About

Master is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, who also wrote the screenplay with Rathna Kumar and Pon Parthiban. The film stars Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi, with Malavika Mohanan, Arjun Das, Andrea Jeremiah and Shanthanu Bhagyaraj in supporting roles. The film revolves around an alcoholic professor, J. D. (Vijay), who takes a three-month teaching job in a juvenile home, which is controlled by the nefarious Bhavani (Sethupathi).

The film was launched under in August 2019, whereas principal photography commenced in October 2019 and ended in February 2020. Filming took place at Delhi, Chennai and Karnataka. The music is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, while cinematography and editing are performed by Sathyan Sooryan and Philomin Raj respectively. Originally launched under the tentative title Thalapathy 64, the official title Master was announced on 31 December 2019.

Master was initially planned for theatrical release on 9 April 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The makers of the film preferred to wait for a theatrical release, rather than releasing it on any over-the-top media service. After being delayed for several months, the film was released in theatres on 13 January 2021, a day before Pongal. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it was periodically the highest-grossing film of 2021 at the overseas box office, becoming the first Indian film to achieve this feat.