage went missing during post-production works and, unable to reshoot all the missing scenes, the team reshot only a few and included them into the final cut.[21]

Music

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The film score and soundtrack are composed by A. R. Rahman, in his maiden feature film collaboration with Aishwarya Rajinikanth.[22]

In November 2023, it was announced that the audio rights for the film were purchased by Sony Music India.[23] The first single titled "Ther Thiruvizha" was released on 18 December 2023. The second single titled "Ae Pulla" sung by Sid Sriram was released on 15 January 2024 coinciding with Pongal. However, Sid Sriram was replaced by Nakul Abhyankar in the film version of the song.

Rahman revealed that one of the songs in the film, titled "Thimiri Yezhuda" which are sung using the voices of late singers Bamba Bakya and Shahul Hameed was made possible via artificial intelligence technology, thus making it the first Indian song to recreate a deceased singer's voice.[24]

The audio launch was held at Sri Leo Muthu Indoor Stadium on 26 January 2024.[25]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Ther Thiruvizha"VivekShankar Mahadevan, A. R. Raihanah, Deepthi Suresh, Yogi Sekar7:44
2."Ae Pulla"KabilanSid Sriram (Soundtrack Version), Nakul Abhyankar (Film Version)4.41
3."Anbalane"YugabharathiDeva6:44
4."Thimiri Yezhuda"SnehanBamba Bakya, Shahul Hameed, Deepthi Suresh, Akshaya Shivkumar2:47
5."Jalali"Mashook Rahman, A R RahmanA.R. Rahman, Sarath Santosh3:55

Marketing

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The theaterical teaser of the film was released on 12 November 2023, on the occasion of Diwali.[26][27] On the occasion of Rajinikanth's birthday on 12 December 2023, a promo highlighting his character of Moideen Bhai was released.[28]

Release

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Theatrical

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Initially, the film was scheduled for theatrical release on 12 January 2024, coinciding with Pongal. However, in a turn of events, the production house announced that the film will instead release at 9 February 2024 to account for the delay in post-production work and the release of Mission: Chapter 1 (2024).[29][30]

Home video

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In September 2024, Aishwarya said a director's cut would be available on streaming soon as the hard disk was found, and the missing footage was edited back into the film.[31][32]

Reception

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Critical response

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Lal Salaam received mixed reviews from critics.[33] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 40% of 5 critics' reviews are positive.[34]

Roopa Radhakrishnan of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and stated "The film's politics needs to be applauded. But there could have been more nuance in the way the conflict resolved. It could have been more than just a piece of convenient writing".[35] Latha Srinivasan of Hindustan Times stated "Aishwarya Rajinikanth’s Lal Salaam is a social drama with a message. And the audience will love Rajinikanth as Moideen bhai and hopefully, they’ll take back home and to heart what he says on screen. Humanity above all".[36] Janani K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and stated "While the first half of the film is uneven due to forced staging, the messaging comes together in the second half, leaving viewers with a satisfying aftertaste".[37]

Ram Venkat Srikar of Film Companion stated "The social message is important, no doubt about it, but it's also important that the strong message exists in an equally strong film. That's where Lal Salaam misses the mark".[38] Kirubhakar Purushothaman of The New Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars and stated "Lal Salaam is a winner if films are supposed to be noble message churning machines. But if cinema is considered to be much more than the takeaways and moral of the story, we only have a middling film with a topical and much-needed message for the country".[39] Sudhir Srinivasan of Cinema Express gave 2/5 stars and stated that "a film, in which Rajinikanth seems quite willing to shed his star image in pursuit of story-related pleasures, in pursuit of progressive politics, deserves to be more emotional, and more powerful".[40]

Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu stated "Lal Salaam is the kind of film you wish you liked for how noble its intentions are. But that’s all you are left to feel for a film that doesn’t try enough to give you more, anything refreshing or anything novel".[41]

References

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  1. ^ "Lal Salaam". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Lal Salaam Box Office Collection Day 1". Live Mint. 10 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  3. ^ "'Lal Salaam' producers face criticism for celebrating Rajinikanth's film's box office success". The Times of India. 24 February 2024. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Lal Salaam box office Day 6: Aishwarya Rajinikanth's film continues its underwhelming run, yet to hit Rs 15 crore mark". The Indian Express. 15 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Vishnu Vishal completes filming his portions for 'Lal Salaam'". The Times of India. 5 August 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Actress Nirosha to join the cast of 'Lal Salaam'". The Times of India. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 16 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Kapil Dev in Aishwarya Rajinikanth's 'Lal Salaam'". The Times of India. 18 May 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Daughter Aishwarya to direct papa Rajinikanth: Reports". The Times of India. 9 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Here's Aishwarya Rajinikanth's comeback directorial plan". The Times of India. 22 October 2022. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ "'Thalaivar 170' titled 'Lal Salaam'; Rajinikanth takes a cameo role while Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth play leads in Aishwarya Rajinikanth's directorial". The Times of India. 5 November 2022. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  11. ^ "THIS actress to make her Kollywood comeback after 33 years with 'Lal Salaam'". The Times of India. 2 March 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Aishwarya Rajinikanth's directorial 'Lal Salaam' starts rolling in Chennai". The Times of India. 7 March 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Lal Salaam's first shooting schedule wrapped up". The Times of India. 10 April 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Vishnu Vishal begins the next schedule of 'Lal Salaam' in Mumbai". The Times of India. 4 May 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Rajinikanth to join the Mumbai schedule of 'Lal Salaam'". The Times of India. 6 May 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Fans gather in large at the 'Lal Salaam' shooting spot to meet Rajinikanth". The Times of India. 3 June 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Vishnu Vishal & Vikranth head to Pondicherry for 'Lal Salaam' shooting". The Times of India. 6 June 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Rajinikanth's portions in 'Lal Salaam' wrapped up". The Times of India. 12 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Aishwarya Rajinikanth's 'Lal Salaam' second schedule wrapped up". The Times of India. 17 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  20. ^ "It's a wrap for Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth's 'Lal Salaam'". The Hindu. 7 August 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  21. ^ "Aishwarya Rajinikanth: We lost 21 days of 'Lal Salaam' footage, had to compromise". India Today. 12 March 2024. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Vishnu Vishal elated about AR Rahman composing music for 'Lal Salaam'". The Times of India. 22 March 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  23. ^ Lyca Productions [@LycaProductions] (11 November 2023). "Happy to bring you the sounds of #LalSalaam 🫡 through @SonyMusicSouth 🎶" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 November 2023 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Sony Music India [@sonymusicsouth] (29 January 2024). "The mesmerizing voices of Bamba Bakya & Shahul Hameed in #ThimiriYezhuda from #LalSalaam made possible by @timelessvoicesx AI voice models. 🎼 This marks the first time in the industry that a late legend's voice has been brought back to life" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 February 2024 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Lyca Productions [@LycaProductions] (23 January 2024). "Celebration awaits! 🤩✨ Join us for the star-studded GRAND AUDIO LAUNCH EVENT of Lal Salaam this Friday, Jan 26 🗓️ at Sri Sairam Institute of Technology, Chennai.📍Get ready for another classic album from our 'Isaipuyal' AR Rahman & of course our Thalaivar's Kutty Kadhai! 😉🎙️💥" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 January 2024 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ "'Lal Salaam' teaser: Rajinikanth promises a powerful cameo appearance". India Today. 12 November 2023. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Lal Salaam teaser: Rajinikanth raises voice against mixing religion with sports". The Indian Express. 12 November 2023. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Lal Salaam new promo shows off Rajinikanth's Moideen Bhai, fans are loving his style and swag. Watch". The Indian Express. 12 December 2023. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  29. ^ "Vishnu Vishal completes dubbing for 'Lal Salaam'". The Times of India. 18 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  30. ^ Lyca Productions [@LycaProductions] (9 January 2024). "Namma THER THIRUVIZHA'ku Alappara kelappa neram vandhachu! 🤩 LAL SALAAM 🫡 hits the big screen 📽️✨ on February 9th 2024! Save the date! 🗓️" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ "Lal Salaam lost footage found, to release on OTT: Aishwarya Rajinikanth". Cinema Express. 17 September 2024. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  32. ^ "Lal Salaam's OTT Cut Will Be Different From Its Theatrical Version, Says Aishwarya Rajinikanth". News18. 17 September 2024. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  33. ^ "Lal Salaam Director Aishwarya On Films Failure And The Rajinikanth Factor". NDTV. 7 March 2024. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Lal Salaam". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  35. ^ "Lal Salaam Movie Review: Rajinikanth's Presence Elevates This Film That's Dignified But Overlong". The Times of India. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  36. ^ "Lal Salaam movie review: Aishwarya Rajinikanth is back with a bang". Hindustan Times. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  37. ^ "'Lal Salaam' Review: Rajinikanth rips apart religious politics in an uneven film". India Today. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  38. ^ "Lal Salaam Review: Rajini Can't Save A Bland, Simplistic And Melodramatic Affair". Film Companion. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  39. ^ "Lal Salaam movie review: Despite noble themes and Rajinikanth, the film falls short of excellence". The New Indian Express. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  40. ^ "Lal Salaam Movie Review: This film about heightened emotions needed to evoke more emotion". Cinema Express. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  41. ^ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (9 February 2024). "'Lal Salaam' movie review: Rajinikanth adds vigour but struggles to save Aishwarya Rajinikanth's sermon on secularism". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
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