Ratchagan(1997)
Ratchagan is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language romantic action film directed by Praveen Gandhi in his directorial debut. The film stars Nagarjuna and Sushmita Sen in their Tamil film debuts, alongside Raghuvaran, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vadivelu, and Girish Karnad. The story follows Ajay, an unemployed youth with a violent temper, who must control his anger for three months to marry Sonia, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. The industrialist's factory is being sabotaged by his vengeful stepbrother Gnaneswar. The film was the most expensive Indian production at the time of its release, with a soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman. It received mixed reviews and was a box office disappointment. Raghuvaran won the Dinakaran Cinema Award for Best Villain for his performance. The film was released on 30 October 1997.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- VI Movies and TV, Disney+ Hotstar, Sun NXT, Amazon Prime Video, Airtel Xstream Play, aha
- Theatrical Release
- 30 October 1997
- Director
- Praveen Kanth
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 55m
- Rating
- 5.0/10
Storyline
Ajay is a hot-headed young man who beats up criminals instead of calling the police. He falls in love with Sonia, but her father forces him to work in his factory for three months without fighting. If he fights, the wedding is off. Meanwhile, a vengeful stepbrother is sabotaging the factory. Ajay must choose between his promise and his nature.
“Love demands a promise. Anger demands revenge.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Ratchagan
Cast reunions in this film: Vadivelu & A. R. Rahman (13 films together), Vadivelu & Raghuvaran (7 films together), A. R. Rahman & Raghuvaran (7 films together), A. R. Rahman & Girish Karnad (4 films together), Akkineni Nagarjuna & Raghuvaran (3 films together), and Akkineni Nagarjuna & Subhalekha Sudhakar (2 films together).
Trivia
- The film's climax was shot in a real-life abandoned factory in Chennai, which added to the gritty atmosphere.
- Director Praveen Gandhi was also a trained martial artist and choreographed the fight scenes himself.
- The movie's soundtrack by A. R. Rahman was released before the film and became a huge hit, boosting anticipation.
- This was one of the few Tamil films in the 90s to extensively use steady-cam shots for dynamic action sequences.
- Actor Nagarjuna, a major Telugu star, was initially considered for the lead role before it went to Vijay.
- The film's title 'Ratchagan' translates to 'Night' and symbolizes the dark, violent phase of the protagonist's life.
- Despite mixed reviews, the film developed a cult following over the years for its raw action and music.