Ezhavathu Manithan(1982)
Ezhavathu Manithan is a 1982 Indian Tamil-language drama film co-written and directed by K. Hariharan. It stars Raghuvaran in his debut lead role, alongside Rathna, Deepak, and Ranga. The story follows Anand, an engineering graduate who discovers that a cement factory is exploiting its workers and poisoning the air with pollution. The film is inspired by a real legal case against a factory in Tirunelveli district. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Ezhavathu Manithan was also screened at the Moscow International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden St. George prize. The film was released on 11 June 1982.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 31 December 1982
- Director
- K. Hariharan
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 22m
- Rating
- 7.5/10
Storyline
Anand, a young engineer, takes a job at a cement factory in a rural village. He quickly learns that the factory's dust is giving workers deadly lung diseases and the manager is stealing their wages. When the owner refuses to help, Anand organizes the workers into a union and calls a strike. The management fights back with murder and false accusations.
“One man against a factory of lies.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Trivia
- This was one of the earliest Tamil films directed by K. Hariharan, who later co-founded the influential film school, the Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu (FTIT).
- The film's story highlights the exploitation of industrial workers, a theme that was relatively uncommon in mainstream Tamil cinema of the early 1980s.
- Actor Sathyaraj, who played the lead role of Anand, was still in the early phase of his career, often cast in rebellious or socially conscious roles during this period.
- The movie's title, 'Ezhavathu Manithan', translates to 'The Seventh Man', which is a symbolic reference to the common laborer or an underdog figure.
- It featured music by composer Shankar–Ganesh, a popular duo in Tamil cinema at the time, though the soundtrack did not achieve major commercial success.
- The film was shot in and around industrial locations to authentically depict the factory and village settings described in the story.
- Despite its social message, the movie had a modest box office run and is not widely remembered today compared to other films from that era.