Overview
A tense battle of wits unfolds as a police commissioner faces a dire ultimatum that could change the fate of a city.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- serious
- urgent
- late night thriller viewing
- political thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a crisp, technically polished and energetic Tamil thriller elevated by the commanding performances of Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The nameless Common Man calls the police commissioner and demands the release of militants while bombs threaten Chennai.
Commissioner Raghavan Maraar must weigh releasing militants against preventing bomb blasts and protecting civilians.
The anonymous caller claims multiple bombs are planted across Chennai, including one near police headquarters.
Mohanlal's police commissioner is placed in direct opposition to Kamal Haasan's nameless Common Man.
Films like Unnaipol Oruvan, and why
A Wednesday!
shared terrorism crisis, moral dilemma, and tightly contained cat-and-mouse thriller structure
The Negotiator
shared bomb-threat suspense, institutional pressure, and ordinary-citizen intervention
Mumbai Meri Jaan
shared urban terrorism plot, procedural investigation, and high-stakes public danger
Movie Details
- Director
- Chakri Toleti
- Release Date
- 2009-09-18
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (41)
Cast
- Kamal Haasan
- Mohanlal
- Lakshmi
- Ganesh Venkatraman
- Bharath Reddy
- Anuja Iyer
- Poonam Kaur
- Santhana Bharathi
- Prem
- R.S. Shivaji
Common questions
- What is Unnaipol Oruvan about?
- A Chennai police commissioner faces an anonymous caller whose bomb-threat ultimatum turns public safety into a brutal moral negotiation.
- What is Unnaipol Oruvan like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Unnaipol Oruvan as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Unnaipol Oruvan violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Unnaipol Oruvan as moderate.
- What did critics think of Unnaipol Oruvan?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a crisp, technically polished and energetic Tamil thriller elevated by the commanding performances of Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal.
- Which films are like Unnaipol Oruvan?
- Films with a similar feel include A Wednesday!, The Negotiator, and Mumbai Meri Jaan.
- How long is Unnaipol Oruvan?
- Unnaipol Oruvan runs 120 minutes.
