Puli (2015 film)
A fantasy film about a half-demon hero fighting for justice.
Puli (meaning "Tiger") is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language fantasy action adventure film. Chimbu Deven wrote and directed it, while Shibu Thameens and P. T. Selvakumar produced it under Thameens Films and SKT Studios. Vijay plays a dual role, and the cast also includes Sridevi, Prabhu, Sudeep, Shruti Haasan, Hansika Motwani, and Nandita Swetha. The film marked Sridevi's return to Tamil cinema and turned out to be her final Tamil film before she died. The story follows a conflict between humans and demons called Vedhalams in a kingdom ruled by demons. The protagonist fights for justice against the ruthless slaughter of humans, but his own ancestry remains a mystery.
The original Tamil version of *Puli* was released worldwide in theatres on 1 October 2015. Dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, and Malayalam came out the next day, 2 October 2015. Critics gave the film mixed-to-negative reviews. They praised the cast performances, especially from Vijay and Sudeep, as well as the visual effects, but criticised the screenplay and writing. Although the film performed below average at the box office, it recovered its budget through profits from satellite and digital rights. *Puli* was also screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival in Japan.
- Release date
- 1 October 2015 (Tamil); 2 October 2015 (dubbed versions)
- Director
- Chimbu Deven
- Producers
- Shibu Thameens, P. T. Selvakumar
- Lead actor
- Vijay (dual role)
- Notable cast
- Sridevi, Prabhu, Sudeep, Shruti Haasan, Hansika Motwani, Nandita Swetha
- Genre
- Fantasy action adventure
- Language
- Tamil
Lore & Background
The film revolves around the clash between humans and demons (Vedhalams) in a Kingdom ruled by demons, where the protagonist fights for justice against the ruthless slaughtering of humans by demons, but his ancestry turns out to be a mystery. The plot follows Marudheeran, the adopted son of a tribal village chief, who protects villagers from the Vedhalams. He falls in love with Pavalamalli, but she is kidnapped by Vedhalams, prompting him to journey to Vedhalapuram. There he rescues Princess Manthagini, who falls in love with him, and he eventually discovers he is half-Vedhalam, the son of a tiger-demon prince and a human princess.
Reader's Guide
Puli is significant as Sridevi's final Tamil film and her return to Tamil cinema after 29 years. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, who praised the cast performances, especially from Vijay and Sudeep, and the visual effects, while the screenplay and writing received criticism. Despite being a below average venture at the box office, it recovered the budget investment through profit in satellite and digital rights. The film was screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival, Japan. Its production involved a large ensemble cast, multiple costume designers, and international stunt choreographers.
Did You Know?
- The film marks Sridevi's return to Tamil cinema and her final Tamil film before her death.
- The film was screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival, Japan.
- The film's original Tamil version was released on 1 October 2015, with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, and Malayalam released the following day.
- The film recovered its budget investment through profit in satellite and digital rights despite being a below average box office venture.
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