Thiruda Thiruda

Printed Indian currency from the Reserve Bank of India security press at Nasik with an estimated value of ₹ 1000 crores, is stolen from a train by T. T. Vikram(Salim Ghouse), a gangster and drug dealer living in London. The container is shipped off by Vikram's henchman and is on the move. The access card of the container goes to the possession of pop star Chandralekha(Anu Aggarwal), an acquaintance of Vikram. CBI SP Lakshminarayanan(S. P. Balasubramaniam) is assigned to track down the stolen currency within the next ten days, on time for the upcoming budget allotment for the fiscal year.

Lakshminarayanan tracks down Chandralekha who tactfully escapes from him and tries to reach Vikram, when she comes across two small time burglars – Kadhir(Anand) and Azhagu(Prashanth). The duo are on the run from the police after a successful burglary in the countryside. A village belle Rasathi(Heera Rajagopal), who tries to escape from her abusive relatives also tags along with the thieving duo. Chandralekha and the trio end up traveling together due to circumstances. When Chandralekha tries to double cross the thieves and escape, they steal her purse containing the access card as revenge. Realizing this, she comes back to them and only then does the duo realize the actual worth of the access card. They all make a plan to pursue the money container somehow, but Vikram tries to chase down and kill all of them to get the card back at any cost.

While on the run from the police and Vikram, they come across the very same truck containing the loot and manage to bring it under their possession. They hide it away from prying eyes with the entirety of the loot still intact inside the container. With Lakshminarayanan and his brigade of CBI officers close at his tail, Vikram stops at nothing to get his loot back, but is outwitted repeatedly by the thieves. Vikram finally manages to find Chandralekha, gets the access card from her and she is left to die in the forest, but is rescued and taken into custody by Lakshminarayanan, who interrogates her and she cooperates with them to find the container.

Meanwhile, Kadhir and Rasathi are mutually attracted to each other but Kadhir sacrifices his love for her after realizing that his best friend Azhagu is also in love with Rasathi. Rasathi, who does not want to continue with this love triangle, opts out and leaves them both, but Vikram captures her. Kadhir and Azhagu, in a bid to save her, point to the location of the currency container and Vikram escapes with the loot on a train, taking Rasathi as a hostage.

Lakshminarayanan finds that the loot is being transported on a train and is in hot pursuit, while Kadhir and Azhagu also get on the train to save Rasathi from Vikram. They save Rasathi together and subdue Vikram, who falls off the train. Azhagu also steals the access card from him. Now that they are finally in possession of the loot, Kadhir and Azhagu playfully argue about who would marry Rasathi and leave the other to manage the loot, each indicating that they are more interested in the money than their love for Rasathi, so she grabs the access card and throws it away and chases them around.

Lakshminarayanan arrives at the nick of time and takes the access card and the currency container back to the Indian government where it actually belongs and finally restores order.

The National Art Gallery, one of the museum buildings in Government Museum, seen in the song "Chandralekha".

In late 1992, Mani Ratnam chose to make the caper film Thiruda Thiruda as his first directorial venture under his newly set-up production studio, Aalayam Productions, alongside his co-producer Sriram. When writing the script of the film, Mani Ratnam went on a recce with Ram Gopal Varma and both film-makers spent a few days each fine-tuning each other's scripts. While Varma worked on parts of Thiruda Thiruda, Mani Ratnam helped script Varma's political thriller film, Gaayam (1993). With the script of Thiruda Thiruda, he wanted to attempt the caper film genre for the first time and took Rajasekhar's Vikram (1986) and Varma's Kshana Kshanam (1991) as his initial inspirations.[5] He was also inspired by the ongoing financial scandal involving stockbroker Harshad Mehta, which had made Indian national news during early 1992 and chose to adapt his script accordingly.[5] The American film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) was another influence on Thiruda Thiruda.[6]

J. D. Chakravarthy was initially meant to play the role of Kadhir, and actress Kushboo's brother, Abdullah, had also taken a screen test for the role, before Anand was selected. Salim Ghouse, a renowned theatre artist, was roped into play an antagonist.[7] Before finalising Anu Aggarwal for a role, Mani Ratnam considered Dimple Kapadia but opted against signing her as he wanted to select an actress new to Tamil cinema.[8] Actresses Meena and Aishwarya, daughter of actress Lakshmi, were also approached for roles in the film but refused the opportunity.[9] K. V. Anand was among P. C. Sriram's assistant cinematographers in the film.[10]

Malini Mannath wrote for The Indian Express on 19 November 1993, "Thiruda Thiruda is a technique conscious film that may seem sparkling and wondrous to the technique crazy cine-goer though it never really takes off after the interval."[11] The film won the National Film Award for Best Special Effects and National Film Award for Best Choreography for Sundaram.[12]

The film was not well received by the audience as it was well ahead of its time and no one had seen caper movies. But the film was well received over time and ended up becoming a cult classic.

The soundtrack features 8 songs composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Vairamuthu. The film's songs are notable for two reasons—the introduction of relatively unknown vocalists into mainstream Tamil playback singing and the extensive use of experimental sounds, including (Western) orchestral elements and techno instrumental music in familiar Indian cinematic music settings. While vocalist Annupamaa in the technopop song Chandralekha and the Chinese singer Caroline[13] in Thee Thee sang their first mainstream songs, the late singer Shahul Hameed was roped in to sing Raasathi. Major innovations in Indian film music include a cappella in Raasathi and the incorporation of operatic and techno elements in the main theme and in Chandralekha, highly unpredictable rhythm and melodic pattern in Thee Thee. The song Veerapandi Kottayile became a big hit across South India, inspiring the tune for a popular Malayalam slogan, "Thekku Thekkoru Deshathu".[14]

The lyrics for Tamil version was penned by Vairamuthu while Rajashri and PK Mishra penned lyrics for Telugu and Hindi versions.

Tamil version

Telugu version

Hindi version

The song "Kannum Kannum" inspired a Tamil film titled Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal.[17] A film with the same name had earlier been planned by Pandiarajan in 2002, but was later shelved.[18]

• Thiruda Thiruda at IMDb

• Rangan, Baradwaj (2012). Conversations with Mani Ratnam. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-670-08520-0.