# Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam

Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam (transl. The Divine Game Begins) is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Boopathy Pandian. The film stars Dhanush and Shriya Saran, while Prakash Raj, Karunas and Saranya Ponvannan play supporting roles. The film, which had music composed by D. Imman, was released on 17 December 2006. It was remade in Telugu as Takkari (2007) and in Kannada as Dhool (2011).

## Plot

Thirukumaran is a carefree, laid-back man. He falls in love with Priya, the sister of Guru, a wealthy business tycoon. The story is about a cat-and-mouse game between Thiru and Guru, who is against Thiru and Priya's love. Thiru wins the game at the end.

## Cast

* Dhanush as Thirukumaran
* Shriya Saran (voice: Savitha) as Priya
* Prakash Raj as Guru
* Karunas as Tiger Kumar
* Saranya Ponvannan as Saradha, Thirukumaran's mother
* T. S. B. K. Moulee as Chandramohan, Thirukumaran's father
* Mayilswamy as Tidel Park Venugopal
* Ilavarasu as Muthukrishnan
* Grace Karunas as Grace, Priya's friend
* Kadhal Sukumar as Shiva, Thirukumaran's friend
* Karthik Kannaiyan as Swaminathan, Thirukumaran's younger brother
* Varnika as Valarmathi
* Meena Kumari as Gowri, Guru's wife
* Pasi Sathya
* Krishnamoorthy as Inspector
* Singamuthu as Bus Conductor

## Production

Boopathy Pandian had initially discussed the lead role with Bharath, but the actor's refusal meant that Dhanush was chosen, reuniting with the director after Devathaiyai Kanden (2005). The film was initially titled Thiruvilayadal, prompting actor Sivaji Ganesan's fan club requested the producer, Vimala Geetha, to retitle the film. They felt the title was reminiscent of Ganesan's 1965 film, and felt that the new venture would defame the old film. The director said the film's title was a reference to the games played by Dhanush's character Thiru to achieve his goals; nevertheless it was retitled Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam. Shriya Saran initially opted out of the film, owing to her commitment to work in Sivaji: The Boss, but returned after she was able to allot dates. One of the film's two fight sequences was shot on a set created at Binny Mills.

## Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by D. Imman. It includes a remixed version of the song "Ennama Kannu", composed by Ilaiyaraaja for the film Mr. Bharath (1986). The remix retains the original lyrics by Vaali, and adds new ones by Vairamuthu.

## Release

Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam was released on 17 December 2006, and grossed ₹100 million (US$1.1 million) in Tamil Nadu – the highest grosser for Dhanush at that time.

## Critical reception

Shwetha Bhaskar of Rediff.com noted that "Director Boopathy Pandian has a looser hold on pacing, ensuring that the interest never flags", adding that "the real reason to watch Thiruvilaiyadal Aarambam is Dhanush, who epitomises the new age hero: he is no superman, he is not even close to perfect, and he is thoroughly unapologetic about it all." Sify said, "Dhanush as the hyperactive Thiru is simply superb and his ability to deliver funny lines casually is uncommendable. Prakash Raj does his role to perfection, while Shriya looks good and her costumes are fabulous."
Lajjavathi of Kalki praised Bhoopathi Pandian for narrating a simple plot in an interesting and humorous manner within three hours while praising the performances of Dhanush and Prakash Raj and the clashes between them, dialogues and music. Malini Mannath of Chennai Online wrote the film "is a wholesome, light-hearted family entertainer sans scenes that make you squirm for it's [sic] overt glamour or violence. You can [forget] your blues and laugh through this one".

## Remakes

In 2007, the film was remade in Telugu as Takkari. It was also remade in Kannada as Dhool in 2011, with Prakash Raj reprising his role.