Annaatthe (transl. Big Brother) is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language action film[3] written and directed by Siva and produced by Kalanithi Maran under the banner of Sun Pictures. The film stars Rajinikanth, Khushbu, Meena, Nayanthara, and Keerthy Suresh. While Jagapathi Babu, Prakash Raj, Vela Ramamoorthy, and Soori are in prominent roles. The music for the film is composed by D. Imman while cinematography and editing are performed by Vetri and Ruben respectively. The film revolves around the relationship of Kaalaiyan (Rajinikanth), a village president, and his sibling, Thanga Meenatchi (Keerthy).
The film was officially announced in October 2019, marking Rajinikanth’s first collaboration with Siva. Principal photography for the film began on 11 December 2019, on the eve of the actor’s birthday, and was completed within September 2021. The shooting process went on for one-and-a-half years, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India and Rajinikanth’s health issues in late-December 2020, delayed the film’s production. The film was shot primarily in Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, with few sequences shot at Chennai.
The film was released on 4 November 2021, on the occasion of Diwali. The film received negative reviews from critics and the audience with criticism aimed at the emotional weight, generic action sequences, outdated plot, bland narration, villains, melodrama, screenplay, runtime, and dialogue but Rajnikanth’s performance and score received praise. Despite this, the film was a commercial success grossing more than ₹239 crores on a budget of ₹180 crores.
| Directed by | Cheetah Siva |
|---|---|
| Written by | SivaSavari MuthuAntony BhagyarajChandran Pachaimuthu (Dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | Siva |
| Story by | SivaAadhi Narayana |
| Produced by | Kalanithi Maran |
| Starring | Rajinikanth, Khushbu, Meena, Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh |
| Cinematography | Vetri |
| Edited by | Ruben |
| Music by | D. Imman |
| Production company | Sun Pictures |
| Distributed by | PVR Pictures Red Giant Movies |
| Release date | 4 November 2021 |
| Running time | 161 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Box office | ₹239.21 crore |
Oflate Films 