• Drama

Thandakaaranyam 2025

Thandakaaranyam (transl. The Dandaka Forest) is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language drama thriller film written and directed by Athiyan Athirai. The movie is produced by Pa. Ranjith's Neelam Productions along with Learn and Teach Production Private Limited. The lead cast features V R Dinesh (as Sadaiyan) and Kalaiyarasan (as Murugan), supported by an ensemble including Riythvika, Vinsu Sam, Shabeer Kallarakkal, and Bala Saravanan. The film was released on September 19, 2025. The narrative, reportedly inspired by the real-life 2014 fake Naxal surrender scam, is a powerful socio-political drama that explores systemic oppression and corruption faced by marginalized and tribal communities, particularly along the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. The story centers on two brothers: Murugan (Kalaiyarasan), a tribal man who, after being sacked from the forest department, desperately seeks status and dignity by joining a paramilitary force training camp called ISGS (organized to counter Naxalites), and his elder brother Sadaiyan (V R Dinesh), who remains in their village to fight a corrupt nexus of local magnates and forest officers. Murugan's training becomes a harrowing ordeal, as he is unknowingly recruited for a sham anti-Naxal program where trainees are first made to sign in as "surrendered Naxals" and are treated mercilessly. The film is a raw and unflinching look at Murugan's physical and emotional journey in the brutal camp and Sadaiyan's revenge against the oppressive system back home, highlighting the sacrifices people are forced to make in pursuit of a life with respect. The technical team includes Pratheep Kaliraja as the cinematographer, Selva RK as the editor, and Justin Prabhakaran for the music. The socio-political drama Thandakaaranyam, released in theatres on September 19, 2025, had a modest run at the box office, reflecting the niche appeal of its serious subject matter concerning the struggles of marginalized communities. The film's overall financial performance was limited, with an estimated worldwide gross collection of approximately ₹1.42 Crores, where the India net collection stood at around ₹1.27 Crores. Following its theatrical run, the film became available on streaming platforms to reach a wider audience. The film began its OTT journey on the platform Simply South on October 20, 2025, primarily catering to the global Tamil diaspora, and subsequently started streaming on Sun NXT in November 2025 and also in AMAZON PRIME making it accessible to a larger domestic audience. Read More

• 2025
• 2 h : 10 min
• 98 views
• 6.984
• U/A 16+