Darbar

Darbar is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by AR Murugadoss and produced by Allirajah Subaskaran under Lyca Productions. The film stars Rajinikanth, Suniel Shetty, Nayanthara and Nivetha Thomas. It follows Aaditya Arunasalam (Rajinikanth), the commissioner of Mumbai Police, who sets out to curb rampant drug-trafficking and prostitution in the city. However, when he uncovers a deeper controversy linked to an international drug lord, he tries to fulfill his secret agenda. Darbar marks Rajinikanth playing the role of a police officer after 27 years; his last police role was in Pandiyan (1992). Earlier known under the working title Thalaivar 167, the title Darbar was officially announced on 9 April 2019. Principal photography commenced the same month, with the film being primarily shot in Mumbai, and was completed in October 2019. The music was composed by Anirudh Ravichander with cinematography and editing performed by Santosh Sivan and A. Sreekar Prasad, respectively. Darbar was released theatrically in India on 9 January 2020, coinciding with Pongal. The film met with mixed reviews upon release, and grossed 202—250 crore crore at the box office, making it one of Rajinikanth's highest-grossing films and the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2020. Despite this, it was considered a poor performer, which caused distributors to threaten hunger strikes, demanding that Rajinikanth recoup their losses. Plot Mumbai Police Commissioner Aditya Arunachalam is seen killing numerous gangsters across Mumbai in police encounters. His reckless behaviour has become the subject of widespread condemnation, which prompts the National Human Rights Commission of India to act against him. One of the panellists on the commission, and a former friend of Aditya, discovers that his ruthlessness is due to the murder of his daughter Valli.