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Mark Antony (2023 film)

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Mark Antony
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAdhik Ravichandran
Screenplay byAdhik Ravichandran
S. J. Arjun
R. Savari Muthu
Story byAdhik Ravichandran
Produced byS. Vinod Kumar
Starring
Narrated byKarthi
CinematographyAbinandhan Ramanujam
Edited byVijay Velukutty
Music byG. V. Prakash Kumar
Production
company
Mini Studio
Distributed byAyngaran International
Release date
  • 15 September 2023 (2023-09-15)
Running time
150 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Box officeest. ₹150 crore[2]

Mark Antony is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language science fiction action comedy film directed by Adhik Ravichandran. The film stars Vishal and S. J. Suryah in dual roles with Ritu Varma, Abhinaya, Sunil, Selvaraghavan, Y. G. Mahendran, Nizhalgal Ravi, Redin Kingsley and Manikandan in supporting roles. In the film, Mark, the son of a gangster Antony, finds a telephone which can contact the past, but Madhan, the son of rival gangster Jackie, wants it for himself.

The film, produced by S. Vinod Kumar under Mini Studio, was officially announced in December 2021 under the tentative title Vishal 33, as it is Vishal's 33rd film as the lead actor, and the official title was revealed in January 2022. Principal photography began in May 2022 and wrapped by May 2023. The music was composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Abinandhan Ramanujam and Vijay Velukutty.

Mark Antony was released in theatres on 15 September 2023, during Vinayagar Chathurthi. The film grossed over ₹100 crore, becoming the highest-grossing film in Vishal's career.[2]

Plot

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In 1975, Chiranjeevi, a scientist, invents a telephone that enables its users to make calls to people in the past by selecting a past date, with a constraint that only one call can be made for each selected date. Meanwhile, Antony and Jackie Pandian are best friends and gangsters in Chennai, who have a common enemy named Ekambaram. Ekambaram decides to take revenge against Antony for killing his brother. He kills Antony in a club, also resulting in Chiranjeevi getting killed. Jackie soon becomes the solo kingpin, adopts Antony's son Mark, and raises him like his own son.

In 1995, Mark, now a mechanic in Royapuram, hates Antony for being responsible for his mother Vedhavalli's death. He is in love with his neighbour Ramya and decides to get married soon. He decides to sell his garage and move away from Royapuram, but Jackie does not allow him, fearing for his safety. At the registrar office, Ekambaram tries to shoot Jackie but gets killed that night by the latter. Ramya's mother gets to know that Mark is Antony's son and asks him to leave her alone.

One day, a drunken Mark finds Chiranjeevi's telephone and realises its capabilities. Using the telephone, he first saves his mother and his younger self from Ekambaram and his men. He then warns Antony's advocate Selvam about his upcoming demise and asks him to meet him in 1995 at his garage. Mark soon learns from Selvam that Antony was not a bad person and was made to believe it by Jackie, the actual mastermind behind Antony and Vedhavalli's deaths, as Antony refused Jackie's involvement in illegal activities like drug smuggling, arms trafficking and prostitution. Mark manages to change history by making calls to the past, where Jackie is killed.

Mark soon wakes up in the present to find that he is in Jackie's place as a gangster with Ekambaram as his guardian, while Jackie's son Madhan is in Mark's place as a mechanic. Madhan soon learns about the telephone and Mark's involvement in changing the history previously, which he informs to Jackie. A cat-and-mouse game ensues where Jackie makes various attempts to kill Antony, but Antony survives all the attempts and learns about Jackie's true intentions. Jackie and his men surround Antony and Ekambaram at the club, and Antony is seemingly killed. Mark awakens in the present to find himself back as a mechanic along with Ekambaram, while Jackie is still alive and Madhan is a gangster.

Madhan kidnaps Ramya and orders Mark to arrive at the club godown. Mark arrives and is thrashed by Madhan and Jackie's men. However, Antony arrives at the godown; it is revealed that Ekambaram saved Antony in the club shootout and had sent him to Colombia due to many encounter killings of gangsters by the police. Antony gained the partnership of the Colombian underworld as Jackie usually sent commission to the gangsters under Antony's name. Antony kills all of Jackie's henchmen at the godown by using his secret weapon Anaconda, and finally kills Jackie and Madhan. Antony reunites with Mark and calls Vedhavalli in the past, who is being held at gunpoint by Chiranjeevi, wanting his telephone back. Chiranjeevi discovers, to his horror, that Jackie is holding him at gunpoint.

Cast

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Production

[edit]

In September 2021, it was reported that Vishal would team with Adhik Ravichandran for a film and would be produced by S. Vinod Kumar under Mini Studio.[3] In December, it was officially confirmed by the team that they are teaming up for the tentatively titled project Vishal 33.[4] The same month, S. J. Suryah was reported to play the antagonist and was confirmed on New Year's Day,[5][6] along with the title Mark Antony, named after Raghuvaran's character from Baashha (1995).[7] Later, G. V. Prakash Kumar was added to the crew to compose the music.[8] In May 2022, the team announced Ritu Varma as the female lead, while Sunil and Nizhalgal Ravi appear in prominent roles.[9] Vishnu Priya Gandhi, a social media influencer, was chosen by the makers to portray Silk Smitha due to her resemblance. Make-up and visual effects were used to further enhance her resemblance to Smitha.[10][11]

Principal photography began on 5 May 2022 with a muhurat puja in Chennai.[9] The first schedule took place in Chennai, with Varma joining them in July.[12] The shooting was placed on hold because Vishal got injured during shooting in August and resumed in October with the second schedule.[13] The final schedule started in January 2023 and was nearing shooting completion.[14] Suryah completed shooting his portions in April.[15] In May, Vishal and Sunil finished their portions with a cake-cutting.[16] Vishal started dubbing for his portions in May.[17] In July, Vishal, via Twitter, stated that the dubbing was in the final stages.[18]

Soundtrack

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Mark Antony
Soundtrack album by
G. V. Prakash Kumar
Released2023
GenreFilm soundtrack
Length11:52
LanguageTamil
LabelThink Music India
ProducerG. V. Prakash Kumar
G. V. Prakash Kumar chronology
Karumegangal Kalaigindrana
(2023) 		Mark Antony
(2023) 		Tiger Nageswara Rao
(2023)
Singles from Mark Antony
  1. "Adhirudha"
    Released: 15 July 2023
  2. "I Love You Di"
    Released: 23 August 2023

The music was composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar in his second collaboration with Vishal after Naan Sigappu Manithan (2014) and second with Adhik Ravichandran after Trisha Illana Nayanthara (2015) and first with S. J. Suryah.[8] The first single "Adhirudha" released on 15 July 2023 and the second single "I Love You Di" on 23 August 2023.[19][20]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Adhirudha"Asal KolaarT. Rajendar, Asal Kolaar4:00
2."I Love You Di"Rokesh, Adhik RavichandranAdhik Ravichandran3:07
3."Amma Ennum Mandhiramey"MadhurakaviSaindhavi2:11
4."Karuppana Saamy"MadhurakaviAnanthu2:34
Total length:11:52

Release

[edit]

Mark Antony was released on 14 September 2023, during Vinayagar Chathurthi.[21] According to Vishal, he had to pay a bribe of ₹6.5 lakh (US$7,800) to a Mumbai censor board official to ensure its Hindi dubbed version's release.[22]

Home media

[edit]

The post-theatrical streaming rights of the film were initially acquired by ZEE5, which eventually lost the rights to Amazon Prime Video.[23] The satellite rights were sold to Zee Tamil.[24] The film began streaming on Prime Video from 13 October 2023.[25]

Reception

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Critical response

[edit]

OTTPlay reported that Mark Antony received positive reviews from critics,[26] while The Times of India noted they were mixed.[22]

Logesh Balachandran of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Mark Antony is not a great film, but it's quite a refreshing entertainer that delivers what it promises."[27] Krishna Selvaseelan of Tamil Guardian gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Overall, although oftentimes headache inducing and downright nonsensical, Ravichandran should be lauded for a unique and entertaining film".[28]

Janani K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Mark Antony is a valiant effort and, with certain shortcomings, it still manages to engage the audience and leave them in splits."[29] Kirubhakar Purushothaman of The Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "SJ Suryah single handedly saves Mark Antony from becoming a redundant mess."[30]

Gautaman Bhaskaran of News18 gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Vishal and SJ Suryah are wasted in a whacky and crazy script."[31] Sangeetha P of OTTPlay gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Mark Antony, packed with many exciting and mass moments, and despite its many flaws, makes for an entertaining watch. While Vishal is back with a bang, SJ Suryah turns out to be the star of this commercial entertainer."[32]

Bharathy Singaravel of The News Minute gave 2/5 stars and wrote "While actor Vishal plays a predictable double role as Mark and Antony, director Adhik Ravichandran has thrown in a generous helping of sexualising trans women, and homophobia."[33] Priyanka Sundar of Firstpost gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Mark Antony squandered its potential, leaving us with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction."[34]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mark Antony completes its censor formalities". Pynr. 9 September 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b "'Vishal joins the 100-crore club with 'Mark Antony'". The Times of India. 5 October 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Vishal to team up with director Adhik Ravichandran". The Times of India. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Vishal and Adhik Ravichandran team up for Vishal 33". The Times of India. 16 December 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  5. ^ "SJ Suryah to play the villain in Vishal's next". The Times of India. 23 December 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  6. ^ "SJ Suryah joins Vishal's film with Adhik Ravichandran". The Times of India. 1 January 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Vishal's film with Adhik Ravichandran titled Mark Antony". The Times of India. 1 January 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b "GV Prakash to compose music for Vishal's 'Mark Antony'". The Times of India. 12 January 2022. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Vishal, SJ Suryah's 'Mark Antony' begins shoot; Ritu Varma plays the female lead". The Times of India. 5 May 2022. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Recreation of late Silk Smitha; Vishal-starrer Mark Antony's trailer goes viral". Mathrubhumi. 5 September 2023. Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Vishal Shares Recreating Silk Smitha in Mark Antony Cost a Bomb: 'Didn't Want to Misuse...' | Exclusive". News18. 6 September 2023. Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Ritu Varma joins Vishal's 'Mark Antony' shoot in Chennai". The Times of India. 26 July 2022. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Next schedule of Vishal's 'Mark Antony' begins today". The Times of India. 1 October 2022. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Vishal's 'Mark Antony' nearing completion". The Times of India. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  15. ^ "SJ Suryah's portions in 'Mark Antony' wrapped up". The Times of India. 18 April 2023. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Vishal and Sunil finish shooting for 'Mark Antony'; Check out the cake cutting video here!". The Times of India. 15 May 2023. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Vishal dubs in 3 different languages for 'Mark Antony'; shares a BTS video". The Times of India. 7 May 2023. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  18. ^ "'Mark Antony' in final stages of dubbing; Vishal shares BTS video". The Times of India. 10 July 2023. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  19. ^ Vishal [@VishalKOfficial] (12 July 2023). "#TR Sir, Man of energy always. Thank you for being a part of #WorldOfMarkAntony. Betting on it straight on that people are going to love it, GB. #AdhridhuMaame #BayankaramanaSambavam #MarkAntony" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Second Single 'I Love U Di' from Mark Antony out". The Times of India. 23 August 2023. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  21. ^ "Mark Antony gets court clearance; film to arrive on September 15". Cinema Express. 12 September 2023. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Actor Vishal opens up about corruption in the film censor board; says he had to pay Rs 6.5 lakh to release his film 'Mark Antony'". The Times of India. 29 September 2023. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Mark Antony on OTT: Vishal's blockbuster gangster drama to drop on Amazon Prime on THIS date". OTTPlay. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Digital rights of Mark Antony sold". Cinema Express. 24 April 2023. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  25. ^ "Mark Antony sets OTT release date, to stream on Prime Video India from October 13". Hindustan Times. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Mark Antony: Retro references in the Vishal and SJ Suryah action entertainer". OTTPlay. 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023. the film has opened to some positive reviews from the critics.
  27. ^ Balachandran, Logesh (15 September 2023). "Mark Antony Movie Review: SJ Suryah rules this quirky sci-fi gangster drama". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  28. ^ Selvaseelan, Krishna (16 September 2023). "Mark Antony – Impressively Stupid and Stupidly Impressive". Tamil Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  29. ^ K, Janani (15 September 2023). "'Mark Antony' Review: SJ Suryah is the heart and soul of this mindless time-travel film". India Today. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  30. ^ Purushothaman, Kirubhakar (15 September 2023). "Mark Antony movie review: SJ Suryah elevates this middling sci-fi film". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  31. ^ Bhaskaran, Gautaman (15 September 2023). "Mark Anthony Review: Vishal, SJ Suryah's Film Is A Hotch-Potch Of Ideas". News18. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  32. ^ Sangeetha, P (15 September 2023). "Mark Antony Review: Vishal is back with a bang but SJ Suryah steals the show in this action-packed entertainer". OTT Play. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  33. ^ Singaravel, Bharathy (15 September 2023). "Mark Antony review: This sci-fi action film simply fails to work". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  34. ^ Sundar, Priyanka (15 September 2023). "Mark Antony movie review Guns, gore and time travel, everything in excess ruins this Vishal, SJ Suryah-starrer". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
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