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Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara (transl. Isn't this what you wished for, Balakumara?), also referred to as iDhaaba,[1] is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film, written and directed by Gokul. Produced by Leo Visions, the film stars Vijay Sethupathi, Ashwin, Swathi, Nandita, and Pasupathy. It was released on 2 October 2013. The film received positive reviews from critics and became a success. It was remade in Kannada as Jackson (2015).[2]
| Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Gokul |
| Written by | Gokul |
| Produced by | V. S. Rajkumar J. Satish Kumar |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Mahesh Muthuswami |
| Edited by | Leo John Paul |
| Music by | Siddharth Vipin Ved Shankar (1 Song) |
Production companies | Leo Visions JSK Film Corporation |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
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Kumaravel is a lower middle class youth who mainly lives in TASMAC bars. His friends and neighbors have nicknamed him "Sumaar Moonji Kumar" (transl. average-looking Kumar) alias SMK. Kumar stalks Kumudha, the girl living opposite his flat. Kumudha's father has sought the help of Annachi, the local boss, to find a solution and teach SMK a lesson. On a parallel track, another alcoholic named Balakrishnan is a smart bank salesperson but is always under pressure from his boss Poochandi and possessive girlfriend Renu. One night, the life of the principal characters gets entangled, leading to the climax.
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- Vijay Sethupathi as Kumaravel aka Sumaar Moonji Kumar (SMK)
- Ashwin as Balakrishnan Gopalsamy aka Bala (Vaiko)
- Nandita as Kumudha, Kumar's crush
- Swathi as Renu, Bala's lover (Renuka Vaiko)
- Selma Edith as Aparna
- Pasupathy as Annachi
- Soori as Thambi
- Daniel Pope as Romba Sumaar Moonji Kumar (RSMK), Kumar's best friend
- Pattimandram Raja as Kumudha's father
- Bhargavi Radha as Kumudha's mother
- M. S. Bhaskar as Poochandi, Balakrishnan's boss
- Livingston as Sammandham, Kumar's father
- Vinodh Munna as Patti Babu
- Rajendran as Painter Rajendran aka Raj
- Madhumitha as Baby
- Robo Shankar as Sound Shankar
- Siddharth Vipin as Akilesh
- Thakkali as Shanmugam
- Mahanadhi Shankar as a police officer
- Senthi Kumari as a pregnant lady
- Syed as Saravanan, pregnant lady's husband
- Sai Priyanka Ruth as Renu's friend
- Raju Sundaram (special appearance in the song "En Veetula")[3]
- Johnny (special appearance in the song "En Veetula")[3]
- Nobel Paul (special appearance in the song "En Veetula").[3]
- V. S. Raghavan (special appearance in the song "Prayer Song")
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The film was announced in February 2012 as a dual hero comedy subject with Jai as one of the heroes.[4] In February 2013, the film was announced to be produced by Leo Visions and to feature Vijay Sethupathi, Nandita and Swati.[5] It was said to be based on the daily comical things that happen in our day-to-day life. Siddharth Vipin, who did the background score for Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, was chosen to do the music for the film.[6] Soori was playing an important role and Madhan Karky penned the dialogues for this film.[7] Pasupathy was selected to play an important role in this film.[6] The latest to join was Ashwin Kakumanu, who made his debut in Mankatha.[8] The film's puja was held on 11 March 2013.[9] The title of the film was inspired by a line in Thanga Padhumai (1959).[10]
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| Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 30 August 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 16:25 | |||
| Language | Tamil | |||
| Label | Think Music | |||
| Producer | Siddharth Vipin | |||
| Siddharth Vipin chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Ved Shankar chronology | ||||
| ||||
The soundtrack album was composed by Siddharth Vipin who earlier composed background score for Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom and this is his full-fledged debut as music composer. The lyrics were penned by Madhan Karky and Lalithanand. The single, "Prayer Song" was released on 12 August 2013.[11][12] It was an instant hit garnering lakhs of views.[13] The song was believed to have been inspired by Jaron and the Long Road to Love's "Pray for You" which Madhan Karky denied, concluding that both songs only had the same concept.[14] The chorus of the song "En Veetula" samples the Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai song "Sau Saal Pehle".[15]
The complete album was released on 30 August 2013 at Sathyam Cinemas.[16][17] The album was released by Jiiva in the presence of Balaji Sakthivel and received by the film cast.[18][19] The album consists of three tracks composed by Siddharth Vipin and an additional track by Ved Shankar.[20]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "En Veetula" | Lalithanand | Siddharth Vipin | Gaana Bala | 04:10 |
| 2. | "Yaen Endral" | Madhan Karky | Siddharth Vipin | Hariharan, Vishnupriya Ravi, R Maalavika Manoj | 04:31 |
| 3. | "Enge Ponaalum – Prayer Song" | Madhan Karky | Siddharth Vipin | Naresh Iyer, Dr. Narayanan | 04:36 |
| 4. | "Naaye Naaye" | Ved Shankar | Ved Shankar | Ved Shankar | 03:08 |
| Total length: | 16:25 | ||||
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Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara released on 2 October 2013 coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti in 300+ screens worldwide.[21]
Box office
The film raked 100% occupancy on first day, collecting ₹90 million (US$1.1 million) which was the biggest opening for a Vijay Sethupathi film to that point.[22][23]
Critical reception
The film received positive reviews from critics, with most critics praising Vijay Sethupathi's performance and the writing.[24]
M. Suganth of The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote the film "lacks the sophistication of a Soodhu Kavvum or Pizza but makes up for it in sheer likeability". Suganth added, "His debut Rowthiram was an uneven effort but in Idhaaba, Gokul is more surefooted, deftly weaving plotlines and confidently untying the knots in his script".[25] IANS gave 3.5 out of 5 and wrote Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara (IAB) doesn't merely entertain, but also addresses a domestic issue with a very strong dose of humour. It's undoubtedly one of the smartest yet funniest Tamil films in recent times.[26] S. Saraswathi of Rediff.com gave 3 out of 5 stars, wrote "Director Gokul in his film, Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara has created some weird, quirky and offbeat characters in hilarious situations who keep the audience entertained, writes" and called it a "laugh riot".[27] In contrast, Baradwaj Rangan wrote for The Hindu, "Gokul's Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara isn't a lazy movie. It is, in fact, the opposite. There's too much of everything — too much plot, too much mood, with three narrative strands infused with three unique sensibilities". He concluded that the film provided "Some mild laughs" and "Lots of tedium".[15]
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The character of Sumar Moonji Kumar inspired a song titled "Sumar Moonji Kumaru" in Bruce Lee (2017).[28] A spin-off titled Corona Kumar entered development in 2020 before being stalled.[29][30]
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