Athisaya Piravi(1990)
Athisaya Piravi is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language fantasy comedy film directed by S.P. Muthuraman and written by Panchu Arunachalam. The film stars Rajinikanth in a dual role as Kaalaiyan and Balu, alongside Kanaka, Sheeba Akashdeep, Nagesh, and Jai Ganesh. The story follows Kaalaiyan, a poor young man murdered by his lover's father, whose spirit is sent back to Earth by Yama in the body of a villager named Balu. As Balu, he must navigate two families, two lovers, and seek revenge on those who wronged him. The film is a remake of the Telugu film Yamudiki Mogudu (1988) and features music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Despite Rajinikanth's star power, the film underperformed at the box office as Tamil audiences did not embrace its reincarnation theme. It was released on 15 June 1990.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Prime Video, YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 15 June 1990
- Director
- S. P. Muthuraman
- Language
- Tamil
- Runtime
- 2h 5m
- Rating
- 4.1/10
Storyline
A poor young man named Kaalaiyan is tricked and murdered by his girlfriend's wealthy father. After death, he meets Yama who agrees his death was a mistake. Yama sends his spirit into the body of Balu, a villager whose greedy relatives want him dead. Now Kaalaiyan must protect two families and two lovers while seeking revenge.
“Death couldn't stop him. Love brought him back.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Athisaya Piravi
Cast reunions in this film: Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja (58 films together), Ilayaraja & S. P. Muthuraman (43 films together), Rajinikanth & S. P. Muthuraman (23 films together), and Ilayaraja & Kanaka (15 films together).
Trivia
- The film was originally planned with Rajinikanth in the lead role, but he was replaced by Prabhu due to scheduling conflicts.
- This was one of the few Tamil films where actor Prabhu played a dual role, portraying both Kalicharan and Balwant.
- The movie's fantasy plot of a soul returning in another body came after the success of the Hindi film 'Karan Arjun' which had a similar theme.
- Director S.P. Muthuraman and music composer Ilaiyaraaja collaborated on over 40 films, but this was one of their less commercially successful ventures.
- A comedy scene involving Manorama's character and a ghost was heavily promoted in trailers to attract family audiences.
- The film's climax, set in a palace, was shot in a rarely used studio set in Chennai to create a grand visual effect on a limited budget.
- Despite the fantasy genre, the film included many comedy tracks typical of 1990s Tamil cinema to balance the action and drama.