# Naan (நான்) (2012 film)
**Naan** (நான்; English: *I*) is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language crime thriller film written and directed by Jeeva Shankar, starring the music composer [Vijay Antony](https://www.edgepedia.org/vijay-antony) in his acting debut as a young man who assumes a dead stranger's identity and enrolls in a medical college.[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html) Antony also produced the film and composed its music, making it his 25th film as a composer.[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html) • [2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/naan/movie-review/15532605.cms) It was released on 15 August 2012 and was both a critical and commercial success.[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title and meaning | Naan (நான்), Tamil for "I"; tagline "No one is perfect"[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html) • [3](https://www.moviebuff.com/naan) |
| Director and writer | Jeeva Shankar, a cinematographer making his directorial debut; he also handled the camera[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html) • [4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2012/Aug/19/naan-tamil-398457.html) |
| Lead and producer | Vijay Antony as Karthik (Mohammed Salim); produced by Fathima Vijay Antony and Vijay Antony[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/naan) |
| Release | 15 August 2012 (India); Tamil language[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2331167/) |
| Runtime | 135 minutes (2h 15m) per most listings; some platforms list 137 to 143 minutes[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/naan) |
| Audience rating | IMDb 7.6/10 from about 2,100 votes[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2331167/) |
| Remakes | Bengali remake *Amanush 2* (2015) and Kannada remake *Asthitva* (2016)[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The film follows Karthik (Vijay Antony), who as a boy loses his father to suicide after learning of an illicit relationship between his mother and her brother-in-law; Karthik kills the two of them and grows up in a juvenile home.[8](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/naan/umc.cmc.6euxfxa8dygx8vuqubr18yppb) After his release, his relatives refuse to take him in, and he boards a bus to Chennai to begin a new life.[8](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/naan/umc.cmc.6euxfxa8dygx8vuqubr18yppb) • [2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/naan/movie-review/15532605.cms)
The bus crashes and his co-passenger Salim dies. Karthik uses Salim's college certificates to take his identity and joins a medical college, where he befriends wealthy students including Ashok (Siddharth Venugopal) and Rupa (Rupa Manjari).[8](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/naan/umc.cmc.6euxfxa8dygx8vuqubr18yppb) In a heated argument he accidentally kills Ashok and tries to cover it up, and the film follows whether he lives on as Salim or returns to his original identity.[8](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/naan/umc.cmc.6euxfxa8dygx8vuqubr18yppb)
## Production and release
**Debut vehicle.** The project was announced in April 2010 as a collaboration between Vijay Antony Film Corporation and AVR Talkies Pvt Ltd, with the composer turning hero under cinematographer Jeeva Shankar's direction; Shankar had shot films such as *Ananda Thandavam*.[9](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/apr-10-01/vijay-antony-naan-10-04-10.html) Filming began in April 2010.[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html) The trailer appeared nearly a year before release, and the audio, launched by Gemini Audio in July 2012 at an event attended by figures including S A Chandrasekar and K Bhaghyaraj, came out shortly before the film.[10](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/naans-ready-for-release/articleshow/15074496.cms) • [11](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2012/Jul/31/naan-music-released-392544.html)
The film reached theaters on 15 August 2012.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2331167) Its end credits carry a "to be continued" card, and Antony followed it with the 2014 film *Salim*.[12](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-reviews/reviews-2/aug-12-03/naan-review.html) • [1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html)
## Music
Antony composed the score and songs, and sang two tracks himself, including *Ulaginil Miga Uyaram*; *Makkayala Makkayala*, sung by [Shakthisree Gopalan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shakthisree-gopalan), was the peppy chart number of the album.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/naan/movie-review/15532605.cms) • [3](https://www.moviebuff.com/naan) The Times of India reviewer wrote that Antony's re-recording work left the stronger mark on the film.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/naan/movie-review/15532605.cms)
## Reception
The film received generally positive reviews. The Times of India rated it 3.5/5, describing it as a homage to [Alfred Hitchcock](https://www.edgepedia.org/alfred-hitchcock) that takes the audience on a "strangers on a bus" tour, praising Shankar's gripping writing and Antony's gravitas while noting his inexperience in heavy emotional scenes.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/naan/movie-review/15532605.cms) Malini Mannath, writing in The New Indian Express, called it a "fairly engaging psychological thriller" and said Antony suited the gray-shaded role of a man who resorts to extreme measures when his hard-won identity is threatened.[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2012/Aug/19/naan-tamil-398457.html) [Behindwoods](https://www.edgepedia.org/behindwoods) judged it a suspense thriller that works for most parts, while noting patches of slowness and some logical glitches.[12](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-reviews/reviews-2/aug-12-03/naan-review.html)
At the 2013 SIIMA awards the film drew nominations for Best Music Director, Best Debutant Producer, and Best Male Debutant, and Antony won the Tamilar Award for Best Newcomer Actor.[13](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/naan/2030219753/)
## Sources and adaptations
The premise of a man murdering an acquaintance and assuming his identity places *Naan* in the lineage of [Patricia Highsmith](https://www.edgepedia.org/patricia-highsmith)'s *[The Talented Mr. Ripley](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-talented-mr-ripley-film)*: Time's survey of Highsmith adaptations lists the 2012 film as the third screen version of that novel, loosely based on the book and [Anthony Minghella](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-minghella)'s 1999 film, and IMDb's trivia notes the same connection.[14](https://time.com/6158796/deep-water-patricia-highsmith-adaptations/) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2331167/)
The film was remade twice: in Bengali as *Amanush 2* (2015) and in Kannada as *Asthitva* (2016).[1](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html) In India it currently streams on Sun Nxt and VI movies and tv, and free with ads on Zee5.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/naan)
## References
1. [Naan (film), Vijay Antony official filmography](https://vijayantony.com/filmography-naan.html)
2. [Naan Movie Review {3.5/5}, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/naan/movie-review/15532605.cms)
3. [Naan (2012), Moviebuff](https://www.moviebuff.com/naan)
4. [Naan (Tamil) review, Malini Mannath, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2012/Aug/19/naan-tamil-398457.html)
5. [Naan, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/naan)
6. [Naan (2012), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2331167/)
7. [Naan streaming: where to watch movie online?, JustWatch (India)](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/naan)
8. [Naan, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/naan/umc.cmc.6euxfxa8dygx8vuqubr18yppb)
9. [Music director turns hero, Behindwoods (April 2010)](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news-1/apr-10-01/vijay-antony-naan-10-04-10.html)
10. [Naan's ready for release, The Times of India (July 2012)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/naans-ready-for-release/articleshow/15074496.cms)
11. ['Naan' music released, The New Indian Express (31 July 2012)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2012/Jul/31/naan-music-released-392544.html)
12. [Naan Movie Review, Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-reviews/reviews-2/aug-12-03/naan-review.html)
13. [Naan, TV Guide (awards section)](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/naan/2030219753/)
14. [A Comprehensive Guide to Every Patricia Highsmith Adaptation, Time](https://time.com/6158796/deep-water-patricia-highsmith-adaptations/)
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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 L to T*
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