Om has been sold as a mass action entertainer about red sanders, woodcutters and police operations. With its third single, Senjudare, the makers have shown a gentler side of the film. The song is about love and has a devotional feel, and it gives the story an emotional anchor less than three weeks before release.
RTake Studios, which is producing the film with Dhanush's Wunderbar Films, announced the track on social media: "She brings in warmth, grace and pure love. Senjudare - third single from #OM out now. Worldwide in cinemas from November 20."
The song is picturised on Sreeleela's character, Roja. Sai Abhyankkar composed and sang it, and the lyrics are by Adesh Krishna. It is the kind of melody that is likely to stay with listeners after the first play.
Why the Song Matters for Om
Big action films that bring stars together live or die on their music. Senjudare gives Om something its grittier promotional material didn't have: a romantic, family-friendly side. The earlier title teaser set the story among people who cut red sanders for a living. In it, Dhanush plays a woodcutter who comes to the rescue of workers held at gunpoint by the police. A soft melody next to that rough setting suggests the film will balance its emotional moments with its action.
The makers have been building the film's world piece by piece. They recently introduced Sai Pallavi as Nithya Reddy, an Andhra Pradesh cadre IPS officer who joins the CBI as Additional Superintendent to work with Interpol and who leads the operation called "OM." Director Rajkumar Periasamy, who earlier worked with Sai Pallavi on Amaran, called her "The PERFORMER." The actress replied that she sees "my alter ego in her."
A Release Plan Shaped by Respect
Om was originally set to release on October 16. Dhanush postponed it out of respect for Superstar Rajinikanth, whose Jailer 2 hit screens on October 15. He also ruled out a Deepavali release because Suriya's film had already been announced for that date. In a festive season full of big films, avoiding direct clashes has cleared space for Om on November 20.
The Bigger Picture
The biggest draw is still the pairing. This is the first time Dhanush and Mammootty have worked together. Mammootty plays a character called Karthikeyan, and the cast also includes Naseeruddin Shah, Sai Pallavi and Sreeleela. The team recently shot in Malaysia. On set, Mammootty marked his recent National Award win together with three other National Award winners: Dhanush, Rajkumar Periasamy and editor Kalaivanan.
Wunderbar Films head Sreyas has promised that the film will bring back the "mass vintage Dhanush" fans have been waiting for. The title also carries the tagline Chapter 1, which hints at a possible sequel. Ezhil Arasu is the cinematographer, Kalaivanan R the editor and Kavya Sriram the costume designer.
With Senjudare now out, the makers have added romance and devotion to the film's action and police-thriller elements, and fans will see how it all comes together on November 20.
