Vivegam

Anirudh Ravichander was the music composer for the movie. Vetri signed to handle filming,[12] and Ruben edited.[13] Anu Vardhan, who had worked with Ajith in Billa (2007), Aegan (2008), Arrambam (2013) and Vedalam (2015), designed his costumes in this movie. Kaloyan Vodenicharov and K. Ganesh Kumar were the stunt directors.[14]

The title of the film, Vivegam, was announced in February 2017.[15][16] The official first look poster released along with the title on 2 February.[17] The director revealed that Vivek Obreoi was not playing an antagonist in the movie.[18]

Principal photography commenced in Slovenia on 1 August 2016,[19] and it was reported that at least 70% percent of this action thriller was to be shot in Europe.[20] The first schedule was successfully completed in Europe and the second schedule in Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad in October. The team informed that nearly 75 percent of the film shot was complete and the rest of the production was ongoing in Chennai. It was reported that the movie was filmed on a restricted military base in Eastern Europe.[21] The team completed their final shoot schedule in Serbia on such locations like Belgrade city centre, Belgrade Museum of Aviation and Bor lake.[22][23] Principal photography wrapped in July 2017.[24]

The film marks the third collaboration between Ajith Kumar and Siva, after Vedalam (2015) & Veeram (2014). The song "Surviva" is a western-based EDM number. Performed by Malaysian rapper Yogi B, the song has lyrics about survival.[26] With a tagline "Believe in yourself", this new track is believed to be along similar lines of never giving up and surviving.[27]

The second song "Thalai Viduthalai" is in the death metal rock genre. It is based on a punchline – 'Never, ever GIVE UP!' that became a rage after fans saw Ajith saying in a high-pitched tone in the teaser earlier. Thalai Viduthalai is written by director Siva and is a highly motivating song to wake up in the morning and start your day with a new passion. The philosophy of the song is, irrespective of the number of times you have been knocked down, as long as you are willing to stand up again and fight back, you are not a failure. The heavy metal track and adrenaline pumping lyrics match the larger than life onscreen and off-screen image of Ajith. Besides composing tunes, Anirudh Ravichander has also lent his voice to the song along with Harish Swaminathan. Anirudh quoted that, this song is a tribute and dedication to 'Thala' Ajith Kumar for his 25 years of grit, determination and hardwork in his cinema career"[28]

The third song "Kaadhalada" is a classic number. In one of the recent interviews with a leading daily, Kabilan Vairamuthu, who has penned the lyrics for Kadhalaada song revealed how he got this opportunity. He said, I was initially called in to work on the script; I ve co-written the screenplay. That was my first job in Vivegam, and during a discussion, this opportunity to write the lyrics for a song came up. The lyricist did not reveal much about the song before its release but opened up about the film. He further added, Vivegam has come out in a very stylish manner. I m sure it will be enjoyed by people of all ages." Kabilan is working with Ajith Kumar for the first time.[29]

The audio rights of the film were acquired by Sony Music, for a whooping amount of ₹2 crore.[30] Sridhar Subramanian, the CEO of Sony Music South, confirmed it on Twitter on 14 June 2017.[31][32][33]

The song teaser, for the first single "Surviva" was released on 15 June 2017, at midnight.[34][35] The full song released on 19 June 2017, directly on Saavn, the music streaming portal, instead of YouTube, and was played over 400,000 times in just over 12 hours, according to a statement from Sony Music.[36] It was the most played song in Saavn.[27] The second single track "Thalai Viduthalai" was released on 10 July 2017 at 12:01 a.m. midnight.[12][37] The third single "Kadhalaada" was released on 20 July 2017.[29][38]

Sony Music launched the album preview on 3 August 2017, on YouTube, in which the album consists of seven songs with lyrics written by Kabilan Vairamuthu, Yogi B Siva and Raja Kumari. The full album was released on 7 August 2017, at 5:00 p.m. on Saavn, and later on other digital platforms.

The songs of the Telugu version of the film, Vivekam was released on 17 August 2017. Lyrics for the songs were written by Yogi B, Bhaskarabatla Ravikumar and Ramajogayya Sastry.

Behindwoods rated the album 3 out of 5, stating that "Anirudh delivers a convincingly International album in his forte for Ajith's Vivegam!"[40] Sharanya CR from The Times of India, reviewed that "With Vivegam, Anirudh manages to give an album with songs that not just suit the mass image of Ajith, but also have an international appeal."[41] Indiaglitz rated it 3.25/5, and received that "Vivegam is easily one of the best albums for Ajith as well as Anirudh; the album is plethora of rock and energy."[42] Sify rated it 4 out of 5 and stated that "Anirudh adds an international flavour to a quintessential ‘mass’ album!"[43] BollywoodLife rated 4 out of 5, with a verdict "Anirudh Ravichander has done it again, composed a winner of an album! He has understood the actioner's theme and the lead star perfectly and composed brilliant, foot tapping tunes. Right form death metal vibes to breezy, romantic tunes, he has given us an impressive variation. All in all, Do NOT miss the Vivegam album."[44] International Business Times, reviewed it as "The album has many songs that win the hearts of the audience and it is easily one of the best albums composed by Anirudh."[45]

Vivegam was released on 24 August 2017.[53] The film was also released in Kannada as Commando in 2018.[54]

The broadcasting rights were purchased by Sun TV for a record price which was informed through the official social media page of the channel on 9 August 2017.[55]

The film was panned by critics.[56] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 0% of 2 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.5/10.

The Times of India rated the film 3 out of 5 and said "Vivegam is an over-the-top but engaging action thriller with a calculated mix of brawn and brain, action and sentiment, smartly pandering to fans while giving families something to connect with." NDTV rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and cited "Ajith Is Charismatic But Let Down By Silly Scenes".[57] Behindwoods rated the film 2.25 out of 5, stating, "Vivegam – High on production value and action. Heavily dependent on Ajith's persona, engagement factor takes a beating".[58] Mirchi9 gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, saying " Overall, Vivekam is for the fans and fans alone for whom just watching the star on screen is enough. There is ample style and punch dialogues with a healthy dose of action. For everyone else, it is an utterly boring film".[59] Nowrunning rated the film 1.5/5 and said "Director Siva had collected a bunch of Spy movies from Hollywood and made a mashup of them. He picked up all the action blocks and combined it with loud background score which will only irk the audience. Even the action is also missing in the second half and there is no logic at all. The climax is stretched further which disappoints the audience".[60]

Srinivasa Ramanujan of The Hindu wrote, "Vivegam is a misfire on many levels. It's an attempt to make an “international” thriller, with the assumption that a star with a huge fan base would be able to pull it off. Ajith's effort is sincere, but Vivegam just doesn't come together."[61]