Tamil cinema superstar Vijay’s film Bigil (2019) is a sports action drama directed by famous director Atlee. This film is Vijay’s third successful partnership with Atlee, before this the audience got superhit films like Theri and Mersal. The story of Bigil revolves around Michael aka “Bigil” Rayappan, a former footballer and gangster, who due to circumstances becomes the coach of the Tamil Nadu women’s football team. The film features Vijay in a double role – as a son Michael and as his father Rayappan.
The difficulties faced while training a women’s football team, social issues, and their personal struggles are presented in a very emotional and inspiring way. The film has strong performances by Nayanthara, Jackie Shroff, Vivek, Kathir and many other talented actors. A.R. Rahman’s music, impressive cinematography and spectacular action sequences made the film even more memorable. Bigil is not just a sports based film but a story of self-esteem, women empowerment and struggle that makes the audience think.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Bigil (Translation: Whistle) |
| Release Date | 25 October 2019 |
| Language | Tamil |
| Genre | Sports, Action, Drama |
| Director | Atlee |
| Writers | Story: AtleeScreenplay: Atlee, S. Ramana Girivasan |
| Producers | Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S. Ganesh, Kalpathi S. Suresh (AGS Entertainment) |
| Lead Cast | Vijay (dual role), Nayanthara, Jackie Shroff, Kathir, Vivek, Daniel Balaji |
| Music Composer | A. R. Rahman |
| Cinematography | G. K. Vishnu |
| Editing | Ruben |
| Production Company | AGS Entertainment |
| Distributed By | Screen Scene Media Entertainment |
| Running Time | 179 minutes |
| Budget | ₹180 crore |
| Box Office Collection | ₹285–305 crore (estimated) |
| Notable Awards | Zee Cine Awards Tamil (2), Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards (2), Edison Awards (3), SIIMA Award (1) |
| Themes | Women empowerment, sportsmanship, social reform, father-son bond, redemption |
Bigil Story
The film Bigil is a Tamil language sports-action drama directed by Atlee and starring Vijay in the lead role playing a double role (father and son). The story is about Michael “Bigil” Rayappan, who was a promising footballer but became a gangster due to circumstances. Michael’s dream was to play football for the country, but his father Rayappan’s criminal record denied him the opportunity. Michael’s father is killed by a rival gang, forcing him to quit football and take his father’s place and lead the gang.
In the present, Michael becomes the coach of the Tamil Nadu women’s football team, replacing his friend Kathir, who is crippled due to an attack. Initially, the team does not accept Michael as the coach, but due to his hard work and honesty, they gradually start recognizing him. He also brings back two former players to the team, one of whom is an acid attack survivor and the other a married Brahmin woman.
Michael’s team reaches the finals of the national tournament, where they again face the team from Manipur. Despite many obstacles and conspiracies, Michael and his team win and dedicate this success to his friend Kathir. Eventually, Michael starts working as a coach teaching football to children, including his enemy Daniel’s son.
Bigil is an inspirational film that effectively portrays sports, women empowerment, family, and revenge.
Movie Review
Bigil is a Tamil film that blends sports, action, emotion and social messages. This film is not just a sports drama, but it also has a lot of action, emotion, comedy, romance and a message to raise awareness about the society along with fitness, football skills, workouts and the spirit of the game. This film definitely falls in the category of ‘mass masala’ films, but it has not just noise but also depth.
Vijay is in a double role in this film – the characters of Michael and his father Rayappan. He has given a tremendous performance in both the roles. Rayappan’s character is shown to be older and experienced, in which Vijay’s dialogue delivery and facial expressions are so impressive that the audience can feel his pain. At the same time, as Michael, he has brought alive the role of a passionate, emotional and sensitive football player. His bike stunts and action scenes in the film are really thrilling. Every fight scene is choreographed brilliantly, and the emotions hidden in those scenes connect the audience with the characters.
The story of the film shows the link between sports and society. In this plot based on women empowerment, Nayanthara plays the role of a physiotherapist who, along with Michael, helps the women football team to become mentally and physically strong. Her role is strong and inspiring. Also, the struggle of other women players of the team like Anitha, Vembu and Gayatri also connects the audience emotionally.
Director Atlee has once again repeated his winning formula – a different subject but the same impressive presentation. While the first half of the film has ‘mass’ and ‘class’ scenes for Vijay fans, the second half has depth, emotion and women-centric scenes that take the film to new heights. The song “Singapenne” and VFX make the football sequences great, although some scenes in the beginning seemed a bit weak.
The music direction is by A.R. Rahman, who keeps the mood of the film both energetic and emotional. The background score and songs, especially those dedicated to the women’s team, are inspiring.
Overall, Bigil is a great entertaining and inspiring film that gives the audience a wonderful experience of emotions and thrill while highlighting some important issues of the society. This is another success of the successful partnership of Vijay and Atlee.
Movie Trailer
Conclusion
Bigil is an entertaining, inspiring and emotional film that beautifully portrays sports, women empowerment and family relationships. Vijay’s performance in a dual role is strong and the emotional depth of the film touches the heart. Atlee’s direction, superb music, and strong portrayal of female characters make this film special. The combination of football scenes, social message, and action keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. Bigil is not just a sports drama, but it is a complete entertaining film with a strong social message.
