Petta is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj. The film was produced by Kalanithi Maran under the banner Sun Pictures. The film stars Rajinikanth in the title role along an ensemble cast including Vijay Sethupathi, Simran, Trisha Krishnan, M. Sasikumar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bobby Simha, Sananth Reddy, Megha Akash, and Malavika Mohanan. The music was composed by Anirudh Ravichander with editing done by Vivek Harshan and cinematography by Tirru. The film was released on 10 January 2019.
Kaali (Rajinikanth), an elderly man, takes up the job of a boys hostel warden at a college in Darjeeling. He notices that the hostel is dominated by a group of unruly final-year students, which are led by Michael (Bobby Simha), the spoiled son of a local leader named Gnanam (Aadukalam Naren). Kaali puts a stop to Michael’s antics, which leads to enmity between the two. Kaali also forms a close bond with a NRI hostelite named Anwar (Sananth Reddy), who is in a relationship with Anu (Megha Akash), the daughter of Mangalam (Simran), a pranic healer. Kaali convinces Mangalam to accept her daughter’s relationship with Anwar, and they end up falling in love.
Michael, who lusts for Anu, is angered on hearing of her relationship with Anwar. He attempts to harass them, only to be stopped by Kaali, who ensures the suspension of Michael and his friends, with Anwar recording and sharing the humiliation of Michael and his gang. This video is noticed far away in Uttar Pradesh by a local goon named Jithu (Vijay Sethupathi), the son of a powerful politician called Singaaram alias Singaar Singh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Singaar, on seeing Anwar in the video as well as in a photo with his mother on Facebook, sends his men to Darjeeling to kill Anwar, for hitherto unknown reasons. At the same time, Michael, humiliated at his suspension, sends his men to beat up (but not kill) Kaali. Michael’s plan backfires as he and his men are caught in the fight between Kaali and Singaar’s men. Kaali subdues Singaar’s men, following which Anwar learns about his past.
Anwar is the son of Maalik (M. Sasikumar), who was Kaali’s best friend. It is also revealed that Kaali’s real name is Petta Velan and that he was a well-respected man in his village in Madurai district. 20 years ago, Maalik was in love with Poongodi (Malavika Mohanan), who was impregnated by him out of wedlock. When Petta heard of this, he and his wife Saraswathy alias Saro (Trisha Krishnan) managed to convince Poongodi’s father Rajapandi (J. Mahendran) to get Poongodi married to Maalik, even though Rajapandi and Petta were sworn enemies. Unfortunately, Rajapandi’s two sons, Devaaram and Singaar, vehemently opposed the alliance as well as the transfer of property to Poongodi. They then killed their father. Petta, on hearing about Rajapandi’s murder, killed Devaaram during Rajapandi’s funeral and chased Singaar out of the village. In retribution, Singaar orchestrated a bomb blast during Poongodi’s seemantham, killing Maalik, Saro, and Petta and Saro’s son Chinna. Petta found out that Poongodi was still alive and took her to safety. Poongodi gave birth to a boy, who was none other than Anwar, and both of them left for Australia as refugees to escape from Singaar. On hearing this story, Petta and Anwar, along with Michael’s henchmen (Michael and Petta having settled their differences), leave for Uttar Pradesh to finish off Singaar.
In Uttar Pradesh, Petta and Anwar come into confrontation with Jithu, who is determined to kill them both after he also learned about the animosity between Petta and his father. They manage to escape from him. Later, Petta meets Jithu privately and tells him that he is none other than his son Chinna, who did not die in the bomb blast, but was adopted by Singaar after finding out that he was still alive. When Jithu confronts Singaar regarding his parentage, the latter sends his men to kill Jithu, who is rescued by Petta. Along with Anwar and Michael’s henchmen, Petta and Jithu then barge into Singaar’s mansion and kill him and his henchmen.
Following Singaar’s death, Petta has a surprise in store for Jithu. He reveals that Jithu is not his son and that he really is Singaar’s son. He used him to lead him to Singaar as part of a strategy to kill the latter. He further adds that Chinna had died in the bomb blast 20 years ago and that the men sent to kill Jithu were his own and not Singaar’s. He then tells Jithu that whether he should kill him or leave him alive, but with the risk of him rebelling against Petta in the future, just like his father. After some time, as Petta points the gun at Jithu, the screen turns black and a gunshot is heard.
Directed by Karthik Subbaraj
Produced by Kalanithi Maran
Written by Karthik Subbaraj
Starring Rajinikanth, Vijay Sethupathi, Simran, Trisha Krishnan, M. Sasikumar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bobby Simha, Sananth Reddy, Megha Akash, Malavika Mohanan
Music by Anirudh Ravichander
Cinematography Tirru
Edited by Vivek Harshan
Production Sun Pictures
Distributed by Sun Pictures
Release date 10 January 2019
Running time 172 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
