Maattrraan (transl. Alternate) is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by K. V. Anand, who co-wrote the script with Subha, and produced by AGS Entertainment. The film stars Suriya in a dual role as conjoined twins and Kajal Aggarwal in the female lead, alongside Sachin Khedekar and Tara in pivotal roles with an ensemble supporting cast. It follows two brothers who investigate a genetic conspiracy related to their father's company. The film entered production in July 2011. A major portion of the film was shot in countries like Croatia, Serbia, Albania and Macedonia, as well as Latvia and other parts of Europe, with rest of the scenes in India. The film features music composed by Harris Jayaraj, cinematography handled by Soundararajan, editing done by Anthony, respectively. V. Srinivas Mohan, handled the visual effects. Maattrraan was the first Indian film to use performance capture technology. The film was released on 12 October 2012 to mixed reviews.
Plot Ramachandran is an Indian geneticist who works for the Soviet Union. While on a vacation in India, he attempts to create a human with several talents through baby designing, which leads to the birth of his sons, Akhilan and Vimalan, who are conjoined at the chest area. As they both share a common heart, doctors recommend a sacrificial surgery to which their mother, Sudha, objects. As the brothers grow older, they are poles apart in character; Vimalan is intellectual and good at studies, while Akhilan is carefree and poor at studies. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ramachandran becomes unemployed and returns to India. For many months, Ramachandran attempts to secure funding for his projects but fails as neither the Government of India nor Venture capitalists are willing to help him. Ramachandran attempts suicide but is stopped by Sudha. With the savings of his family, Ramachandran begins work on his most ambitious project on a small scale. Many years later, Ramachandran becomes a successful geneticist, with the help of his family. His company, Locus Lacto Product, has made a large amount of profit through their product Energion, which is the best-selling children's powdered milk energy drink in the market, making him a billionaire. Vimal has grown up to be an honest man who has graduated from college with a degree in chemistry, while Akhilan enjoys life. They become smitten by Anjali, who has joined their company as a translator, along with her Russian friend, Volga, a journalist. Vimalan and Anjali fall in love, causing Akhilan to feel jealous, yet he is happy for them. It is revealed that Volga is a spy who has been tasked with stealing Energion's secrets. After her cover is blown, she is thrown out of the office by Ramachandran. Volga takes the brothers to their cattle farm under the pretext of an interview, where she takes photos and collects a milk sample from the farm. When Vimalan confronts Volga, she reveals that Energion is an adulterated product that can lead to the deaths of thousands of children. Volga adds that an industrialist named Ajay Rathnam joined their company as a spy, and after being exposed was murdered by Ramachandran. She also accuses their father of killing their R&D head, Raghu and setting the lab on fire to destroy evidence. Consequently, Volga is killed by Ramachandran's henchman, Dinesh. However, she swallows a pen drive containing evidence of foul play before dying. Anjali acquires it from the surgeon performing the autopsy and hands it to Vimalan. Following this, Vimalan and Akhilan are attacked by the goons who attempt to steal the pen drive from them. Akhilan believes the attack was only meant to rob them. In the midst of the fight, Vimalan is struck on the head by the gang leader, Prathap Bihari. Vimalan is declared brain-dead and his heart is transplanted to Akhilan. After the brothers are separated through a surgery, which results in Vimalan's total death, Akhilan and Anjali become depressed. Sudha is warned that Energion is adulterated and confronts Ramachandran, who asks the food safety department to inspect their company. To her surprise, Energion is declared safe and hygienic. Meanwhile, Akhilan captures Prathap, who is then killed by an oncoming train. Akhilan tracks down Dinesh, using Prathap's phone. He finds the pen drive that contains several documents declaring that the ingredients supplied at the cattle farm are unsafe to eat. It is also revealed that the scheme was planned in Punjab. Accompanied by Anjali, Akhilan sets out to solve the mystery. They seek the help of Anjali's friend, Ashok, who works for the Indian Embassy in Ukvania, a post-Soviet state. However, Ashok is killed by Dinesh, who tracked him down. They discover photos showing athletes competing under the Soviet Union in the 1992 Summer Olympics. The athletes in the photos were declared dead in a plane crash. They discover at an army research centre that Ramachandran created Energion as a steroid to improve the performance of athletes at the Olympics. Despite the country performing well, the athletes became critically unwell from the ingredients of the steroid. The plane crash was fabricated to avoid national shame. They learn that the Energion could only be detected using an ionization enhancer. Dinesh tracks them down and proceeds to attack them. Akhilan manages to kill his goons, including Dinesh. He discovers that Ramachandran sent Dinesh to kill Vimalan and Volga. Akhilan takes the ingredients back to India and exposes Ramachandran. As Ramachandran goes into hiding, Akhilan requests him to surrender, but Ramachandran retorts that he and Vimal are a result of his father's failed experiment, made up of several talented people's DNA. Ramachandran reveals that he used society to create Energion. He attempts to kill Akhilan with a rock, but his leg is crushed by the same rock. Mournfully, Akhilan leaves his father to die by letting rats chew his flesh. Antidotes are given to all the children who drank Energion across the country, and Akhilan is given national recognition for his work. Sometime later, Akhilan and Anjali marry and become parents to conjoined twins.
Cast
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