Jai Bhim (film)

Jai Bhim is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language legal drama film that was directed by T. J. Gnanavel, and produced by Jyothika and Suriya under the banner of 2D Entertainment. The film stars Suriya, Lijomol Jose and Manikandan with Rajisha Vijayan, Prakash Raj, Guru Somasundaram, and Rao Ramesh in supporting roles. The film is about police bias and state violence against a marginalised community. Jai Bhim is based on a 1993 Cuddalore incident that involves a legal case fought by Justice K. Chandru; it revolves around Sengeni and Rajakannu, a couple from the Irular tribe. Police arrested Rajakannu and he later went missing from the police station. Sengeni seeks the help of lawyer Chandru to seek justice for her husband.

The film was announced in April 2021, and principal photography began that month with the filming of sequences in Chennai and Kodaikanal. Production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic; filming resumed in July 2021 and was completed that September. S. R. Kathir handled the cinematography and Philomin Raj was the editor. Sean Roldan composed the film's music and score. The film's title is a reference to a slogan used by followers of jurist and political leader B. R. Ambedkar.

Jai Bhim was released on Amazon Prime Video, prior to Diwali, on 2 November 2021 as part of a multi-film deal signed by 2D Entertainment. The film received universal acclaim from critics, who praised the story, performances of Suriya, Lijomol Jose and Manikandan, direction and social message. Several publications have listed Jai Bhim as one of the best Tamil and Indian films of 2021.

Plot
In 1993, Rajakannu and Sengeni, a couple from the Irula tribe, laboured in the fields of oppressive caste men to control the numbers of rats and venomous snakes. Rajakannu is called to capture a snake at a rich man's dwelling. The next day, a burglary at the house is reported when the man's wife reports jewellery missing from her closet and suspicion falls upon Rajakannu. The police invade Rajakannu's home, and beat and unlawfully detain Sengeni, who is pregnant. The police also arrest and torture Rajakannu's brother Iruttappan, his sister Pachaiammal and his brother-in-law Mosakutty to extract information about Rajakannu's whereabouts. The police release Sengeni but imprison Rajakannu and torture him to make him confess to the crime. Later, Sengeni is informed about the abscondment of all three detained men, and the police further threaten her to divulge their whereabouts.

Mythra, who teaches adults from the Irula tribe, learns about Chandru, a lawyer who fights cases for tribal communities, and persuades him to seek justice for Sengeni. After listening to Sengeni's story, Chandru files a habeas corpus case in court, which advises them to file in a lower court. Chandru asks for a witness examination, which is not the procedure in a habeas corpus case. Chandru cites the Rajan case and the court yields. The Solicitor General appears for the police and argues, based on the police officers' evidence, Rajakannu and the other two men absconded from police custody the night they were arrested. Chandru discovers that the police were committing perjury and asks the court to investigate Sub-Inspector Gurumurthy, head constable Veerasamy and constable Kirubakaran.

Advocate General Ram Mohan takes over the legal case and says the three accused men have fled to Kerala. Varadarajulu, Iruttapan's employer, acknowledges Iruttapan informed him he had fled after committing a robbery. Chandru discovers the three policemen went to Kerala to make a telephone call to Varadarajulu and that Guru mimicked Iruttapan's voice. Upon Chandru's request, the court appoints Inspector General Perumalsamy as the lead officer in the case. After searching for weeks, Chandru, Perumalsamy, and Mythra find Rajakannu's corpse on a road close to the border of Pondicherry the day after he supposedly fled, and they cremate his body. Both believe Rajakannu did not die due to a car accident but due to his murder in custody.

Chandru talks to the pathologist who conducted Rajakannu's postmortem; he believes Rajakannu's death was due to a broken rib cage that could have been caused by a car running over him. Veerasamy admits to Ram Mohan Rajakannu died in custody. Veerasamy called Guru after Rajakannu's death. Guru tells Veerasamy to say both had escaped and left Rajakannu on the road, framing his death as a car accident. Mosakutty and Iruttapan were sent to another jail in Kerala. After hearing this, Ram Mohan advises them to maintain their narrative in court. Chandru checks the police station's call history and tells the court that a call to Guru's residence was made at 9:10 p.m., which does not corroborate Veerasamy's evidence. Chandru asks for more time to investigate.

Chandru, Mythra, Sengeni and the Irular tribe campaign against the injustice that happened. Chandru finds the police coerced Irutappan to call Varadarajulu. Mythra locates Iruttapan and Mosakutty, and they testify in court about the torture all three of them underwent and how the police officers killed Rajakannu. Perumalsamy says the police officers took bribes from the thief. Chandru also says they found tyre marks on the road near Rajakannu's corpse. The footprints matched Guru's and Kiruba's footprints. After hearing this evidence, the court announces the verdict and arrests the police officers who killed Rajakannu. Sengeni is awarded ₹3 lakhs (equivalent to ₹18 lakh or US$23,000 in 2020) and half a ground land as compensation, and Iruttappan, Mosakutty and Pachaiamma are awarded ₹2 lakhs (equivalent to ₹12 lakh or US$15,000 in 2020) each. Sengeni thanks Chandru for his help, and Chandru attends the inauguration of Sengeni's new house, fulfilling Rajakannu's dream to buy Sengeni a new home.

Development
In March 2020, media reported Suriya would be collaborating with T. J. Gnanavel, director of Kootathil Oruthan (2017), for a legal drama film based on tribal people. It was further stated that the film would be based on a true incident in 1993, and Suriya plays the role of a lawyer. His role is based on retired Madras High Court justice and former senior advocate K. Chandru, who campaigned for justice for a woman of the Irular tribe. The tribeswoman's husband Rajakannu was arrested and later disappeared from the police station. In the hope of justice for Rajakannu, she sought the help of Chandru, who investigated the matter and brought justice to the woman and her family. Gnanavel met the lawyer and interacted with him for several weeks to understand more about the case. The development team took a workshop from actor–director R. Madhavan on quickly making a biopic of a prominent individual, following the actor's work on Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022).

The film's technical crew were composer Sean Roldan, editor Philomin Raj, videographer S. R. Kathir, production designer Jacki and stunt-coordinator duo Anbariv. The film's title Jai Bhim, which is based on a slogan used by followers of B. R. Ambedkar, was announced on 23 July 2021 with a first-look release. The title was already taken by director Pa. Ranjith, a follower of Ambedkar's ideologies, and Suriya said Ranjith gave the film crew the title.

Casting
The project was formally announced in April 2021 with Suriya producing the film under the banner 2D Entertainment. Initially, Roshini Haripriyan was approached for the role of Sengeni but the role eventually went to Lijomol Jose. In May 2021, Malayalam film actor Rajisha Vijayan signed for a pivotal role after her Tamil debut with Karnan (2021). K. Manikandan signed to portray Rajakannu after agreeing to Gnanavel's condition of spending an extended time with Irular tribespeople to learn their lifestyle without committing to other projects.

Filming
Principal photography began in Kodaikanal in mid-April 2021; Suriya joined the sets despite filming for Etharkkum Thunindhavan (2021) in Karaikudi. Because production of Etharkkum Thunindhavan was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Suriya began working on Jai Bhim with the filming in Kodaikanal, which was also interrupted by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. In July 2021, shooting of the film resumed. Principal photography was completed by September 2021.

Post-production
In October 2021, the final copy of Jai Bhim was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification, which gave the film an "A" (adults-only) certificate. It is the first time a Suriya-starrer was given this rating since Rakta Charitra 2.

Music
Sean Roldan composed the film score and soundtrack, and Yugabharathi, Raju Murugan and Arivu wrote lyrics. The five-track original soundtrack album was preceded by the singles "Power", "Thala Kodhum" and "Sendumalli". The album was released through music-streaming platforms on 1 November 2021, and the sixth song "Manniley Eeramundu" was released as a bonus single on 15 November 2021.

Release
On 5 August 2021, 2D Entertainment signed a four-film deal with the streaming service Amazon Prime Video. As part of this deal, four of the studio's upcoming projects would premiere on Prime Video while bypassing theatrical release. Jai Bhim was scheduled for a streaming release during November 2021.

On 2 October, the producers announced the film would be released worldwide on 2 November 2021 ahead of the Diwali festival. The film was dubbed in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Jai Bhim was screened at the ninth edition of Noida International Film Festival on 23 January 2022. The film was also shown as part of the "World Competition" segment at the 20th edition of Pune International Film Festival, which was held in March 2022.

Critical response
Jai Bhim received critical acclaim. The script, performances of Suriya, Lijomol Jose and Manikandan, direction and technical aspects were praised.

Ranjani Krishnakumar of Film Companion wrote: "Jai Bhim is a solid film held together by craftly &#91;sic&#93; writing, thoughtful filmmaking, restrained performances and a true incident of the justice system restoring hope". NDTV critic Saibal Chatterjee gave the film three-and-a-half out of five, writing: "The amalgamation of the lead actor's charisma, the urgency of the theme and the force of the no-holds-barred storytelling results in an immersive and riveting film that calls attention to the plight of an oppressed community languishing on the fringes of society". S. Srivatsan of The Hindu wrote: "'Jai Bhim' is perhaps one of the boldest films to have come out of Tamil cinema. It doesn't dare turn its back on hitting where it hurts the most, and its politics is not weighed down by the presence of a star like Suriya." Writing for The Indian Express, Manoj Kumar R. gave the film four out of five, writing: "Suriya feels natural and very comfortable in the role of a firebrand advocate. It is as if he's not just performing the lines written by the director, but he really believes in every word and gesture he delivers in this film." Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute also gave the film four out of five, writing: "As a courtroom drama and investigative thriller, based on real events, Jai Bhim is head and shoulders above the average fare".

M. Suganth of The Times of India gave the film three-and-a-half out of five, writing: "Gnanavel gives us some terrific moments of defiance. Lijomol Jose is quietly powerful as Sengani, who gets a couple of rousing scenes when she turns down efforts at a compromise from cops. Manikandan, too, is effective and stands out in the scene when he urges his men to not give in as that will result in their community being branded as criminals. The director also portrays the intimacy between Sengani and Rajakannu in a charming manner."

Ashameera Aiyyappan of Firstpost gave the film four out of five, writing: "Jai Bhim is hard-hitting and intense. Unlike most commercial star vehicles, the film is decisively realistic. It tells a deeply important story with great nuance, ensuring that the people are not reduced to stereotypes." Hindustan Times Haricharan Pudipeddi wrote: "Jai Bhim also talks about caste-based discrimination, and it doesn't try to sugar-coat things in the process. One of the highlights of Jai Bhim are the courtroom sequences which have been shot in the most realistic fashion. Suriya brings earnestness in his performance and plays the role of a lawyer with a lot of maturity, ensuring that his star image never comes in the way. It's Manikandan, who leaves you stunned with a gut-wrenching performance. Most of his scenes are shot in the interrogation room and he brings out the helplessness of his character effectively. Lijomol Jose as the lone woman standing against system that is rigged against her, is one of the best casting choices in recent times in Tamil cinema."

A critic from Onmanorama gave the film three-and-a-half out of five, writing: "Rather than being a mere courtroom drama, Jai Bhim is a much-needed film from the past that will be relevant in the years to come, with new hope and a new beginning".

Janani K. of India Today gave the film four-and-a-half out of five writing: "Jai Bhim is an important film in the history of Tamil cinema. It shows how caste discrimination and injustice kill people. Jai Bhim is a film that also talks about the lack of humanity. Jai Bhim is a must-watch for its hard-hitting content and its ideologies. It's what society needs right now." Sudhir Srinivasan, writing for Cinema Express, gave the film three-and-a-half, writing: "despite all the attempts to create an engaging court experience, the film fails to create strong lawyer adversaries for Chandru ... And yet, for all these missteps that prevent Jai Bhim from being an unforgettable film, it's still necessary to note that this is an important film that documents, with passion and good intentions, the oppression of a community. It's a film co-produced by a star, who's brave enough to almost slide himself into the background. Yes, he's a saviour in this film, sure, but he is not of the henchmen-beating, heroine-advising, agency-robbing kind, and neither is he the centrepoint of this story. Though he's a saviour, you could argue that he's also a 'victim' ... of his good conscience. 'It's the only way I can get a good night's sleep,' he says, explaining his motivation to represent the vulnerable. If only our society created more such victims."

According to Harish Wankhede's review in The Hindu, the protagonist is: "an Ambedkarite hero who struggles to protect the life and dignity of the tribal people by adopting democratic and legal apparatuses. Further, the film presents the victim Sanggeni not as a powerless and wretched spectator but as a dignified claimant of equal rights and justice. It equally focuses on her brave struggle against the powerful establishment and promotes her as a parallel protagonist of the story."

Accolades
Jai Bhim was the most popular Indian film of 2021 according to IMDb. Jai Bhim also became the most-searched film of 2021 on Google in India.

The film was made available for screening at the 94th Academy Awards but was not nominated.

Controversies
Jai Bhim attracted opposition by the Vanniyar caste group Vanniyar Sangam, the parent organisation of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), regarding a scene involving sub-inspector Gurumoorthy, which the PMK leaders said insults the community. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss wrote a letter asking questions about the film and saying it defamed the community. In the film, an image of a pot of fire, a symbol of the Vanniyar community, is seen on a wall calendar in the sub-inspector's residence.

Ramadoss criticised the choice of name for the character Gurumoorthy, which he said defames PMK leader Kaduvetti Guru. While the film uses the names of the individuals in the case for their on-screen characters, the sub-inspector's character was not given the analogous individual's name, which was Anthonysamy. Suriya said the film's team had no intention of hurting any individual or a particular community. He also said: "Through the film, questions have been raised against those in power, it should not be turned into name-politics and diluted".

Amid threats from supporters of the PMK and the Vanniyar Sangam, police protection was given to Suriya's residence in T. Nagar, Chennai. Filmmakers, including Vetrimaaran, Lokesh Kanagaraj, Pa. Ranjith, C. S. Amudhan, Prakash Raj—who appeared in the film, Sathyaraj and Siddharth publicly spoke in favour of Suriya, while associations such as South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, Tamil Film Active Producers Association, and Nadigar Sangam raised objections to the attacks. The hashtag #WeStandWithSuriya started trending on Twitter, to which Suriya responded by thanking fans for their "overwhelming support". Gnanavel apologised on Twitter, saying he takes responsibility for the controversy and blaming Suriya was unfair. On 11 August 2022, Madras High Court quashed criminal proceedings against Suriya and Gnanavel for allegedly hurting the sentiment of the Vanniyar community in the film. The complainant said the film intended to incite violence and hostility on a particular community but the court said no such instance had been recorded.

A scene in which Prakash Raj's character IGP Perumalsamy slaps a pawnbroker for speaking in Hindi and tells him to speak in Tamil sparked controversy on social media and was opposed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some commentators stated it promotes anti-Hindi sentiment while others said Perumalsamy slaps the pawnbroker for trying to confuse him and evade questioning by speaking in a language he does not understand when he can speak in Tamil. Prakash Raj responded to this by saying: "they did not see the agony of the tribal people, they did not see and feel terrible about the injustice, they saw only the slap. That is all they understood; this exposes their agenda", but confirmed that the pawnbroker, who knows Tamil, was trying to evade questioning by speaking in Hindi.

According to Bharathiraja, president of Tamil Film Active Producers Association: "Cinema has influenced and been a catalyst for social change on multiple occasions ... Jai Bhim is also one such creation that is part of efforts to instigate social change ... Viewing [Suriya] as someone who is against positive change in society or encouraging violence against him, is wrong and sets the wrong example. The best thing to do would be to let an art stand for itself without infringing the creators' artistic freedom. If this trend goes on, filmmakers will have to wait outside the houses of politicians to seek their approval before they could go ahead with a script and shoot a film."

Impact
Jai Bhim has received an overwhelming response from members of the film fraternity, including Kamal Haasan, Siddharth, R. Madhavan and Sivakarthikeyan. Justice K. Chandru, who was closely associated with the film from the story discussions to post-production work, stated in an interview with The Federal: "the film is not a mere retelling of Sengini's tragic tale, but is more about throwing light on the larger picture of the victimisation of vulnerable communities like the Irula tribe". M. K. Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, praised the film, saying it had occupied his thoughts all night long. He stated the film's core issue reminded him of his own time in prison when arrested in 1976 under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (1971) during the Emergency, and that his heart felt very heavy after watching the film. He congratulated Suriya and Gnanavel, and the entire film unit, saying he wished more such films were made. He complimented Suriya's donation of inr 10000000 to the Pazhangudi Irular Trust for their education. Responding to Stalin's compliments, Suriya said: "I am running out of words. The compliments of the Chief Minister have fulfilled the intent of Jai Bhim", and thanked the politician on behalf of the team. Suriya promised to open a fixed deposit of ₹10 lakh in the name of Parvati Ammal. He said: "The interest accrued for the FD will be handed over to Parvati Ammal every month and it will be ensured that the amount goes to her children after her death".

Raj Shinde, a critic at the Indian website ThePrint, cited Jai Bhim as an example of how Indian cinema evolved to produce anti-caste films. Several publications, including The Indian Express, The News Minute, Hindustan Times, Firstpost, and India Today, listed Jai Bhim as one of the best Tamil films of 2021. According to the social networking site Letterboxd, it was listed in the 15th position of "highest rated International films of 2021". It was also fourth in the list of films that were tweeted about most in 2021, according to a report published by Twitter. A scene from the film was listed on The Oscars' official YouTube channel as a part of the segment "Scene at the Academy", with T. J. Gnanavel talking about making the film. The film's screenplay was published as a book and was made available at the Chennai Book Fair in 2023.