''Dalam'' is a 2013

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

-Tamil bilingual

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

by debutant director B. Jeevan Reddy, a protégé of noted Indian director

Ram Gopal Varma Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (born 7 April 1962), often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, primarily known for his work in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Telugu cinema, Telugu films.** * * Varma has dir ...

. The Telugu version ''Dalam'' was produced by M. Sumanth Kumar Reddy under the banner of Mammoth Media & Entertainment and released in the first week of 15 August 2013, while ''Koottam'', the Tamil version, was released in 2014. The film starring

Naveen Chandra Naveen Chandra (born 3 December 1982) is an Indian actor who works in Telugu cinema, Telugu and Tamil cinema, Tamil films. After debuting in ''Sambhavami Yuge Yuge (2006 film), Sambhavami Yuge Yuge'' (2006), he gained recognition for ''Andala Ra ...

, Piaa Bajpai, Nassar,

Abhimanyu Singh Abhimanyu Singh is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. He is notably known for his roles in the political films '' Gulaal'' (2009) and '' Rakta Charita'' (2010). Career Abhimanyu Singh made his debut wi ...

, and

Kishore Kishore () may refer to: * Kishore (name), an Indian given name and surname * '' Captain Kishore'', a 1940 Bollywood film * '' K for Kishore'', a 2007–2008 Indian television singing contest * '' Kishore Bangla'', Bengali-language juvenile week ...

tells the story of a group of former naxals and their struggles against the police and politicians when they start their lives afresh from jail.

Plot

The scene begins in a Naxal-infested area, where a gun battle is ensuing between state policeman and Naxals. In the battle, the Naxals lose many men. They decide to forgo their pursuit of war and hand themselves to the government. During their time in jail, they undergo many tortures, but then one of the jail's seniors offers the Naxals to switch sides to the police and do hit jobs.

Cast

as Abhi *

as Satruvu * Piaa Bajpai as Shruthi * Nassar as JK *

as Ladda *

Krishnudu Krishna, more commonly known as Krishnudu, is an actor in the Telugu film industry.Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (2011)A comic caper", ''The Hindu'', 2 July 2011, Retrieved 2011-07-12 He has mostly done supporting roles until ''Vinayakudu (film), Vinay ...

as Bhadram *

Subbaraju Penmetsa Subbaraju is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Telugu cinema, as well as Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi cinema. Subbaraju has played a variety of roles, from negative to supporting characters. Early life Subbaraju was born in Bh ...

Nagendra Babu Konidela Nagendra Rao (born 29 October 1961), popularly known as Nagendra Babu and Naga Babu, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who works in Telugu cinema. He has received one National Film Award and two Nandi Awards for his work as ...

* Saikumar *

Pragathi Pragathi Mahavadi (born 16 April 1976) is an Indian film and television actress who has acted predominantly in Telugu cinema and in addition to Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema. Early life Pragathi was born in Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India. ...

* Mahadevan * Ajay *

Thagubothu Ramesh Ramilla Ramesh, better known as Thagubothu Ramesh, is an Indian actor and comedian known for his work in Telugu cinema. Known for his signature portrayal of inebriated characters, he earned the nickname "Thagubothu" () due to his memorable per ...

* Dhanraj *

Harsha Vardhan Harsha Vardhan is an Indian actor and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema, Telugu films and television shows. He has also worked in a few Tamil cinema, Tamil films. He is known for his performance in television shows such as ''Ruthuragalu ...

Prudhvi Raj Balireddy Prudhviraj (born 6 August 6 1964) is an Indian actor and politician known for his roles in Telugu films. He has appeared in over 100 films, primarily in comedic roles, and is widely recognised for his iconic dialogue "30 years industr ...

Chatrapathi Sekhar Chandra Sekhar, known professionally as Chatrapathi Sekhar, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu cinema, Telugu films. He is known for his frequent collaborations with S. S. Rajamouli. Career Sekhar is a regular in S. S. Rajamoul ...

* Nathalia Kaur as Item Number

Production

The film began pre-production in early 2012 with Piaa Bajpai in the role of love interest to Naveen Chandra, the male lead in the film. Actors Kishore, Nasser and Saikumar play important roles in the film.

James Vasanthan James Vasanthan is an Indian Television (Tamil) host, a film music composer, and a filmmaker and a motivational speaker. For more than two decades, he has worked as an anchor in popular Tamil satellite television channels like Sun TV and Vij ...

has scored the music. Some scenes were shot twice for both versions while some scenes from the Telugu version were dubbed for the Tamil version.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by

Release

The Telugu version of the film released in August 2013 released to average reviews, with a critic noting "it's a decently directed movie, and the story flows neatly for the most part" and that "despite its violent content, the film is not as loud as it is thought-provoking. The film is also suitably intriguing." The Tamil version of the film released in April 2014 with Malini Mannath of ''The New Indian Express'' writing that "''Koottam'' has a plot with the potential to turn into a riveting thriller. It would probably have, had the screenplay been more coherent and focused".

References

{{reflist Indian multilingual films 2013 films 2013 action thriller films Films scored by James Vasanthan 2010s Tamil-language films 2010s Indian films 2010s Telugu-language films Films about Naxalism Indian action thriller films Indian gangster films 2013 multilingual films 2013 directorial debut films