Garjanai(1981)
Garjanai is a 1981 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by C. V. Rajendran. It stars Rajinikanth as Dr. Vijay, a doctor who battles a criminal gang that contaminates food with poison to profit from selling antidotes. Madhavi plays his love interest Geetha, while Geetha plays his sister Rekha. The film was simultaneously produced in Malayalam as Garjanam and in Kannada as Garjane. It was a box office failure, with critics panning the weak storyline. The Malayalam version is notable because it originally starred actor Jayan, who died during production and was replaced by Rajinikanth. The film's music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 6 August 1981
- Director
- C. V. Rajendran
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 4m
- Rating
- 7.5/10
Storyline
An honest doctor named Vijay discovers that a gang is poisoning common food items to create a market for their expensive antidote. When his sister is kidnapped, Vijay must fight the evil scientist Dr. Mithra and the ruthless businessman Parasuram to save his family and his city.
“When justice roars, evil trembles.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Garjanai
Cast reunions in this film: Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja (58 films together), Ilayaraja & Thengai Srinivasan (50 films together), Ilayaraja & Jaishankar (34 films together), Thengai Srinivasan & Major Sundarrajan (32 films together), Ilayaraja & M. N. Nambiar (25 films together), and Jaishankar & Thengai Srinivasan (25 films together).
Trivia
- The film's title 'Garjanai' means 'roar' in Tamil, symbolising the hero's fight against injustice.
- This was one of the few films where actor Vijayakanth played a doctor before his major action-hero fame.
- Director C.V. Rajendran was known for family dramas, making this a shift towards a more socially conscious plot.
- The movie featured music by Shankar–Ganesh, a popular composer duo of the early 1980s.
- Actress Radhika, who played the female lead, was a rising star in Tamil cinema at the time.
- The film's conflict involving children's health mirrored real public concerns in India during that period.
- It was released the same year as several iconic Rajinikanth films, facing tough competition at the box office.