Gemini (2002 film)

Teja is a high-profile gangster in North Madras who often imitates the behaviour characteristics of different animals for sarcastic effect. Accompanied by his gang, he arrives at a magistrates' court for a hearing. His animal antics are mocked at by "Chintai" Jeeva, another accused. Teja and his gang retaliate and kill Jeeva within the court premises. Jeeva was a member of a rival gang headed by Gemini, an aspiring goon from Chintadripet who wants to dethrone Teja and take his place. To avenge Jeeva's death, Gemini hunts down the murderer Pandian while Isaac, one of Gemini's men, kills him. This incident leads to a feud between Gemini and Teja, and a fight for supremacy ensues. Pandian's mother Annamma, a destitute woman, locates the whereabouts of her son's murderers. She approaches Gemini, becomes the gang's cook, and awaits a chance to poison them. Gemini meets and falls in love with a North Indian woman Manisha Natwarlal, a free-spirited college girl. To pursue her, he joins an evening class at her college and she falls in love with him, unaware of his true identity. Two businessmen approach Gemini to evict traders from a market so that a shopping complex can be built in its place. As the market is in his control, Gemini refuses the offer, and the businessmen hire Teja to execute the job. Feigning an altercation with Gemini, his sidekick Kai joins Teja's gang, acts as the inside man, and foils the plan. Teja becomes enraged at being outsmarted by Gemini. Singaperumal, an astute police officer, is promoted to the position of Director General of Police (DGP). Keen on eradicating crime, he arrests both Gemini and Teja, and the arrests are made "off the record" owing to their political influence. Aware of the rivalry between them, Singaperumal puts them in a private cell so they can beat each other to death. While Teja tries to exact revenge for the market issue, Gemini does not fight back but persuades Teja to trick Singaperumal by pleading guilty and requesting a chance to reform. Gemini's trick works, and they are released. Since Gemini was arrested at the college, Manisha discovers his identity and resents him. To regain her attention, Gemini reforms his ways. Though his gang initially disapproves of it, they relent. As Gemini and his gang regret their actions, Annamma reveals her true identity and forgives them. Singaperumal helps Gemini get back into college and reunite with Manisha. Teja returns to his gang and continues his illegal activities. He pesters Gemini to help him in his business. Gemini informs Singaperumal of Teja's activities; Teja is caught smuggling narcotics, is prosecuted, and serves a term in prison. A few months later, Singaperumal is transferred, and a corrupt officer takes his place. The current DGP releases Teja, and together, they urge Gemini to work for them and repay for the losses they incurred, but Gemini refuses. To force him to return to his old ways, Teja persuades Isaac to conspire against Gemini. With Isaac's help, Teja plots and kills Kai. Gemini is infuriated and confronts Teja to settle the issue. During the fight, Gemini beats up Teja and swaps their clothes, leaving Teja bound and gagged. The new DGP arrives and shoots Gemini dead; he later realises that he had actually shot Teja who was in Gemini's clothes. While the DGP grieves over Teja's death, he receives news that he has been transferred to the Sewage Control Board. Gemini lives happily ever after with Manisha. == Cast ==

Development In February 2001, underworld dons "Vellai" Ravi and Chera, who terrorised the city of Madras (now Chennai) in the 1990s, abandoned a life of crime and took up social work. The then-DCP of Flower Bazaar Shakeel Akhter presided over the oath-taking ceremony and welcomed the rehabilitation programme. The director disclosed that it was "a modern day rags to riches story" where the protagonist rises from humble origins to an enviable position. The venture was to be funded by A. Purnachandra Rao of Lakshmi Productions. The film would mark the director's third collaboration with Ajith Kumar in the lead after the success of Kaadhal Mannan (1998) and Amarkkalam (1999). Laila and Richa Pallod, who played the heroine in Saran's Parthen Rasithen (2000) and Alli Arjuna respectively, were to play the female lead roles. While the recording for the film's audio reportedly began on 16 March 2001, the filming was to start in mid-June and continue until August that year, followed by post-production work in September. It was planned to release the film on 14 November 2001 coinciding with Diwali. The pair would, however, reconcile their differences later, and collaborate on Attahasam (2004) and Aasal (2010). Saran rewrote the script based on gang wars in Chennai and began the project again. The film, then untitled, was announced on 24 August 2001 with Vikram to star in the lead role. The production was taken over by M. Saravanan, M. Balasubramaniam, M. S. Guhan and B. Gurunath of AVM Productions. The film was AVM's 162nd production and their first film after a five-year hiatus, their last production being Minsara Kanavu (1997), the release of which marked fifty years since their debut Naam Iruvar (1947). By producing Gemini, AVM became one of the four film studios that had been producing films for over fifty years. While titling the film, producer M. Saravanan chose Gemini among the many titles suggested to him, but because Gemini Studios was the name of a major production house, Saravanan wrote to S. S. Balan, son of Gemini Studios founder S. S. Vasan, requesting permission to use the title. In response, Balan gave his consent. Cast and crew With Vikram cast in the title role, Saran was searching for a newcomer to play the female lead role of a Marwari woman. She is a relative of actress Raveena Tandon, whose manager brought Rathod the offer to act in Gemini. Saran was convinced after seeing a photograph of Rathod and cast her; Gemini thus became her debut Tamil film. Malayalam actors Kalabhavan Mani and Murali were approached to play significant roles. though he had already starred in Vaanchinathan (2001). There have been varying accounts on how he was cast: while Vikram claims to have suggested Mani for the role of Teja, Saran said in one interview that casting Mani was his idea, Thennavan, Vinu Chakravarthy, Ilavarasu, Charle, Dhamu, Ramesh Khanna, Vaiyapuri, Madhan Bob, Thyagu and Manorama form the supporting cast. The technical departments were handled by Saran's regular crew, which consisted of cinematographer A. Venkatesh, editor Suresh Urs, production designer Thota Tharani and costume designers Sai and Nalini Sriram. Filming Gemini was formally launched on 21 November 2001 at the Hotel Connemara, Chennai in the presence of celebrities including Rajinikanth (through video conferencing) and Kamal Haasan. The launch function was marked by the submission of the script, songs and lyrics. but commenced slightly earlier. When Kalabhavan Mani was hesitant in accepting the film due to other commitments in Malayalam, shooting was rescheduled to film his scenes first. Saran persuaded Mani to allot dates for twelve days to complete his scenes. Since Mani was a mimicry artist, Saran asked him to exhibit his talents; Mani aped the behaviour of a few animals and Saran chose among them, which were added to the film. Part of the song sequence was filmed on a sledge in Switzerland, making it the second Indian film to have done so after the Bollywood film Sangam (1964). Though there were problems in acquiring permission, executive producer M. S. Guhan persisted. == Themes and influences ==

The characters of Gemini and Teja were modelled on "Vellai" Ravi and Chera respectivelyTamil-Burma repatriates who settled in Bhaktavatsalam colony (B.V. Colony) in Vyasarpadi, North Madras. They were members of rival gangs headed by Benjamin and Subbhaiah respectively. Their rivalry began when Benjamin, a DYFI member, questioned the illegal activities of Subbhaiah who, apart from running a plastics and iron ore business, held kangaroo courts. When their feud developed into a Christian-Hindu conflict, they recruited jobless men and formed gangs to wage wars against each other. While Subbhaih's nephew Chera became his right-hand man, "Vellai" Ravi became Benjamin's aide. Benjamin and Ravi's gang killed Subbaiah in 1991. A year later, Chera's gang retaliated by killing Benjamin with the help of another gang member, Asaithambi. Another gangster, Kabilan, joined Chera's gang and they killed more than fourteen people to avenge Subbaiah's murder. One of the murders took place inside the Egmore court in early 2000 when Chera's gang killed Ravi's aide Vijayakumar, leading to a police crackdown on the gangsters. Fearing an encounter, both "Vellai" Ravi and Chera decided to give up their lives of crime and reform. The then-DCP of Flower Bazaar, Shakeel Akhter, held the "transition ceremony" in February 2001. "Vellai" Ravi and Chera were re-arrested under Goondas Act during the film's pre-production. When asked about his fascination for "rowdy themes", Saran said: The characters of DGP Singaperumal and "Chintai" Jeeva were based on Shakeel Akhter and Vijayakumar respectively. == Music ==

The soundtrack album and background score were composed by Bharadwaj. Since making his entry into Tamil films with Saran's directorial debut Kaadhal Mannan, he has scored the music for most films directed by Saran. The lyrics were written by poet-lyricist Vairamuthu. The songs were well received by the audience, especially "O Podu". The music received positive reviews from critics. Sify wrote that Bharadwaj's music was the film's only saving grace. and according to V. Paramesh, a dealer of film music for 23 years, sold like "hot cakes". The album sold more than 100,000 cassettes even before the film released despite rampant piracy. It was one of the biggest hits in Bharadwaj's career and earned him his first Filmfare Award. In 2009, Mid-Day wrote, "O podu is still considered the cornerstone of the rambunctious koothu dance". In 2011, The Times of India labelled the song an "evergreen hit number". Following the internet phenomenon of "Why This Kolaveri Di" in 2011, "O Podu" was featured alongside "Appadi Podu", "Naaka Mukka" and "Ringa Ringa" in a small collection of South Indian songs that are considered a "national rage" in India. Some of the lyrics in song "Katta Katta" was muted by producers for the film after censor board did not agree with the lyrics. == Release ==

The film, which was supposed to be released on 14 April 2002 coinciding with the Tamil New Year, was released two days early on 12 April, apparently to capitalise on weekend collections. Gemini was released alongside Vijay's Thamizhan, Prashanth's Thamizh and Vijayakanth's Raajjiyam. The film was released across Tamil Nadu with 104 prints, the most for a Vikram film at the time of release. On the day of release, the film premiered in Singapore with the hero, heroine, director and producer in attendance. AVM sold the film to distributors for a "reasonable profit" and marketed it aggressively. and gave away prizes. == Reception ==

Critical response Gemini received mixed reviews from critics. Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu wrote that the "Vikram style" action film was more of a stylised fare as realism was a casualty in many sequences. She added that while the credibility level of the storyline was low, Saran had tried to strike a balance in making a formulaic film. Pearl of Rediff.com lauded Saran's "racy" screenplay but found the plot "hackneyed" and reminiscent of Saran's Amarkkalam. The critic declared, "Gemini is your typical masala potboiler. And it works." In contrast, Sify was critical of the film and wrote, "Neither exciting nor absorbing Gemini is as hackneyed as they get. [...] Saran should be blamed for this inept movie, which has no storyline and has scant regard for logic or sense." The performance of the lead also earned mixed response. Malathi Rangarajan analysed, "Be it action or sensitive enactment, Vikram lends a natural touch [...] helps Gemini score. [..] With his comic streak Mani makes himself a likeable villain." Rediff said, "The highlight in Gemini is undoubtedly Kalabhavan Mani's performance. [...] As the paan-chewing Gemini, Vikram, too, delivers a convincing performance." Saran told in an interview that Rajinikanth was so impressed with the songs, he predicted the film's success in addition to considering Rathod for a role in his film Baba (2002). The film's premise of an outlaw reforming his ways was appreciated. D. Ramanaidu of Suresh Productionsthe co-producer of the Telugu remakesaid, "The story of a rowdy sheeter turning into a good man is a good theme". In an article discussing the rise of the gangster-based film becoming a genre in itself, Sreedhar Pillai wrote in a reference to Gemini: Box office Gemini was a success and became the biggest hit of the year in Tamil. Made on an estimated budget of , the film grossed more than . The film's success was largely attributed to the popularity of the song "O Podu". D. Govardan of The Economic Times stated, "A neatly made masala (spice) film, with the song O Podu.. as its USP, it took off from day one and has since then not looked back". and declared "Gemini has been the biggest hit among Tamil films in the last two years". The film ran successfully in theatres for more than 125 days. Since most Tamil films released on the preceding Diwali and Pongal were not successful, Gemini helped the industry recover. The box office collections revived the fortunes of theatres that were on the verge of closure. AVM received a letter from the owner of New Cinema, a theatre in Cuddalore, who repaid his debts with the revenue the film generated. Following the success of the film, Saran named his production house "Gemini Productions", under which he produced films including Aaru (2005), Vattaram (2006) and Muni (2007). == Accolades ==

Encouraged by the film's success and wide-reaching popularity, Saran remade it in Telugu as Gemeni. It is the only film Saran made in a language other than Tamil. The remake starred Venkatesh and Namitha, while Kalabhavan Mani and Murali reprised their roles from the Tamil version. Most of the crew members were retained. Posani Krishna Murali translated the dialogues to Telugu. The soundtrack was composed by R. P. Patnaik, who reused "O Podu" from the original film. Released in October 2002, In 2013, a Kannada remake was reported to have been planned with Upendra in the lead, but he dismissed the reports as rumours. == Legacy ==

In September 2002, Gemini was screened as part of a six-day workshop jointly conducted by the Department of Journalism and Communication and the Mass Communication Alumni Association of the University of Madras; it focussed on the impact of cinema on society. The success of the film prompted other film producers to capitalise on the growing popularity of the phrase "O Podu" and Vikram. The Telugu film Seema Simham (2002) was dubbed and released in Tamil as O Podu, while Vikram's Telugu film Aadaalla Majaka (1995) and Malayalam film Itha Oru Snehagatha (1997) were swiftly dubbed and released into Tamil as Vahini and Thrill respectively. In September 2003, physical trainer Santosh Kumar played "O Podu" among a range of popular music as part of a dance aerobics session in a fitness camp held for the Indian cricket team at Bangalore. When Vikram was signed up as the brand ambassador of Coca-Cola in April 2005, the commercials featured him playing characters from different walks of life. One among them was a "rowdy role", the essence for which was taken from the character Gemini. During the run-up to the 2006 assembly election, Chennai-based journalist Gnani Sankaran began a social awareness movement to prevent electoral fraud and named it "O Podu" as a short form of "Oatu Podu" meaning "cast your vote". The movement urged the electorate to exercise the right to reject candidates under Section 49-O of The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, wherein a voter, who has decided not to vote for anyone, can record the fact. For this purpose, the people behind "O Podu" also urged the election commission to facilitate a separate button on the electronic voting machine. During the 2010 Asia Cup, a Sri Lankan band performed "O Podu" at the India vs. Pakistan cricket match held in Dambulla. In July 2011, Vikram inaugurated "Liver 4 Life", an initiative launched by MIOT Hospitals to create awareness of the Hepatitis B virus. As the campaign was targeted at school and college students, the organisers tweaked the term "O Podu" into "B Podu" and made it the event's tagline to capitalise on the song's immense appeal. In a comical sequence in the film, Dhamu's character claims to be an expert of a martial art form named "Maan Karate" (Maan means "Deer"), which is actually the art of running away like a deer when in danger. The phrase became famous and was used to name the 2014 comedy film Maan Karate because whenever there is a problem in his life, the hero (played by Sivakarthikeyan) fails to face them and runs for cover instead. == Notes ==