Guilt, if present, is momentary, and forgotten when the characters experience pleasure.
Nagadathan asks, "Vishnugupta, which is dharma?", and Chanakya, the master strategist, says, "What we're in need of, that is dharma." The lines are from 400 BC, but nothing could be more apt to describe the amoral landscape of neo noir films where crime is often what characters need to do in order to survive. The film begins with a dialogue between Nagadathan and Vishnugupta Chanakya ( F rom Volga to Ganga), the political adviser of the Mauryas. If Aaranya Kaandam released today, there's a good chance that it will do much better in terms of commercial success. However, since then, Tamil cinema has changed a lot, with younger directors experimenting with genres, filmmaking techniques, character portrayals, and storytelling devices. Consequently, although it received rave reviews, Aaranya Kaandam did not set the box-office on fire. Besides, the language, moral ambiguity in the plot, and the 'A' certification did not draw in what's usually called the "family audience" to the theatres.
Fans of filmmakers like Tarantino and Guy Ritchie were quick to spot the inspirations in Aaranya Kaandam, but for most of the Tamil audience, the film was nothing like they had seen before.
The film finally released with an 'A' certificate and several beeps. In 2011, the CBFC wanted 52 cuts to be made in Aaranya Kaandam, ranging from a joke involving Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan to profanity in the dialogues. While the title Aaranya Kaandam refers to the part of the Ramayana which is set in the jungle (with the chief villain being named Singaperumal), the trailer of Super Deluxe is about a man being chased by a tiger. Those who remember watching the trailer of Aaranya Kaandam will recognise the similar style in Super Deluxe - both have a voice-over narrating a story which has the quality of myth, introducing the characters like a sutradhar and setting them up within a predicament that forces them to make certain choices.
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