Nayakan (1987)

English translation: Hero

Director: Mani Ratnam

Story: Mani Ratnam

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Karthika, Janagaraj

Music: Ilayaraaja

Time: 148 minutes

Bottom-line: The Godfather, made for Indian audiences; a classic

“Neenga nallavara? Kettavara?”

“Theriliye paa.”

Who would have thought the above two lines would echo throughout Tamil cinema for years to come! Probably India’s first major film revolving around a morally ambiguous character, Mani Ratnam’s Nayakan made him world famous, apart from giving him a thunderous entry into Kollywood.

Tamil Nadu: An anti-government official is killed by the police in front of his only son, Sakthivel. Seeking revenge, the boy stabs the police officer, and escapes to Bombay, where he is raised in the Dharavi slums by a kind smuggler, Hussain. Years later, Sakthivel (Haasan) carries out his father’s duty. When he demands extra commission, the enraged smugglers murder Hussain. Sakthivel, in turn, brutally murders Inspector Kelkar, the man responsible for Hussain’s death. When the police question the villagers, none of them are willing to give up Sakthivel, for they are proud that they have a “hero” amongst them. From then on, Sakthivel takes on the name Velu Naicker, and essentially becomes a “Godfather”. From protecting people around him, to killing other gangsters, Velu’s journey of a people’s leader, and his relationship with his daughter, is what the film is about. 

 

Haasan as Velu, and Saranya Ponvannan (who plays his wife)

The character of Velu Naicker is based on the life of Bombay-based gangster Varadarajan Mudaliar. One fun fact is that this is Haasan’s first film as an adult, played without a moustache! He went on to win the National Award for Best Actor (his second, after Moondram Pirai), and if it weren’t for him, Nayakan wouldn’t be the same. From the loving husband, to the terrifying criminal lord, from delivering swift justice to watching fate take revenge on him, his transition from one stage to another is flawless. The scene where his daughter leaves him, their future meeting, and the scene before Velu’s trial are the best bits of Haasan’s acting.

Karthika, who plays Velu’s daughter, Charumati, and Janagaraj, who plays Velu’s right hand man, are also outstanding. The father-daughter bond is deeply dealt with throughout the film, with Charumati constantly questioning Velu’s actions, to which he merely replies, “I do what I feel is right”. I like the way Ratnam captures the entire life of Velu – childhood tragedies, marriage, and the gradual rise to the top, unlike Coppola’s The Godfather, which portrays Vito Corleone as an established don right from the start.

The other highlights of Nayakan are the dialogues and one-liners. From parodies to tributes, several lines from the film are still borrowed and used in movies today. The complex character of Velu Naicker – especially in a time where every movie had a designated hero and villain – that of an antihero, is essentially the reason Nayakan stands apart.

My Rating: 3.5/5