Kaali(1980)
Kaali is a 1980 Indian action film in Tamil, directed by I. V. Sasi and written by Mahendran. It stars Rajinikanth as the vengeful title character, with Seema in a double role, Fatafat Jayalaxmi, and Shubha. The story follows Kaali, a man who returns from prison to seek revenge on the wealthy Rajaram for destroying his family. The film was simultaneously shot in Telugu with Chiranjeevi replacing Vijayakumar in a supporting role. Ilaiyaraaja composed the soundtrack, which includes Vairamuthu's first written film song, 'Kali Bhadrakali'. The film is notorious for a fire accident during production that killed stuntmen and horses. It received mixed reviews and was a box office failure in both languages.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 18 September 1980
- Director
- I. V. Sasi
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 24m
- Rating
- 7.3/10
Storyline
After his sister is killed by a rich businessman's sons and he is framed for murder, Kaali spends years in prison. Upon release, he returns to his hometown with one goal: destroy Rajaram, the man who ruined his life. But Rajaram controls the police and has an army of thugs. Kaali must fight through every obstacle to get his revenge.
“Revenge is a fire that burns both ways.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Kaali
Cast reunions in this film: Ilayaraja & Manorama (60 films together), Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja (58 films together), Ilayaraja & Vijayakumar (44 films together), Vijayakumar & Manorama (32 films together), Manorama & Major Sundarrajan (29 films together), and Ilayaraja & Major Sundarrajan (24 films together).
Trivia
- The film was a remake of the 1979 Malayalam movie 'Kaali', also directed by I.V. Sasi.
- Actor Rajinikanth was initially considered for the lead role before Kamal Haasan was cast.
- This was one of the few Tamil films where Kamal Haasan played a character primarily driven by revenge.
- The movie's climax was shot in a large mansion set that was specially constructed for the film.
- Despite the action theme, the film included a notable number of comedy scenes written for supporting actors.
- The soundtrack by Ilaiyaraaja became popular, especially the song 'Kannae En Kanmani'.
- It was one of the early Tamil films to be shot extensively in and around Madras, now Chennai.