May 12, 2022
Nayakan (transl. The Hero; also spelt Nayagan) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language crime drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars Kamal Haasan and Saranya (in her feature debut), with Karthika, Nassar, Janagaraj, Delhi Ganesh and Tinnu Anand in... supporting roles. Loosely based on the life of the Bombay underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar, it revolves around the transformation of an ordinary slum dweller named Velu into a feared don through various stages of his life.

Nayakan was released on 21 October 1987, Diwali day, and became a critical and commercial success. Haasan's performance earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor. The film also earned the National Awards for Best Cinematography (P. C. Sreeram) and Best Art Direction (Thota Tharani). It has since featured in many lists of the greatest films ever made, including TIME's "All-Time 100 Best Films", and CNN-IBN's "100 greatest Indian films of all time". The film was remade in Hindi as Dayavan (1988).

Plot
An anti-government union leader's only son Sakthivel "Velu" is arrested by the police to find his whereabouts. They trick Velu into believing them as his well-wishers and release him. When Velu meets his father, the police kill the latter. Feeling betrayed, Sakthivel stabs the police inspector and runs away to Bombay, where he is raised by Hussain, a kind-hearted smuggler living in the Dharavi slums.

One day, when Hussain is ill, Velu, now a young man, decides to carry out the smuggling activity on behalf of Hussain. His demand for a bigger commission from the smugglers angers them and they involve a police inspector Kelkar to arrest Hussain and kill him in jail. When they close the case as suicide, Velu is enraged knowing the truth and murders Kelkar. He later takes care of Kelkar's family which consists of his wife and a mentally challenged son Ajit. Kelkar's wife knew that her husband's immorality resulted in his death.

Velu meets Neela, a schoolgirl forced into prostitution who has interests to pursue her education. Her innocence impresses Velu who marries her. They have two children: Surya and Charumathi. Velu's power and command gradually increases in Dharavi as he voices out in support of local people which gains him huge popularity among the masses. His rival smugglers in Bombay try to murder Velu in an attack but Neela is killed instead. After avenging his wife's death, Velu sends his children to Madras to safeguard them.

As the years pass, Velu's power further increases in Bombay and is fondly called "Velu Naicker" by everyone. Surya and Charumathi return to Bombay as adults after education. Surya follows Velu's footsteps, a fact that he is initially hesitant of, and later learns to accept. But when Surya is accidentally killed trying to flee the police in a botched mission, Charumathi blames Velu for the deaths of Neela and Surya. She decides to leave Bombay citing that she wants to get away from her father and his violent ways. Charumathi disowns her father and leaves his home.

Some years later, a new assistant commissioner of police Patil is deputed in Bombay to eliminate the gangsters; his first target is Velu. He collects all the evidence needed for the arrest of Velu. When Velu comes to meet Patil, he learns that Charumathi is married to him and they have a son. Patil too learns that his wife is Velu's daughter and suspects that she might help her father to flee from the police.

Velu absconds and his allies are arrested. He decides to surrender to the police to save them from undergoing torture in the police station. Through Charumathi, Velu sets up his surrender. Patil is shocked due to the lack of proper evidence against Velu as none comes forward from the public as witness against the crimes committed by him.

Cast
Lead actors
Kamal Haasan as Sakthivel "Velu" Naicker
Saranya as Neela[1]
Karthika as Charumati[1]
Supporting actors
Janagaraj as Selvam[1]
Delhi Ganesh as Iyer[1]

Directed by - Mani Ratnam
Produced by - Muktha Srinivasan , Muktha V. Ramaswamy , G. Venkateswaran
Written by - Mani Ratnam
Starring - Kamal Haasan , Saranya , Karthika
Music by - Ilaiyaraaja , Cinematography , P. C. Sreeram
Edited by - B. Lenin , V. T. Vijayan
Production Company - Muktha Films
Distributed by - G. V. Films
Release date - 21 October 1987

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