# Arrambam (ஆரம்பம்)
**Arrambam** (ஆரம்பம்; "The Beginning") is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan, starring [Ajith Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/ajith-kumar) as [Ashok Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashok-kumar), an officer who uncovers a defense-procurement scam behind fraudulent bulletproof vests, with Arya as the hacker Arjun who is drawn into his mission.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555958) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/arrambam) It was released on 31 October 2013 as a Diwali release and was the second collaboration between Ajith Kumar and Vishnuvardhan after *Billa* (2007).[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2013/arrambam-preview-ajith-box-office-123717.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 31 October 2013 (India, Diwali); foreign release 30 October 2013[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2013/arrambam-preview-ajith-box-office-123717.html) |
| Director and writers | Vishnuvardhan, with co-writers Subha, A.N. Balakrishnan, and D. Suresh[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555958) |
| Lead cast | Ajith Kumar (Ashok Kumar/AK), Arya (Arjun), Nayanthara (Maya), Taapsee Pannu (Anita)[4](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/arrambam/cast-crew.html) |
| Technical crew | Music Yuvan Shankar Raja; cinematography Om Prakash; editing A. Sreekar Prasad[5](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/arrambam/arrambam-movie-release-expectations.html) |
| Runtime | 157 minutes (2h 37m) per IMDb; other listings give 2h 29m to 2h 54m[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555958) • [6](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/arrambam/umc.cmc.2dneyd2ygub5a3m5lz6qy2oq) |
| Budget and returns | ₹600,000,000 (estimated) per IMDb; Cinema Express reports a 60-crore budget and 120-crore box office[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555958) • [7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html) |
| Ratings | Times of India 3.0/5; Filmibeat 3.5/5; IMDb 7.0/10[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/arrambam/movie-review/25210550.cms) • [9](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/reviews/2013/arrambam-aarambam-movie-review-123806.html) • [10](https://pulseofcinema.com/en/film/arrambam/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The film opens in Mumbai with a mysterious man placing bombs in three malls. He is Ashok (Ajith Kumar), who then forces Arjun, a genius-level hacker, to bring down a television network by holding Arjun's lover Anita ([Taapsee Pannu](https://www.edgepedia.org/taapsee-pannu)), a journalist, as a hostage.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/arrambam/movie-review/25210550.cms) The state's home minister Mahadev Rane ([Mahesh Manjrekar](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahesh-manjrekar), in his first Tamil film role) and the top cop JCP Milan ([Atul Kulkarni](https://www.edgepedia.org/atul-kulkarni)) entrust the anti-terrorism officer Prakash (Kishore) with capturing him; when Arjun learns of Ashok's past, he joins him instead.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/arrambam/movie-review/25210550.cms)
The motive is revealed in flashback: Ashok and his friend Vinodh ([Rana Daggubati](https://www.edgepedia.org/rana-daggubati)) are senior Mumbai police officers defusing a terrorist device, and Vinod dies because the bulletproof vests supplied to the police are fraudulent. Ashok traces the scam to a corrupt politician's company and sets out to expose it.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/arrambam) • [11](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/ajithkumar-nayanthara-starrer-arrambam-movie-completed-10-years-147788) The Times of India noted that Vishnuvardhan took "a leaf out of a real-life incident (the bullet-proof vest scam)" and built the thriller around it with his co-writers.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/arrambam/movie-review/25210550.cms) The director said in interviews that a true, well-known event formed part of the story, though not the whole of it.[12](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-13/vishnuvardhan-revealsajith-aka-thala-ajiths-two-faces-in-arrambam-aka-arambam.html)
## Production
**Development and title.** In September 2011 producer [A. M. Rathnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-m-rathnam) announced he would produce Ajith's next film after *Billa II*, and in January 2012 he signed Ajith and Vishnuvardhan.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html) Vishnuvardhan said the story was not written with Ajith in mind from the start; the two decided to work together and developed the story afterward.[13](https://m.rediff.com/movies/report/south-slide-show-1-ajith-is-one-actor-who-has-an-international-look/20130906.htm) The film remained untitled for over 15 months and was widely referred to as "Thala 53", denoting Ajith's 53rd film; false titles including *Surangani*, *Paravai*, and *Valai* circulated before the official title *Arrambam* was unveiled on 24 July 2013. The dubbed Telugu version was titled *Aata Arambham*.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html)
**Casting.** [Anushka Shetty](https://www.edgepedia.org/anushka-shetty), Amala Paul, and [Kajal Aggarwal](https://www.edgepedia.org/kajal-aggarwal) were considered for the lead female role before Vishnuvardhan selected [Nayanthara](https://www.edgepedia.org/nayanthara), who had worked with both Ajith and the director on *Billa*.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html) Richa Gangopadhyay was initially set for the second female lead but was replaced by Taapsee Pannu, who played a journalist.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html) Rana Daggubati was signed for a special appearance, and Suman Ranganathan was cast as the reporter Ramya, returning to Tamil cinema after 17 years.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html)
**Filming.** Regular shooting began in June 2012 in Mumbai, and the film was also shot in [Bangalore](https://www.edgepedia.org/bangalore), Hyderabad, Dubai, Rajasthan, Orissa, and other locations.[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2013/arrambam-preview-ajith-box-office-123717.html) Cinema Express lists the majority of filming in Mumbai, with additional locations including Chennai, Mahabaleshwar, Jaisalmer, Leh, and Ladakh; the climax was filmed by mid-May 2013 in Kullu Manali.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html) Ajith continued the salt-and-pepper look from *Mankatha* at the director's request and trained six hours a day in the gym for the role; during an action sequence he suffered a ligament tear jumping between cars.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html) Stunt work was designed by Stephen Richter, Lee Whittaker, and Kecha.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html)
## Release and reception
The film released on 31 October 2013 as a Diwali treat for Tamil audiences, with foreign markets a day earlier, and [Behindwoods](https://www.edgepedia.org/behindwoods) reported strong advance bookings for the opening weekend.[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2013/arrambam-preview-ajith-box-office-123717.html) • [5](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/arrambam/arrambam-movie-release-expectations.html) The British Board of Film Classification issued an uncut 15 certificate with advice of "strong threat and violence"; at the distributor's request, cuts of about five minutes were made to obtain a 12A classification.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555958)
**Critical response.** The Times of India rated it 3.0/5, calling it "a very familiar tale of corruption, betrayal and revenge, served up with a dash of style" and praising the pacing while faulting the overlong climax.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/arrambam/movie-review/25210550.cms) Filmibeat's review called it "a well-made action thriller" and noted that the film deliberately avoided exaggerated heroism for Ajith's character, though it found the second half predictable after the revenge motive is revealed.[9](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/reviews/2013/arrambam-aarambam-movie-review-123806.html) An IANS review carried by [Business Standard](https://www.edgepedia.org/business-standard) judged that the film "works solely on Ajith's charisma" and compared its structure to *Swordfish*, with the hacker's technological leverage replacing that film's bank robbery.[14](https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/arrambam-a-one-man-aspirational-film-tamil-movie-review-113110100808_1.html) On Rotten Tomatoes the Tomatometer stood at 45% from four critic reviews.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/arrambam)
Reviewers consistently singled out the technical work. [Om Prakash](https://www.edgepedia.org/om-prakash)'s cinematography was called outstanding and stylish, and [Yuvan Shankar Raja](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuvan-shankar-raja)'s background score was widely praised, though the same IANS review called the songs a letdown; A. Sreekar Prasad's editing was criticized for leaving dragging scenes.[9](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/reviews/2013/arrambam-aarambam-movie-review-123806.html) • [14](https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/arrambam-a-one-man-aspirational-film-tamil-movie-review-113110100808_1.html)
## Legacy
The film marked the second pairing of Ajith Kumar and Vishnuvardhan and completed ten years of release in October 2023, an anniversary covered in the Tamil press.[11](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/ajithkumar-nayanthara-starrer-arrambam-movie-completed-10-years-147788) Producer A. M. Rathnam, who had not worked with Ajith before this film, went on to repeat the collaboration in two further films.[15](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-producer/a-m-rathnam/producer-a-m-rathnam-interview.html) The film is available on digital platforms such as the Apple TV channel.[6](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/arrambam/umc.cmc.2dneyd2ygub5a3m5lz6qy2oq)
## References
1. [Arrambam (2013), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555958)
2. [Arrambam, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/arrambam)
3. [Arrambam Preview – Ajith Guarantees Thunderous Opening At Box Office, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/news/2013/arrambam-preview-ajith-box-office-123717.html)
4. [ஆரம்பம் Cast & Crew Details, Filmibeat Tamil](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/movies/arrambam/cast-crew.html)
5. [Arrambam Movie Release Expectation, Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/arrambam/arrambam-movie-release-expectations.html)
6. [Arrambam, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/arrambam/umc.cmc.2dneyd2ygub5a3m5lz6qy2oq)
7. [Revisiting Arrambam: 50 lesser-known facts and unseen working stills, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/Oct/31/revisiting-arrambam-50-lesser-known-facts-and-unseen-working-stills-from-thala-ajiths-action-drama-747.html)
8. [Arrambam Movie Review {3.0/5}, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/arrambam/movie-review/25210550.cms)
9. [Arrambam (Aarambam) Movie Review, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/reviews/2013/arrambam-aarambam-movie-review-123806.html)
10. [Arrambam (2013): Plot, Cast & Where to Watch, Pulse of Cinema](https://pulseofcinema.com/en/film/arrambam/)
11. [10 Years of Arrambam, ABP Nadu (Tamil)](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/ajithkumar-nayanthara-starrer-arrambam-movie-completed-10-years-147788)
12. ["Ajith has two faces in Arrambam" – Vishnuvardhan, Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-13/vishnuvardhan-revealsajith-aka-thala-ajiths-two-faces-in-arrambam-aka-arambam.html)
13. ["Ajith is one actor who has an international look" – Vishnuvardhan interview, Rediff.com](https://m.rediff.com/movies/report/south-slide-show-1-ajith-is-one-actor-who-has-an-international-look/20130906.htm)
14. ["Arrambam", a one-man aspirational film (Tamil Movie Review), IANS via Business Standard](https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/arrambam-a-one-man-aspirational-film-tamil-movie-review-113110100808_1.html)
15. [Producer A M Rathnam interview, Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-producer/a-m-rathnam/producer-a-m-rathnam-interview.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Tamil films of the 2010s › Tamil action and thriller films of the 2010s › Titles symbols to K*
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