Johnny(1980)
Johnny is a 1980 Indian Tamil-language crime thriller film written and directed by Mahendran. The film stars Rajinikanth in a dual role as Johnny and Vidyasagar, alongside Sridevi and Deepa. The story follows a con artist named Johnny who is implicated for a murder committed by his lookalike, a barber named Vidyasagar. The film explores themes of identity, love, and sacrifice. It was Mahendran's first original script and marked a departure from typical Tamil action films of the era. The film was a commercial success, running for over 100 days in theatres. It is known for its emotional storytelling, Ilaiyaraaja's music, and Rajinikanth's dual role performance. The film was released on 15 August 1980.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Amazon Prime Video, Hungama Play, YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 14 August 1980
- Director
- J. Mahendran
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 20m
- Rating
- 7.5/10
Storyline
A charming con artist named Johnny falls in love with a famous singer. But his life turns upside down when a shy barber who looks exactly like him is mistaken for Johnny by the police. As the barber's own dark secrets surface, Johnny must choose between clearing his name and protecting the innocent man who shares his face.
“Two faces. One destiny.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Johnny
Cast reunions in this film: Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja (58 films together), Ilayaraja & Sridevi (23 films together), Ilayaraja & Suruli rajan (19 films together), Rajinikanth & Sridevi (16 films together), Rajinikanth & Suruli rajan (15 films together), and Ilayaraja & V. Gopalakrishnan (13 films together).
Trivia
- The film was originally titled 'Johnny' but was briefly renamed 'Johnny, My Friend' before release.
- Sivaji Ganesan's son, Prabhu, made his acting debut as a child artist in this film.
- The movie was inspired by the 1978 Bollywood film 'Don', which also featured a lookalike plot.
- Composer Ilaiyaraaja reused the tune of 'Ennadi Meenakshi' from this film in his later work for 'Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu'.
- This was one of the few films where actor-director J. Mahendran played a full-fledged lead role.
- The climax was shot at the Gemini Studios premises in Chennai, a common location for films of that era.
- Despite its stars, the film did not perform well commercially upon its initial release.