Massu Engira Masilamani () is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language action horror comedy film directed by Venkat Prabhu, who co-wrote the script with Madhan Karky. It was produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja's Studio Green and Aadnah Arts. The film stars Suriya in dual roles, alongside Nayanthara, Pranitha Subhash, Premgi, Parthiban, and Samuthirakani. It follows Masss, a con artist, who starts interacting with ghosts. The film is inspired by Ghost Town (2008) movie. During one such encounter, he stumbles upon Shakthi, a ghost who wants to seek revenge against his family's killers.
The film was launched in April 2014, the principal photography commenced in July 2014 and was completed in April 2015. Filming took place in various locations in India and Bulgaria. The film's title Masss, was announced in July 2014; however, in order to receive exemption from entertainment tax, the film's title was changed to Massu Engira Masilamani. The cinematography was handled by R. D. Rajasekhar and Sakthi Saravanan, with editing handled by Praveen K. L. The original score and soundtrack were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, with S. Thaman as a guest composer.
The film was released worldwide on 29 May 2015. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise for Surya's performance. The film was later remade in Bengali as Naqaab (2018).
Plot A released prisoner named Kamal Ekambaram murders former Police Commissioner Shanmuga Sundaram during a morning jog. On the other hand, Masilamani alias Masss and his friend Jet Li (Jettu) are small-time con artists. Masss meets Malini, a nurse, and they subsequently fall in love.
While trying to escape after a heist goes wrong, Masss and Jettu meet with a car accident, after which Masss starts seeing dead people with whom he can communicate, while Jettu died in the accident and is now a ghost. Masss forms a group of loitering ghosts to earn money by performing fake exorcisms and extorting money from scared, rich people while promising the spirits that he would, in exchange, fulfill their last wishes. Meanwhile, Malini, who thought Masss was working for a finance company, discovers the fake exorcisms and leaves him.
The same day, Masss and Jettu meet a ghost called Shakthivel (Shakthi), a Sri Lankan Tamil man from Ceylon and a lookalike of Masss. Shakthi seemingly helps the duo by informing them about hawala black money stashed in a locker by Anthony Xavier, a hawala broker, in his warehouse at Sembikarai, but has other plans in mind and wants to use Masss for them. He sabotages their plan and tricks Masss into running over Anthony while Kamal arrives and steals the money from the locker in the resulting chaos.
Corrupt ACP Vikram Lakshman takes charge, investigates the case, and learns Masss is involved in the murder. Subsequently, the ghosts start striking against Masss as they assume that he is just using them to cheat later on. Masss yells at them and orders them to leave. Just then, Shakthi arrives at the request of the ghosts. They depart with Shakthi while Jettu manages to convince Masss. Masss agrees and fulfills the ghosts' wishes so they attain salvation, which makes him a better person.
All these good deeds of Masss change Malini's assumptions about him positively. At the same time, Shakthi uses Masss to meet another person, Madhivadhanan alias Madhi, an MLA and associate of Anthony at his quarry, and later uses him to kill Madhi. Masss, a furious with Shakthi for making him a double murderer, yells at him to leave, threatening to commit suicide. While escaping the quarry with Jettu, Masss encounters Radha Krishnan (R. K.), Anthony and Madhi's partner, who gets reminded of Shakthi, and orders his men to catch Masss. Kamal arrives there and rescues him, and later he reveals Shakthi's past, where Masss realises that Shakthi is his father.
Past: Shakthi was a Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Montreal and a widower, who married Anuradha (Anu), a teacher at his daughter Megha's school, just for Megha's wish. Shakthi secretly learned that Anu loves and takes care of Megha. Soon, they both fell in love, and Anu gave birth to a son (Masss). Anu owned an acre of land in India, which she wanted to donate to an orphanage where they could build a new orphanage. Kamal, the only family friend of Anu residing in India, agreed to help with the registration.
Shakthi and Anu, along with Megha and the infant Masss, arrived in India to complete the registration but learned that industrialists R. K. and Anthony forged documents and planned to take the land away to construct flats. Since Shakthi remained undeterred and did not give way, R. K., Anthony, Madhi, and Sundaram, along with their goons, when killed Shakthi, Anu, and Megha and pinned the murders on Kamal, for which he got imprisoned for all these years. Masss survived because Megha had left him safe in an impoverished family's small house nearby.
Present: Through Masss, Shakthi wanted to kill the people responsible for his family's demise. After discovering the truth, Masss plans to kill R. K. himself. R. K., knowing who Masss is enraged, tries to kill him, but Kamal saves Masss. However, because R. K. hits Masss on the head with a fire extinguisher, he loses the ability to see and converse with the spirits. With the help of Vikram, whom Masss bribed to double-cross R. K., Masss finally kills R. K. As Masss fulfils Shakthi's last wish, he obtains salvation and joins Anu and Megha in heaven.
In the mid-credits scene, Masss, now a reformed man in a respectable position, has married Malini and has a young son, Shakthi (named after his grandfather), who can see and converse with ghosts, while Jettu remains on Earth with Masss and his family, accompanying Shakthi at all times.
Cast
Cameo appearances Jai as Kathiresan (ghost), Ganesh's eye-donor Vijay Vasanth as Gopi Anjali as Manimegalai (archival footage from Engaeyum Eppothum) Brahmanandam as Dr. Gnanaprakasham, Hospital Dean (Voice Dubbed By M. S. Bhaskar) Vaibhav as Ghost Sangeetha Krish as S. Shankari, Shakthi's School Principal
Production Development In early December 2013, Sify reported that Venkat Prabhu's next film after Biriyani (2013) would feature Suriya as the male lead and would also be produced by the actor himself under his newly launched company 2D Entertainment.Suriya & Venkat Prabhu come together!. Sify. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2014. Three days later the project was confirmed by the director, who however clarified that Studio Green would co-produce it along with 2D Entertainment. Subsequently, lyricist Madhan Karky was signed to write the dialogues for the film.Seshagiri, Sangeetha (6 July 2014).Movie is inspired from the Korean movie Man on the Edge Suriya-Venkatprabhu Film Titled 'Masss' . International Business Times. Retrieved 16 July 2014. As with Prabhu's earlier films, composer Yuvan Shankar RajaReddy, T. Krithika (16 August 2014). The Yuvan Wave . The Hindu. Retrieved 29 August 2014. and editor Praveen K. L. were added to the technical crew, while R. D. Rajasekhar was signed as the cinematographer, replacing Prabhu's usual cinematographer Sakthi Saravanan.After five years, its Nayanthara again . Behindwoods. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014. The film was touted to be the first Tamil film to be shot in 3D from the beginning,Subramanian, Anupama (6 December 2013). A mega film for Suriya and Venkat Prabhu . Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 6 June 2014. but Venkat Prabhu later informed that it was not true. It was reported to be a horror comedy,Suriya's Venkat Prabhu film titled 'Masss'. Sify. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.Title of Suriya-Venkat Prabhu film. Indiaglitz. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.Naig, Udhav (20 June 2014). The funny fear factor . The Hindu. Retrieved 3 August 2014. while Venkat Prabhu stated that he was "trying something new" and that he could not reveal the genre.Nayanthara is Suriya's heroine in Venkat Prabhu film!. Sify. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014. The film was rumoured to be titled as Poochandi,Is Suriya-Venkat's film titled 'Poochandi'? . The Times of India. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014. however Venkat Prabhu announced on 5 July 2014 via Twitter and Facebook that it had been titled Masss. On 25 May 2015, the film was renamed with a Tamil title Massu Engira Masilamani, to be exempted from the State Government's 30% entertainment tax.
Casting Reports in January 2014 indicated that Suriya would be playing a dual role in the film.Seshagiri, Sangeetha (18 January 2014). Suriya to Play Dual Role in Venkat Prabhu's Film? . International Business Times. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014 Furthermore, he was said to be given two different looks, one of them having him sport long hair.Seshagiri, Sangeetha (20 August 2014). Suriya to Appear in 2 Different Looks in 'Masss'? . International Business Times. Retrieved 24 August 2014. After completing the film, Suriya stated that he had played two characters: Masilamani (a conman) and Shakthi.A Masss Welcome. The New Indian Express. Retrieved on 9 June 2015. Venkat Prabhu went on to add that Shakti was a Sri Lankan Tamil.Suriya plays a Sri Lankan Tamil in "Masss"!. Sify.com (28 May 2015). Retrieved on 9 June 2015. Nayanthara was signed to play one of the female leads along with Amy Jackson,Subramanian, Anupama (4 June 2014). Nayanthara and Amy Jackson to romance Suriya . Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 6 June 2014. while the director's brother Premji was given a significant supporting role as in all of Prabhu's films.Smattering of stars in Suriya's next . Deccan Chronicle. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014. Mohan was reported to be playing the villain,Mohan to play villain in 'Poochandi'? . The Times of India. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014. but the director stated that Mohan was not approached for any role in the film.Vandhana (16 June 2014). Actor Mohan Not in Venkat Prabhu's 'Poochandi' . Silverscreen. Retrieved 3 August 2014. Actor-director R. Parthiepan informed that he had "a special character to essay in Masss, a very significant one".Parthiban to act in 'Masss' . Deccan Chronicle. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014. In August 2014, The Times of India reported that Jayaram, who had worked with Venkat Prabhu in Saroja (2008), had been added to the cast and would be playing a prominent role, however, he was replaced by Parthiban.Karthik, Janani (6 August 2014). Venkat Prabhu's villain with Suriya in 'Masss' . The Times of India. Retrieved 6 August 2014. Actors Sriman,A versatile actor joins hands with Suriya after 'Friends' . Behindwoods. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014. Karunas and Daniel Annie Pope of Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara (2013) fame were reported to be playing the roles of spirits in the film. On 10 August 2014, actress Vidyullekha Raman informed that she would be a part of the project.Vidhyullekha Raman in Suriya's 'Masss' . Deccan Chronicle. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014. The next day, actor-director Samuthirakani was announced to be part of the project.Two Samuthrakani's to face one Suriya. Indiaglitz. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014. Sanjay Bharathi was given a supporting role and participated in the Hyderabad schedule.I sported Suriya's hairstyle in school . The Times of India (24 November 2014). Retrieved on 25 April 2015.