Udhaya is a 2004 Tamil action film directed by Azhagam Perumal. It stars Vijay with Simran, Nassar and Sophiya Haque. Music by A. R. Rahman (songs); Pravin Mani (background score). It was released on 26 March 2004 (Delayed release; shooting began in 1998).
Udhayakumaran is a brilliant physics student who turns down a Princeton research offer to teach at his college. He falls for Vasanthi, who is already engaged, then moves to Chennai and becomes a newspaper reporter with his friend Basheer's help. After Basheer dies in a bomb blast, Udhaya gets drawn to Dhananjay Veeran, who poses as a champion of labourers. Veeran exploits Udhaya's scientific work for a deadly attack and frames him for it, leaving Udhaya to clear his name.
Vijay plays Udhaya, a physicist turned journalist who is framed for a terror attack. The film was shot over roughly five years and released a month before his blockbuster Ghilli.
Figures are trade estimates reported at the time and may vary.
Shooting began as early as November 1998, and the film released only in March 2004.
Vijay's first film with A. R. Rahman composing the songs.
Pravin Mani composed the background score because Rahman was unavailable.
Dialogues were written by the novelist Sujatha.
Former Chief Election Commissioner T. N. Seshan was reportedly signed for a key role, but producer Pyramid Natarajan played it instead.
The item number with Sophiya Haque was shot in 2000.
Producer Pyramid Natarajan filed a case against Simran for failing to attend shoots after she announced her retirement following her December 2003 marriage.
Deccan Herald called it Vijay's shortest film, at 2 hours 2 minutes.
Released about a month before Ghilli (April 2004).
Director Azhagam Perumal, a former Mani Ratnam assistant, was meant to debut with this film but released Dumm Dumm Dumm (2001) first.
Critics were harsh. Sify called it an amateurish production with an unbelievable story, and Cinesouth noted obvious continuity jumps that suggested a pieced-together, unfinished film. Deccan Herald found it stale and noted that two songs shot just before release felt out of place.
Remembered mainly as a long-delayed project and for A. R. Rahman's songs, especially 'Udhaya Udhaya'.