Thuppakki

The project, which marked the beginning of a collaboration between Vijay and Murugadoss, was reported in July 2011, and the film’s title was formally announced on the same year in December. Principal photography commenced in January 2012 and ended that October. Filming mostly took place in Mumbai, except for two song sequences which were taken in Bangkok and Switzerland respectively. The film’s soundtrack was composed by Harris Jayaraj with cinematography handled primarily by Santosh Sivan and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad.

Thuppakki was released on 13 November 2012, Diwali day, and distributed by Gemini Film Circuit. The film went through numerous controversies, including protests from Islamic fringe groups who objected to the portrayal of the Islamic community in the film. Nevertheless, it received mostly positive reviews and became a major commercial success, grossing over ₹100 crore (equivalent to ₹189 crore or US$24 million in 2023) within 10 days of its release. A recipient of various accolades, the film received seven Filmfare Awards South nominations in the Tamil branch, but did not win in any category. In 2014, the film was remade in Hindi as Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty by the same director, and in Bengali as Game: He Plays to Win.

One day, Jagadish witnesses the explosion of a bus in which he and his police officer-friend Balaji had travelled. He manages to capture the man who laid the bomb, who later escapes from the hospital where he was kept under custody. Jagadish captures the bomber again, and also forces the security chief Inbashekhar, who helped the bomber’s escape, to commit suicide. Jagadish learns that the bomber is a mere executor, a sleeper agent, whose only role was to plant the bomb. He also discovers that the terrorist group that the bomber belongs to, has planned twelve such attacks in the city, in a couple of days. Jagadish enlists the help of his fellow army men and manages to kill the sleeper agents planting the bombs, including the sleeper agent leader’s brother and the previously captured sleeper agent.

When the leader of the sleeper cell learns about Jagdish’s role in thwarting the attack, he begins to target the families of the army men, except Jagadish, by kidnapping someone close to them. When Jagadish realises the plan, he substitutes one of the people to be kidnapped, with his younger sister Sanjana. Using his pet dog and his sister’s dupatta, Jagadish manages to reach the sleeper cell’s hideout, rescuing his sister, who was about to be killed after Jagadish’s bluff was exposed, and the other victims and eliminates the sleeper agents assembled there. The second-in-command of the sleeper agents is captured and killed by Jagadish. With this attack too having failed, the sleeper cell leader decides to target Jagadish himself. He kills one of Jagadish’s friends and asks Jagadish to surrender or else there would be more attacks.

Jagadish decides to sacrifice his life and devises a plan with his fellow army men. He also breaks up with Nisha, wanting to keep her away from the truth. Jagadish meets the leader in a ship, which has been rigged with a bomb planted by another friend of Jagadish. When he learns about the leader’s plan of infiltrating the Indian Army with sleeper agents with the help of a traitor in the Indian Defense – Kameeruddin IAS, the current Joint Secretary in Defence, Jagadish decides to abandon his suicidal plan. After an extensive beating, he mocks the leader and compels him to a fight. He gains the upper hand before escaping in a boat, with the leader as a hostage. After the ship explodes, he kills the bewildered leader. Jagadish confronts Kameeruddin and forces him to commit suicide, and later returns to Kashmir along with his fellow army men after reconciling with Nisha.