Vaali is a 1999 Tamil thriller film written and directed by S. J. Surya making his directorial debut and was produced by S. S. Chakravarthy under production company Nic Arts. The film stars Ajith Kumar in dual role with Simran in the lead. Actress Jyothika made her south Indian cinematic debut alongside Vivek, Pandu and Livingston in supporting roles. A modern-day adaptation of the legend of Vali from the Ramayana, it tells the story of Deva and Shiva, two look-alike siblings, with Deva being deaf and dumb. When Shiva marries his sweetheart Priya, Deva becomes obsessed and has a lust towards Priya.