जाट at 10:11, 6 May 2026

2026-05-06T10:11:26Z

New page

{{short description|2018 film directed by A. L. Vijay}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Diya
| image = Diya poster.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Poster of Tamil version
| director = [[A. L. Vijay|Vijay]]
| producer = [[Allirajah Subaskaran]]
| writer = Vijay
{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes
| label1= Dialogues by
| data1 = Vijay (Tamil) [[Ajayan Bala]] (Tamil) Sathya (Telugu)
}}
| starring = [[Sai Pallavi]] [[Naga Shaurya]] Veronika Arora
| music = [[Sam CS]]
| cinematography = [[Nirav Shah]]
| editing = [[Anthony (film editor)|Anthony]]
| studio = [[Lyca Productions]]
| distributor = Naveen
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2018|04|27}}
| runtime = 97 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil Telugu
| budget = 
| gross = 
}}

'''''Diya''''', previously known as ''Karu'' ({{Translation|Embryo}}), is a 2018 Indian [[horror film]] directed by [[A. L. Vijay|Vijay]] and produced by [[Lyca Productions]]. The film is shot simultaneously in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Telugu language|Telugu]] languages, the latter titled as '''''Kanam''''' ({{translation|Particle}}). It stars [[Sai Pallavi]], [[Naga Shourya]], and Veronika Arora. The music was composed by [[Sam CS]], with editing done by [[Anthony (film editor)|Anthony]] and cinematography by [[Nirav Shah]]. Both the Tamil and Telugu versions were released on 27 April 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 April 2020 |title=Kanam Movie Review |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/kanam/movie-review/63938712.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031050941/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/kanam/movie-review/63938712.cms |archive-date=31 October 2018 |access-date=21 May 2019 |website=Times of India}}</ref>

==Plot==
At the age of 19, Thulasi gets pregnant because of Krishna, but their family decides to abort the child. After five years, they get married, but Thulasi is not very happy because of their past. Later, Krishna tells her to let go of the past, and soon, she comes out of the pain and starts leading a happy life.

The truth that is happening around Thulasi and Krishna is that their little unborn girl Diya has always been with them all along invisibly. When Krishna's father comes to meet Krishna at his new flat, Diya sees him and starts following him to his house. The next day, Krishna's father is found dead in the water tank of their building. This is Diya's plan for revenge. Later, when Thulasi's mother comes to visit Krishna's father's funeral, Diya starts following her and kills her in an elevator in Krishna's construction site. As the death case is handled by Sub-Inspector Raghavan, he comes to the conclusion that both of them are dead due to asphyxiation.

When Krishna and Thulasi visit the hospital, they meet their family doctor, who also happens to die in a car accident because of Diya. There rises a suspicion within the investigating team that whoever meets Thulasi and Krishna are dying due to the same reason. The police also found it suspicious that the doctor's car had child lock on when there was actually no child in the car. One day, Thulasi's uncle comes to visit her. Thulasi looks at her family picture and suddenly realizes that the deaths surrounding them are happening for the same reason. When she was pregnant with Diya, she was forced by her mother, father-in-law, uncle, doctor, and Krishna to abort the child. Realizing that her uncle may be the next to be killed, Thulasi calls him, but it is too late as a huge container falls on him, killing him. Thulasi thinks that Diya is with her and calls out her name, to which she responds by making the carousel doll move, making Thulasi realize that all the deaths are indeed because of her. She tries to tell this to Krishna and insists that she has to be with him always so that Diya will not kill him, but he does not believe these stories and takes her to a psychiatrist.

One day, Krishna gets a call from the construction site and leaves without telling Thulasi. She panics and calls him, but he hangs up. When she reaches his site, she saves him just in time from a crane carrying a huge block that was about to hit him. Krishna still does not believe in Thulasi's suspicions and at a priest's suggestion to have a Pooja, they make arrangements, but Thulasi dreams about those people burning Diya and she is suffering in pain, so she sends the priests away. Meanwhile, Krishna meets the psychiatrist, who suggests that Krishna go somewhere alone and switch off his phone for two days, and Thulasi will finally stop panicking once he returns safe and sound.

The next day, Krishna is gone, and Thulasi is worried and keeps searching for him. Diya takes this opportunity and tries to kill Krishna by making the walls of his room close in on each other to crush him to death. Meanwhile, Agni/Raghavan thinks that whatever Thulasi says is true and goes in search of her, but he finds that she met with an accident and is unconscious, so he takes her to the hospital, where they try to revive her heart. Thulasi's spirit sees Diya and stops her from killing Krishna. Krishna understands that Thulasi was right. The doctors are able to successfully revive Thulasi, and tears roll from her eyes and she is happy that she finally met Diya. The doctor then says that Thulasi is pregnant.

The movie ends with a message about abortion.

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:50%;"
! Actor (Tamil) !! Actor (Telugu) !! Role (Tamil) !! Role (Telugu)
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| [[Sai Pallavi]]
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Thulasi
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|[[Naga Shourya]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Krishna
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Veronika Arora || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Baby Diya
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |[[RJ Balaji]]|| style="text-align:center;" | [[Priyadarshi Pullikonda]]|| style="text-align:center;" | Sub-Inspector K. Ragavan || style="text-align:center;" | Sub-Inspector K. Agni
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|[[Rekha (Tamil actress)|Rekha]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Thulasi's mother
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|[[Nizhalgal Ravi]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Krishna's father
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|[[Sujitha]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Doctor
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|[[Santhana Bharathi]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Real Estate Broker
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Jayakumar || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Thulasi's uncle
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|[[Stunt Silva]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Swamiji
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Elango Kumaravel]] || style="text-align:center;"|Sai Ramesh Bhagavatula || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Constable Balakumar
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[T. M. Karthik]]||style="text-align:center;"|Sathya || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Constable Ramesh
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Gandhari Nithin
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |Ram
|}

==Production==
In early April 2017, [[A. L. Vijay]] announced that he would be working on a film starring [[Sai Pallavi]] for [[Lyca Productions]] and that he would direct a script he had written "three and a half years ago".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sai Pallavi's Tamil debut is now a bilingual |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2017/may/22/sai-pallavis-tamil-debut-is-now-a-bilingual-1607459.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024100435/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2017/may/22/sai-pallavis-tamil-debut-is-now-a-bilingual-1607459.html |archive-date=24 October 2017 |access-date=24 October 2017}}</ref> He had chosen to cast Sai Pallavi, after another project for Pramod Films, which would have been a Tamil remake of the Malayalam film ''[[Charlie (2015 Malayalam film)|Charlie]]'' (2015) with [[R. Madhavan|Madhavan]], was suddenly shelved. After securing the actress's dates to shoot the film, Vijay finalised the technical crew to include his regular collaborators such as cinematographer [[Nirav Shah]] and editor [[Anthony (film editor)|Anthony]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 May 2017 |title=Vijay prefers Sai Pallavi's Karu, delays Charlie remake with Madhavan |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/vijay-prefers-sai-pallavi-karu-delays-charlie-remake-with-madhavan-4643053/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024100117/http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/vijay-prefers-sai-pallavi-karu-delays-charlie-remake-with-madhavan-4643053/ |archive-date=24 October 2017 |access-date=24 October 2017}}</ref> For Sai Pallavi, it became her first Tamil language film following a series of projects which she dropped out of, she was replaced in or was shelved. She had previously been cast and then replaced in [[Mani Ratnam]]'s ''[[Kaatru Veliyidai]]'' (2017), while she opted out Vijay Chander's ''[[Sketch (2017 film)|Sketch]]'' (2017). Likewise, earlier, her films ''Charlie'' and [[Rajiv Menon]]'s ''Saravam Thaala Maayam'' were indefinitely postponed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 February 2017 |title=Sai Pallavi opts out of Vikram film |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/sai-pallavi-opts-out-of-vikram-film/articleshow/56873973.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902064636/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/sai-pallavi-opts-out-of-vikram-film/articleshow/56873973.cms |archive-date=2 September 2017 |access-date=24 October 2017 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> The following month, Telugu actor [[Naga Shourya]], was signed on to make his debut in Tamil films.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 May 2017 |title=Sai Pallavi for Naga Shaurya? |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/tollywood/200517/sai-pallavi-for-naga-shaurya.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024101637/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/tollywood/200517/sai-pallavi-for-naga-shaurya.html |archive-date=24 October 2017 |access-date=24 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 September 2017 |title='Karu' Will Touch Upon The Issue Of Abortion, Says Director Vijay |url=https://silverscreen.in/telugu/news/karu-will-touch-upon-issue-abortion-says-director-vijay/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203085517/https://silverscreenindia.com/telugu/news/karu-will-touch-upon-issue-abortion-says-director-vijay/ |archive-date=3 February 2024 |access-date=24 October 2017}}</ref> Sam C.S. was roped as music director, working with Vijay for the first time replacing his usual music director, [[G. V. Prakash Kumar]].

The film was revealed to be completed by September 2017, with Sai Pallavi beginning her dubbing work.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sai Pallavi starts dubbing for Vijay's 'Karu' |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/sai-pallavi-starts-dubbing-for-vijay-s-karu-news-tamil-rjwn9Jhdcaecc.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004143302/http://www.sify.com/movies/sai-pallavi-starts-dubbing-for-vijay-s-karu-news-tamil-rjwn9Jhdcaecc.html |archive-date=4 October 2017 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> Vijay denied that the film was a horror film and stated that the film would explore the "story of a young mother and her four-year-old child", with Sai Pallavi portraying the mother.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 September 2017 |title=A much needed film on a woman's choice |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/200917/a-much-needed-film-on-a-womans-choice.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024101726/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/kollywood/200917/a-much-needed-film-on-a-womans-choice.html |archive-date=24 October 2017 |access-date=24 October 2017}}</ref> Still, the film is a horror story with Baby Veronika as the aborted daughter of Sai Pallavi and Naga Shaurya, who takes revenge on the demise of her.

In April 2018, the film's title was changed from ''Karu'' to ''Diya''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 April 2018 |title=Sai Pallavi's Karu title changed to Diya; to hit screens on April 27 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/sai-pallavi-s-karu-title-changed-to-diya-to-hit-screens-on-april-27/story-Ry5qlrbMv4a9PMC8EWoakO.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421215339/https://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/sai-pallavi-s-karu-title-changed-to-diya-to-hit-screens-on-april-27/story-Ry5qlrbMv4a9PMC8EWoakO.html |archive-date=21 April 2018 |access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref> The film was simultaneously shot in Telugu as ''Kanam''. Some scenes from the Telugu version were dubbed from Tamil.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Srinivasan |first=Sudhir |date=20 May 2018 |title=Bilingual films: The big, bilingual scam |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2018/may/20/bilingual-films-the-big-bilingual-scam-1817232.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014023155/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2018/may/20/bilingual-films-the-big-bilingual-scam-1817232.html |archive-date=14 October 2020 |access-date=23 May 2021 |website=[[The New Indian Express]] |quote=Many, many films, including Baahubali [...] have been following a worrying formula: Cast an actor each from across regions to appeal to the respective audiences, get them speaking that language, but by and large, shoot the film with the characters speaking one dominant language. [...] In the case of Diya, this was Tamil.}}</ref>

==Release==
This movie was released on April 27, 2018. The satellite rights of the film were sold to [[Zee Tamil]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 October 2018 |title=சாய் பல்லவி RJ பாலாஜி நடிப்பில் AL விஜய் இயக்கத்தில் தியா விஜயதசமி சிறப்பு திரைப்படம் அக்டோபர் 19 காலை 11 மணிக்கு |url=https://www.facebook.com/ZeeTamizh/videos/diya-october-19-1100-am/2090840017645566/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416122408/https://www.facebook.com/ZeeTamizh/videos/diya-october-19-1100-am/2090840017645566/ |archive-date=16 April 2019 |access-date=12 April 2019 |website=facebook.com/ZeeTamizh}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name = Diya / Kanam
| type = Soundtrack
| artist = [[Sam C. S.]]
| cover =
| border = yes
| alt =
| caption = Soundtrack album art
| released = {{Start date|df=yes|2018|02|24}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 February 2018 |title=Diya - Sam C.S. |url=https://www.saavn.com/s/album/tamil/Karu-2018/CXLbTRUViaw_ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517223230/https://www.saavn.com/s/album/tamil/Karu-2018/CXLbTRUViaw_ |archive-date=17 May 2018 |access-date=17 May 2018 |publisher=[[Saavn]]}}</ref>
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Feature film soundtrack]]
| length = 17:34
| language = [[Tamil language|Tamil]] [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
| label = [[Lyca Productions]]
| producer =
| prev_title = [[6 Athiyayam]]
| prev_year = 2018
| next_title = [[Iravukku Aayiram Kangal]]
| next_year = 2018
| misc = {{External media
| audio1 = {{YouTube|mealpM0cN7o|Audio Jukebox}}}}
}}
The music is composed by [[Sam C. S.]] and all lyrics are by [[Madhan Karky]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 February 2018 |title=Hero skips Audio Launch! What's The Matter? |url=http://english.tupaki.com/movienews/article/Naga-Shaurya-Skipped-For-Karu-Movie-Audio-Launch/66934 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301164711/http://english.tupaki.com/movienews/article/Naga-Shaurya-Skipped-For-Karu-Movie-Audio-Launch/66934 |archive-date=1 March 2018 |access-date=1 March 2018 |publisher=english.tupaki.com}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Tamil Track listing
(Soundtrack released under the name of ''Karu'')
| extra_column = Singer(s)

| title1 = Aalaliloo
| extra1 = Swagatha S. Krishnan

| title2 = Konjali
| extra2 = [[Sathyaprakash Dharmar]], Neha Venugopal, JKA Shalini

| title3 = Karuve
| extra3 = [[K. S. Chithra]]

| title4 = Voice Of Karu
| extra4 = Chennai Orchestra

| title5 = Sound Of Revenge
| extra5 = Chennai Orchestra
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Telugu Track listing (Kanam)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kanam songs - Telugu |url=https://www.raaga.com/telugu/movie/kanam-songs-A0003793 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001073609/https://www.raaga.com/telugu/movie/kanam-songs-A0003793 |archive-date=1 October 2022 |access-date=1 October 2022 |website=Raaga}}</ref>
| all_lyrics = Krishna Madineni
| extra_column = Singer(s)

| title1 = Jo Lali Jo
| extra1 = Swagatha S. Krishnan

| title2 = Sanjali
| extra2 = Aravind Srinivas, Anu Anand

| title3 = Kaname
| extra3 = Latha Srinivas

| title4 = Voice Of Kanam
| extra4 = Chennai Orchestra

| title5 = Sound Of Revenge
| extra5 = Chennai Orchestra
}}

==Critical reception==
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|score=40|count=5|average=4.3|ref=yes}}

Ashameera Aiyappan of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' gave a rating of 2.5/5 and said, "The story is predictable. There isn't much surprise beyond the first few minutes until the very end." However, she praised the music composer [[Sam CS]] and the lead actress Sai Pallavi, saying that the latter "makes a strong debut in Tamil with an incredibly subtle and measured performance."<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 April 2018 |title=Diya movie review: Sai Pallavi, Sam CS shine in this horror film |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/diya-kanam-movie-review-sai-pallavi-5152933/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517153311/http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/diya-kanam-movie-review-sai-pallavi-5152933/ |archive-date=17 May 2018 |access-date=17 May 2018 |publisher=[[The Indian Express]]}}{{Rating|2.5|5}}</ref> Priyanka Sundar of ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' gave the film a rating of 1.5/5 and said, "Sai Pallavi's stunning performance cannot save this confusing film."<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 April 2018 |title=Diya movie review: Sai Pallavi's stunning performance cannot save this confusing film |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/diya-movie-review-sai-pallavi-s-stunning-performance-cannot-save-this-confusing-film/story-WEm4vdeZzFtdQINYqkW6uM.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516064520/https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/diya-movie-review-sai-pallavi-s-stunning-performance-cannot-save-this-confusing-film/story-WEm4vdeZzFtdQINYqkW6uM.html |archive-date=16 May 2018 |access-date=17 May 2018 |publisher=[[Hindustan Times]]}}{{Rating|1.5|5}}</ref> Kirubhakar Purushothaman of ''[[India Today]]'' gave the film a rating of 1.5/5 and said, "Director Vijay's recently released film comes across as a half-baked, confusing at times, bothering take on the whole issue of abortion."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diya movie review: Sai Pallavi's Tamil debut is morally confusing and bland |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/diya-movie-review-karu-sai-pallavi-vijay-1221717-2018-04-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517153305/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/diya-movie-review-karu-sai-pallavi-vijay-1221717-2018-04-27 |archive-date=17 May 2018 |access-date=17 May 2018 |publisher=[[India Today]]}}{{Rating|1.5|5}}</ref> M Suganth of ''[[The Times of India]]'' gave a rating of 3/5, praising the acting performance of Sai Pallavi, cinematography by Nirav Shah, and music by Sam CS but said, "Despite these strengths, Diya isn't compelling enough."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Diya Movie Review |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/diya/movie-review/63911868.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504101518/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/diya/movie-review/63911868.cms |archive-date=4 May 2018 |access-date=17 May 2018 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}{{Rating|3|5}}</ref>

Regarding ''Kanam'', ''The Times of India'' stated that "One would expect 'Kanam' to be nothing less than a thriller that will keep you guessing and at the edge of your seat. However, it fails to live up to that expectation".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kanam Review {3/5}: Don't go looking for pure horror or something entertaining |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movie-reviews/kanam/movie-review/63938712.cms |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|7695522}}

{{A. L. Vijay}}
{{Lyca Productions}}

[[Category:2018 Telugu-language films]]
[[Category:2018 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:2018 Indian films]]
[[Category:2018 horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Films about abortion]]
[[Category:Films directed by A. L. Vijay]]
[[Category:Films scored by Sam C. S.]]
[[Category:Indian pregnancy films]]
[[Category:Indian horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian multilingual films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]

Diya film - Revision history

जाट at 10:11, 6 May 2026