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Raam (2005 film)

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Raam
Poster
Directed byAmeer
Written byAmeer
Produced byAmeer
StarringJiiva
Saranya Ponvannan
Gajala
CinematographyRamji
Edited byRaja Mohammad
Music byYuvan Shankar Raja
Production
company
Teamwork Production House
Release date
  • 4 March 2005 (2005-03-04)
Running time
131 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Raam is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language mystery thriller film written, produced and directed by Ameer. The film stars Jiiva, Gajala and Saranya Ponvannan, with Kunal Shah, Rahman, Ganja Karuppu and Murali playing supporting roles. The film was released on 4 March 2005 and became a sleeper hit. It was screened at the 2006 Cyprus International Film Festival, where it won two awards for Best Actor and Best Musical Score for Jiiva and Yuvan Shankar Raja, respectively. The film was critically acclaimed with praise for the performances of Jiiva and Saranya, screenplay, music and cinematography. The film was remade in Hindi as Bolo Raam (2009) and in Kannada as Huccha 2 (2018).[1][2]

Plot

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In the picturesque town of Kodaikanal, a haunting tale unfolds, centered around the intricate bond between a young man named Raam and his mother, Saradha. The narrative kicks off with a chilling scene – both Raam and his mother lying in a pool of blood. As the authorities discover Raam is still alive, they apprehend him for the alleged murder of his mother, setting the stage for a riveting investigation led by Police Inspector Umar.

The plot unravels through a gripping flashback, revealing Raam as a teenager grappling with mental challenges, later diagnosed as autistic. His deep, almost obsessive love for his mother inadvertently entangles her in a web of troubles. Raam, with a low tolerance for wrongdoing, becomes the prime suspect in Saradha's brutal murder. As Inspector Umar meticulously probes into the lives of Raam and those connected to him, a myriad of potential motives emerge.

Living next door is Karthikayeni, the daughter of Sub-Inspector Malaichamy, who finds herself drawn to Raam. However, Raam's response to her affection is blunt and uncompromising. The tension escalates when Saradha is discovered murdered, triggering a relentless pursuit of truth by Inspector Umar.

The investigation takes unexpected turns, revealing dark secrets and hidden connections. The police unravel a shocking revelation – it was Karthikayeni's brother, Satish, who committed the heinous act out of fear that Saradha would expose his drug addiction. Confronted by Umar, Satish inflicts fatal harm and escapes, leaving a trail of chaos.

Amidst the turmoil, Raam, driven by a thirst for justice, discovers Satish's hideout. A brutal confrontation ensues, culminating in Raam's triumph over the antagonist. The film concludes with the police closing in on the hideout, capturing the intensity of the moment as Raam meditates on a dilapidated rooftop.

Cast

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Production

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Ameer revealed while he was working in Nandha (2001), he got to witness an incident in a local news channel where a 20 year old man sitting near his mother's corpse, feeling remorse for murdering his mother. This triggered Ameer to make a film on that incident; however he changed the script by not portraying the son as murderer.[3] Jiiva who was in search of story for his third film met cinematographer Ramji who informed him that Ameer wanted to make a film with him which prompted Jiiva to meet him and agreed to act under his direction after hearing the script and character.[4] Ameer decided to produce the film on his own after the initial producers who produced Ameer's debut Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002) backed out.[4] To portray his character, Jiiva grew his hair long, had to remain blank and did a lot of recce and also met a person who had autism and observed his mannerisms.[5] The filming was primarily held at Kodaikanal where sets were built on the land belonging to Jiiva's family.[4] The scene where Jiiva meditates was shot at Dolphin Nose, Kodaikanal.[6] The film took nearly two years to complete.[7]

Soundtrack

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The music was scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The soundtrack features seven tracks, including one instrumental. All lyrics were penned by Snehan.[8]

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Boom Boom"Yuvan Shankar Raja, Jyotsna, Premji Amaran, Tippu4:36
2."Aarariraro"K. J. Yesudas4:46
3."Vidigindra Pozhudhu"Srimathumitha3:59
4."Yaaro Arivaal"Madhu Balakrishnan2:26
5."Manidhan Solgindra"K. J. Yesudas, Vijay Yesudas, Ranjith4:41
6."Nizhalinai Nijamum"Vijay Yesudas, Yuvan Shankar Raja5:21
Total length:25:49

Critical reception

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Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu wrote, "Crafted with care and treated with finesse, Raam is a luminous feather in the maker's cap".[9] Visual Dasan of Kalki called Raam a miracle cure for rotten taste.[10] M. Bharat Kumar of News Today wrote "Director Ameer needs to be applauded for coming up with a gripping emotional melodrama detailing the travails of an autistic boy, which is sure to impress movie buffs. Engrossing screenplay by the director himself, excellent cinematography by Ramjhi [sic] and good background score by Yuvan Shankar Raja add strength to the movie".[11]

Accolades

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At the 2006 Cyprus International Film Festival, Jiiva won the award for Best Actor in a Feature Film, and Yuvan won for Best Musical Score in a Feature Film.[12] He remains the only Indian to have received that award to date.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Duara, Ajit (6 January 2010). "Bolo Raam". Open. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Huchcha-2 cast and crew finalized". Sify. 4 December 2014. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  3. ^ "ஹீரோக்களுக்கு வாலாட்டும் தமிழ் சினிமா!" (PDF). Kalki (in Tamil). 10 April 2005. pp. 32–34. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ a b c "ஈட் ட்ரிங்க் ஸ்லீப் ராம்..." (PDF). Kalki (in Tamil). 25 March 2007. pp. 30–32. Retrieved 18 April 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ Warrier, Shobha (1 February 2006). "Jeeva: I risked my life for Dishyum". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  6. ^ "தீ பரவிய திகில் நிமிடங்கள்!" (PDF). Kalki (in Tamil). 8 April 2007. pp. 26–28. Retrieved 29 April 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ "'I believe in making a mark' – Jiiva". Deccan Chronicle. 31 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Raam (2005)". Raaga.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  9. ^ Rangarajan, Malathi (11 March 2005). "Raam". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 September 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  10. ^ தாசன், விஷுவல் (20 March 2005). "ராம்". Kalki (in Tamil). p. 16. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ Bharat Kumar, M. "Impressive effort". News Today. Archived from the original on 12 March 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Winners". Cyprus International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  13. ^ "Yuvan, the only Indian composer to win Cyprus International Film Award". The Times of India. 19 December 2014. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
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