Nithilan Swaminathan makes his directing debut in 2024 with the Tamil action film Maharaja, which Passion Studios, Think Studios, and The Route produce. In the movie, Anurag Kashyap, Sachana Namidass, Mamta Mohandas, and Vijay Sethupathi play supporting roles.
The plot centers on a barber who, following a break-in at his house, informs the authorities that his iron dustbin, “Lakshmi,” has disappeared. But the authorities start to question his intentions.
Principal photography was conducted in Chennai over the course of one session for the project, which was first titled VJS50 in February 2023 and was Sethupathi’s 50th film in which he played the main role.
Officially, the title was unveiled in July, the same month that production wrapped up and Think Studios joined as a co-producer. B. Ajaneesh Loknath wrote the soundtrack for the movie, while Philomin Raj handled editing and Dinesh Purushothaman handled photography.
When Maharaja was released worldwide on June 14, 2024, it garnered favorable reviews from critics and became the second-highest-earning Tamil film of the year, with the biggest opening weekend.
Maharaja Movie Cast & Crew
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Abhirami | Selvam’s wife |
| Anurag Kashyap | Selvam |
| Aruldoss | Sub-inspector R. K. Perumalsamy |
| Divya Bharathi | Maharaja’s wife |
| Kaalaiyan | Karunakaran |
| Mamta Mohandas | Aasifa |
| Manigandan | Dhana |
| Munishkanth | Constable Kuzhandhaivelu |
| Natarajan Subramaniam | S. Varadharajan |
| Sachana Namidass | Jyothi Maharaja |
| Singampuli | Nallasivam |
| Vinod Sagar | Sabari |
| Vijay Sethupathi | Maharaja |
Chennai-based barber Maharaja loses his wife in a terrible truck-related catastrophe. Thanks to a trashcan that protects her from the falling debris, his daughter Jothi makes it through the ordeal. After giving the trashcan a name, Lakshmi, Maharaja starts to treat it like a human being. After several years, Jothi grows up and heads off to a sports camp, leaving Maharaja to deal with the police after they reject his claim that Lakshmi was involved in a heist. Maharaja perseveres in spite of their doubts and ultimately persuades them to look into it.
In the meantime, flashbacks show that the crime was committed by the infamous dacoit group Selvam and Sabari. Maharaja gives Selvam the gold chain he misplaced at the barbershop back. Selvam is arrested by the authorities, and his distraught and embarrassed wife Kokila follows suit. When Maharaja learns that Selvam, Dhana, and Nallasivam—all of whom are associated with the gang—have been abusing Jothi, the past finally comes up with him.
In order to catch the offenders, Nallasivam assists the police in setting up a fictitious scene as the inquiry progresses. But later, Maharaja confronts Nallasivam after realizing he is one of the offenders.
Nallasivam is turned over by the police to Maharaja, who takes vengeance. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Selvam was complicit in both the attack on his daughter and the accident that claimed the life of Maharaja’s wife. The surprising revelation is that Jothi’s long-lost twin sister is really Ammu, Selvam’s daughter. As Ammu departs with Maharaja and Aasifa, Selvam succumbs to his remorse and dies.
Maharaja Movie Poster
Maharaja Movie Screenshot
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Maharaja Movie Star Cast
| Directed by | Nithilan Swaminathan |
| Written by | Nithilan Swaminathan |
| Dialogues by | Shanmuganathan Kounder, Raam Murali |
| Produced by | Jagadish Palanisamy, Sudhan Sundaram |
| Starring | Vijay Sethupathi, Anurag Kashyap, Sachana Namidass, Mamta Mohandas, Natarajan Subramaniam, Abhirami |
| Cinematography | Dinesh Purushothaman |
| Edited by | Philomin Raj |
| Music by | B. Ajaneesh Loknath |
| Production Companies | The Route, Think Studios, Passion Studios |
| Distributed by | See below |
| Release Date | 14 June 2024 |
| Running Time | 141 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget | ₹20 crore |
| Box Office | est. ₹107.08 crore |
Maharaja Review
Tamil film Maharaja (2024) review: All I knew was that this film was directed by the same person who made "Kurangu Bommai," which was released in 2017 but didn't do all that well despite being a solid thriller.
After a seven-year hiatus, Nithilan Swaminathan comes back with his second film. But you get the impression that this is the director's about fiftyth film. Furthermore, this is really Vijay Sethupathi's 50th film.
I became a fan of him after seeing his early films, beginning with "Pizza." This one ought to serve as a case study on how to write a movie screenplay using the most basic of narratives and how to build characters in the script.
If you could never foresee what would happen next in a movie, would it really be that good? In addition to keeping viewers on the edge of their seats, the tension should have many jaw-dropping moments that will blow their minds.
It should also carry you along as the narrative develops on screen, going beyond simple engrossment. in a way that makes you feel as though you are a part of the action.
Ultimately, it ought to provoke contemplation even after you get back home. After achieving all of that, Maharaja emerges as one of the best Tamil films of the year and Vijay Sethupathi's finest 50th film.
Give a bow to filmmaker Nithilan Swaminathan for turning a straightforward plot into a work of screenplay wizardry. Once you figure out the entire narrative of this incredible film, you won't believe it to be any different from any basic story.
Additionally, you might need to see this film more than time in order to fully comprehend what you saw on your initial viewing. I am extremely happy that this movie came out right when everyone was thinking that Malayalam films were doing incredibly well even with Tamil audiences, and everyone was wondering why Tamil film producers were unable to meet the needs of the Tamil-speaking public.
The influence was so great that previously released films were re-issued in theaters since there were no decent new films to rival the Malayalam to Tamil dubbed productions. This film is excellent technically in every aspect.
The fantastic BGM, composed by KGF renowned Ajaneesh Loknath, is the main technical achievement. I usually equate him with loud background music that makes you want to buy a bottle of Amurthanjan/Headache balm in addition to making the cinema seats shake.
But this one stands out thanks to Philomin Raj's deft editing. When it comes to acting, Vijay Sethupathi shines, portraying both the younger (whom I like most) and the elderly (who has nice makeup and manners).
His role in the film "Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom" would bring back fond memories for you. Even if Anurag Kashyap's outstanding performance is not in sync in many spots, it is nonetheless lovely to behold. Since there isn't anyone else that could fill that job, it's only a small error.
But using a comic as one of the main antagonists says a lot about the filmmaker. You begin to despise Singampuli completely because he is so amazing. Since taking all the names will make this review much longer, I am unable to do so. Indeed, the actress portraying Vijay Sethupathi's daughter in this film is too good to ignore.