Irandam Ulagam

Irandaam Ulagam
Theatrical poster
Tamil	இரண்டாம் உலகம்
Directed by	Selvaraghavan
Produced by	Prasad V. Potluri
Written by	Selvaraghavan
Starring	Arya Anushka Shetty
Music by	Songs: Harris Jayaraj Background Score: Anirudh Ravichander
Cinematography	Ramji
Edited by	Kola Bhaskar
Production company	PVP cinema
Release date	22 November 2013 (2013-11-22)
Running time	160 minutes
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Irandaam Ulagam (English: Second World) is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic fantasy film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. Starring Arya and Anushka Shetty, the film features soundtrack composed by Harris Jayaraj, background score by Anirudh Ravichander and cinematography handled by Ramji. After several months of production, the film was released worldwide on 22 November 2013. The film was dubbed in Telugu and released as Varna.

Irandam Ulagam is about two stories which unfold concurrently in two different planets – our Earth and an unnamed exoplanet. On earth a timid medical student Ramya (Anushka Shetty) who has a crush on an academic mathematician Madhu Balakrishnan (Arya), asks him out. He initially refuses her proposal for marriage as his father is an invalid needing his full attention and care. Later, Madhu gradually reciprocates Ramya's love seeing her caring nature and proposes marriage. But, she reluctantly rejects his proposal as her family has already arranged her marriage. While on a trip to Goa, Madhu wins Ramya's heart while her fiance abruptly cancels the marriage citing dowry as the reason. She suddenly dies in a freak accident and this is followed by Madhu's paralysed father's death too. Depressed by the sudden twin tragedies, Madhu becomes a vagabond in Goa. He sees an apparition of his dead father that tells him death is an illusion. Later, at a local tourist spot, he follows an empty car to a hilltop and tries to commit suicide. He gets injured and faints while trying to drive the car.

The story moves parallel in the alternate world in a relatively primitive kingdom which protects the immortal Amma. The son of a noble military commander, Maravan (Arya), falls in love with a working class orphan Varna (Anushka Shetty). Maravan, though fearless, does not take interest in martial arts and roams around the kingdom drinking with his friends. Varna, on the other hand, is interested in a military career though she picks and packs wild mushrooms to eke out a living. She also has the desire to protect Amma from the enemies of the kingdom. While gatecrashing a military admissions exam for Amma's protection, the tyrant king condemns Varna to his harem. Maravan pleads with the king to release Varna and the king in return challenges Maravan to get hold of a lion's skin within three days. Maravan, though inexperienced, fights with the lion that has never been conquered until then and gets Varna released. At the behest of the king, Varna is forced to marry Maravan, which goes against her free will. So, she tries to commit suicide after assaulting the king. But Amma saves her and the riled king exiles her to the forest. Depressed Maravan tries to commit suicide in vain. Taunted by new military recruits, Maravan climbs a sacred mountain called Swamimalai.