Roja(1992)
Roja is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film directed and co-written by Mani Ratnam. It stars Arvind Swamy as Rishi Kumar, a cryptologist, and Madhoo as Roja, a village girl. The story follows Roja's desperate efforts to rescue her husband after he is kidnapped by Kashmiri militants who want to exchange him for their captured leader. The film was produced by K. Balachander under Kavithalayaa Productions and features cinematography by Santhosh Sivan. It marked the debut of music composer A. R. Rahman, whose soundtrack won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction. Roja won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration and was nominated for Best Film at the 18th Moscow International Film Festival. The film was released on 15 August 1992, India's Independence Day.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- VI Movies and TV, Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5, Sun NXT, Airtel Xstream Play, JioTV
- Theatrical Release
- 15 August 1992
- Director
- Mani Ratnam
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 17m
- Rating
- 5.8/10
Storyline
A young village woman named Roja marries Rishi, a cryptologist working for Indian intelligence. They move to Kashmir, where Rishi is kidnapped by militants demanding the release of their leader. Roja must navigate a foreign land, language barriers, and a reluctant government to save the man she loves.
“Love that crossed borders.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Roja
Cast reunions in this film: Mani Ratnam & A. R. Rahman (20 films together), Nassar & Janagaraj (17 films together), Nassar & A. R. Rahman (16 films together), Nassar & Arvind Swamy (10 films together), Arvind Swamy & A. R. Rahman (9 films together), and Santosh Sivan & A. R. Rahman (8 films together).
Trivia
- The film's music director, A.R. Rahman, became a major star after this movie, which was his first film in Tamil.
- The song 'Chinna Chinna Aasai' was shot in Ooty, but it was made to look like a village in Tamil Nadu.
- Actor Arvind Swami, who played the lead, was a model and this was only his second film.
- Director Mani Ratnam filmed parts of the movie in Kashmir despite political tensions in the region.
- The film's success led to it being dubbed into Hindi and several other Indian languages.
- The character Roja was named after the red colour ('roja' means rose/red) symbolising passion and sacrifice.
- The movie was remade in Telugu with the same title and cast, which was rare at the time.