# Dejavu (2022 film)

Dejavu is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language mystery thriller film directed by Arvindh Srinivasan in his directoral debut and it is produced by K. Vijay Pandi and P. G. Muthiah. The film stars Arulnithi, Madhoo, Achyuth Kumar, and Smruthi Venkat. The film was released theatrically on 22 July 2022 and received mixed reviews from critics and audience, and became a box office success. The film was partially shot in Telugu as Repeat with Naveen Chandra replacing Arulnithi, which was directly released on Hotstar.

## Plot

In this gripping narrative, Subramani, a novelist, experiences an extraordinary series of events when his fictional writings begin to manifest in reality. After being mocked by police for claiming fictional characters are threatening him, he becomes entangled in a complex mystery when his writings about a woman named Pooja's kidnapping seemingly predict actual events1. The incident attracts the attention of DGP Asha Pramod, whose own daughter Pooja has been kidnapped, turning the investigation personal and raising questions about Subramani's potential extrasensory perception.
As the plot unfolds, it is revealed that Subramani and his son Rahul, along with allies, orchestrated an elaborate plan to expose a year-old cold case involving the brutal rape and murder of a woman named Janani1. They strategically recreate the kidnapping to draw media attention and reveal the truth about corrupt police officials, including Asha, who had previously covered up the crimes of an influential minister's son. The story culminates in a dramatic resolution where ACP Vikram, who is actually Janani's boyfriend, exposes Asha's corruption, leading to her ultimate downfall and suicide, driven by guilt and the exposure of her heinous actions.

## Cast

* Arulnithi as ACP Vikram Kumar alias Arun
* Madhoo as DGP Asha Pramod
* Achyuth Kumar as Novelist Subramani (voice dubbed by M. S. Bhaskar)
* Smruthi Venkat as Pooja, Asha's daughter
* Maria Vincent as Janani
* Ragav Vijay as Ravi and Rahul (dual role)
* Kaali Venkat as Constable Ezhumalai
* Mime Gopi as ACP
* Chetan as Chetan, Asha's PA
* Supergood Subramani as Constable N. Divakar Bala
* Yalini Rajan as Anitha, Pooja's best friend
* Surjith Kumar as Kishore, Pooja's colleague
* Girija as Ramya, Pooja's colleague
* Joseph as Siddharth, MLA's son
* KPY Bala

## Production

In November 2020, the film's shooting started. Due to Covid-19, the shoot of the film was postponed and finally completed in June 2021.

## Release
### Theatrical

The title of the film and the first look poster of the film were unveiled by director Venkat Prabhu, M. Sasikumar in his Twitter account on 21 July 2021. In January 2022, the film's teaser was released by Udhayanidhi Stalin. The movie was announced to be released on 22 July 2022.

### Home media

The satellite rights of the film were sold to Colors TV.

## Reception

The film received mixed. A critic from Behindwoods wrote, "Dejavu is a watchable thriller with twists and turns". Logesh Balachandran of The Times of India rated the film 2.0 out of 5 stars and stated that "Arulnithi's effort to try something inventive is laudable, but Dejavu is certainly not a film you can experience more than once." Haricharan Pudipeddi of Hindustan Times after reviewing the film stated that "As far as a thriller goes, Dejavu manages to impress to a large extent and leaves hardly any room for complaints."