# Iru Mugan (இரு முகம்)
**Iru Mugan** (இரு முகம், "Two-faced") is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language science fiction action thriller written and directed by Anand Shankar, starring Vikram in a dual role as the ex-RAW agent Akhilan and the criminal scientist Love, alongside [Nayanthara](https://www.edgepedia.org/nayanthara) and [Nithya Menen](https://www.edgepedia.org/nithya-menen).[1](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/irumugan-2016) Produced by Shibu Thameens and Neelam Krishnareddy, it was released on 8 September 2016 and became a box-office success.[1](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/irumugan-2016) • [2](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/iru-mugan/0-0-2746)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 8 September 2016 (India, UAE, Singapore); 9 September 2016 in Malaysia[3](https://www.moviebuff.com/irumugan) |
| Director and writer | Anand Shankar, in his second film after *Arima Nambi* (2014)[1](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/irumugan-2016) |
| Dual role | Vikram's first dual role: RAW agent Akhilan and the scientist Love; the Telugu-dubbed version was titled *Inkokkadu*[4](https://www.cinejosh.com/news/1/48911/inkokkadu-vikrams-first-dual-role.html) • [5](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/iru-mugan) |
| Plot premise | An attack on the Indian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is traced to Love, who has created a drug that gives users a short, temporary burst of super-strength[2](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/iru-mugan/0-0-2746) • [6](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/iru-mugan-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mzq5mja) |
| Music and cinematography | Harris Jayaraj (music), R. D. Rajasekhar (cinematography)[7](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/chennai/iru-mugan/ET00041053) |
| Runtime | 154 minutes (BBFC and Australian classification)[6](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/iru-mugan-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mzq5mja) • [5](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/iru-mugan) |
| Box office | Producer Shibu Thameens stated that domestic and international business crossed Rs 1 billion (Rs 100 crore)[8](https://scroll.in/article/817645/tamil-star-vikram-i-will-definitely-direct-a-film) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The film opens with an aged man assaulting Indian officials at the Indian Embassy in [Kuala Lumpur](https://www.edgepedia.org/kuala-lumpur) before collapsing; a tattoo on his neck points to LOVE, a criminal scientist from Akhilan's past.[1](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/irumugan-2016) Akhilan Vinod, a suspended RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) agent whose wife Meera George, a computer analyst at RAW, was initially believed to have been killed during an earlier mission to apprehend Love, is recalled to head the investigation.[3](https://www.moviebuff.com/irumugan) • [20](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5372466/plotsummary/) His inquiries lead him to his old enemy, who has developed a hazardous drug that transforms humans into superhumans, and a junior deputy, Aayushi (Nithya Menen), is officially given charge as the team travels to Kuala Lumpur.[2](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/iru-mugan/0-0-2746) • [3](https://www.moviebuff.com/irumugan) The British Board of Film Classification describes the drug as giving users "a short and temporary burst of super-strength".[6](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/iru-mugan-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mzq5mja)
## Production and casting
**Development.** Anand Shankar's first film was the thriller *Arima Nambi* (2014). He described *Iru Mugan* as a completely different film, an action-based script with elements of science fiction.[9](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/tamil/2016/Sep/07/i-have-been-careful-about-not-stereotyping-the-character-1516770.html) Finding a producer delayed the project until Shibu Thameens came on board.[9](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/tamil/2016/Sep/07/i-have-been-careful-about-not-stereotyping-the-character-1516770.html) Shankar said the script was developed for Vikram before he pitched the line to him, and that he could not imagine casting anyone else in the role.[10](https://indiaglitz.com/vikram-nayanthara-iru-mugan-director-anand-shankar-latest-interview-tamil-news-166864) Vikram, who had wanted to play a dual role for a long time, said he expressed interest in taking on the Love character himself after Shankar had been looking for a popular artist for it.[4](https://www.cinejosh.com/news/1/48911/inkokkadu-vikrams-first-dual-role.html)
**The director.** Anand Shankar is the grandson of the National Film Award-winning playwright and dramatist Komal Swaminathan. An engineer by training, he studied filmmaking at the [New York Film Academy](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-film-academy), assisted [Siddharth Anand](https://www.edgepedia.org/siddharth-anand) on *Anjaana Anjaani*, and then assisted A. R. Murugadoss on *7am Arivu* and *Thupakki*; *Iru Mugan* was his second film.[11](https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/entertainment%2Fsouth-indian%2Fvikram-is-two-faced-in-iru-mugan-1.1892395)
**Filming.** Because the story is built on international espionage, with Vikram playing a RAW agent whose work takes him abroad, major portions were shot in Malaysia, and the unit also filmed in Kashmir and later moved to Thailand.[12](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/everything-you-need-to-know-about-vikrams-film-iru-mugan-1404730) A journal account states that about a quarter of the film was shot in Malaysia, since the story begins there with the embassy attack.[13](https://ijamtes.org/gallery/647-dec.pdf)
## The dual role
Vikram plays the two leads, Akhilan and Love, in what was his first film with dual roles.[4](https://www.cinejosh.com/news/1/48911/inkokkadu-vikrams-first-dual-role.html) Shankar said he crafted both characters with Vikram in mind and wanted them as different as possible: "Viewers should forget it's the same actor, when they see the film."[14](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/we-bet-you-wont-recognize-vikram-in-these-pics-from-irumugan-1455738) He added that Vikram's versatility let him ask for different looks and unusual choices, such as a disguise as a nurse, that might not work for every actor.[10](https://indiaglitz.com/vikram-nayanthara-iru-mugan-director-anand-shankar-latest-interview-tamil-news-166864) Vikram himself said the character interested him because he is drawn to "powerful, contrasting, layered and varied roles".[15](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2016/Sep/08/am-iru-mugan-in-real-life-too-1517131.html)
The portrayal of Love drew comment before and after release. When the trailer appeared, the character raised apprehensions that the film stereotyped the LGBT community; Shankar said before release that he had "been careful about not stereotyping the character".[8](https://scroll.in/article/817645/tamil-star-vikram-i-will-definitely-direct-a-film) • [9](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/tamil/2016/Sep/07/i-have-been-careful-about-not-stereotyping-the-character-1516770.html) An Onmanorama review described Love as behaving "more like a cross-dressing homosexual" and criticized a scene it said played for applause at the cost of boosting homophobia, while also calling Love "probably the only character that remained unpredictable".[16](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/iru-mugan-vikram-nayanthara-anand-shankar-tamil-movie-review.html)
## Reception
**Box office.** The film was a box-office success and was dubbed in a couple of languages.[2](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/iru-mugan/0-0-2746) According to producer Shibu Thameens, its domestic and international business crossed Rs 1 billion (Rs 100 crore).[8](https://scroll.in/article/817645/tamil-star-vikram-i-will-definitely-direct-a-film) For Vikram, whose previous film *10 Enthrakulla* (2015) had underperformed, the result reaffirmed his box-office drawing power.[8](https://scroll.in/article/817645/tamil-star-vikram-i-will-definitely-direct-a-film)
**Critical response.** Reviews were mixed. The Times of India and [Hindustan Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindustan-times) each rated it 6/10, India Today and [Behindwoods](https://www.edgepedia.org/behindwoods) 5/10, and Onmanorama 2.5/5.[7](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/chennai/iru-mugan/ET00041053) • [16](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/iru-mugan-vikram-nayanthara-anand-shankar-tamil-movie-review.html) The Onmanorama review compared the film to Vikram's *Anniyan* and found that it failed to connect emotionally, though it praised Love as the film's best element.[16](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/iru-mugan-vikram-nayanthara-anand-shankar-tamil-movie-review.html) On IMDb the film holds a 6.3/10 rating from about 4,900 votes.[17](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5372466) [BookMyShow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bookmyshow) user reviews most often tagged "GreatActing".[7](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/chennai/iru-mugan/ET00041053)
## Censorship and availability
The film was classified M (mature) in Australia for action violence, with a duration of 154 minutes.[5](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/iru-mugan) The BBFC classified it in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2016, advising moderate violence, including bloody bullet impacts and hand-to-hand fighting, along with mild bad language.[6](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/iru-mugan-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mzq5mja) In India it received a U/A certificate.[7](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/chennai/iru-mugan/ET00041053) It streams on Zee5 and, in the United States, on Xumo Play with ads, with rental and purchase options on Amazon Video.[2](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/iru-mugan/0-0-2746) • [18](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/iru-mugan)
## Legacy
The film established Anand Shankar as a director capable of handling a large star vehicle, and he and Vikram later announced a reunion on a film tentatively titled "Chiyaan 63".[19](https://purasaitimes.com/files/19-04-2026.pdf) The film's set-up, a RAW agent pursuing an old adversary, drew comparison in reviews to [Kamal Haasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kamal-haasan)'s *Vikram*.[3](https://www.moviebuff.com/irumugan)
## References
1. [Irumugan (2016), Indian Film History](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/irumugan-2016)
2. [Iru Mugan, Zee5](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/iru-mugan/0-0-2746)
3. [Irumugan on Moviebuff.com](https://www.moviebuff.com/irumugan)
4. [Inkokkadu, Vikram's First Dual Role!, cinejosh.com](https://www.cinejosh.com/news/1/48911/inkokkadu-vikrams-first-dual-role.html)
5. [IRU MUGAN, Australian Classification](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/iru-mugan)
6. [Iru Mugan, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/iru-mugan-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc00mzq5mja)
7. [Iru Mugan, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/chennai/iru-mugan/ET00041053)
8. [Tamil star Vikram: 'I will definitely direct a film', Scroll.in](https://scroll.in/article/817645/tamil-star-vikram-i-will-definitely-direct-a-film)
9. ['I have been careful about not stereotyping the character', The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/tamil/2016/Sep/07/i-have-been-careful-about-not-stereotyping-the-character-1516770.html)
10. ['Iru Mugan is a commercial entertainer with new elements and without cliche': Anand Shankar, IndiaGlitz](https://indiaglitz.com/vikram-nayanthara-iru-mugan-director-anand-shankar-latest-interview-tamil-news-166864)
11. [Vikram is two-faced in 'Iru Mugan', Gulf News](https://gulfnews.com/amp/story/entertainment%2Fsouth-indian%2Fvikram-is-two-faced-in-iru-mugan-1.1892395)
12. [Everything You Need to Know About Vikram's Film Iru Mugan, NDTV](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/everything-you-need-to-know-about-vikrams-film-iru-mugan-1404730)
13. [International Journal of Management, Technology And Engineering](https://ijamtes.org/gallery/647-dec.pdf)
14. [We Bet You Won't Recognise Vikram in These Pics From Iru Mugan, NDTV](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/we-bet-you-wont-recognize-vikram-in-these-pics-from-irumugan-1455738)
15. [I am Iru Mugan in real life too: Vikram, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2016/Sep/08/am-iru-mugan-in-real-life-too-1517131.html)
16. ['Iru Mugan' movie review: Who's got speed?, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/iru-mugan-vikram-nayanthara-anand-shankar-tamil-movie-review.html)
17. [Irumugan (2016), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5372466)
18. [Iru Mugan streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/iru-mugan)
19. [Purasai Times, page 6](https://purasaitimes.com/files/19-04-2026.pdf)
20. [imdb.com](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5372466/plotsummary/)
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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 science fiction and fantasy films of the 2010s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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