Thandakaaranyam

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Thandakaaranyam
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAthiyan Athirai
Written byAthiyan Athirai
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPratheep Kaliraja
Edited bySelva RK
Music byJustin Prabhakaran
Production
companies
Neelam Productions
Learn and Teach Production Private Limited
Release date
  • 19 September 2025 (2025-09-19)
Running time
129 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Thandakaaranyam (transl. The Dandaka Forest)[1] is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Athiyan Athirai. The film stars V R Dinesh and Kalaiyarasan in the lead roles, alongside Riythvika, Vinsu Sam, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Bala Saravanan, Aruldoss and others in supporting roles.[2] The film is jointly produced by Pa. Ranjith's Neelam Productions along with Sai Devanand S and Sai Venkateswaran's Learn and Teach Production Private Limited.[3]

Thandakaaranyam released in theatres on 19 September 2025.[4]

Cast

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Production

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Development

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After the success of Irandam Ulagaporin Kadaisi Gundu (2019), Pa. Ranjith's Neelam Productions announced their second collaboration with director Athiyan Athirai's sophomore project.[6] On 6 February 2023, through a first look, the film's title Thandakaaranyam[1] was released starring Attakathi Dinesh[7] in the lead role making his second collaboration with Athiyan Athirai after Irandam Ulagaporin Kadaisi Gundu and fifth collaboration with director-producer Pa. Ranjith after Attakathi (2012), Kabali (2016), Irandam Ulagaporin Kadaisi Gundu, and J Baby (2024).[8][9] The film also features Kalaiyarasan in another lead role making his fifth collaboration with Pa. Ranjith after Attakathi, Madras (2014), Kabali, Sarpatta Parambarai (2021) and Natchathiram Nagargirathu (2022).[10][11] The film also marks the third collaboration of Attakathi Dinesh and Kalaiyarasan sharing screen together after Attakathi and Kabali, both being directed by Pa. Ranjith.[12][13]

The film includes an ensemble cast of Riythvika, Vinsu Sam, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Bala Saravanan, Aruldoss, Yuvan Mayilsamy and Saranya Ravichandran in supporting roles.[14] Along with Neelam Productions, the film is co-produced by Learn and Teach Production Private Limited who produced Jama and Dhonima (both 2024).[12] The technical team consists of music composer Justin Prabhakaran, editor Selva RK and cinematographer Pratheep Kaliraja.[15]

Filming

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Principal photography, which began after the announcement, completed its first scheduled on 2 March 2023.[16][17] The entire shooting was completed in mid-July 2023, and the dubbing process began.[18]

Music

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Thandakaaranyam
Soundtrack album by
Justin Prabhakaran
GenreFeature film soundtrack
LanguageTamil
LabelThink Music
ProducerJustin Prabhakaran
Justin Prabhakaran chronology
Hridayapoorvam
(2025) 		Thandakaaranyam
(2025)
Singles from Thandakaaranyam
  1. "Adiye Alangaari"
    Released: 23 October 2024
  2. "Kaava Kaade"
    Released: 3 September 2025

The music and background score is composed by Justin Prabhakaran[19] with the lyrics being penned by Uma Devi, Arivu and Thanikodi.[20] The first single "Adiye Alangaari" released on 23 October 2024.[21] The second single "Kaava Kaade" was released on 3 September 2025.[22]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Adiye Alangaari"Uma DeviKrishnaraj, Ananya Bhat3:25
2."Kaava Kaade"Uma DeviArivu, Reema 

Release

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Thandakaaranyam released in theatres on 19 September 2025.[23]

Reception

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Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote "What works is the camp as process. The film observes drills, punishments, the 8 km dash, even a kitchen scuffle that turns into group penalty. [...] Also, for the sake of rawness, more than half the film is just people torturing each other. That gets a bit old and loses impact. [...] The politics, though, keep wobbling. The atrocity is clear. The film’s endorsement is not."[24] Prashanth Vallavan of Cinema Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "From its political stance to its humanist themes, Thankadakaaranyam is a sincere and honest effort that makes you care about its characters and keeps you engaged throughout. If not for the excessive melodrama and lack of finesse in the writing, perhaps it could have been a satisfying emotional drama rather than a film with the subtlety of an airport marshaller."[25] Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu wrote "Kalaiyarasan and Shabeer Kallarakkal shine in a dense and emotionally heavy social drama that shows how, whether you play by its rules or stand opposed, the all-engulfing inferno of systemic oppression can swallow you whole. [...] Thandakaaranyam is anything but an easy story to tell. It’s a mountainous effort that sprawls and spreads into many things to earnestly talk about a solemn fact — the insurmountable weight of hate that rests heavily on the shoulders of some vulnerable sections of society."[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b நா, கதிர்வேலன் (17 August 2023). ""யாரும் பேசமறுத்த கதை இது!"". Cinema Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Thandakaaranyam teaser: Love and War are amongst nature in this Dinesh-Kalaiyarasan flick". Cinema Express. 25 August 2025. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  3. ^ "படப்பிடிப்பை நிறைவு செய்த அட்டக்கத்தி தினேஷ் படக்குழு". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 26 April 2023. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Thandakaaranyam trailer: Dinesh and Kalaiyarasan fight those in power to protect their sacred forest". Cinema Express. 14 September 2025. Archived from the original on 21 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Dinesh to play Sadaiyan in Athiyan Athirai's Thandakaaranyam". Cinema Express. 2 September 2025. Archived from the original on 6 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Pa Ranjith's Neelam Productions has an exciting lineup: Details here". Cinema Express. 30 May 2022. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  7. ^ ""நாட்டை காப்பாற்ற துப்பாக்கி மட்டும் போதாது".. மீண்டும் ஒரு "ஹிஸ்டாரிக்" படம் - பா ரஞ்சித் தந்த அப்டேட்!". Asianet News (in Tamil). 27 September 2024. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  8. ^ "பா.ரஞ்சித் தயாரிப்பில் அட்டகத்தி தினேஷ் - இரண்டாவது முறை கூட்டணி சேர்ந்த ஹிட் பட இயக்குநர்". Nakkheeran (in Tamil). 26 February 2023. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  9. ^ "நீலம் தயாரிப்பில் புதிய பட அறிவிப்பு; "தண்டகாரண்யம்" என்ற படத்தில் நடிக்கிறார் தினேஷ்!". News7 Tamil (in Tamil). 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Dinesh and Kalaiyarasan are up in arms in Thandakaaranyam first look". Cinema Express. 27 September 2024. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  11. ^ ""ஒரு நாட்டை பாதுகாக்க வெறும் துப்பாக்கி, பீரங்கி, அணுகுண்டுகளால் மட்டுமே முடியாது" – '#Thandakaaranyam' ஃபர்ஸ்ட் லுக் வெளியானது!". News7 Tamil (in Tamil). 27 September 2024. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  12. ^ a b Sundar, Anusha (27 September 2024). "Thandakaaranyam: Gettu Dinesh and Kalaiyarasan's film first look poster out". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  13. ^ "'தண்டகாரண்யம்' படத்தின் அப்டேட்டை வெளியிட்ட இயக்குனர் பா.ரஞ்சித்". Daily Thanthi (in Tamil). 26 September 2024. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  14. ^ "'Thandakaaranyam' is the title of Athiyan Athirai-Neelam Productions' next". The Hindu. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  15. ^ Vallavan, Prashanth (6 February 2023). "Athiyan Athirai's next titled Thandakaaranayam". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Athiyan Athirai's 'Thandakaaranayam' first schedule wrapped up". Times of India. 2 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  17. ^ B, Jayabhuvaneshwari (26 April 2023). "Its a schedule wrap for Kalaiyarasan-Dinesh's Thandakaaranyam". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Attakathi Dinesh dubs for 'Thandakaaranyam'". Times of India. 1 August 2023. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  19. ^ Kumar, Akshay (21 October 2024). "First single of Thandakaaranyam to be out on this date". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 2 September 2025. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  20. ^ "பா.ரஞ்சித் தயாரிக்கும் 'தண்டகாரண்யம்' டைட்டில் லுக்". Hindu Tamil Thisai (in Tamil). 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  21. ^ M, Narayani (24 October 2024). "First single 'Adiye Alangaari' from Thandakaaranyam out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  22. ^ Kumar, Akshay (3 September 2025). "'Kaava Kaade' from Kalaiyarasan-Dinesh's Thandakaaranyam out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 6 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  23. ^ "Kalaiyarasan and Dinesh's Thandakaaranyam gets September release". Cinema Express. 18 August 2025. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  24. ^ "Thandakaaranyam Movie Review: A raw chapter with mixed signals". The Times of India. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  25. ^ Vallavan, Prashanth (19 September 2025). "Thandakaaranyam Movie Review: Has all the right ingredients, but in the wrong proportions". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 21 September 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  26. ^ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (18 September 2025). "'Thandakaaranyam' movie review: Athiyan Athirai's arresting spiral of systemic oppression". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 20 September 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
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