Director: Bharathan; Producer: Kamal Haasan; Cinematographer: P.C. Sriram; Editor: N.P. Satish; Cast: Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, Revati Menon, Gowthami Tadimalla, Nazar, Kallapart Natarajan, Kaka Radhakrishna, Sangili Murugan, Vadivelu, Thalaivasal Vijay, S.N. Lakshmi, Gandhimathi, Lalithasri, Prashanthi, Vichitra, Nanjil Revathi, Ramumachan, Madan Babu, Nagaraja Cholan, Ajay Ratnam, Sahadevan, Mahadevan, Venkatesh, Ramamurthy, Madurai Jayaprakash, Baby Sujitha, Baby Sakuntala, Baby Priyadarshini, Baby Sunitha, Baby Nikitha, Baby Srikala, Baby Neelima
Duration: 02:26:52; Aspect Ratio: 2.560:1; Hue: 328.690; Saturation: 0.057; Lightness: 0.382; Volume: 0.239; Cuts per Minute: 16.900
Summary: The Tamil megastar Kamalahasan produced
and wrote this Godfather-type hit described by
the star as ‘a Sicilian drama’, set in the feudal
Madurai district controlled by big landlords
who employ their own gangs and often indulge
in expensive feuds with their neighbours. The
star explained that this environment was part of
his childhood experience. He plays Shaktivelu,
the modern son of Peria-thevar (Ganesan),
who returns to his ancestral home to introduce
his girlfriend (Gauthami) to his family. He
becomes involved in the bloody feuds between
different members of the clan led by Mayathevar
(Nasser), and when his father dies he
assumes the godfather’s mantle. The rival
family is eventually annihilated in a gory
ending. Kamalahasan’s performance, especially
in the second half, pays tribute to the
patriarchal figure of Ganesan, the focus of a
neo-traditionalist discourse valorising
fundamentalism along with the star’s screen
image.
Indiancine.ma requires JavaScript.
