# Bhooloham (பூலோகம்)
**Bhooloham** (பூலோகம், translated as "World") is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language sports action film directed by N. Kalyanakrishnan and produced by V. Ravichandran under Aascar Films, starring Jayam Ravi as a boxer from North Chennai whose rivalry with another local fighter is exploited by a television channel owner for profit.[1](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/5896/2015-bhooloham) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhooloham) Trisha, Prakash Raj, and the Australian actor and former wrestler [Nathan Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/nathan-jones-wrestler) play the other principal roles.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhooloham)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 24 December 2015, after years of delay; principal photography began in 2011[3](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/news/bhooloham-to-release-on-december-24/) • [1](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/5896/2015-bhooloham) |
| Director / producer | N. Kalyanakrishnan (debut); Aascar Films (V. Ravichandran)[1](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/5896/2015-bhooloham) |
| Writer | S. P. Jananathan (dialogues); story and screenplay by Kalyanakrishnan[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/bhooloham/movie-review/50319922.cms) • [5](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/bhooloham/bhooloham-review.html) |
| Lead cast | Jayam Ravi (Bhooloham), Trisha (Gowri Sindhu), Prakash Raj (Moorthi/Deepak), Nathan Jones (Steven George)[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhooloham) |
| Runtime / certificate | 2 hours 23 minutes; certified U[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhooloham) |
| Music | Srikanth Deva; cinematography by S. R. Sathish Kumar[5](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/bhooloham/bhooloham-review.html) |
| Audience rating | IMDb 5.7/10 (about 1,000 votes)[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhooloham) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and setting
The film is set in the boxing community of North Madras (North Chennai), where two warring boxing lineages have feuded for generations.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/bhooloham/movie-review/50319922.cms) Bhooloham (Jayam Ravi) is an aggressive young boxer whose father, also a boxer, committed suicide after an embarrassing defeat in the ring; the son grows up with the aim of defeating the descendant of the man who beat his father.[6](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/bhooloham-is-an-action-packed-entertainer/20151225.htm)
Deepak Shah ([Prakash Raj](https://www.edgepedia.org/prakash-raj)), the owner of a sports channel, sees a business opportunity in the feud. He sponsors a match between Bhooloham and Arumugam, expecting a death in the ring to drive ratings; the publicity attracts sponsors willing to spend crores on advertising.[6](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/bhooloham-is-an-action-packed-entertainer/20151225.htm) Bhooloham knocks Arumugam into a critical condition, then has a change of heart and decides to give up boxing, but Deepak will not release him: he tricks Bhooloham into a bout with the national champion Guru Dayal (Arpit Ranka) and finally forces him to face Steven George (Nathan Jones), a notorious international champion, in the tournament final.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/bhooloham/movie-review/50319922.cms) Trisha plays Sindhu, Bhooloham's love interest.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/bhooloham/movie-review/50319922.cms)
The film is structured as a sports drama but carries a sustained critique of sensationalism in television media and the commercialization of sport; the fictional sponsors that advertise around the championship, such as Palakalar Cool Drink and Muru Muru Chips, parody real soft drink, snack, and health brands.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/bhooloham/movie-review/50319922.cms)
## Production and delayed release
The film then spent a long period in post-production, and its release was held up further by financial issues at the production house.[1](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/5896/2015-bhooloham) • [3](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/news/bhooloham-to-release-on-december-24/)
It finally reached theaters on 24 December 2015 as a Christmas release, competing with *Anjala*, *Pasanga 2*, and *Vil Ambu* on the same date; the theatrical distribution rights had reportedly been bought from Aascar Ravichandran by the director [Mohan Raja](https://www.edgepedia.org/mohan-raja).[3](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/news/bhooloham-to-release-on-december-24/) The film was later dubbed in Hindi as *Bhaigiri 2* by [Goldmines Telefilms](https://www.edgepedia.org/goldmines-telefilms) in 2018.[1](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/5896/2015-bhooloham)
## Basis and the North Chennai boxing tradition
Kalyanakrishnan said the film was not based on any single boxer, responding to reports that Jayam Ravi's character was modeled on the medal-winning boxer Madan, a friend of the director who coached Ravi, Trisha, and the other actors in the film's boxing.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ravi-packs-a-punch/articleshow/18089144.cms) He said the story was instead inspired by incidents from the [Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-nadu) boxing circuit, and that real boxers from the state's two prominent boxing lineages, the Idiyappa Naiker Parambarai and the [Sarpatta Parambarai](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarpatta-parambarai), appear in the film.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ravi-packs-a-punch/articleshow/18089144.cms)
The setting draws on a documented local history. Up until the 1970s, prize-fighting bouts were a major draw in the largely working-class northern part of what was then Madras, and boxers from the area's slums and fishing tenements were known for technique rather than brawn.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Corner-of-a-north-Chennai-street/articleshow/50425701.cms) The film's two rival groups, the Naatu Marunthu Vaidhiyar and the Irumbu Manithar Rasamanickam lineages, are modeled on this tradition of hereditary boxing stables.[9](https://www.onlykollywood.com/bhooloham-movie-review/)
## Reception
The film received mixed-to-positive reviews. The Times of India gave it 3 out of 5, praising the authentic milieu and the film's digs at television sensationalism while faulting a predictable plot in which "every twist and turn is visible a mile ahead"; the critic also noted that Jayam Ravi's exaggerated style and toned physique made the boxer role convincing.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/bhooloham/movie-review/50319922.cms) Rediff called it "an action-packed entertainer with a fast paced narrative" that conveys a social message, while criticizing [Srikanth Deva](https://www.edgepedia.org/srikanth-deva)'s background score.[6](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/bhooloham-is-an-action-packed-entertainer/20151225.htm) The New Indian Express described the film as over-the-top in dialogue, fights, and performances, but credited the debutant director with consistency of tone and a steady narration.[10](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2015/Dec/27/bhooloham-review-over-the-top-flick-on-boxing-vendetta-861265.html) Only Kollywood rated it 2.75 out of 5, noting that the film drops its pace in the second half.[9](https://www.onlykollywood.com/bhooloham-movie-review/)
At the Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards for 2015, Jayam Ravi won Best Actor, and Miracle Michael and Larnell Stowell Jr. shared the Best Stunt Director award.[1](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/5896/2015-bhooloham) On IMDb the film holds a rating of 5.7 out of 10.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhooloham)
## References
1. [Bhooloham (2015) – TamilMDb](https://www.tamilmdb.com/movie/5896/2015-bhooloham)
2. [Bhooloham streaming: where to watch movie online? – JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhooloham)
3. [Bhooloham To Release On December 24 – Silverscreen India](https://silverscreenindia.com/movies/news/bhooloham-to-release-on-december-24/)
4. [Bhooloham Movie Review {3/5} – The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/bhooloham/movie-review/50319922.cms)
5. [Bhooloham (aka) Boologam review – Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies/bhooloham/bhooloham-review.html)
6. [Bhooloham is an action-packed entertainer – Rediff.com](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/bhooloham-is-an-action-packed-entertainer/20151225.htm)
7. [Ravi packs a punch – The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ravi-packs-a-punch/articleshow/18089144.cms)
8. [Corner of a north Chennai street – The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Corner-of-a-north-Chennai-street/articleshow/50425701.cms)
9. [Bhooloham Movie Review – Only Kollywood](https://www.onlykollywood.com/bhooloham-movie-review/)
10. [Bhooloham Review: Over-the-top Flick on Boxing Vendetta – The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2015/Dec/27/bhooloham-review-over-the-top-flick-on-boxing-vendetta-861265.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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