2018 Indian film
| Merlin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Keera |
| Produced by | J. S. B. Sathish Kumar |
| Starring | Vishnupriyan Ashwini Chandrashekar Lollu Sabha Jeeva |
| Cinematography | Muthukumaran |
| Edited by | Samuel |
| Music by | Ganesh Raghavendra |
| Production company | JSB Film Studios |
| Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
Merlin is a 2018 Indian Tamil fantasy film written and directed by Keera. The film features Vishnupriyan and Ashwini Chandrashekar in the lead roles, while Jeeva, Singampuli and Aadukalam Murugadoss play other pivotal roles. Featuring music by Ganesh Raghavendra, the venture began production in early 2016 and was released on 23 February 2018.
Cast
- Vishnupriyan as Vetri
- Ashwini Chandrasekhar as Merlin
- Lollu Sabha Jeeva
- Aadukalam Murugadoss
- Singampuli
- Powerstar Srinivasan
- Manobala
- Ramachandran Durairaj
- Thangar Bachan
- Dinesh as himself (guest appearance)
- Special appearances in the song "Ain't No Sunshine" in order of appearance
- Chaams
- Guru Somasundaram
- Ma Ka Pa Anand
- Shakthi Vasudevan
- Priyamani
- Aadhi
- Vimal
- Vijay Sethupathi
- Aadukalam Naren
Production
Director Keera announced that Merlin would be his second film after Pachai Engira Kaathu during late 2015, with production beginning thereafter. Vishnupriyan was signed as the lead actor, while Kannada actress Ashwini Chandrashekar joined the cast to play the lead actress. Though it was the first Tamil film she signed up for, two other Tamil films ended up releasing earlier. Supporting actors including Lollu Sabha Jeeva, Aadukalam Murugadoss, Singampuli and Powerstar Srinivasan also worked on the film, while prominent cinematographer Thangar Bachan also worked as an actor.
At the film's audio launch in September 2016, Keera announced that Attakathi Dinesh would portray himself in the film in a guest appearance. The event was attended by directors including Pa. Ranjith, Vasanthabalan and Thangar Bachan.
Soundtrack
| Merlin | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Ganesh Raghavendra | |
| Released | 28 June 2017 (2017-06-28) |
| Genre | Film soundtrack |
| Label | TrendMusic |
| Producer | Ganesh Raghavendra |
The film's music was composed by Ganesh Raghavendra, with five different lyricists working on the album. The soundtrack was released on 28 June 2017 through TrendMusic. A version of the English song "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just As I Am was included in the soundtrack of Merlin, with Aadukalam Murugadoss rendering the version. The song was used as a promotional track for the film, with actors such as Chaams, Aadukalam Naren, Aadhi, Vemal, Guru Somasundaram, Ma Ka Pa Anand, Shakthi Vasu, Priyamani and Vijay Sethupathi appearing in the making video.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Onna Jaal" | Keera | Guru | 2:38 |
| 2. | "Vandhanam Vandhanam" | Ku. Karthick | Marana Gana Viji | 4:38 |
| 3. | "Aagaya Nilave" | Yugabharathi | Saindhavi | 4:14 |
| 4. | "Neerum Neruppum" | Saavee | Ganesh Raghavendra, Priyanka | 4:12 |
| 5. | "Ain't No Sunshine" | Bill Withers, Keera | Aadukalam Murugadoss | 3:23 |
Critical reception
New Indian Express felt that film lacked realism and the editing is completely abrupt.
Controversy
Praveena Charumathi Sampathkumar filed a case and sought to stop the film from being screened as she felt that film contains dialogue which degrades women.
References
- "Merlin Official Teaser". 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - "Merlin Movie: Showtimes, Review, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos | eTimes". The Times of India.
- "Merlin is not a run-of-the-mill ghost story". 7 September 2016.
- "Merlin is about a writer's travails - Tamilstar.com". www.tamilstar.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016.
- Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Merlin - Ain't No Sunshine | Promo Song | Vishnu Priyan, Aswini | Keera | Trend Music. YouTube.
- "Merlin Review: Less horror and more fancy dress competition". Cinema Express.
- "Indira Banerjee: Ghosts possess sex-starved women? PIL wants film to be taken off screens". The Times of India.
- "PIL filed against Tamil film 'Merlin' for dialogue denigrating women". 11 March 2018.