French
DeutschAghathiyaa
| Aghathiyaa | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Pa. Vijay |
| Written by | Pa. Vijay |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Deepak Kumar Padhy |
| Edited by | San Lokesh |
| Music by | Yuvan Shankar Raja |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | PVR Inox Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 135 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Box office | ₹2.15 crore[2] |
Aghathiyaa (also marketed as Aghathiyaa: Angels vs Devil) is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language historical horror action comedy film written and directed Pa. Vijay. The film stars Jiiva in a dual role alongside Arjun Sarja and Raashii Khanna, while Edward Sonnenblick, Matylda, Redin Kingsley, Shah Ra, Senthil, Radha Ravi, Rohini, Charle, Indraja Shankar and others in supporting roles.[3] The film is produced by Ishari K. Ganesh under his Vels Film International banner and co-produced by Aneesh Arjun Dev under Wam India. The film music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, with cinematography handled by Deepak Kumar Padhy, and film edited by San Lokesh.[4] The story revolves a young art director (Jiiva) and his fiancee (Raashii Khanna) trapped into a haunted house, which leads them to uncover the old mysteries of 1940.[5]
The project was announced on 2020, but eventually shelved by the production house due to multiple issues, later on 2023, the project was officially took over by Vels Film International. After 4 years delays, Aghathiyaa was released by theatrically on 28 February 2025, and received mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences.[6][7]
Plot
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/en/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: March 2025. You can help by adding to it. (March 2025) |
Aghathiyan an struggling art director who is also facing the challenge of finding ways and means of treating his mother who is suffering from bone cancer, stumbles upon an old movie camera which opens the doors to the era of 1940s. Absolutely unaware of the dangers which he and his fiance Veena, likely to encounter, they are forced to embark upon a mystery journey that would lead them to unravel the secrets of the past and the buried truth while facing the wrath of the notorious ghost of the dictator French Dy, a governor who ruled Pondicherry at that time.
Cast
[edit]- Jiiva in a dual role as:
- Aghathiyan, an art director
- Nanjilan, an freedom fighter
- Arjun Sarja as Dr Siddharthan, a siddha medicine doctor
- Raashii Khanna as Veena, Aghathiyan's fiance (Voice dubbed by Smruthi K)
- Edward Sonnenblick as Edwin Duplex
- Matylda as Jacqueline Poovizhi, Edwin's sister and Siddharthan's love interest
- Shah Ra as Shankar, Aghathiyan's friend
- Redin Kingsley as Double Pandi, Aghathiyan's labour
- Rohini as Anjalai, Aghathiyan's Mother
- Charle as Aghathiyan's father
- Daniel Caltagirone as French Dy, a governor
- Senthil as Rayon, Mansion owner and Edwin's grandson
- Radha Ravi as Seshathri
- Nizhalgal Ravi as Umar Abdulla
- Indraja Shankar as Priya, Veena's friend
- Preetham as Helen, Edwin's wife
- Guinness Pakru as House Broker
- Delhi Ganesh as Astrologer (Cameo appearance)
- Yogi Babu as Yogi Babu (Cameo appearance)
- VTV Ganesh as VTV Ganesh (Cameo appearance)
- Abhirami as Vaideeshwari, Siddharthan's mother (Cameo appearance)
- Poornima Bhagyaraj as Dr Vaideeshwari (Cameo appearance)
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]In mid-May 2020, lyricist-turned-director Pa. Vijay announced his third directorial venture titled Methavi with Jiiva, Arjun Sarja, Raashii Khanna in the lead roles.[8] The film was said to be of horror thriller genre and bankrolled by S. Raja of Makkal Arasan Pictures.[9] Although, Pa. Vijay had worked with Yuvan Shankar Raja, Methavi[10] marked the maiden collaboration of Pa. Vijay with Yuvan Shankar Raja in the former's direction.[11] But the project got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the death a Russian girl playing a crucial role.[12] In late-March 2023, it was announced that Vels Film International have taken up the project and are planning to release, but was eventually shelved.[13]
In late-March 2023, director Pa. Vijay confirmed that he is associating again, thereby retaining most of the cast and crew for a new untitled period drama film.[14] On 7 October 2024, Vels Film International through a first look poster, revealed the titled of the film Aghathiyaa[15] starring Jiiva and Raashii Khanna[16] in the lead roles alongside, Arjun Sarja and Edward Sonnenblick in prominent roles[17] alongside Yogi Babu, VTV Ganesh, Redin Kingsley and others in supporting roles.[18]
The film is produced by Ishari K. Ganesh under his Vels Film International banner and co-produced by Aneesh Arjun Dev under Wam India.[19] The film has music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematography handled by Deepak Kumar Padhy,[20] editing by San Lokesh, stunt choreography by K Ganesh and dance choreography by Sridhar.[21]
Filming
[edit]Principal photography was planned to be shot on a set in Ramoji Film City, in Hyderabad and some portions in Ooty and Kodaikanal.[12]
Music
[edit]| Aghathiyaa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Language | Tamil / Telugu | |||
| Label | Divo Music | |||
| Producer | Yuvan Shankar Raja | |||
| Yuvan Shankar Raja chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Aghathiyaa | ||||
| ||||
The soundtrack and background is scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja.[22] The first single, titled "Kaatrin Viral / Gaali Ooyalallo" was released on 5 January 2025.[23][24] The second single in Tamil "En Iniya Pon Nilave" originally from Balu Mahendra's Moodu Pani (1980) composed by Ilaiyaraaja and sung by K. J. Yesudas was remixed into a duet and released along with the Telugu version "Naa Hrudayamantha Neevay" on 10 January 2025.[25] The third single "Semmannu Dhaane / Nelamma Thalle" released on 24 January 2025.[26]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kaatrin Viral" | Pa. Vijay | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Yuvan Shankar Raja | 3:29 |
| 2. | "En Iniya Pon Nilave" | Gangai Amaran | Ilaiyaraaja, Yuvan Shankar Raja | Vijay Yesudas, Priya Jearson | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Semmannu Dhaane" | Pa. Vijay | Yuvan Shankar Raja | M. M. Manasi | 3:46 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gaali Ooyalallo" | Shashank Vennelakanti | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Sathyaprakash | 3:30 |
| 2. | "Naa Hrudayamantha Neevay" | Shashank Vennelakanti | Ilaiyaraaja, Yuvan Shankar Raja | Deepesh Krishnamoorthy, Devu Mathew | 4:25 |
| 3. | "Nelamma Thalle" | Shashank Vennelakanti | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Devu Mathew | 3:49 |
Release
[edit]Theatrical
[edit]Aghathiyaa released in theatres on 28 February 2025 in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu languages.[27][17]
Reception
[edit]Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Jiiva continues his streak of timeline-hopping roles (following Black) with sincere commitment, bringing vulnerability and determination to his character. [...]The film reaches its visual zenith in the climactic showdown between Siddha and Duplex—a ten-minute plus spectacle of motion-capture animation and 3D effects that impresses despite the increasingly outlandish plot developments."[28] Anusha Sundar of OTTPlay gave 2/5 stars and wrote "With done to death ideologies like going local is global, Aghathiyaa misses the mark by several miles when it chooses to work only on its visual marvel and easily forgets on script work."[29]
Sanjay Ponnappa of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Outdated melodrama being integrated into scenes repeatedly acts as a constant distraction, instead of being the emotional hook.[...] And the big VFX fight at the end will certainly leave one impressed. And yet an afterthought will linger on: such a lost opportunity!"[30] Kirubhakar Purushothaman of News18 gave 2/5 stars and wrote "On top of such ideological confusion, the film also refuses to make up its mind about its genre. It kicks off as a horror, then moves on to become a period film, and then it ends up becoming a fantasy with a laughable fight sequence that will not hold water even against PS 2 games."[31] Jayabhuvaneshwari of Cinema Express gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "In its attempt to blend horror, fantasy, history, and action, Aghathiyaa ends up being neither thrilling nor entertaining—just exhausting."[32]
References
[edit]- ^ "Aghathiyaa". Central Board of Film Certification.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa Day 3 Box Office: Jiiva and Arjun Sarja's film sees sharp drop, collects just Rs 55 lakh on Sunday after a decent start". Pinkvilla. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa teaser out: Jiiva and Pa Vijay's fantasy drama has magnificent visuals with mysterious conflict". OTTPlay. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
- ^ "Jiiva's Aghathiyaa is battle between angels, devils". www.dtnext.in. 7 October 2024. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa trailer: Jiiva, Arjun Sarja, and Raashii Khanna starrer unveils a spectacular fantasy-horror thriller". Firstpost. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa Twitter Review: Netizens Praise The Story And VFX Of This Fantasy Film". Times Now. 28 February 2025. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa Review: Jiiva headlines a colourful film with underwhelming story". OTTPlay. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "Jiiva and Arjun to co-star in 'Methavi'". The Hindu. 15 May 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Methavi: Arjun, Jiiva and Raashi Khanna join hands for Pa Vijay's horror-thriller". India Today. 16 May 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Jiiva and Arjun's role in Pa Vijay's debut directorial 'Medhavi' revealed?". The Times of India. 22 May 2020. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "For the first time this popular actor - lyricist to direct Jiiva... And it's an grandiose period drama with all-star cast!". The New Stuff. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Jiiva, Raashii Khanna & Arjun to star in Pa Vijay's period drama". The Times of India. 25 March 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Medhavi: THIS leading production house takes over Pa Vijay's film starring Jiiva, Arjun and Raashi Khanna". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Jiiva-Arjun-Raashii Khanna join hands for a period film". www.dtnext.in. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Jiiva's next with Pa Vijay titled 'Aghathiyaa'". The Times of India. 7 October 2024. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ Raashii Khanna on Farzi, working with Sidharth Malhotra in Yodha and more | Samina Shaikh. 23 February 2023. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
Subject talks about her upcoming movie from 15:50 to 15:55
- ^ a b "Jiiva-Arjun join hands for Pa Vijay's Aghathiyaa". Cinema Express. 7 October 2024. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa first look poster: Jiiva and Pa Vijay join hands; Arjun Sarja, Raashii Khanna to co-star". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ Kumar, Akshay (2 January 2025). "Jiiva's Aghathiyaa teaser to be out on this date". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
- ^ "Horror comedy is a very challenging genre to shoot, says Deepak Kumar Padhy". The Times of India. 9 November 2023. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ Kumar, Akshay (23 December 2024). "Pa Vijay-Jiiva's Aghathiyaa makers share an update". Cinema Express. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ Kumar, Akshay (3 January 2025). "Aghathiyaa Teaser: Jiiva on alert as history repeats". Cinema Express. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
- ^ "ஜீவா நடித்த 'அகத்தியா' படத்தின் பர்ஸ்ட் சிங்கிள் அப்டேட்". Dina Thanthi (in Tamil). 5 January 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
- ^ Features, C. E. (7 January 2025). "'Kaatrin Viral' song from Jiiva's Aghathiyaa is a romantic melody". Cinema Express. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ^ Kumar, Akshay (11 January 2025). "Yuvan gives a modern makeover to 'En Iniya Pon Nilave' for Aghathiyaa". Cinema Express. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
- ^ Kumar, Akshay (25 January 2025). "'Semmannu Thaane' from Aghathiyaa is a call to return to roots". Cinema Express. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Jiiva's Aghathiyaa to release on January 31". www.dtnext.in. 24 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa Movie Review : Good enough to forgive its excesses". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa Review: Jiiva headlines a colourful film with underwhelming story". OTTPlay. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa review: Interesting concepts in Jiiva's film bogged down by melodrama". India Today. 28 February 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "Aghathiyaa Movie Review: Jivaa And Raashii Khanna's Film Is A Grand But Confusing Tale With Perilous Ideas". News18. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ B, Jayabhuvaneshwari (28 February 2025). "Aghathiyaa Movie Review: A disjointed horror film that falls flat". Cinema Express. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
