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Nayagan

Poster from TMDB

EntityQ3181879· pop 16· linked from 323 articles

Also known as Nayakan

Nayakan ( ) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language epic crime drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Produced by Muktha Srinivasan, the film stars Kamal Haasan and Saranya (in her feature debut) in the lead, with Janagaraj, Karthika, Vijayan, M. V. Vasudeva Rao, Delhi Ganesh, Nizhalgal Ravi, Nassar and Tara in supporting roles. It revolves around the evolution of Velu Naicker (Haasan) from an ordinary slum dweller to a highly respected crime lord in the Bombay underworld.

Film · TMDB

7.8

Velu Naicker, who witnesses the brutal murder of his father, kills a corrupt policeman and escapes to Mumbai, only to become a gangster.

Released: 1987-10-21156 minDir: Mani RatnamDrama, Crime

Cast

  • Kamal Haasan as Sakthivel 'Velu' Naicker
  • Saranya Ponvannan as Neela
  • Karthika as Charumati
  • Janagaraj as Selvam
  • Delhi Ganesh as Iyer
  • Nizhalgal Ravi as Surya

Themes

  • gangster
  • gang war
  • symbolism
  • revenge
  • religion
  • india
  • family tragedy
  • rise to power
  • corrupt system
  • life in the slums

This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Ratings

IMDb

8.6/10

27,908 votes

Year
1987
Runtime
145 min
Genres
Crime, Drama

via IMDb

Key facts

Film.image
Nayakan poster.jpg
Film.caption
Theatrical release poster
Film.director
Mani Ratnam
Film.writer
Mani Ratnam
Film.producer
Muktha SrinivasanMuktha V. RamaswamyG. Venkateswaran
Film.starring
Kamal HaasanSaranya
Film.cinematography
P. C. Sreeram
Film.editing
B. LeninV. T. Vijayan
Film.music
Ilaiyaraaja
Film.studio
Muktha Films
Film.distributor
GV Films
Film.runtime
155 minutes
Film.country
India
Film.language
Tamil
Film.budget
₹1 crore

via Wikipedia infobox

Internet Archive

movies

Nayakan ( 1987)

Watch at Internet Archive →

via archive.org

~24 min read

Encyclopedic overview

21 sections
Contents
  • Plot
  • Cast
  • Production
  • Development
  • Casting
  • Filming
  • Post-production
  • Themes
  • Music
  • Release
  • Box office
  • Critical reception
  • Accolades
  • Legacy
  • In popular culture
  • Controversy
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • Bibliography
  • External links

Nayakan ( ) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language epic crime drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Produced by Muktha Srinivasan, the film stars Kamal Haasan and Saranya (in her feature debut) in the lead, with Janagaraj, Karthika, Vijayan, M. V. Vasudeva Rao, Delhi Ganesh, Nizhalgal Ravi, Nassar and Tara in supporting roles. It revolves around the evolution of Velu Naicker (Haasan) from an ordinary slum dweller to a highly respected crime lord in the Bombay underworld.

Nayakan is loosely based on the life of the Bombay underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar and the American film The Godfather (1972). Ratnam was initially approached to remake the Hindi film Pagla Kahin Ka (1970) for Srinivasan and Haasan, but refused. He instead suggested two other stories, one of which impressed Haasan and became Nayakan. Cinematography was handled by P. C. Sreeram, and editing by B. Lenin and V. T. Vijayan. Filming began in late 1986, taking place primarily in Madras and to a lesser extent, Bombay.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Nayagan” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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