Aadukalam (Tamil: ஆடுகளம்; English: Playground) is a 2011 Tamil drama film written and directed by Vetrimaran. The film stars Dhanush, Taapsee Pannu, V. I. S. Jayabalan, and Kishore. The film was released on 14 January 2011 to highly positive reviews. It won six awards at the 58th National Film Awards, including the awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actor.
Karuppu (Dhanush) and Durai (Kishore) are also in Pettaikaran's team. Rathnasamy keeps insisting on having one last fight to win and satisfy his old mother’s wish but Pettaikaran declines to have any more fights with him because he feels Rathnasamy has lost faith in his roosters and will be using nefarious methods to win. Rathnasamy keeps insisting and tries to make him accept the challenge through cajoling, threatening, bribing and other vile acts.
Karuppu falls in love with an Anglo-Indian girl Irene (Taapsee) who dislikes him. He does not recognize this initially and keeps following her. One day the residents of Irene’s colony confront him and ask Irene to tell who she is in love with – Karuppu or Dinesh, another guy in the locality. She points her finger at Karuppu and he goes into raptures. She explains later that she had to lie in order to avoid Dinesh who has been bothering her for a long time. Later Irene too falls in love with Karuppu.
Meanwhile one of Pettai's associates is killed in a hit and run and in a rage Pettai suspecting Rathnasamy of the murder, agrees to the rooster fight and it is decided that the loser will go bald and will forever give up rooster fights. In the crucial fight, Rathnasamy brings high breed roosters from Bangalore. Karuppu asks Pettai to let his rooster fight against Rathnasamy's roosters but Pettai puts his rooster down and says he will choose the competing rooster himself. Karuppu surreptitiously enters the contest before Pettai can choose the rooster because he needs to repay Irene for the loan he took to prepare his rooster for the fight. Pettaikaran doesn't believe in Karuppu and his rooster and announces that Karuppu will not represent Pettai. The 'underdog' however emerges victorious in three consecutive rounds even when the opponent has spiked his rooster with drugs to scald the other rooster.
While initially Pettai is happy that Kuruppu won, he is overcome with anger and jealousy by the end of the day. His ego is wounded by the fact that Karuppu earns both popularity and money. Karuppu is not aware of the changes in his mentor's mind. Pettaikaran is so jealous of Karuppu that at first he refuses to speak to anyone and then starts scheming. The money from the competition that Karuppu gives to Pettai for safe keeping, that he plans to use to start a business, suddenly goes missing. Pettai also starts spinning stories about his associates and makes everyone suspicious of each other. He incites Karuppu and Durai into pitting their roosters in a rooster fight. Meanwhile Karuppu's mom dies of the shock of losing all the money. Pettaikaran meanwhile poisons all of Durai's roosters making him suspect Karuppu, who is arrested for this. Pettaikaran then lies to Irene that his wife was in an adulterous relationship with Karuppu. Irene's family also pressurize her to move to Chennai which pushes her into slitting her wrists. Pettakaran meanwhile calls Karuppu to a location near a temple and informs Durai about his whereabouts. When Irene gets better, she calls Karuppu and informs him that Pettai is badmouthing him. So Karuppu, who puts 2 and 2 together, goes to find Pettai to confront him. Pettai kills himself and Karuppu also finds that Pettai was the one who stole his money. Karuppu does not want to reveal the fact to the public that his mentor was the criminal who stole his money and schemed against him, so he flees with Irene to start a new life in another city.
Plot
The film is set in the backdrop of Madurai, where rooster fights are common. Pettaikaaran and Rathnaswamy, a cop are tough competitors in these games and it is often Pettai who wins because nobody knows his way of maintaining the quality of the birds.Karuppu (Dhanush) and Durai (Kishore) are also in Pettaikaran's team. Rathnasamy keeps insisting on having one last fight to win and satisfy his old mother’s wish but Pettaikaran declines to have any more fights with him because he feels Rathnasamy has lost faith in his roosters and will be using nefarious methods to win. Rathnasamy keeps insisting and tries to make him accept the challenge through cajoling, threatening, bribing and other vile acts.
Karuppu falls in love with an Anglo-Indian girl Irene (Taapsee) who dislikes him. He does not recognize this initially and keeps following her. One day the residents of Irene’s colony confront him and ask Irene to tell who she is in love with – Karuppu or Dinesh, another guy in the locality. She points her finger at Karuppu and he goes into raptures. She explains later that she had to lie in order to avoid Dinesh who has been bothering her for a long time. Later Irene too falls in love with Karuppu.
Meanwhile one of Pettai's associates is killed in a hit and run and in a rage Pettai suspecting Rathnasamy of the murder, agrees to the rooster fight and it is decided that the loser will go bald and will forever give up rooster fights. In the crucial fight, Rathnasamy brings high breed roosters from Bangalore. Karuppu asks Pettai to let his rooster fight against Rathnasamy's roosters but Pettai puts his rooster down and says he will choose the competing rooster himself. Karuppu surreptitiously enters the contest before Pettai can choose the rooster because he needs to repay Irene for the loan he took to prepare his rooster for the fight. Pettaikaran doesn't believe in Karuppu and his rooster and announces that Karuppu will not represent Pettai. The 'underdog' however emerges victorious in three consecutive rounds even when the opponent has spiked his rooster with drugs to scald the other rooster.
While initially Pettai is happy that Kuruppu won, he is overcome with anger and jealousy by the end of the day. His ego is wounded by the fact that Karuppu earns both popularity and money. Karuppu is not aware of the changes in his mentor's mind. Pettaikaran is so jealous of Karuppu that at first he refuses to speak to anyone and then starts scheming. The money from the competition that Karuppu gives to Pettai for safe keeping, that he plans to use to start a business, suddenly goes missing. Pettai also starts spinning stories about his associates and makes everyone suspicious of each other. He incites Karuppu and Durai into pitting their roosters in a rooster fight. Meanwhile Karuppu's mom dies of the shock of losing all the money. Pettaikaran meanwhile poisons all of Durai's roosters making him suspect Karuppu, who is arrested for this. Pettaikaran then lies to Irene that his wife was in an adulterous relationship with Karuppu. Irene's family also pressurize her to move to Chennai which pushes her into slitting her wrists. Pettakaran meanwhile calls Karuppu to a location near a temple and informs Durai about his whereabouts. When Irene gets better, she calls Karuppu and informs him that Pettai is badmouthing him. So Karuppu, who puts 2 and 2 together, goes to find Pettai to confront him. Pettai kills himself and Karuppu also finds that Pettai was the one who stole his money. Karuppu does not want to reveal the fact to the public that his mentor was the criminal who stole his money and schemed against him, so he flees with Irene to start a new life in another city.
