Ram Lakshman(1981)
Ram Lakshman is a 1981 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by R. Thyagarajan. The lead cast includes Kamal Haasan as Ram and Sripriya as Meena, with M. N. Nambiar playing the antagonist Chandrasekar. The story revolves around a young man and his pet elephant Lakshman, who share an unbreakable bond. When Ram is framed for murder, Lakshman risks everything to save him. The film is notable for featuring an elephant in a central role, a signature of Devar Films productions. Ilaiyaraaja composed the soundtrack, with the song 'Nandhaan Ungappanda' gaining international fame at the 2012 London Olympics. The movie was released on 28 February 1981 and was remade in Telugu as Rama Lakshmanulu the same year.
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 28 February 1981
- Director
- R. Thyagarajan
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 16m
- Rating
- 6.5/10
Storyline
Ram loves his pet elephant Lakshman more than anything. When he falls in love with Meena, her father demands he get rid of the elephant. Ram refuses and the wedding is cancelled. Then a murder happens and Ram is framed for the crime. Lakshman must escape and fight to save his best friend from jail and prove his innocence.
“A boy. An elephant. An unbreakable bond.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Ram Lakshman
Cast reunions in this film: Kamal Haasan & Ilayaraja (60 films together), Ilayaraja & Thengai Srinivasan (50 films together), Ilayaraja & M. N. Nambiar (25 films together), Kamal Haasan & Thengai Srinivasan (23 films together), Sripriya & Kamal Haasan (19 films together), and Sripriya & Ilayaraja (19 films together).
Trivia
- The film was produced by actor Sivakumar's wife Lakshmi, making it a rare family production.
- It was one of the earliest Tamil films to heavily feature an elephant as a central, almost human-like character.
- The movie's director, R. Thyagarajan, was primarily known for his work as a film editor before this.
- The story is loosely inspired by the bond between the epic characters Rama and Lakshmana, but with an animal twist.
- Despite its dramatic plot, the film included several comedy tracks typical of early 80s Tamil cinema.
- The elephant playing Lakshman reportedly required special trainers on set for the emotional scenes.
- The film's soundtrack was composed by Shankar–Ganesh, a popular duo in Tamil cinema at the time.