The 2010 action-adventure movie Aayirathil Oruvan, which translates to "One in a Thousand Men," was written and directed by Selvaraghavan and was also produced by R. Ravindran. Karthi, Reemma Sen, Andrea Jeremiah, and Parthiban all had major roles in the movie. Three protagonists, Muthu (Karthi), Lavanya (Andrea Jeremiah), and Anitha (Reemma Sen), are at the centre of the story as they set out on a quest to find a lost archaeologist. It is loosely based on the real rise and fall of the Tamil Pandya kingdom and the Tamil Chola dynasty.Principal photography for the movie began in July 2007 and ran through August 2008; it was shot in a number of locales with 2,000 extras, including Chalakudy, Kerala, and Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, as well as Ramoji Film Complex in Hyderabad. [4] The 1965 movie with the same name serves as the inspiration for the title Aayirathil Oruvan. Kola Bhaskar handled the editing, and Ramji was in charge of the filming. [5] The soundtrack album and background music for the movie are composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, who takes the place of Selvaraghavan's regular collaborator Yuvan Shankar Raja, who he worked with on his earlier films. The soundtrack was widely praised by the critics and was hailed as the composer's finest piece to date. Aayirathil Oruvan was released on January 14, 2010, during the Thai Pongal festival after the movie lingered in development hell for a year due to sluggish shooting progress and substantial pre- and post-production work. [7] Ayngaran International obtained the distribution rights. The movie was cut down to 154 minutes for the theatrical release even though the original running time was 181 minutes. [1]

When it was first released, the movie received praise from audiences and critics alike. Over the years, though, the movie gained cult significance. [8] R. Parthiepan received the Best Supporting Actor honour at the 58th Filmfare Awards South. Karthi plays Muthu, a Chennai-based porter. [9] Reema Sen portrays intelligence officer Anitha Pandiyan (Nambirattiyaar) in [10]
Andrea Jeremiah plays Lavanya Chandramouli, an archaeologist.
[11] R. Parthiban plays Meignanandha Sivapaadha Sekara Chozhar, an exiled king of the Chola dynasty and a descendant of Rajendra Chola III. After widespread rumour that Dhanush would be chosen, Parthiepan agreed to play the part. [12]
Chandramouli, an archaeologist and the father of Lavanya Chandramouli, is portrayed by Pratap K. Pothen.
As an army officer, Azhagam Perumal V. Nambirajan plays the Chola king's Rajaguru, and Abhinaya plays the Chola king's daughter. Mathan plays an uncredited role as a side soldier.