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Imitation of life
Vishal and Kajal star in Paayum Puli.

Paayum Puli, starring Vishal, is inspired by a valiant police officer who was killed on duty, writes Deepa Gauri.

By Deepa Gauri

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Published: Thu 3 Sep 2015, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Thu 3 Sep 2015, 12:51 PM

THREE YEARS AFTER the brutal murder of police sub-inspector Alwin Sudhan in Sivaganga district by a group of goons, a film that is loosely based on his life and real incidents comes to theatres.
Directed by Suseenthiran, Paayum Puli stars Vishal and Kajal Aggarwal is an action-packed thriller that once again presents the hero in a dynamic cop role. There is no denying that Vishal is known for die-hard action movies and Paayum Puli also comes with the creative high that Suseenthiran almost always delivers.
The director of Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai, which won the National Film award for best popular film, teamed up with Vishal previously for Pandiya Naadu. The film was well-received and gave Vishal a much-needed lift.
The actor says that joining hands with Suseenthiran in less than two years was prompted by the 'power of the script.' The story of Paayum Puli was narrated to him during the making of Pandiya Naadu, where he was awed by the prospects to not only play a committed cop again but also be part of a venture that he felt would be "also classy."
Suseenthiran, on his part, says that it was the first time he is writing a script that will suit an actor's image.
But the journey has not been easy for Vishal with the film hitting roadblocks after distributors threatened to withhold the film's release. Such issues, however, are not new for Vishal, who had ventured into film production after he experienced setbacks early in his career, adding that his survival today as an actor has been led by his decision to turn producer.
Vishal says that it makes more financial sense to act in films that one produces, giving the director and the film more resources to make a better product.
Paayum Puli is named after an eponymous Rajnikanth flick released in 1983. The similarities, however, end there. This is not the first time that Vishal has opted to name his films after Rajnikanth starrers; last year's Naan Sigappu Manithan too was a superhit Rajnikanth title.
Also starring Samuthirakani, Soori and Aishwarya Dutta, the film's lead heroine Kajal says she plays a demure woman, too scared to do anything, even to cross a busy street. She says the characterization is unique and something she hasn't attempted on-screen before.
Vishal or the film's makers haven't revealed much about Paayum Puli and hope that this high-voltage action by the actor will draw in the masses.
Playing Jayaseelan, a cop who is often undercover, Paayum Puli's strength could be its real-life references. That a cop could be hacked to death for implementing controls at a local fair was in fact too filmy to be real.
SI Sudhan received a posthumous gallantry honour and police were criticised by human rights activists for shooting to death two of his suspected killers. The subject is touchy and vigilante justice, while clapped about in theatres, acquires a different dimension in real life.
How Suseenthiran tackles the travails of cops is what sets Paayum Puli apart from any other cop story.
Shot extensively in Chennai, the film's climax is much talked about with Vishal going on record that it was one of the toughest he's done.
After the shoot was wrapped up, Vishal gifted 300 gold coins to the film unit members as a thank you gesture. Whether the movie will rain gold at the box office remains to be seen.
If you love the action of Vishal, Paayum Puli is highly recommended.


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