Mersal (film)
Mersal (transl. Zapped) is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film[6] directed by Atlee who co-wrote the film with K. V. Vijayendra Prasad and S. Ramana Girivasan. Produced by Thenandal Studio Limited in their 100th production, the film stars Vijay in a triple role with S. J. Surya, Samantha, Kajal Aggarwal, Nithya Menen and Vadivelu.
The story revolves around two brothers; one is a magician avenging his parents’ deaths and medical crimes, and the other, a reputed doctor who charges meagre amounts from his patients. The film’s principal photography commenced on 1 February 2017, at Chennai and was completed that September, within 130 working days. Filming took place on Gdańsk, Poland and Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The background score and soundtrack album were composed by A. R. Rahman, while the cinematography was done by G. K. Vishnu and edited by Ruben.
Mersal was released worldwide on 18 October 2017, coinciding with Diwali and opened to positive reviews with critics praising the performance of Vijay, A. R. Rahman’s soundtrack, the cinematography, the social message and Atlee’s direction, but criticised the cliched plot and excessive length. It is also a recipient of various accolades. The film was a commercial success, grossing (US$260 million) worldwide, becoming the highest grossing tamil film of the year and is Vijay’s most successful film at its release.[7]
The film’s dubbed Telugu version Adirindhi released on 9 November 2017. The film completed 100-day theatrical run on 25 January 2018.[8][9][10] The film was released on 6 December 2018 in China by HGC Entertainment.[11] Due to demand, the film was screened at the largest cinema theatre in Europe Grand Rex, France.[12] The film was screened at the Hainan International Film Festival in Hainan, China[13] and at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea.[14]
