Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (Eng : Full Moon Kabadi Crew) is a 2009 Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by newcomer Susindran, starring debutant Vishnu Vishal, Kishore and Saranya Mohan along with numerous other newcomers in the lead roles. It was later remade in Telugu as Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu in the year 2010 with Nani and Saranya Mohan in the lead. And remade in Hindi as Badlapur Boys in the year 2014 with Nishan and Saranya Mohan in the lead.
The story unfolds in a remote village near Palani called Kanakkanpatti with a poor goat-herd, Marimuthu as its protagonist who lost education as his father died @ his age of 13, he also plays kabbadi very well. Marimuthu along with his childhood friends Ayyappan (Vairavan), Sekar (Nithish), Murthy (Sundar), Appu Kutty (Appu Kutty), Suri (Parota Suri) and Pandi (Pandi) are kabbadi players who dream of winning a local tournament.
Sekar is a rich short tempered rice mill owner and always captain of the team. Appu Kutty is a short, tea shop owner who often gets a heavy scolding from his old mother-in-law. Suri is a very newly wed man who has only 3 hobbies: eating thrice as normal man, kabbadi, making love. Pandi is a big fat local stores owner who is a son of an ex-army man. Marimuthu, who lost his father when he was young, works in a farm and can stay in his house only during holiday. Their kabbadi team, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (Full Moon Kabbadi Team), is infamous for never winning a match in their history. In a sub-plot, Marimuthu meets and flirts with an unnamed beautiful young lady who comes visiting to his village’s annual festival. They organize a friendly kabbadi match with the neighbouring village team for the festival and (Souada muthu, coach of the state’s best kabbadi team is the chief guest) in which an outbreak in the game occurs. Then they go to Madurai for a non-detail known match where Saouda Muthu is one of the chief conductors and a coach. He tells it is a state-level pre-qualified tournament in which no local teams may participate. As they prepare to leave, they learn that suddenly their district team has forfeited and hence they join unopposed as Dindigul district team.
Saouda Muthu wants to give a rookie substitute of his team (the paper mills team, which has won last 2 seasons) into playing 7, but the rest of the team rebel and expel Souda mathu from coaching them. Then Saouda Muthu separates from his state winning team and starts coaching the Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu. The team progresses through the tournament into the final despite the myriad hurdles and disadvantages, with the help of their coach who gives them very hard coaching. In the Semi-Finals, the opposite team try to injure marimuthu and win the game. They succeed in dislocating his collar bone and Marimuthu is hospitalised. the rest of team ensure that they win by a very huge margin, including a brutal offence attack. Though the collar bone is relocated, Marimuthu must remain in the hospital for the night.
The finals between Vennila and Paper mills causes high anticipations as one is the defending champion and other is an unknown rookie. The betting bookie fears that vennila might win. hence they poison the mind of Sekar stating that Railways will choose one player from each finalists and he must prevent Marimuthu from playing in finals to get the job for himself. Sekar attempts to do so minutes before the finals, but the coach and team turn on him and he is expelled before the match. The whole of the village has come to watch their match, except mari’s mother. In the final, Vennilla struggles initially but manages to fight back into contention in the second half. As the game ends in a tie, players from each team go up individually against each other as a tie-breaker. Both teams score equal points and only one upon each side remain. Marimuthu is to be the defence, when the opposite raider has the last raid. the raider attempts to touch him by kicking lightly on his chest and come back. but mari comes forward and holds his leg, the both fall down and the raider is prevented from touching the line within the time period. Hence Marimuthu wins the game for Vennilla and they become the first rookie state champions.
The scene changes to several months later when the unnamed young lady returns to the village festival where she met Marimuthu the previous year. But he is to be found no where. It is revealed later that, Marimuthu died as his heart stopped due to sudden shock he received when the opposite player kicked in his chest and both fell down. However, his friends, despite noticing her search for him, decide not to reveal to her Marimuthu’s demise to spare her the anguish. The movie ends ambiguously, with the unnamed lady leaving the village without knowing Marimuthu’s fate.
Directed by Susindran
Produced by K. Anand Chakravarthy
Written by Susindran & Bhaskar Sakthi (dialogue)
Starring Vishnu Vishal, Kishore, Saranya Mohan, Srithika
Music by V. Selvaganesh
Cinematography J. Laxman Kumar
Edited by Kasi Viswanathan
Production Imagine Creations
Release dates 29 January 2009
Running time 145 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
