Aayirathil Oruvan (2010)

Aayirathil Oruvan (English: One Man in a Thousand) is a 2010 Indian Tamil adventure film wriiten and directed by Selvaraghavan in his fifth feature film. Produced by R. Ravindran, it features music composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, cinematography by Ramji and editing by Kola Bhaskar. The film stars Karthi, Reemma Sen and Andrea Jeremiah in the lead roles with Parthiepan playing a pivotal role.

The film begins with an episode in 1279 AD, when the successor of the last great Chola Emperor, pending invasion, sends his people to a mystery location, to survive the threat. The story resumes with an archaeologist, a coolie and a member of the army going in search of the archaeologist's father to the ruined city that was the place the exiled Chola Prince retreated to. An expedition is promptly arranged, and on the course they stumble on the lost Chola civilization and its king and find unexplained links between them and the culture. The shocking events and the problems that arise forms the crux of the story.

Aayirathil Oruvan languished in development hell due to slow progress of the shoot and the extensive pre- and post-production works, evading release dates ranging one year. Shooting began in July 2007, and took place in various locations with 2,000 extras in areas including Chalakudy, Kerala and Jaisalmer, Rajasthan amongst other regions throughout India. Uncut, the film runs for over 220 minutes, but the theatrical release was heavily cut at 183 minutes. The film released coinciding with the festival of Thai Pongal on 14 January 2010, with a Telugu dubbing version, titled Yuganikki Okkadu, following six weeks later. Upon release, the film received mixed reviews whilst proceeding to become a successful venture commercially.

Synopsis

In 1279 A.D., the downfall of the Chola dynasty seems imminent as the Pandyas drive the Chola people out of their kingdom in southern India. To escape them and save the life of his successor the Chola emperor sends his son along with the Chola people to a secret territory. The refugees take along an idol sacred to the Pandyas, angering them. To capture the escaped Cholas and the stolen idol, the Pandyas extend their invasion to unexplored territories but cannot find them.

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