Priya(1978)
Priya is a 1978 Indian Tamil-language thriller film directed by S. P. Muthuraman. It stars Rajinikanth, Sridevi in the title role, Ambareesh, and Aznah Hamid. The story follows a famous movie star who is controlled by her producer and seeks help from a clever lawyer to escape. The lawyer accompanies her to Singapore, where he faces attacks from henchmen and eventually rescues her after a kidnapping. The film was simultaneously made in Kannada and is notable for being the first Tamil film to use stereophonic sound technology. It was a commercial success, running for 175 days in theatres.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 19 December 1978
- Director
- S. P. Muthuraman
- Language
- Tamil
- Rating
- 7.8/10
Storyline
A famous movie star named Priya is trapped by her greedy producer. She cannot marry the man she loves. She hires a smart lawyer named Ganesh to help her escape. He follows her to Singapore and must fight dangerous men to set her free.
“A star's fight for freedom”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Priya
Cast reunions in this film: Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja (58 films together), Ilayaraja & Thengai Srinivasan (50 films together), Ilayaraja & S. P. Muthuraman (43 films together), Thengai Srinivasan & Major Sundarrajan (32 films together), Ilayaraja & Panchu Arunachalam (26 films together), and Ilayaraja & Major Sundarrajan (24 films together).
Trivia
- The film was produced by S. A. Rajkannu, who was a prominent distributor and producer in the 1970s.
- It was one of the early Tamil films to directly address the exploitation of actresses in the film industry.
- The movie's climax was shot in a specially constructed courtroom set at Vijaya Vauhini Studios in Chennai.
- Actress Sripriya, who played the lead, was also a popular dancer known for her classical Bharatanatyam skills.
- The film's soundtrack by Shankar–Ganesh included a hit song 'Kannukku Mai Azhagu' penned by Kannadasan.
- A subplot involving the lawyer character was inspired by real legal cases of the era regarding artist contracts.
- Despite its serious theme, the film performed moderately at the box office, overshadowed by bigger commercial releases that year.