Anbirkiniyal is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language survival thriller film directed by Gokul and produced by Arun and Alankar Pandian. A remake of the Malayalam film Helen (2019), it stars Arun’s daughter Keerthi as a woman who accidentally gets locked in a freezer room and fights to stay alive. The film began production in February 2020, and was released in theatres on 5 March 2021 to positive reviews.
Anbirkiniyal Sivam, nicknamed Anbu, is a BSc Nursing graduate and attends IELTS coaching classes intended for a job in Canada. She works part-time at The Chicken Hub, a fried chicken fast food restaurant in a mall to pay off her father Sivam’s debts. One night, while Anbu’s boyfriend Charles is driving her home, they are stopped by police who penalise Charles for drunken driving and not wearing a helmet; both are brought to the police station. Sivam is summoned to the station, and is in dismay of seeing his daughter and does not talk to her despite her several attempts of creating conversation.
One night, Anbu has no one to drop her off home from work. She tries to call Sivam, but he is still angry with her. Her workmates are told by their manager to put some stocks in the freezer room which they ask Anbu to do. When closing up for the night, the manager unknowingly locks Anbu in the freezer, where the temperature is -18 °C. Unaware of Anbu’s predicament, Charles and Sivam search for her, while Anbu fights to stay alive and not die from freezing. The security guard at the front of the mall tells the police that Anbu did not leave the mall. They start looking for her and eventually find her barely alive in the freezer. Anbu survives, and is hospitalised. Sivam thanks the security guard, who tells Sivam that Anbu was the only one who would give him a smile and wave at him.
Directed by Gokul
Based on Helen
Produced by Arun Pandian & Alankar Pandian
Starring Arun Pandian, Keerthi Pandian, Praveen Raja
Cinematography Mahesh Muthuswami
Edited by Pradeep E. Ragav
Music by Javed Riaz
Production A&P Groups
Distributed by Sakthi Film Factory
Release date 5 March 2021
Running time 124 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
