Singam (transl. Lion) is an Indian Tamil-language actionfilm series centered around the title character Duraisingam, a tempered honest police officer who aims to eliminate corruption from the society.[1] The film series began in 2010 with the release of Singam, directed by Hari and starring Suriya as the titular character. The film received positive reviews and grossed ₹90–100 crore worldwide.[2] The first film also spawned two direct sequels: Singam II (2013), and Si3 (2017).
Singam, the first installment of the series, tells about CI Duraisingam, a tempered-but-honest police officer, who try his best to eliminate a powerful don named Mayil Vaaganam, who challenges him. The film was released on 28 May 2010 (worldwide) and received positive reviews from critics. It earned ₹90-100 crore worldwide [3] against a budget of ₹15 crore,[2] thus becoming the 5th highest grossing film in 2010.
Singam 2, the second installment of this series, continues the story, where Duraisingam was sent to Thoothukoodi in order to stop a drug cartel running by Bhai and Thangaraj and their African boss Danny. The film was released in about 1500 screens worldwide. The film received positive reviews from critics where it grossed approximately ₹1.22 billion (US$15 million) worldwide from Tamil and Telugu versions with a lifetime distributor's share of ₹670 million (US$8.4 million).[4][5] However, Forbes stated that the film made ₹1.36 billion in its lifetime.[citation needed]
Si3 was the third installment of the series, continues the story, where Duraisingam was transferred to Andhra Pradesh as DCP, to nab an Australian bureaucrat named Vittal Prasad, who illegally exports toxic waste to India. However, unlike the first and second part, the third part mainly received mixed reviews from critics, despite, became a commercial success, thus becoming another profitable addition by grossing ₹110 crore[6] worldwide from a budget of ₹65 crore and becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2017.[7]
The franchise has been notable for its profit, with Singam[9] and its follow-up having earned a combined revenue of ₹336-346 crore, according to IBtimes.[10]
Sify described the film Singam as a "predictable entertainer that follows the age old formula", while Suriya "carries the film to the winning post. His passion and the way he brings an ordinary regular larger-than-life hero character alive on screen is lesson for other commercial heroes".[16]Rediff felt it was an "unapologetic... entertainer and has Suriya in every frame. Lovers of commercial potpourri will definitely get their money's worth."[17]
Singam 2
Rediff felt "the film has a lot of power-packed action sequences and the story races along with a tremendous pace keeping you engaged throughout... The only negative would be the length – the movie runs for almost three hours. A slightly shorter version would have created a greater impact".[18]Deccan Chronicle gave it the verdict: "Even if you are not a Suriya fan, Singam 2 is worth a watch. The film roars rather well."[19] In contrast, Zee News felt, "Suriya is the only character that makes you feel satisfied in the entire movie".[20]
Si3
The Times of India lauded Suriya and Hari, writing,"[His] consistency in handling cop stories convincingly and entertainingly needs to be commended as he has been proving his expertise repeatedly".[21]The New Indian Express similarly praised Suriya, but found "as a commercial film director, [Hari's] storytelling methods also suffer from following a set of rules, which include frequent yawn-inducing songs".[22] In contrast,The Hindu felt it was "loud, fast, and without a single memorable moment".[23]Sify called the film "a cocktail of harebrained predictable plot, exhausting action scenes and slapstick comedy".[24]
