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18 Vayasu
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 | This article's plot summary needs to be improved. (September 2025) |
| 18 Vayasu | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | R. Panneerselvam |
| Written by | R. Panneerselvam |
| Produced by | S. S. Chakravarthy |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Shakthi |
| Edited by | Anthony Gonsalves |
| Music by |
|
Production company | Nic Arts |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
18 Vayasu (transl. 18 years old) is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language romantic psychological thriller film written and directed by R. Panneerselvam and produced by S. S. Chakravarthy. The film stars Chakravarthy's son Johnny and Gayathrie in her debut. It revolves around a man who develops a mental disorder of being animalistic due to childhood trauma. The film was released on 24 August 2012.
Plot
[edit]Karthik develops a mental disorder after seeing his father commit suicide. He displays animalistic behaviour whenever he is anxious. As he grows up, he meets Gayathri, an orphan. Gayathri is constantly harassed by her caretaker, whereas, Karthik is ill-treated by his mother. This is due to her life with her paramour, which affects him a lot. One day, Karthik kills his mother. Gayathri is shocked and decides to end the relationship with Karthik, who runs away, fearing the law. Whether Karthik succeeds in winning back Gayathri's love is what the rest of the film is about.
Cast
[edit]- Johnny as Karthik
- Gayathrie as Gayathri
- Rohini as Dr. Suchithra
- Sathyendra as Jocky
- Yuvarani as Karthik's Mother
- Mohammed Fazil as Karthik's friend
- J. Senthil Kumar as Police officer
- Sevazhai as Police officer
- Dr. Suri as Karthik's mother's paramour
- Krishna Davinci as Dr. Suchitra's husband
- Gnanavel as Gayathri's caretaker
Production
[edit]The film was shot in Chennai, Madurai, Theni and Tiruchengode.[1] It became the film debut of Gayathrie after her first completed project Yen Ippadi Mayakkinai failed to release.[2]
Soundtrack
[edit]The music was composed by Sri Lankan musicians Charles Bosco and Dinesh Kanagaratnam,[3][4] in their debut at composing for an Indian Tamil film.[5] Karthik of Milliblog wrote, "Dinesh and Charles Bosco’s music starts off fairly well, but goes terribly haywire and leaves the soundtrack in lurch".[6]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Entha Ulagil" | Na. Muthukumar | Naresh Iyer | |
| 2. | "Aanum Illa" | Yugabharathi | Chitti | |
| 3. | "Enakkenave Nee" | Yugabharathi | Haricharan | |
| 4. | "Unnai Ondru" | Na. Muthukumar | Sriram Parthasarathy | |
| 5. | "Theme Music" | Dinesh | Dinesh | |
| 6. | "Podi Pennae" | Yugabharathi | Benny Dayal |
Release
[edit]18 Vayasu was initially scheduled to release on 28 July 2012,[7] but ultimately released almost a month later, on 24 August.[8]
Critical reception
[edit]Vivek Ramz of In.com wrote, "Even though Director Paneer Selvam has a new premise, he lets it go loose with lot of loopholes in the script. He has tried to make the offbeat theme into a mainstream one and failed miserably in doing the same."[9] K.R. Manigandan of The Hindu wrote that Johnny was unconvicing because his character was not well etched, but praised Gayathrie's performance and the cinematography, concluding, "18 Vayasu is a film that could have been a lot better, had the script been taut".[10] Malini Mannath from The New Indian Express wrote, "18 Vayasu does make the effort. But it falls short of Renigunta, which had a far more coherent screenplay and a more gripping narrative".[11] The Times of India wrote, "A tighter editing could have made 18 Vayasu, more thrilling to watch. Panneerselvam also could have etched out the supporting cast better".[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Lakshmi, V (22 November 2011). "Panneerselvam's 18 Vayasu full of animal instinct!". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ S, Venkadesan (27 September 2012). "Gayathri is going great guns in Kollywood". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "18 VAYASU – Charles Bosco Tamil Audio Cd". Audio CDs World. Archived from the original on 12 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "18 Vayasu – EP". Apple Music. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Sri Lankan music directors to debut in Kollywood". The New Indian Express. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Karthik (28 November 2011). "18 Vayasu (Music review), Tamil – Dinesh & Charles Bosco". Milliblog. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "18 Vayasu to release on July 28". India Today. 20 July 2012. Archived from the original on 12 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ "Friday Fury — August 24". Sify. 24 August 2012. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ Ramz, Vivek (26 August 2012). "Give 18 Vayasu a miss". In.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ^ Manigandan, K. R. (25 August 2012). "18 Vayasu – Missing the mark". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ Mannath, Malini (27 August 2012). "'18 Vayasu' (Tamil)". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 11 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ "18 Vayasu Movie Review {3/5}: Critic Review of 18 Vayasu by Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
External links
[edit]
18 Vayasu
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Synopsis and characters
Plot summary
Karthik, an 18-year-old youth, suffers from a severe psychological disorder stemming from his childhood trauma of witnessing his father's suicide.[4] This condition causes him to mimic the behavior of the first animal he encounters whenever he becomes depressed or anxious, leading to animalistic outbursts that isolate him further.[5] Abused and neglected by his mother and her paramour, Karthik lives in constant emotional turmoil, exacerbated by his mother's infidelity that contributed to his father's despair.[4] Karthik's life intersects with Gayathri, a young orphan enduring harassment from her caretaker in the same neighborhood.[6] Drawn to her vulnerability, Karthik protects her from abuse, fostering an initial romantic bond that provides him momentary stability and affection, contrasting his otherwise loveless existence.[4] Their connection deepens as Gayathri becomes a source of hope for Karthik, helping him briefly manage his disorder through emotional support. The relationship unravels when Karthik, in a rage triggered by his mother's ongoing abuse, kills her and flees to evade the police.[6] Shocked by his violent act, Gayathri breaks off their romance and distances herself, leaving Karthik in deeper psychological distress.[4] Desperate to reconcile, Karthik, aided by an eccentric friend named Jocky and psychiatrist Dr. Suchitra, embarks on a perilous journey to win Gayathri back, during which his animal mimicry—manifesting as traits of dogs, snakes, bulls, and other creatures—influences critical decisions and aids his escapes from pursuing authorities.[7] In the climax, Karthik confronts the consequences of his actions in a chaotic bull fight and a brutal showdown with the police, where his disorder both hinders and empowers him.[7] Through Dr. Suchitra's intervention and his persistent efforts, Karthik achieves partial redemption by revealing the depths of his trauma to Gayathri, leading to a tentative understanding and the possibility of healing, though the full resolution of his legal and mental struggles remains fraught.[4]Cast
The principal cast of 18 Vayasu is led by newcomers in the central roles, supported by established actors in key positions. Johnny portrays Karthik, the protagonist and a depressed 18-year-old grappling with psychological issues stemming from his troubled upbringing.[5][1] Gayathrie, marking her debut in Tamil cinema, plays Gayathri, Karthik's love interest and an orphaned young woman facing harassment from her caretaker.[8][9] In supporting roles, Rohini appears as Dr. Suchithra, the psychiatrist who aids Karthik in addressing his mental health challenges.[10][11] S. Sathyendra as Jocky, an eccentric friend who aids Karthik during his journey.[10][9][7] Yuvarani depicts Karthik's mother, a central familial influence in his life marked by emotional deprivation.[10][9]Production
Development
18 Vayasu marked the second directorial venture of R. Panneerselvam, following his debut film Renigunta in 2009, where he crafted a screenplay centered on psychological themes of trauma and animalistic behavior. The story revolves around a young man who, due to childhood trauma from his father's suicide, develops a mental disorder manifesting as imitative animal instincts when distressed, such as panting like a dog or charging like a bull in eight key sequences. Panneerselvam drew from unexplored concepts in Tamil cinema to portray this character's emotional expressions through primal actions, aiming to blend psychological depth with narrative intrigue.[12] The scriptwriting process began around 2010-2011, with Panneerselvam emphasizing a romantic thriller framework over outright horror to highlight the protagonist's love story amid his instability. Producer S. S. Chakravarthy, under the Nic Arts banner, backed the project, announcing it on November 22, 2011, as a continuation of their collaboration from Renigunta. Chakravarthy's involvement included casting his son Johnny in the lead role, selecting the newcomer early to anchor the film's intense psychological portrayal.[12]Filming
Principal photography for 18 Vayasu spanned several months and was nearing completion by May 2011, as announced by director R. Panneerselvam.[13] The film was shot across multiple locations in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai for urban sequences, Madurai and Theni for rural and forest settings that underscored the story's psychological thriller elements, and Tiruchengode for key dramatic scenes.[14] Cinematographer Shakthi captured the visuals, employing techniques suited to the narrative's intense atmosphere. During the shoot, lead actor Johnny navigated demanding sequences depicting his character's animal-like behaviors, including eight distinct instances of mimicry, which he described as challenging yet supported by his strong collaboration with Panneerselvam. The production's climax, requiring Johnny to emulate a bull and perform action sequences against stunt performers, was filmed close to the August 2012 release.[13][14][15] In post-production, editor Anthony Gonsalves refined the material, though subsequent reviews highlighted opportunities for tighter pacing to heighten the thriller's tension.[2]Soundtrack
Track listing
The soundtrack album for 18 Vayasu was released on December 14, 2011, and consists of six tracks composed by Charles Bosco and Dinesh Kanagaratnam.[16]| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Lyricist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Vayasu Theme Music" | Dinesh | Instrumental | 2:28 |
| 2 | "Aanum Illa" | Chitty | Yugabharathi | 3:53 |
| 3 | "Enakkenave Nee" | Haricharan | Yugabharathi | 5:31 |
| 4 | "Entha Ulagil" | Naresh Iyer | Na. Muthukumar | 5:53 |
| 5 | "Podi Podi Pennae" | Benny Dayal | Yugabharathi | 4:10 |
| 6 | "Unnai Ondru" | Sriram Parthasarathy, Sudha Ragunathan | Na. Muthukumar | 5:55 |