
Nayagan(1987)
Tamil145 mins
Nayagan (1987) is a 145-minute Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam. Starring Saranya ponvannan, Nizhalgal Ravi and Kamal Haasan. With an audience rating of 9.0/10, Nayagan stands as one of the notable Tamil releases of 1987.
Director:Mani Ratnam
Mood:
darkemotionalsuspenseful
Where to watch:
OTT availability not confirmed yet. Check Netflix · Prime Video · Hotstar · ZEE5
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 1987
- Director
- Mani Ratnam
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 25m
- GudVibe Rating
- 9.0/10
Storyline
A young boy sees his father killed. After taking revenge on a corrupt police officer, he flees to a new city. There, he rises to become a powerful crime boss.
“A boy's revenge becomes a city's nightmare.”
Film Details
9.0Rating
145Minutes
TamilLanguage
ACertificate
Release Date1 January 1987
Release Typetheatrical
Also Known Asநாயகன் · Hero · Nayakudu · Velu Nayakan · Nayagan · People's Hero
Parental Guide
Violence
Moderate
Language
Moderate
Sex / Nudity
Moderate
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
Moderate
Vibe & Tags
Mood
darkemotionalsuspenseful
Themes
revengecorruptionfamilyidentity
Tonegritty
Pacingslow-burn
Complexityrequires-attention
Audiencemultiplex
Best Withalone
Violence4
Emotion5
Humor1
Rewatchability5
Reviews & Ratings
Your Rating
9/10Rating
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Cast & Crew
Photos Gallery
No Photos Found
Videos Gallery
No Videos Found
Trivia
- The film was inspired by the real-life Mumbai gangster Varadarajan Mudaliar, and also draws from the story of Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
- Mani Ratnam initially wanted Rajinikanth for the lead role, but the actor felt he was too young to play a character aging over decades.
- Cinematographer P.C. Sreeram used diffused lighting and smoke to create a distinctive, painterly look, inspired by Rembrandt's portraits.
- The iconic scene where Velu Naicker carries his dying friend was shot in a single, unbroken take lasting over two minutes.
- The film's background score by Ilaiyaraaja was recorded with a 100-piece orchestra in Madras, a large ensemble for its time.
- Nayakan was India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 60th Academy Awards, though it was not nominated.
- The young Velu Naicker is played by Master Udayaraj, who is the son of veteran actor Delhi Ganesh.
Notable Collaborations
Frequent partnerships reunited in Nayagan
Actor-Composer60 films →
Music Composer-Selvam59 films →
Assistant Commissioner Patil-Music Composer49 films →
Actor-Composer34 films →
Iyer-Music Composer33 films →
Assistant Commissioner Patil-Iyer21 films →
Assistant Commissioner Patil-Actor17 films →
Assistant Commissioner Patil-Selvam17 films →
Actor-Iyer15 films →
Actor-Selvam14 films →
Assistant Commissioner Patil-Actor13 films →
Assistant Commissioner Patil-Neela13 films →
Actor-Assistant Commissioner Patil11 films →
Actor-Iyer11 films →
Assistant Commissioner Patil-Director of Photography8 films →
Iyer-Selvam8 films →
Director-Composer7 films →
Actor-Selvam7 films →
Music Composer-Director of Photography6 films →











