Whistle (2003 film)

Did You Know?

• The film's title refers to 'Whistle Day', a fictional carnival in the narrative.
• Vivek's comedy track is based on Mel Gibson's act in What Women Want (2000).
• Newcomer Vikramaditya made his feature debut with this film after appearing in Hindi advertisements and plays.

Plot

At SJ Arts and Science College, student Swetha is murdered in her car on a highway. Her friends include Jeeva, the college magazine editor; Anjali; Bharath; Vinod, the college prankster; Meera, a drug addict; Sharmi, a radio station operator; and Maya, the radio station RJ. Jeeva loves Anjali, while Maya has a crush on Jeeva. The college is known for stories of a serial killer called Naga, dismissed as an urban legend, though Professor Panneerselvam believes in it. An old laboratory behind the college, where a fire in 1987 killed all occupants, is rumored to be Naga's residence. Anjali and Maya make a bet and visit the abandoned lab at night, where Vinod pranks them. Panneer later tells students about Nagamma: she fell in love with a British soldier, and her brother killed her by burying her alive; a temple was built over her grave, and the college was built after demolishing the temple. Since then, Naga is said to murder people. Vinod fakes being tricked by black magic, but Panneer remains skeptical. Swetha's death is reported as an accident, but Anjali believes it was murder. Inspector Syed suspects business rivals of Swetha's father. Vinod takes Anjali to an abandoned forest and tries to make a move on her; she rejects him. Vinod is then killed by hanging, and Anjali sees Naga. She fetches watchman Baji, but Vinod's body and car are gone. Anjali tells her friends, but no one believes her. She finds a book on Naga in the library, with illustrations matching Vinod's death. Sharmi notes that Vinod was the last to borrow the book, suggesting he played a prank.

Release and reception

Whistle was released on 4 July 2003. Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu wrote that being inspired by foreign films is acceptable if the subject is handled well. Malini Mannath of Chennai Online noted that the directors remained largely faithful to the original but did commendable work in reworked areas. Mister Lee of Kalki praised the suspense, short flashback, and unpredictable climax, as well as Imman's score, Sujatha's dialogues, and Fowzia's cinematography. Sify stated that Vivek's comedy track, copied from Mel Gibson in What Women Want, steals the show.