Amaran (transl.
The Immortal) is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language biographical action war film directed
by Rajkumar Periasamy and produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, together with Sony Pictures
Films India. The film stars Sivakarthikeyan as Major Mukund Varadarajan, alongside Sai
Pallavi, Bhuvan Arora and Rahul Bose. It is an adaptation of the book series India's Most Fearless:
True Stories of Modern Military Heroes by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh, which contains a segment
based on Mukund. The film follows Indhu Rebecca Varghese, Mukund's wife, who narrates the life of
the Major on her way to New Delhi to receive the Ashoka Chakra, which was awarded posthumously
to Mukund.
The film was officially announced in January 2022 under the tentative title Sivakarthikeyan 21, as it is
his 21st film as a lead actor, and the official title was announced in February 2024. Principal
photography commenced in May 2023 with a sporadic schedule at Kashmir along with a schedule
in Chennai, which was again followed by another schedule held at Pondicherry, and wrapped after a
year. The film has music composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, cinematography handled by debutant CH
Sai and editing by R. Kalaivanan.
Amaran released worldwide on 31 October 2024 in theatres, coinciding with Diwali, to widespread
critical acclaim from critics, who praised Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi's performances, direction,
screenplay, and G. V. Prakash's music. It set several box office records, emerging as the second
highest-grossing Tamil film of 2024, eighth highest-grossing Indian film of 2024, eighth highest-
grossing Tamil film of all time and the seventh highest-grossing film in Tamil Nadu.
Plot
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Indhu Rebecca Varghese, along with her daughter, Arsheya Mukund, father-in-law, Varadarajan, and
mother-in-law, Geetha Varadarajan, are on their way to New Delhi to receive the Ashoka Chakra,
which is being posthumously awarded to Indhu's husband, Mukund Varadarajan. Saying that she is
forever in a long-distance relationship with her love, she begins narrating the story of him.
Indhu begins her undergraduate degree at a Madras Christian College in Chennai, where Mukund is
her senior. Indhu is chosen as a model for a fashion show after many participants modeled from
many colleges, where she would represent their college at a modeling event. Initially, she resists
from going, however Mukund, as her helper, makes her reconsider her decision of participating.
Eventually winning the competition, she thanks Mukund, love blossoming between them. Shortly
afterward, they fall in love and begin dating, and Indhu eventually finds out that he wants to join
the Indian Army. However, his mother, Geetha, upon finding this out, starts to oppose his decision;
still, a determined Mukund passes his National Defence Academy entry exam with the support of
Indhu and Varadarajan.
Later, when Indhu is introduced to the Varadarajan family, his mother is immediately displeased and
shows disapproval towards the marriage, unlike his father and two sisters.
After several months of hard training, Mukund is promoted to be a rifle and gun trainer, serving
in Mhowgaon. Meanwhile, when Indhu expresses her love for Mukund to her family, her father,
George Varghese, and her second elder brother, Deebu, show anger and reluctance, due to the fact
that he was a Tamilian, and that too, an Army officer. Tensions heat up when Mukund enrages over
George's reporting to his commanding officer that his daughter was in love with Mukund. Eventually
they break up, disheartening Indhu.
After a year of silence, both the families agree to their marriage and they get married on June 30,
2009, after which, the couple get pregnant and have a daughter named Arsheya, on March 17, 2011.
Soon after, Mukund gets promoted to the role of a Captain, serving in the United Nations Syria-
Lebanon border Mission.
Afterwards, Mukund gets posted into the Rashtriya Rifles battalion in the 44th regiment, on October
18, 2012, in place of the previous Company Commander, Major Mithun Mohan. He is introduced to
the CAT (Counter Assault Team) Team – Sepoy Vikram Singh, Ravi Shankar, Michael, Waheed,
Saifudeen, Rajesh, Venkanna, Major Srinath, Jyoti, and Joginder –and to his Commanding
officer, Colonel Amit Singh Dabas. Dabas gives him a brief overview on the most wanted terrorist in
all of Kashmir, Altaf Baba. Waheed and Saifudeen lead Mukund into the nooks and corners of
Kashmir, and Mukund meets the father of Altaf Baba, Abdul Gilani, who refuses to concede with the
fact that his son is a terrorist and deems him a freedom fighter. Mukund, saving his ego, eventually
leaves.
After many months of gathering information, Mukund and his CAT team finally kill Altaf Baba, after a
tough fight and stone pelting by civilians on June of 2013. Mukund's bravery and valor is celebrated
by his entire team, but he refuses to accept the Sena Medal from the Colonel, instead recommending
Waheed or Joginder as Waheed guided him through Kashmir and Joginder neutralized a terrorist
allowing Mukund to nab Altaf Baba, during the operation. But soon, another terrorist named Asif
Wani, a Jaish-e-Mohammed commander, pops up in the Military intelligence radar; Mukund and his
team are on on a hunt for him. Afterwards, during a training with guns and rifles, Saifudeen misfires
and hits Mukund in the back, agonizing him in pain. Mukund insists to shift to Kerala, in the care of
his father-in-law, and suggests that the care at the military hospital will let officials know Saifudeen
misfired it, leading them to fire him from the job. He later takes treatment in Kerala, simultaneously
spending time with Indhu and Arsheya. When Indhu cries looking at his wound, he asks her to
promise that she will never cry, even if he were to die in the future. A reluctant Indhu promises him,
and they head to Chennai to see Mukund's parents and buy a new house.
After a month, he leaves, and is traumatized by the death of his informer, Latif, who is killed by Asif
Wani once finding out that he contributed to the death of Altaf Baba.
Moments before his death, Latif lets Wani know that Waheed and Mukund were the major culprits
for Altaf Baba dying. By this, an enraged Wani attacks Mukund and Srinath in their convoys, and
Waheed is kidnapped and tortured, but Mukund and the CAT team eventually save him from being
beheaded, despite Dabas expressing ambivalence. Dabas, as the election time nears, gives a major
alert to the CAT team to help with voting safely, and Mukund along with his team, start to educate
the local children and help citizens vote.
Despite the attempts for a successful election, the CAT team is let know that an attack is executed, in
the bus with the polling officers, burning the voting ballots, as a warning by Wani to prevent citizens
from voting.
Then, on the next day, while the CAT Team sits down for lunch, Waheed lets Mukund know that
they've received an important intel that Wani and his people are cooped up in a house
in Doodhpathri; the entire team frantically rushes there. Venkanna, Joginder, Jyoti, and Hardeep
evacuate the civilians while Ravi, Michael, Waheed, Rajesh, and Saifudeen cover Mukund and Vikram
as they enter in the house.
Dabas insists many times that they come back as unknown explosives were planted inside the house;
however, Mukund and Vikram are firm on their decision to not let Wani go. They slowly eliminate
each and every terrorist, but when Vikram tries to fire at Wani, he shoots Vikram violently, instantly
killing him. An enraged Mukund, lobs a grenade into the room of Wani, and eventually kills him
through hand-to-hand combat. He later walks out, confirming that the operation was a success, but
faints due to the bullet injuries, and excessive blood loss. On Venkanna's lap, Mukund expresses
despair for losing Vikram, however Dabas cuts him off and rushes him in the ambulance. Despite
multiple attempts to revive him, Mukund breathes his last in Ravi's arms, devastating the CAT team.
It is already morning, and Indhu's first elder brother, Andrews, visits her to break the news on
Mukund's death. Indhu breaks down after hearing Dabas's voice message, but later controls herself,
remembering the promise she made to her husband.
Mukund's body departs from Kashmir with gun salutes and a teary farewell from the CAT team and
Amit Singh Dabas to Tambaram, where his funeral procession takes place. Ravi, with held-back tears
lets a stoic Indhu know about Mukund's last words. Saddened but without a single tear in her eyes,
Indhu later heads to the crematorium and watches his cremation, with a numb-heart.
Presently, Indhu receives the Ashoka Chakra from President Pranab Mukherjee on 26 January 2015,
and a bust of Mukund is opened up in Officers Training Academy, in Chennai, on June 1 2015. The
film ends with Indhu sitting next to his monument and feeling the presence of Mukund leaning on
her shoulder, but later fading away, implying that it is his soul, which is still bonded to her and his
daughter, and will always be.
The real Mukund Varadarajan is later shown in the credits.
Cast
Sivakarthikeyan as Major Mukund "Maddy" Varadarajan
Sai Pallavi as Indhu Rebecca Varghese
Bhuvan Arora as Sepoy Vikram Singh
Rahul Bose as Colonel Amit Singh Dabas
Lallu as Sepoy Ravi Shankar
Shreekumar as Sepoy Michael
Shyamaprasad as George Varghese
Shyam Mohan as Deepu
Geetha Kailasam as Geetha Varadarajan
Umair Ibn Lateef as Sepoy Waheed Ahamed
Mir Salman as Sepoy Saifudeen
Ajaey Naga Raaman as Sepoy Rajesh Shukla
Gaurav Venkatesh as Sepoy Venkanna
Abhinav Raj as Major Srinath
John Kaipallil as Major Mithun "MM" Mohan
Paul T. Baby as Andrews
Sugamya Sankar as Nithya
Navya Sujji as Swetha
Rohan Surya Kanuma Reddy as Sepoy Narasimha Rao
Shyrush Zutshi as Altaf Baba (Voice dubbed by Harish Uthaman)
Rohman Shawl as Asif Wani (Voice dubbed by Gautham Karthik)
Vikas Bangar as Sepoy Jyoti Sharma
Production
Development
Amaran is a biography of late Major Mukund Varadarajan, who would be portrayed
by Sivakarthikeyan.
After the release of Rangoon in 2017, Rajkumar Periyasamy began working on a new project, which
was set to be his second directorial. It was also set to be produced by Kamal Haasan, in his second
collaboration with director after the latter previously worked on a reality show, hosted by Haasan.
[7]
The director, however, changed his mind after he was suggested by Vakil Khan to read one of the
chapters from the book series India's Most Fearless by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh, which is
about Major Mukund Varadarajan. Khan further suggested him to make a biographical film about the
Major, whereas he would secure the rights of the book from Sony Pictures Films India, who would
give the rights and fund the venture.[8] After asking to put their venture on hold, Haasan agreed to
Rajkumar's request and also requested himself to jointly fund the biography with Sony Pictures Films
India.[9]
In late December 2021, Sivakarthikeyan was signed by the makers to portray the role of Mukund
Varadarajan.[citation needed] Previously, the actor had collaborated with Rajkumar before they both
entered in the film industry, where they had worked for private Tamil channels, many projects and
shows.[10] The following January, during the finale of Bigg Boss: season 5, Haasan announced the
project; however, he did not state that it would be a biographical film of the Major.[11] A few days
later, the actor's company, Raaj Kamal Films International, along with Sony Pictures, made a public
announcement on 15 January, tentatively titled #Sivakarthikeyan21 and Production #51–for the
former company.[12] The film's official title Amaran was revealed on 16 February 2024,[13] coinciding
the eve of Sivakarthikeyan's birthday after Rajkumar had gained permission from the makers of
the 1992 film of the same name.[14]
Pre-production
Rajkumar, a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic, visited Varadarajan's family and gained
information's about the latter's life. During an interview with Ananda Vikatan, he stated that he
gained many information from many perspectives, which helped a lot to form the screenplay of the
film. Initially, Rajkumar and Haasan scouted for a debut to portray Varadarajan. Until, Mahendran,
co-header of Raaj Kamal Films International, suggested Sivakarthikeyan to portray him. To which,
Rajkumar forward suggested it to Haasan, and him agreeing.[8] He co-wrote the film's script with
Stefan Richter.[15]
A muhurat puja was held on 5 May 2023 at the headquarters of Raaj Kamal Films International
in Chennai with the film's cast and crew along with Varadarajan's family, including his wife Indhu
Rebecca Varghese and daughter. However, their inclusion in the puja were not revealed due not to
reveal the film being a biopic of the Major.[16][8] G. V. Prakash Kumar was chosen to score the music, in
his first collaboration with Periyasamy.[17] The director continued to crew production
designer Rajeevan, cinematographer CH Sai, editor R. Kalaivanan, duo stunt choreographers Anbariv,
dance choreographer Sherif, costume designers Amritha Ram, Sameera Saneesh and V. Sai for the
technical crew.[18]
Casting
Sivakarthikeyan underwent immerse training for almost a year during the pre-production process for
his role as Mukund Varadarajan;[19][20] he was also disallowed from revealing his hairstyle in public,
covering his head with a beanie until the film's first look poster was released.[21] Rajkumar stated that
the actor also went through a workshop at Mumbai to change his body-language from a soft-spoken
to an Army officer.[22] Sai Pallavi was cast, pairing opposite Sivakarthikeyan, in her first pairing with
the actor.[23] She would play the role of Mukund's wife, Indhu Rebecca Varghese,[24][25] and would
receive a remuneration of ₹3 crore.[26] Bollywood actor Bhuvan Arora was revealed to portray Sepoy
Vikram Singh, Mukund's colleague, in his debut Tamil film.[27][28] He stated that his role was dedicated
to his father, who served in the army.[29] Rahul Bose, Ajaey Naga Raaman, Mir Salman, and Gaurav
Venkatesh were also confirmed to be part of the cast.[30]
Filming and post-production
Principal photography began with the first schedule on 5 May 2023 at Srinagar in Jammu and
Kashmir.[31] The shooting was halted due to G20 summit and security reasons.[32] Filming then
resumed by 22 May.[33] Sivakarthikeyan returned to Chennai in late May.[34] After a short break,
filming continued on 7 June.[35] Filming was paused on 15 July.[36] On 27 August, the schedule had
concluded,[37] which lasted for 75 working days.[38] The second schedule began on 21 October at a film
city in Chennai, for filming a song sequence featuring Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi.[39] On 9
November, production moved to Pondicherry.[40] Sivakarthikeyan went clean-shaven in mid-
December, for filming Mukund's younger portions.[41] Rajkumar, during an interview with Ananda
Vikatan in February 2024, stated that only minor portions of Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi were left.
[22]
After a month break,[42] the unit kick-started their final schedule on 26 April 2024, shooting the
scenes of Major Mukund and Sepoy Vikram's martyring, on the fateful night of 25 April 2014, during
the Qazipathri Operation (Shopian Encounter) involving the Anbariv stunt duo.[43][44]
[45]
Filming wrapped by 25 May 2024.[46][47] The visual effects for the film were handled by Unifi Media.
[18]
Music
Main article: Amaran (soundtrack)
The soundtrack is composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, in his first collaboration with both
Sivakarthikeyan and Rajkumar. The audio rights were acquired by Saregama.[48] Jen Martin scored
music for muhurat puja video, which released on 5 May 2023. The track featured the vocals of Jen
Martin, Sathya Narayanan, Madhuvanthy Ganesh and Ramani, and lyrics penned by Vishnu Edavan.
[49]
Rajkumar stated that there are some fast-paced dance numbers in the film.[50] In mid-June,
Prakash revealed the musical works of the film were almost completed.[51] The first single, "Hey
Minnale," released on 4 October.[52] The second single "Vennilavu Saaral" was released on 17
October.[53] The audio launch was held on 18 October 2024 at Sri Sairam Engineering
College in Chennai.[54] The third single "Uyirey" was released on 30 October 2024,[55] whilst the fourth
single "Vaane Vaane" and fifth single "Amara" were released respectively on 9 and 11 November
2024, as a part of the extended soundtrack.[56][57]
Release
Theatrical
Amaran was theatrically released worldwide on 31 October 2024 in theatres, coinciding with Diwali,
clashing with Brother and Bloody Beggar.[58][59] Apart from its original Tamil language, it was also
released in the Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada languages.[60] In the United Kingdom, as well
as the rest of the world, the film was released on the same day; however, in a version which was
classified 15 by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for strong violences, injury details and
language, following 20 seconds of cuts.[61]
The film received a U/A certification by the Central Board of Film Certification after modifications to
gory images, muting language and modifying a wrong map shown during the film.[62] Initially, the film
was reportedly scheduled to release on 15 August, coinciding with Independence Day.[63] However, it
was soon after reported to have been postponed to 27 September, but was pushed once again to its
current date.[64][65] A special screening was held on 24 October 2024 at New Delhi for the army
officials and their family members.[66]
Distribution
Sreshth Movies brought the distribution rights of the film for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for ₹5
crores.[67] Red Giant Movies acquired the distribution rights for Tamil Nadu while Pen Marudhar
Entertainment bought the Rights to distribute the Hindi version Along with the North Indian
release [68] Home Screen Entertainment bought the overseas distribution rights of the film.[69]
Home media
The digital streaming rights were acquired by Netflix and the satellite rights by Star Network for all
languages. [70][71] Initially, the film was reported to be available for streaming at Netflix in November;
however, due to the immense success of the film, it was postponed to early December.[72]
Reception
Critical response
Amaran received widespread critical acclaim, who praised Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi's
performances, direction, screenplay, G. V. Prakash's soundtrack and background score.[73][74][75]
Jagadish Angadi of Deccan Herald gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Sharp editing, gripping pace, engaging
narrative and impressive production design make this soul-stirring military drama a perfect family
watch."[76] Kirubhakar Purushothaman of News18 gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Rajkumar Periasamy
needs a huge salute for making a subtle but incredibly touching ode to a soldier. [...] Amaran doesn't
rely on easy gimmicks; instead, it builds genuine heroic moments, with Sivakarthikeyan delivering a
restrained yet powerful performance."[77] Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express gave 3.5/5
stars and wrote "With wonderful performances by Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi, Amaran is a
poignant yet powerful tale about Major Mukund Varadarajan's love for India, and his wife Indhu."[78]
Roopa Radhakrishnan of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Amaran is a worthy tribute
to the legacy of Major Mukund Varadarajan. Even with all the glitches in between, the film makes us
cherish and celebrate Mukund and the courageous officer he was."[79] Janani K of India Today gave
3.5/5 stars and wrote "Amaran is a beautiful, emotional and intriguing ode to Major Mukund
Varadarajan and army men like him. Watch out for the emotional sequences throughout the
film."[80] Kusumika Das of Times Now gave 3/5 stars and wrote, "Rajkumar Periasamy's direction,
combined with strong performances by Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi, make Amaran a must-watch
for those interested in stories of patriotism, love, and sacrifice."[81]
Gopinath Rajendran of The Hindu wrote "A pacy screenplay, marvellous performances and excellent
technical prowess make Amaran a brilliant ode to the resilient families who love their
bravehearts."[82] Goutham S of Pinkvilla wrote "Amaran is truly an immortal tale of a soldier whose
legacy will pass on as an inspiration for many leaders and soldiers. With strong performances and
characterizations, this biographical war film is worth a watch on the big screens."[83] Latha Srinivasan
of Hindustan Times wrote "Amaran is a wonderful tribute to those serving in the army and their
families and is a stark reminder that our freedom exists because of their sacrifices. One walks away
from Amaran with a heavy heart for those who lost loved ones on the battlefield and yet, happy t
