Sura (film)

Sura is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by S. P. Rajkumar, starring Vijay in the title role along with Tamannaah Bhatia, Dev Gill and Vadivelu in supporting roles. The film, produced by Sangili Murugan and distributed by Sun Pictures features film's soundtrack and score was composed by Mani Sharma. Cinematography was handled by N. K. Ekambaram and M. S. Prabhu, respectively and editing was handled by Don Max. The film was the 50th film of Vijay.

Sura follows a fisherman battling a cruel, greedy and corrupt minister to save land for his hamlet's homes. It tracks Sura's journey as he secures the land and foils the minister's plans. It was theatrically released worldwide on 30 April 2010. The film was critically panned and underperformed at the box office, earning approximately ₹14.76 crore.

Plot
In the picturesque coastal town of Yaazh Nagar, a fisherman hamlet in Tamil Nadu, Sura, a brave and compassionate young man, grows up with his loyal friend, Ambar La, known affectionately as Umbrella. Sura is known for his good deeds and selflessness in helping his fellow villagers, earning him admiration and respect from all around.

Meanwhile, a heartbroken young woman named Poornima arrives in Yaazh Nagar, seeking solace after the tragic loss of her beloved pet dog, Ramesh. Overwhelmed with grief and struggling to find purpose, Poornima is drawn to Sura's kindness and finds comfort in his presence. As they spend time together, a genuine connection forms between them, and they fall deeply in love.

Enter Samuthira Raja, a ruthless, corrupt minister with a sinister agenda. Samuthira Raja desires to seize control of Yaazh Nagar's beautiful coastal land to build a grand fairground, exploiting the villagers' simplicity and innocence for his own gains. He employs every crooked tactic in the book, using his political power to threaten and intimidate the villagers.

Sura, however, refuses to be bullied into submission. He becomes the voice of resistance and leads the villagers in fighting back against Samuthira Raja's malicious intentions. In a thrilling series of events, Sura takes on Samuthira Raja's cronies single-handedly, showcasing his intelligence, resourcefulness, and unparalleled bravery. With the support of the villagers, Sura outsmarts the corrupt minister and saves their homes and livelihoods.

But Samuthira Raja is not one to accept defeat easily. Consumed by his lust for vengeance, he devises a diabolical plan to eliminate Sura once and for all. He plants a deadly bomb in Yaazh Nagar, intending to destroy the entire village and Sura with it. In a heart-stopping confrontation, Samuthira Raja captures Sura, gloating over his impending victory.

However, Sura reveals a startling truth that leaves Samuthira Raja dumbfounded – the chief guest for the hamlet's upcoming inauguration is none other than Samuthira Raja's wife, a compassionate and kind-hearted woman unaware of her husband's evil deeds. This revelation sends shockwaves through Samuthira Raja, questioning his actions and his moral compass.

Faced with a dilemma, Samuthira Raja is torn between his thirst for revenge and the possibility of redemption through his wife's innocence. As the clock ticks, Sura urges Samuthira Raja to choose the path of compassion and forgiveness, to end the cycle of violence and corruption.

In a nail-biting climax, Samuthira Raja makes a pivotal decision. He deactivates the bomb, saving Yaazh Nagar and acknowledging the darkness within himself. In an unexpected twist, he sacrifices his own life to ensure Sura's safety and the welfare of the villagers. His final act of redemption leaves Sura and Poornima with mixed emotions, prompting them to reflect on the complexity of humanity.

Production
After the completion of Vettaikaaran (2009), Vijay announced that his 50th film was to be named as Urimaikural named after M. G. Ramachandran starrer of same name but it was titled as Sura. Many directors were considered for the 50th film of Vijay: Selvaraghavan, S. P. Rajkumar, K. V. Anand, Dharani, Prabhu Deva, Siddique, Mohan Raja,  R. Madhesh, K. S. Ravikumar and Perarasu. Perarasu was initially selected as director, but later opted out. S. P. Rajkumar, who directed Azhagar Malai (2009) was selected as director. Prior to this, S. P. Rajkumar previously worked in Vijay starrer Once More (1997) as a dialogue writer. In May 2009, Tamannaah Bhatia was confirmed to play a role in the film. Originally, Pasupathy was selected to portray the negative role but he was replaced by Dev Gill who appeared in Telugu film Magadheera (2009), after Vijay was impressed by his performance in that film.

The shooting of the film commenced in Kerala in November 2009 and was continued in different places in Tamil Nadu like Marakkanam, Villupuram, Mamallapuram, Chennai, Alleppey and Pondicherry. The shoot continued on 21 October and canned a few stunt sequences on the Uppaneri Bridge near Marakkanam Salt Lake. Vijay fought with villain Dev's gang for almost three days. After a three-day gap, the shoot resumed in Prasad Studios and the song "Thanjavur Jillakari" was shot at AVM Productions on 27 October. The unit created a slum set at East Coast Road. A song was shot at Ooty. During the shooting, cameraman M. S. Prabhu and Rajakumar had a misunderstanding and he was replaced by N. K. Ekhambharam. Ekambaram reveals that one of the fight sequences, which were shot in the high seas in Tuticorin at 2 am, was choreographed by Kanal Kannan and has stuntmen from Bangkok. Ekambaram says that he has used high speed cameras considering the risks involved in shooting in the seas. The opening song has been pictured in a scenic location in Dhanushkodi.

Music
The soundtrack of the film, composed by Mani Sharma, was released on 29 March 2010 at Lady Aandal Venkat Subbarao School. The prominent guest list includes Sundar C, Sibi Sathyaraj, Riyaz Khan and Uma Riyaz Khan, Ramanarayanan, K. S. Ravikumar, R. Parthiban, Vadivelu, Sonia Agarwal, Srikanth along with the lead stars of the film and the technical crew. Kabilan revealed that lyrics for all songs from the film were written even before Vettaikaran was released. The album features six songs all of which have been reused from his previous films. "Vetri Kodi Yethu", "Vanga Kadal Ellai", "Siragadikkum Nilavu", "Thamizhan Veera Thamizhan", "Thanjavoor Jillakkari", and "Naan Nadanthal Athiradi" are based on the Telugu songs "Inthe Inthinthe", "Nuvvasalu", "Tagilinadi Rabba", "Hut Hutja", "Bommali" and "My Name Is Billa", respectively.

Release
Sura was originally scheduled for release on 23 April 2010, but it was postponed and released on 30 April.

Critical response
The film received negative reviews from critics.

Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff.com rated the film 2/5 stars and mentioned, "Give your brains a rest, and enjoy this mass masala entertainer." She also noted that Sura is a milestone film for Tamil actor Vijay, marking his 50th film and his last "mass" movie before transitioning to different script choices. The movie blends typical masala entertainment elements with Vijay's political aspirations, featuring his signature style, dance sequences, and punch dialogues, while serving as a platform for his potential future in Tamil politics. Bhama Devi Ravi of The Times of India gave the film 1.5/5 stars, commenting, "It is yet another Vijay formula film, but you would be wise to leave your logical brain behind at home." She expressed that the film lacks a compelling script and logical coherence, relying heavily on Vijay's screen presence and recycled elements from his previous films. The story revolves around Sura, a fisherman who battles a corrupt minister to protect his village, interspersed with gravity-defying action, political references, and predictable romance. Renju Joseph of News18 India reviewed and wrote, "The first half is tiresome but tolerable however the second half is a fan's sacrifice to his cult hero. The film could be recommended to only very, very hardcore fanatic fans of Vijay. Otherwise don’t even bother to get misled by the posters."

Behindwoods gave the film 1.5/5 stars, stating it is "a usual Vijay fare" and highlighting its lack of variety, repetitive elements, and shortcomings in storytelling and character development, ultimately failing to fully showcase Vijay's talents. Sify gave it 3/5 stars and wrote, "On the whole, [Sura] is a roller coaster ride of pure unadulterated masala." Despite its familiar tropes and predictable narrative, the film succeeds in captivating audiences with Vijay's charismatic performance and a blend of comedy, action, and sentimentality. Ananda Vikatan gave the film a rating of 37 out of 100. Indiaglitz, in their review, highlights it as Vijay's 50th film, set in a coastal Tamil Nadu fishing village, where he plays a good Samaritan who fights a corrupt minister to protect the fisherfolk. Directed by S. P. Rajakumar, the film features romance, humor and action, with strong performances from Vijay, Tamannaah and Vadivelu.

Box office
Sura grossed ₹10 crore at the TN box office, around ₹4.13 crore ($897 thousand) at the Malaysian box office and around ₹63 lakh (€104 thousand) at the UK box office. Producer Sangili Murugan noted that the film merely recouped its budget during its theatrical run.