Kuruthipunal () is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed and filmed by P. C. Sreeram, and co-produced and written by Kamal Haasan. The film, which stars Haasan, Arjun, Nassar, Gautami and Geetha, is a remake of the Hindi film Drohkaal (1994), and revolves around two police officers seeking to curb a terrorist group.
Alongside the Tamil version, a Telugu-language version titled Drohi () was filmed at the same time. Kuruthipunal was co-produced by Haasan's brother Chandrahasan. Mahesh composed the score and the film was edited by N. P. Sathish. Kuruthipunal was the first Indian film to use Dolby Stereo surround SR technology.
Kuruthipunal was released on 23 October 1995, Diwali day, and Drohi on 7 July 1996. The former was a critical and commercial success, and won the Cinema Express Award for Best Film – Tamil while Kamal Haasan won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. It was India's official entry for the 68th Academy Awards under the category Best Foreign Language Film but was not nominated. The film attained cult status in Tamil cinema, and has been recognised by many to have set standards for other action films of the period.
Plot
Police officers Adhi Narayanan and Abbas devise a plan to take down a terrorist group, where they send undercover officers Anand and Shiva on "Operation Dhanush". The objective is to infiltrate a terrorist group headed by the Naxalite Badri and relay information back to Abbas. After a year of the operation, Anand is caught and commits suicide before he can be interrogated. With the information relayed by Anand, Abbas and Adhi know that the terrorists are picking up someone important and are going to Tiruchirappalli. Abbas tightens security at the railway station while Adhi calls his wife from a public telephone booth. Adhi sees some suspicious activity and tries to investigate, but a sound from his radio alerts the terrorist and a shootout follows.
Adhi wounds a terrorist and stops another from fleeing by shooting at the car's tyre. The wounded terrorist enters the railway station but is shot dead by Abbas and the car driver is taken into custody. Adhi asks the driver for information on Badri. The driver maintains his innocence, but Adhi is convinced that the driver holds a mid-level position in the terrorist organisation. The terrorists plan to assassinate a central government minister who is visiting the city. An RPG shooter is brought in to kill the minister, whose route the terrorists seem to know. The terrorists kills the minister, and Adhi catches the shooter, who identifies the driver as Badri. Adhi tells Badri that the shooter has identified him and is willing to give more information about the terrorist organisation. Badri uses his influence and kills the imprisoned shooter.
Adhi beats Badri and decides to kill him, but instead interrogates him. Badri reveals that the terrorists have planted a spy in the police department Srinivasan, who is Abbas and Adhi's mentor. Adhi tells the CBI that Srinivasan is a spy, but Srinivasan commits suicide before he can be arrested. Badri's assistant Narasimhan sends terrorists to kill Adhi's pet and shoots at Adhi's son to show he can easily kill Adhi's family, who Narasimhan threatens to kill if Badri is not allowed to escape. Adhi cooperates, lets Badri escape and becomes the terrorists' new spy. Abbas becomes suspicious and follows Adhi when he goes to meet Badri, who catches, tortures and kills Abbas. Grief-stricken, Abbas's wife Zeenath and their teenage daughter go to live with Adhi, his wife Sumitra and their son.
Badri again threatens Adhi to allow two terrorists named Surendar and Mala to live and monitor Adhi. Overcome with guilt and grief over Abbas's death and his betrayal of his duty, Adhi realises that he is becoming like Srinivasan and decides to end the arrangement. Adhi sets up a meeting with Badri. Shiva, who is still in contact with Adhi, tells him that Narasimhan is meeting his wife and if Narasimhan dies, Shiva will become Badri's assistant. Adhi kills Narasimhan and tries to attack Badri in a safe house but is overpowered. Surendar tries to assault Abbas' daughter and kills Mala when she intervenes. Sumitra intervenes and seduces Surendar, where he steals his gun and kills him. Adhi is tortured for information about Dhanush.