Tik Tik Tik is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language science fiction thriller film written and directed by Shakti Soundar Rajan. It has been promoted as India’s first space film. It features Jayam Ravi, Nivetha Pethuraj, and Aaron Aziz in the lead roles. The film is inspired by Armageddon, directed by Michael Bay. The film was released on 22 june 2018.
An asteroid strikes the Ennore neighborhood of Chennai. Astronauts predict that another asteroid will hit India within six days. The ISRO decides to send Vasu (Jayam Ravi), a trained magician and escape artist, along with his team and a team of scientists to get ahold of a missile in a space center, which they plan to use to destroy the asteroid. The military also catches Venkat (Ramesh Thilak) and Appu (Arjunan), two of Vasu’s friends. Vasu, Venkat, and Appu are alerted about the asteroid, and they have to steal a nuclear missile from a Chinese space station. The mission is disguised as a satellite maintenance project. Vasu meets Swathi (Nivetha Pethuraj) and Raguram (Vincent Asokan), two army officials who are going on the mission with them. Vasu, Swathi, Venkat, Appu, and Raguram go on the space shuttle Dhruva-1. Just before launch, Vasu’s speech channel is directed to an unknown voice, which tells Vasu that he has kidnapped his son Ravi (Aarav Ravi), who will die unless Vasu gives the missile to him, and Vasu agrees. While in flight, Vasu goes unconscious, and Swathi and Venkat take him to the sick bay. There, Vasu wakes up and goes into the wire chamber to cut the wire that controls the liquid hydrogen fuel tank. Vasu actually faked going unconscious due to directions from the unknown voice. Vasu cuts the wire, and the fuel tank loses much of its fuel.
Dhruva-1 crash-lands on the moon, where Vasu becomes the first Indian man to step on the moon. Swathi and Raguram are investigating the problem when Vasu suggests they request fuel from the target space station. The space station astronauts agree to refuel them. However, once Vasu, Swathi, Raguram, Venkat, and Appu go on the space station after Dhruva-1 is done docking, they are arrested. Lee Wei (Aaron Aziz), the captain of the space station, tells them that he knows about the asteroid and that they want to get his missile. He refuses to give it, saying that they want the asteroid to strike so that China, Lee’s native country, can gain more power by signing contracts to rebuild southern India and Sri Lanka. Lee tells his soldiers to release Vasu and the rest of the crew when the asteroid bypasses the safety line. If it bypasses, then there is no chance of diverting it.
Meanwhile, Ritika (Rethika Srinivas), a high-ranking official managing the mission, discovers photos of Vasu cutting the wires and suspects that someone managing the mission caused him to do that. Chief Mahendran (Jayaprakash) is revealed to be the unknown voice. Back at the space station, Vasu attempts to fight against the soldiers before being handcuffed. The soldiers take the briefcase he is holding and keep it aside. Venkat, who was hiding in the briefcase, comes out and inserts a USB drive into the space station’s computer system. He and Vasu work on downloading a bug into the space station via the USB drive. They and the other crew members learn that Lee’s fingerprint and iris are required to unlock the cell that hides the missile. Vasu is able to obtain Lee’s fingerprint and iris scans and unlock the cell. Vasu tells Lee that the missile is in Dhruva-1 and then tells Swathi to tell Lee that the missile is aimed at China. It is revealed that Vasu used a magic trick to make it look as if it was gone. He proceeds to steal the missile, sounding the alarm and alerting Lee and his soldiers. Swathi, Raguram, Appu, and Venkat escape to Dhruva-1. Vasu steals the missile and escapes to Dhruva-1 with a low oxygen tank. The crew settles down and proceeds to fly to the asteroid. On the way, another space shuttle, Dhruva-2, will refuel Dhruva-1. Vasu gives the missile to Dhruva-2.
Back on Earth, Mahendran lets Ravi go. Dhruva-1 then proceeds to the asteroid. Once they get close to the asteroid, Swathi and Raguram notice that the missile is missing. Everyone gets worried, and many mission officials fear that their families will die in the asteroid strike. It is revealed that Vasu discussed the unknown voice with the other crew members, and they formulated a plan. The “missile” given to Dhruva-2 was fake. They proceed to shoot the authentic missile at the asteroid, which destroys the asteroid and saves the world from a catastrophe. At the mission control center, Ritika finds out that Mahendran was threatening to kill Ravi unless he got the missile but is killed by Mahendran. In space, a chunk of the asteroid damages Dhruva-1’s left wing, forcing the crew to go in a pod. The pod lands in a river, and on the banks are the mission control officials who cheer for their victory, along with Ravi and his grandfather. Vasu and Ravi meet again, and Ravi tells Vasu to look in his pocket. Vasu takes out a piece of jewelry that was Mahendran’s, and learned that Mahendran kidnapped Ravi.
The film fast-forwards to an awards ceremony. When Vasu gets his award, he gives the piece of jewelry back and whispers to Mahendran, “After all, he’s my son.” Vasu walks away with Appu and Venkat while Mahendran commits suicide offscreen.
Directed by Shakti Soundar Rajan
Produced by Nemichand Jhabak
Written by Shakti Soundar Rajan
Starring Jayam Ravi, Nivetha Pethuraj, Aaron Aziz, Ramesh Thilak, Arjunan
Music by D. Imman
Cinematography S. Venkatesh
Edited by Pradeep E Ragav
Production Nemichand Jhabak
Release date June 22, 2018
Running time 131 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
