Maanagaram

Note: The names of several characters were not explicitly mentioned in the film—except for Winnings, P. K. P., and Karthi—till the 2023 release of the film's screenplay as a book.

Barani V., an engineering graduate from small-town Trichy, arrives in Chennai to interview for an IT job in Business Process Outsourcing. Barani passes his interview with HR officer Aarthy and celebrates at a bar with his friends. Another man at the bar, Jeeva, has had an unrequited love for Aarthy since they were in college. In a flashback, goons threaten to throw acid in Aarthy's face if she responds to Jeeva's feelings. Enraged, Jeeva punches one of the goons. In the present, the goons recognize Jeeva in the bar and hire some gang members to beat him up. However, the gang members mistake Barani for their target and beat him when he leaves the bar, knocking him unconscious and stealing his phone and bag, throwing the latter into a taxi cab.

Nataraj came to the city to seek medical treatment for his son while driving a taxi rented from gangster P. K. Pandian "P. K. P.". He finds Barani's bag in his taxi with his academic certificates, which he takes to the police station. In the morning, Barani awakens in the street and calls a friend to take him home. He boards a bus to his new job, to explain about his missing academic certificates. Jeeva boards the same bus to attend a job interview at Aarthy's company. He recognizes the goon who threatened Aarthy and attacks him with acid, then escapes with his friends. Barani is detained by the police, having unwittingly passed the bottle of acid to Jeeva. Fatigued by the hostility of the city, Barani argues with the police inspector who beats him until a constable intervenes. The constable talks with Barani at a tea stall, where Barani recognizes the man who told him to pass the acid bottle, and the constable arrests him.

The gang members plot to kidnap schoolboy Karthick "Karthi" for ransom, sending a man named Winnings to trick his teachers. Winnings is unprepared when there are five boys named Karthi, one of whom volunteers to go with Winnings in order to avoid a mathematics test. They take the boy but later realize he is the son of gangster P. K. P. Brani tells Aarthy that he no longer wants the job. She asks him to take the company's training so that she won't be held responsible for his quitting. They begin to argue about it and Jeeva, who is waiting for his interview, intervenes. The police arrive and take Jeeva away, saddening Aarthy who loves Jeeva but cannot accept his carefree nature. Barani tells Aarthy that he lost his academic certificates, and she agrees to cover for him for a day.

P. K. P. orders his henchmen to hunt down his enemies in a search for Karthi. The gang demand a ₹1 crore (10 million rupees) ransom and P. K. P. agrees to follow their instructions. Meanwhile, Jeeva is released by the police inspector, who is his uncle. Jeeva waits for Aarthy at a bus stop outside her hostel. Aarthy sees Karthi, who had escaped the kidnappers, hiding in a truck and instructs Jeeva to take Karthi home. Jeeva tries to call P. K. P. but his phone is off. He then meets his uncle and leaves Karthi in the police inspector's custody. Winnings, who is terrified of P. K. P., confesses the kidnapping to the inspector, who commands Winnings to go through with the ransom exchange. Jeeva arrives and realizes the situation. The inspector shoots P. K. P. and tries to shoot Winnings but Jeeva shoots the inspector in the leg and instructs Winnings to take P. K. P. and Karthi to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Barani is riding in Nataraj's taxi when they are stopped and attacked by the gang who believe they are spying for P. K. P. They threaten to kill Nataraj if Barani does not bring P. K. P. To allow Nataraj to escape and take care of his sick son, Barani fights back against the gang who he recognizes as his attackers from the bar. Barani's lost academic certificates are returned to his home address. Outside the hospital, Barani and Jeeva each talk to their girlfriends. They are about to introduce themselves to each other when they are challenged by another gang hired by the goon Jeeva punched. Jeeva and Barani charge toward the gang to defend themselves.

The names of several characters were revealed in the 2023 release of the film's screenplay as a book.^[4]

In April 2015, actor Sundeep Kishan began working on the project with writer and director Lokesh Kanagaraj, produced by S. R. Prabhu's production house Potential Studios. Sundeep had earlier expressed an interest in producing the film himself, but later became busy with other commitments.^[8] Lokesh had previously worked as a director in Karthik Subbaraj's anthology film project, Aviyal (2016), in which his short film Kalam was included. The story was discussed with associate directors Maharajothi, Krisha, Archana and Gopi, titled Maanagaram and promoted as a dark comedy thriller. Actor Sri and Regina Cassandra were signed on to play other lead roles, with filming beginning later that month.^[9] Actors Charle and Munishkanth were subsequently signed and the project was completed by September 2015.^[10] The film was revealed to be based on hyperlink cinema with Regina's role constant throughout the film.^[11][12] The film was shot and completed within a period of 46 days.^[13] Potential Studios began promoting the film in February 2016, but later postponed efforts until early 2017 to get a better date for a theatrical release.^[14]

The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Javed Riaz. The album was released on 22 August 2016.^[15] Riaz previously collaborated with Lokesh Kanagaraj for a segment in Aviyal. A writer from The Hindu called the song "Yendi Unna Pidikkuthu" as the album's highlight and added that "The song’s guitar-layered melody builds steadily, banking on Karthik’s vocal dexterity, even taking on a fantastic celtic sound midway and moving on to a punchy, highly-rhythmic interlude".^[16]

Maanagaram was released on 10 March 2017. Prior to release, the producers held preview shows for the film in Chennai.^[3] Both screenings were attended by film personalities, who widely praised the film.^[17] The film had a simultaneous release for its Telugu dubbed version, Nagaram.^[3] The film had its television premiere on Star Vijay during Diwali.^[18]

The film was remade in Hindi as Mumbaikar (2023).^[30] The screenplay book of the original film published by Pesaamozhi Publication was released in January 2023.^[31]