Don is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language coming-of-age comedy drama film written and directed by Cibi Chakaravarthi in his directorial debut. Produced by Lyca Productions and Sivakarthikeyan Productions, it stars Sivakarthikeyan in the main lead role alongside S. J. Suryah, P. Samuthirakani, Priyanka Mohan, and Soori. The film revolves around a reluctant engineering student repeatedly clashing with his college's discipline mentor, while still trying to discover his passion in life and prove his eligibility to his father.
The film was officially announced in 2021 with production taking place between February–December 2021. It was shot extensively across Tamil Nadu including Coimbatore, Chennai, Pollachi and Udumalaipettai, while a song was filmed in Agra. The film features music composed by Anirudh Ravichander, with cinematography and editing by K. M. Bhaskaran and Nagooran Ramachandran respectively.
Don was released in theatres on 13 May 2022. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. The film became a commercial success, grossing over ₹120 crore worldwide, emerging as the sixth highest-grossing Tamil film of 2022
Plot Chakaravarthi, a famous Film Director, is desperately trying to make it to Best Engineering College in Coimbatore from Munnar. As Chakaravarthi drives, he narrates the story of his school days and his college days.
During Chakaravarthi's school days, Chakaravarthi's father, Ganesan, is very strict who cares a lot about Chakaravarthi's studies and Ganesan wants Chakaravarthi to become a civil engineer. But Chakaravarthi hates studying, he fails in examinations and he lies to his father about his examination marks. At the same time, Chakaravarthi falls in love with Angaiyarkanni. Initially, she avoids him but soon she reciprocates his love. However, they both go their separate ways after Ganesan and Angaiyarkanni's father confront Chakaravarthi's and Angaiyarkanni's relationship since Chakaravarthi claims Angaiyarkanni is just his friend to avoid his father bashing him up.
Chakaravarthi joins Best Engineering College in Coimbatore. However, the Best Engineering College's Disciplinarian Professor, Bhoominathan, whom the students fear and hate, ruins his expectations of enjoying college life. Chakaravarthi constructs a plan to send Bhoominathan away to be a visiting professor at St. Paul's University in Russia so that students can be happy. This earns Chakaravarthi nickname of "Don" of the Best Engineering College. Meanwhile, Chakaravarthi meets Angaiyarkanni again, who is also a part of Best Engineering College in Coimbatore. Angaiyarkanni's best friend Lilly, a first-year student, despite Chakaravarthi's attempts to woo Angaiyarkanni. Lilly explains to Chakaravarthi that, after the incident happened between Chakaravarthi and Angaiyarkanni in their school days, Angaiyarkanni's father stopped talking to Angaiyarkanni.
Chakaravarthi successfully patches them up after creating a short film and ends it on an emotional note with Angaiyarkanni's father and Angaiyarkanni reconciling. Angaiyarkanni is impressed and reciprocates her feelings. Amidst this, Bhoominathan unexpectedly returns from Russia after 2 months and Bhoominathan discovers that Chakaravarthi sent him Russia. In revenge, Bhoominathan's assistant photographs clicks photo of Chakaravarthi and Angaiyarkanni at the Taj Mahal. Bhoominathan uses it to complaint to Killivallavan, the Best Engineering College's Chairman. Chakaravarthi, in return, presents a photo of Bhoominathan and Swetha Miss at the Taj Mahal. It gains the wrath of Killivallavan, who is disappointed in Bhoominathan.
Meanwhile, Ganesan discovers the truth about Chakaravarthi, including his College Examination Marks. Feeling cheated and enraged, Ganesan slaps Chakaravarthi in front of everyone at the Best Engineering College. Chakaravarthi ventures into filmmaking by attending a short film competition. However, Ganesan does not allow Chakaravarthi to do filmmaking and Ganesan wants Chakaravarthi to do civil engineering. Chakaravarthi secretly films portions of the Best Engineering College with his cameraman Perusu. At the film's climax, Bhoominathan finds out about his secret filming. In a mix of guns, drama, and confusion, Bhoominathan suffers an accident that severely injures his neck, but Bhoominathan eventually survives. Killivallavan dismisses Chakaravarthi from Best Engineering College.
Ganesan discovers Chakaravarthi's secret filmmaking and he destroys his short film, resulting in an intense conflict between Ganesan and Chakaravarthi. Frustrated with Ganesan, Chakaravarthi leaves the house. Ganesan later dies due to depression. Bhoominathan gradually recovers while Chakaravarthi prepares another short film for the competition. Bhoominathan and Chakaravarthi develop a positive rapport. Bhoominathan tells Chakaravarthi that he spoke with Killivallavan. Killivallavan informs Chakaravarthi that if he clears all of his arrears, he can get his civil engineering degree, thus burying the hatchet and ending their conflict. Chakaravarthi's short film gets shortlisted to the top and becomes a successful feature film. The film, "Untold Love", is about Chakaravarthi's emotional bond with Ganesan. Chakaravarthi realises that Ganesan cared about him before he died. Later Chakaravarthi and Angaiyarkanni gets married.
In the present, Chakaravarthi is desperate to get his civil engineering degree from Bhoominathan; that is the only reason to attend college. Chakaravarthi accepts and takes his civil engineering degree from Best Engineering College. Chakravarthi then delivers an emotional speech to the students and audience. He also sees a vision of Ganesan applauding. Chakaravarthi is added to the Proud Alumni list at Best Engineering College, which was something Chakaravarthi jokingly asked Bhoominathan in his earlier college days.
Cast
Production Development In August 2017, Sivakarthikeyan was reported to collaborate with his friend Vignesh Shivan, post Suriya's Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, with the film's producer K. E. Gnanavel Raja of Studio Green also obtained its rights for the forthcoming project. However, the film failed to materialise and in March 2018, and Sivakarthikeyan instead agreed to do another film for Raja, which became the M. Rajesh-directorial Mr. Local. In March 2019, Lyca Productions announced another project featuring Sivakarthikeyan and Vignesh Shivan with Anirudh Ravichander set to score music. Vignesh also finalised the script for the film in June 2019, as the project was scheduled to begin production the following month. In a turn of events, Lyca Productions backed out of producing the venture and Vignesh Shivan too prioritised to revive his shelved project Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal which began production in late-2020.
In September 2020, Sivakarthikeyan announced another new project for Lyca Productions with a debutant director hired to helm the project. The project was officially announced on 27 January 2021, which was titled as Don in Tamil and was later titled as College Don for the Telugu version and the actor himself co-produced the film under his Sivakarthikeyan Productions banner. It was directed by Cibi Chakaravarthi, an associate director of Atlee, with Anirudh Ravichander being the music composer. Sivakarthikeyan was reported to appear as a school student for few portions in the film, and also reduced weight for his role.
In an interview with Ananda Vikatan, Chakravarthi described Don as an extended version of a short film titled Bittu, starring Kaali Venkat and Bala Saravanan. He said Bittu was initially scheduled to be premiered as a television pilot, but due to difficulties, he instead released it as a short film on the internet. When he was working as an assistant director to Atlee in Mersal (2017), the film's star Vijay watched the short and appreciated his work, motivating him to work on an extended version of the pilot film to be his directorial debut.
Casting According to Udhayanidhi Stalin, he was the initial choice for the lead role before Sivakarthikeyan was finalised. On 3 February 2021, the makers announced the principal cast of the film which included Priyanka Mohan, S. J. Suryah, and P. Samuthirakani. Priyanka reunited with Sivakarthikeyan in the film, which marked their second collaboration after Doctor. Soori who also collaborated with the actor in several films based on rural settings (Varuthapadaatha Vaalibar Sangam, Rajinimurugan, Seemaraja, and Namma Veettu Pillai), joined for the second time in an urban-setting film, after Maan Karate. The next week, Munishkanth, Bala Saravanan, Kaali Venkat, RJ Vijay, and Sivaangi Krishnakumar (in her acting debut) were also announced as part of the cast. Both Saravanan and Venkat were part of Bittu. Sharing about his role in the film, Vijay said that "I used to stare and look at them performing, forgetting that I myself is an actor in that scene. Don is a big learning experience. I am seeing everything in close quarters and it is a lifetime opportunity."
Filming
Principal photography began on 11 February 2021 at Coimbatore. A launch event for the film took place in Chennai followed by a traditional pooja ceremony, which saw the presence of the film's cast and crew in entirety. Major portions of the film were scheduled to take place at KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology, located in the suburbs of Coimbatore, with the film scheduled to be wrapped in a single stretch of 40 days, with more than 20–25 days were allotted for two schedules each. This schedule started on 15 February and ended on 15 March, which was filmed within 28 days. The team then moved to Chennai, to begin the second filming schedule on 22 March which was completed within 25 days. A song titled "Jalabulajangu" was filmed at the outskirts of Chennai, during this schedule. Choreography performed by Shobi, the actor danced to the track in one leg, similar to the moves that Vijay did in "Valayappatti Thavile" from Azhagiya Tamil Magan (2007), also choreographed by Shobi.
The team intended to start the next schedule of filming, but was halted on late-April 2021 due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu. The second schedule began on 15 July 2021 with scenes were mostly in Chennai and its surrounding areas. Additional campus scenes were filmed in Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science in Chennai. With the schedule being wrapped in 24 days, the team headed to Pollachi and Udumalaipettai, to progress the shoot further on 10 August. During filming, the first day shoot was halted after large number of locals gathered at the shooting spot, and the crew did not receive permission from the authorities, since the location is close to the forest boundary. The team were fined 19,400 for shooting without permission and overcrowding. In September 2021, the team had completed this schedule and headed to Agra for a song shoot at the Taj Mahal. In October 2021, S. J. Suryah completed all the portions for the film. By then, Sivakarthikeyan had completed shooting for the film, except for one song. After the completion of that track, filming wrapped on 10 December 2021.
Post-production Post-production for the film began during 23 September 2021, with the dubbing process. Sivakarthikeyan and Sivaangi Krishnakumar began dubbing for their portions. On 9 November 2021, Sivakarthikeyan tweeted that he had completed the dubbing works of the film in Chennai, despite the bad weather prevailing. In late-December 2021, Chakravarthi had announced that S. J. Suryah had completed dubbing his portions for the film.
Music