Dharmathin Thalaivan(1988)
Dharmathin Thalaivan is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language action-drama film directed by S. P. Muthuraman. The film stars Rajinikanth in dual roles as Professor Balasubramanian and Shankar, alongside Prabhu, Suhasini, and Khushbu in her Tamil debut. The story follows Raju, a hot-tempered youth who accidentally causes his elder brother's death and vows to reform. He moves to Bangalore with his brother's grieving fiancée, where he encounters a thief who is the exact double of his dead brother. The film is a remake of the Hindi film Kasme Vaade (1978) and was produced by Dhandayuthapani Films in their final venture. Ilaiyaraaja composed the soundtrack and won the Cinema Express Award for Best Music Director. The film was a commercial success and released on 24 September 1988.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Apple TV, Prime Video, Eros Now, Airtel Xstream Play, Plex
- Theatrical Release
- 24 September 1988
- Director
- S. P. Muthuraman
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 15m
- Rating
- 5.3/10
Storyline
After his kind brother Balu dies in a fight he started, Raju promises to change his violent ways. He moves to Bangalore with Balu's grieving fiancée Sumathi. There, Raju meets Shankar, a car thief who looks exactly like his dead brother. Raju tries to reform Shankar while protecting Sumathi from a dangerous smuggler.
“Two faces, one destiny.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Dharmathin Thalaivan
Cast reunions in this film: Prabhu & Ilayaraja (60 films together), Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja (58 films together), Nassar & Ilayaraja (49 films together), Ilayaraja & S. P. Muthuraman (43 films together), Kushboo & Ilayaraja (32 films together), and Ilayaraja & Panchu Arunachalam (26 films together).
Trivia
- The film was originally planned to be directed by K. Balachander, but S. P. Muthuraman eventually took over.
- This was one of the few films where Sathyaraj played a dual role, portraying both the gentle Balu and the criminal lookalike.
- The movie's music by Ilaiyaraaja was a major hit, with the song 'Kadhal Oviyam' becoming particularly popular.
- Actress Radha played the female lead, marking another successful collaboration with Sathyaraj after several hits.
- The story explores the theme of non-violence, a contrast to many action films of that era in Tamil cinema.
- It was produced by S. S. Chandran under the banner of Chandran Movies, known for family-oriented films.
- The climax fight sequence was shot over several days at a specially constructed set to depict a factory.