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Dhayam
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Dhayam
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKannan Rangaswamy
Written byKannan Rangaswamy
Produced byA. R. S. Sunder
Starring
CinematographyA. Packiaraj
Edited byR. Sudharsan
Music bySathish Selvam
Production
company
Distributed byCosmo Village
Release date
  • 24 March 2017 (2017-03-24)
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Dhayam (transl. Dice) is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language mystery thriller film written and directed by Kannan Rangaswamy and produced by A. R. S. Sunder. Entirely shot inside a single room, the film stars Santhosh Prathap, Jayakumar, Aanchal Singh, Samaira Sandhu and Iraa Agarwal among others in leading roles. Featuring music composed by Sathish Selvam, cinematography by A. Packiaraj and editing by R. Sudharsan, the film had a theatrical release on 24 March 2017.[1][2]

Plot

[edit]

Eight people enter a room in a company for an interview for the post of CEO. The room has no windows, the walls are white, and there is a clock attached to one side. There are five men and three women. The men include one smart guy in white, one villain in full black, one coward who always bites his nails, one clairvoyant who always laughs like a fool, and one tall guy who wears a mask. The women include one lady in a saree, one in an office skirt and suit, and one in jeans and a shirt. The company representative enters the hall and addresses the fact that the former CEO committed suicide in the same room and is roaming as a ghost. The interview is simple: whoever among the eight candidates remains alive and sane after one hour will become the CEO. The timer begins.[3]

The villain makes fun of everyone and forces the tall guy to remove the mask, but he refuses. After 10 minutes, the lights suddenly go off. When they are back on, the tall guy is shown being hanged from the roof. They believe that the ghost kills people every 10 minutes, and they must work together to stay alive. The clairvoyant suddenly begins to laugh hysterically and reveals that he can see ghosts and laughs whenever he sees one. After another 10 minutes, the clairvoyant is killed with a cut, and then the coward dies. People suspect the villain, and the smart guy knocks him off. Now, the ladies and the smart guy remain.

Suddenly, the villain wakes up and reveals that he is a clone of the smart guy and his lookalike. The smart guy kills him with a gun obtained from a hole in the wall. Then, the villain becomes conscious and reveals that he is the assistant of the lady in the suit and they have come to the interview together. She orders him to kill the other two ladies. The evil guy kills the girl in jeans, and the smart guy kills the lady in the suit and the villain. Now, only the saree lady and the smart guy remain. It is then revealed that they are a couple, and he decides to kill himself to make her the CEO, but she stabs herself and dies. Finally, the hero decides to kill himself, but the timer runs out. One hour is over, and the door is opened.

The smart guy is then made to sit in a chair opposite to a man who is a doctor, and it is finally revealed that the smart guy is Ashwin, who is none other than the CEO of the company. He did not die and is instead suffering from multiple personality disorder. The remaining seven characters were his mere imagination. This treatment was done to make him kill all his personalities and cure him. He finally manages to kill them all and is now cured. The company representative who first came at the beginning of the interview comes and talks to Ashwin. He feels happy that Ashwin is safe now and tells him that he has eight personalities. Ashwin is shocked and tells him that he had only seven. The representative reveals that he had eight personalities, and the eighth one was that of a doctor. It is then revealed that Ashwin managed to kill only seven characters, and the doctor character has taken over him completely, thus making him still suffer from MPD. The movie ends with a laugh from Ashwin.

Cast

[edit]
  • Santhosh Prathap as Ashwin Augustin
  • Jayakumar as Company Representative
  • Jeeva Ravi as Personality Doctor
  • Shyam Krishnan
  • Kadhal Kannan as Coward
  • Iraa Agarwal as Ashwin Augustin's wife
  • Ajay Raj as Clairvoyant
  • Samaira Sandhu as Lover
  • Aanchal Singh as Girlfriend
  • Jayadev
  • Subhash Selvam
  • Sandeep
  • Arul
  • Sahana
  • Yogaraj Sekar

Production

[edit]

The makers of Dhayam stated that it would be the first Indian film to be shot inside a single room from the start to the end, and that it about would be about eight people and an interview that changes their lives.[4] The film's director, Kannan Rangaswamy, revealed that he had challenged himself to write a screenplay that happens inside a room, without making it seem like a stage play or television drama. While writing, he noted that he had to ensure that he had to keep the screenplay "tight" in order to engage viewers and that he worked extensively on the set-up of the single room.[5] Technicians including editor R. Sudharsan, and cinematographer A. Packiaraj, an erstwhile assistant to Nirav Shah during the making of Billa (2007) and Sarvam (2009), was signed on to work in the project that was produced by Sundar.

Santhosh Prathap was signed on to play the lead actor, Shyam Krishnan signed to play the villain role, with other actors including Jeeva Ravi, Jayakumar and Kadhal Kannan also joining the cast. Model Iraa Agarwal was signed on to play one of the leading roles after Kannan had been impressed with her portfolio, and had successfully convinced her to make her acting debut through the project.[6] Aanchal Singh, who earlier appeared in the horror film Jackson Durai (2016), was signed as another leading female actress. Another model Samaira Sandhu also made her acting debut as one of the female leads with the film and completed shooting for her scenes in fifteen days, along with the other seven actors, by October 2015.[7] The film's release was delayed for over a year as post-production work took place throughout 2016 and early 2017, with composer Sathish Selvam recording the background score with the assistance of a sixty-piece orchestra in Macedonia.[8][9][10]

Soundtrack

[edit]
Dhayam
Soundtrack album by
Sathish Selvam
Released19 December 2016 (2016-12-19)
Recorded2016
GenreFeature film soundtrack
LabelLahari Music
T-Series

The film's soundtrack was composed by debutant Sathish Selvam, and released on 19 December 2016 through the Super Cassettes Industries label.[11]

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Bad Boy"Emcee Jesz2:15
2."Kolai Ondrey"Shakthisree Gopalan4:21
3."Lava Nenjukkul"Alphonse Joseph3:13
4."Nee Yaaro"Nikhita Gandhi2:57
5."Kolai Ondrey" (karaoke)—4:21
6."Nee Yaaro" (karaoke)—2:57
7."Theme Dark"—1:41

Reception

[edit]

Malini Mannath of The New Indian Express compared it to the psychological thrillers Identity, Exam, Cube, and The Island, saying that Dhayam is "for hardcore lovers of the genre". Criticising the early parts of the film, Mannath said it is difficult to connect to, but it eventually generates interest as the plot makes more sense.[12] The Times of India gave the film a mixed review, stating, "In Dhayam, the director has a concept that could prove a challenge even for an experienced director, but his lack of experience turns this into a clumsy effort that tests our patience". The critic added, "even if you can overlook the amateurishness performances, which would be deemed passable only in a school play, the inept blocking of actors and the staging of the scenes — crucial in a chamber piece like this one — stop the film from finding the tone that such a film needs".[13] Indiaglitz.com's reviewer cited "go for it if you fancy a few thrilling moments and do not care too much about acting expertise, befuddling genre jumps and lip sync issues".[14]

In October 2017, the director Kannan Rangaswamy died following a heart attack at the age of 29, making Dhayam his only film as a director.[15]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Dhayam

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Dhayam is a Indian Tamil-language mystery directed by Rangaswamy in his directorial debut. The film was produced by A. R. S. Sunder under the banner of Future Film Factory International and features a single-room setting centered on eight job candidates vying for the position of CEO at a major corporation. It stars as the protagonist Ashwin, alongside Shyam Krishnan, Iraa Agarwal (also credited as Aira Agarval), Anchal Singh, and supporting actors including and . The plot unfolds entirely within a confined conference room, where the candidates are locked in and informed that only one will emerge as the new CEO after a high-stakes elimination process lasting one hour. As tensions rise, revelations about their personal ambitions, secrets, and moral dilemmas surface, blending elements of psychological suspense and corporate intrigue to explore themes of ambition, identity, and survival. The screenplay, also penned by Rangaswamy, draws inspiration from confined-space thrillers, emphasizing character-driven drama over action. Music for the film was composed by Selvam, with handled by A. Packiaraj, contributing to its claustrophobic atmosphere. Released theatrically on March 24, , Dhayam received mixed s from critics, who praised its innovative single-location concept and tense pacing but criticized inconsistencies in the script and uneven performances. The film holds an average rating of 4.7 out of 10 on based on user votes and has since become available for streaming on platforms like Prime Video and Tentkotta. Despite its modest budget and limited commercial success, Dhayam stands out in for its attempt to revive the genre with a focus on intellectual confrontations rather than spectacle.

Plot and cast

Synopsis

Dhayam centers on eight candidates shortlisted for the CEO position at a prominent , who are confined to a single for an intense one-hour interview conducted by a company representative. The , revealed to be the site of the previous CEO's , serves as the stage for a deadly sanity test: the candidates must confront their deepest secrets and eliminate one another through until only one survivor claims the job. As the session begins, the candidates introduce themselves—a mix of professionals including a nervous individual, a self-proclaimed clairvoyant, a sadistic figure, and Ashwin Augustin (played by )—but escalating takes hold as revelations of hidden motives and interpersonal connections surface, leading to accusations, betrayals, and apparent deaths within the group. The plot builds to a shocking twist disclosing that the entire ordeal is a born from Ashwin's , with the other candidates representing his fractured personas, including a clone-like alter and figures tied to his personal life such as his wife and lover. In the climax, Ashwin's personalities violently clash, culminating in the "doctor" persona assuming dominance, exposing the interview as an internal psychological battle rather than a real corporate trial.

Cast

The principal cast of Dhayam is anchored by Santhosh Prathap in the lead role as Ashwin Augustin, the central protagonist navigating the high-stakes interview scenario. Supporting roles flesh out Ashwin's personal life and the professional intrigue, with Iraa Agarwal portraying his wife, Samaira Sandhu as his lover, and Aanchal Singh as his girlfriend. Jayakumar plays the Company Representative, depicted as an enigmatic authority figure guiding the selection process, while Jeeva Ravi embodies the Personality Doctor, providing clinical insight into the candidates' psyches. The film's ensemble dynamic is driven by the eight interviewees, portrayed by actors including Shyam Krishnan as the villainous contender, Kadhal Kannan as the cowardly participant, Ajay Raj as the clairvoyant figure, and others, each bringing distinct traits and hidden secrets that heighten the interpersonal tensions during the confined interview.
ActorRoleCharacter Description
Santhosh PrathapAshwin AugustinThe and key candidate in the CEO interview, central to the ensemble's conflicts.
Iraa AgarwalAshwin's wifeRepresents Ashwin's familial ties, adding emotional layers to his .
Samaira SandhuAshwin's loverEmbodies a romantic entanglement that influences Ashwin's motivations.
Aanchal SinghAshwin's girlfriendContributes to the complexity of Ashwin's personal relationships.
JayakumarCompany RepresentativeAn authoritative overseer of the interview, enigmatic in his directives.
Jeeva Ravi DoctorA diagnostic expert assessing the candidates' mental states.
Shyam KrishnanVillain (interviewee)A antagonistic personality among the eight candidates, fueling rivalries.
Kadhal Coward (interviewee)A timid figure whose vulnerabilities expose .
Clairvoyant (interviewee)Brings mystical insight to the ensemble's secrets and interactions.

Production

Development

Dhayam represents the directorial and screenwriting debut of Kannan Rangaswamy, who conceived the project as a contained mystery thriller centered on an intense interview scenario unfolding entirely within a single room. Rangaswamy drew inspiration from psychological thrillers featuring survival stories driven by interpersonal dynamics and confined settings, aiming to generate suspense through dialogue and psychological tension rather than expansive action. The film was produced by A. R. S. Sunder and co-produced by P. Thiru under the banner of Future Film Factory International, with the single-location format adopted from the outset to align with the modest budget and emphasize narrative economy. , which occurred prior to commencing in early , focused on meticulously planning the one-room environment to sustain viewer engagement without relying on location changes or elaborate sets. Key challenges during development included crafting a racy that avoided the pitfalls of stage-like repetition in the , while limiting the to eight actors—including lead —to control costs and heighten the focus on character interactions. The script's completion predated the 2016 shoot, allowing time for refinements that incorporated symbolic elements like the dice game "Dhayam" to underscore themes of fate and unpredictability.

Filming

Principal photography for Dhayam took place entirely within a single confined , a deliberate choice to intensify the film's claustrophobic atmosphere and thriller tension through minimal sets and practical effects. This single-location approach presented logistical challenges, requiring meticulous planning to sustain audience engagement without varying environments, while relying on varied and a tightly structured to avoid monotony. The shoot was completed in 15 days in 2016, capitalizing on the low-budget production to produce raw, unpolished visuals that aligned with the film's intimate, suspenseful style. Cinematographer A. Packiaraj handled the visuals, employing unique camera angles to navigate the limited space effectively. was overseen by R. Sudharsan, who focused on pacing to build and maintain throughout the 105-minute runtime. Post-production extended into early 2017, contributing to a delay that shifted the planned November 2016 release to March 2017; efforts amplified tension in the dialogue-heavy sequences, enhancing the overall auditory without elaborate effects. The low-budget constraints further influenced a straightforward process, prioritizing essential technical refinements over extensive enhancements.

Music

Soundtrack composition

The soundtrack for Dhayam, a , was composed by debutant Sathish Selvam, who crafted a tense and atmospheric score to heighten the film's sense of unease and shifting moods. Selvam's approach emphasized the score's role as an integral "character" in the narrative, particularly suited to the single-room setting where tension builds through confined interactions. The composition incorporated diverse elements, including spooky and horror-infused tracks alongside and melodic segments, to mirror the thriller's psychological depth without relying on overt songs. The development process began in 2016, with Selvam composing four songs and the background score early in production to influence decisions and enhance the film's pacing. For the background score, he recorded with a 60-piece in Macedonia, addressing the challenges of scoring a debut thriller where the mood shifts dramatically every 10 minutes. Sound mixing was handled across locations including , , and Macedonia, ensuring a layered auditory experience that underscored subtle motifs for character dynamics and interview sequences. This integration allowed the music to guide the film's rhythm, particularly in syncing with the one-room scenes' claustrophobic intensity. The was released on 19 December 2016 by T-Series, ahead of the film's theatrical debut, to generate anticipation for its ful . Selvam drew on the demands of thrillers, focusing on custom themes that amplified psychological tension through minimalistic builds rather than bombastic arrangements, collaborating with vocalists like for evocative performances.

Track listing

The soundtrack album for Dhayam, composed by Sathish Selvam, features four original songs along with two versions and an theme track, totaling seven tracks with an approximate runtime of 22 minutes. It was released digitally in Tamil on 8 September 2016 through platforms including , , and , with physical formats available via .
No.TitleSinger(s)LyricistLength
1Bad BoyEmcee JeszEmcee Jesz2:15
2Kolai OndreyMuthamil4:21
3Lava NenjukkulAlphons JosephArunraja3:13
4Nee YaroMuthamil2:57
5Kolai Ondrey (Karaoke)–4:21
6Nee Yaro (Karaoke)–2:57
7Theme DarkSathish Selvam–1:41
All tracks were produced under Lahari Recording Company, with lyrics contributed by Emcee Jesz, Muthamil, and Arunraja.

Release and reception

Distribution

Dhayam premiered theatrically on 24 March 2017 in theaters across . The film was distributed by Future Film Factory International, a production banner founded in 2015 that handled both production and distribution for this independent project, resulting in a limited rollout on select screens. Promotion efforts centered on the film's aspects and its confined single-room narrative. A teaser was released in September 2016, followed by the official trailer in December 2016, both emphasizing and high-stakes tension among the characters. An audio launch event took place on 29 December 2016 to build anticipation ahead of the release. Post-theatrical availability focused on digital platforms, with the film becoming accessible for streaming on services like Tentkotta, , Tubi, Fawesome, and starting in 2017. It did not secure major international theatrical distribution, remaining primarily targeted at Tamil-speaking audiences.

Critical response

Dhayam received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its innovative psychological concept and climactic twist while critiquing the amateurish acting, uneven pacing, and overall execution flaws. On , the film holds an average rating of 4.8 out of 10, based on 120 user votes (as of November 2025), reflecting divided audience opinions on its suspenseful premise versus technical shortcomings. The New Indian Express described Dhayam as a "psychological-suspense thriller for hard core lovers of the genre," commending the taut that weaves horror, mystery, and within a 104-minute runtime, particularly highlighting the single- setup's effectiveness through varying camera angles that avoid . However, the review noted challenges in early engagement due to disjointed pacing and the use of lesser-known actors, with lead standing out only in later segments. awarded it 1.5 out of 5 stars, faulting director Rangaswamy's inexperience for turning an ambitious concept—eight candidates trapped in a tricky competing for a CEO position—into a "clumsy effort that tests our patience," with laughably poor twist execution, inept staging, and performances suitable only for a school play. Critics frequently lauded the film's strengths in its confined single-room environment and the reveal involving a clone and identity , which built tension through and psychological intrigue, evoking comparisons to international thrillers like and . Weaknesses centered on underdeveloped characters lacking emotional depth, rough production values that undermined suspense, and a pacing that faltered in the first half before gaining momentum. In the aftermath of its release, director Kannan Rangaswamy died on October 29, 2017, from a heart attack at the age of 29, just seven months after the film's debut, leading to widespread tributes in Tamil media for his bold vision in crafting a debut single-room thriller. The film garnered no major awards or nominations and did not inspire remakes or significant follow-up projects.

References

  1. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dhayam
  2. https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2017/Mar/24/dhayam-a-psychological-suspense-thriller-for-hard-core-lovers-of-the-genre-1585362.html
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJV13O2XOg
  4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6764780/
  5. https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/dhayam.html
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RK5z1GdZBM
  7. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6764780/fullcredits/
  8. https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/dhayam
  9. https://www.kollywoodmix.com/archives/3829
  10. https://inreviewonline.com/2019/05/01/dhayam/
  11. https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Dhayam/0PZZOOMYNNOFJK6OOEVN8204QR
  12. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dhayam/cast-and-crew
  13. https://www.filmibeat.com/tamil/movies/dhayam/cast-crew.html
  14. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/this-story-takes-place-inside-a-room/articleshow/53910450.cms
  15. https://www.searchtamilmovie.com/2016/09/debutante-kannan-rangaswamys-dhayam.html
  16. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/090916/dhayam-the-first-tamil-film-to-be-shot-in-one-room.html
  17. https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2016/Dec/17/here-is-a-film-shot-in-a-single-room-1549917.html
  18. https://www.moviefone.com/movie/dhayam/82FB1v2MUNMFHAmnJcnAz3/main/
  19. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6764780/trivia/
  20. https://www.moviebuff.com/dhayam
  21. http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-cinema-news-15/dhayams-composer-satish-selvam-on-the-music-of-his-film.html
  22. https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=430822
  23. https://music.apple.com/gb/album/dhayam-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1188186383
  24. https://music.apple.com/in/album/dhayam-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1844618359
  25. https://open.spotify.com/album/5ZtWABmme5bQvZqFyGuL2W
  26. https://www.masstamilan.dev/dhayam-songs-1
  27. https://tamilsonglyrics.net/movies/dhayam/
  28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNhN7zJvxnY
  29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3h2J0G25WE
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY7ZEBYh6pQ
  31. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/dhayam/movie-review/57807710.cms
  32. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/dhayam-director-kannan-rangaswamy-dies-at-29-4913741/
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