Nayakan (1987)

 ●  Tamil ● 2 hrs 35 mins

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Inspired from the true life story of the Bombay gangster Varadarajan Mudaliar, this epic saga plots the complex events in the life of a young boy that transforms him into a ruthless mafia don. When the impulsive young boy is witness to his father, a trade union activist, being brutally murdered by the police in Tuticorin, he runs away to Bombay and becomes Velu Naicker, the ruthless Godfather with a Robin Hood streak in the Dharavi slums. Velu becomes Bombay’s minority Tamil population’s ‘Nayakan’ (hero/star/leader) and saviour. His daughter Charu (Karthika) walks out of the crime and violence ridden life, and marries the assistant chief of police. Will law enforcement capture Velu and punish him for his criminal activities? Will the millions of South Indians who benefit from his benevolent rule succeed in protecting their "Nayakan"?
See Storyline (May Contain Spoilers)

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Saranya Ponvannan

Crew: Mani Ratnam (Director), PC Sreeram (Director of Photography), Ilaiyaraaja (Music Director)

Rating: A (India)

Genres: Crime, Drama

Release Dates: 21 Oct 1987 (India)

Tamil Name: நாயகன்

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Did you know? This film was India's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars in 1987, and was rated as one of the best 100 films of all time by Time Magazine in 2005. Read More
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as Velu Nayakar
Special Appearance
Special Appearance
as Aiyyer
as Selvam
as Charumati
as Vaapa
as Assistant Commissioner/Charu's Husband
as Surya
Supporting Actor
as Shaktivelu's Father
as Shyla
as Ajith Kelkar
as Thurai

Direction

Director

Production

Production Company

Distribution

Distributor

Writers

Screenplay Writer
Story Writer
Dialogue Writer

Camera and Electrical

Director of Photography
Assistant Cameraman

Sound

Sound Mixer

Art

Art Director

Editorial

Film Type:
Feature
Language:
Tamil
Spoken Languages:
English, Hindi
Colour Info:
Color
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
2.35:1
Stereoscopy:
No
Tracklist
04:30

Music Director: Ilaiyaraaja
Lyricist: Pulamaipithan
Playback Singer: Ilaiyaraaja, Kamal Haasan
04:59

Music Director: Ilaiyaraaja
Lyricist: Ilaiyaraaja
Playback Singer: Ilaiyaraaja
04:29

Music Director: Ilaiyaraaja
Lyricist: Pulamaipithan
Playback Singer: KS Chithra, Mano
04:44

Music Director: Ilaiyaraaja
Lyricist: Pulamaipithan
Playback Singer: K Jamuna Rani, MS Rajeswari
04:44

Music Director: Ilaiyaraaja
Lyricist: Pulamaipithan
Playback Singer: TL Maharajan, P Susheela
Movie Connection(s):
Dubbed into: Nayakudu (Telugu)
Dubbed into: Velu Nayakan (Hindi)
Remade as: Dayavan (Hindi)
Spoofed in: Dumm Dumm Dumm (Tamil)
Spoofed in: Chellame (Tamil)
Spoofed in: Thamizh Padam (Tamil)
Trivia:
This film is loosely based on the real-life Bombay underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar, who was of Tamil origin.

This movie marked the debut of actress Saranya Ponvannan.

This is legendary music director Ilayaraja's 400th film.

This film was India's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars in 1987, and was rated as one of the best 100 films of all time by Time Magazine in 2005.