Neethibathi
{{for|the 1955 film|Needhipathi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Neethipathi
| image = Neethibathi 1983.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = R. Krishnamoorthy
| story = Satyanand
| producer = Suresh Balaji
| starring = Sivaji Ganesan
K. R. Vijaya
| cinematography = K. S. Prasad
| editing = V.Chakkarapani
| music = Gangai Amaran
| studio = Suresh Arts
| released = {{Film date|1983|01|26|df=y|ref1=}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Neethipathi ({{translation|Judge}}) is a 1983 Indian Tamil-language legal drama film{{Cite web |date=7 August 2019 |title=Movie Recos: 15 courtroom dramas in Tamil you might want to watch |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/aug/07/movie-recos-15-courtroom-dramas-in-tamil-you-might-want-to-watch-419--11.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019072108/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/photos/slideshows/2019/aug/07/movie-recos-15-courtroom-dramas-in-tamil-you-might-want-to-watch-419--11.html |archive-date=19 October 2021 |access-date=19 October 2021 |website=Cinema Express |at=slide 11}} directed by R. Krishnamoorthy and produced by Suresh Balaji. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan and K. R. Vijaya.{{Cite web |title=231-240 |url=http://nadigarthilagam.com/filmographyp24.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023425/http://nadigarthilagam.com/filmographyp24.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=12 June 2021 |website=nadigarthilagam.com}} It is a remake of the 1982 Telugu film Justice Chowdary.{{Cite book |last=Arunachalam |first=Param |title=BollySwar: 1981–1990 |publisher=Mavrix Infotech |year=2020 |isbn=9788193848227 |pages=298–299}} The film was released on 26 January 1983.{{Cite web |last=ராம்ஜி |first=வி. |date=26 January 2019 |title=சிவாஜி... ஜனவரி 26... ரிலீஸ்! |url=https://www.kamadenu.in/news/cinema/15882-sivaji-jan-26-2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401163256/https://www.kamadenu.in/news/cinema/15882-sivaji-jan-26-2.html |archive-date=1 April 2019 |access-date=1 April 2019 |website=Kamadenu |language=ta}}
Plot
{{More plot|date=April 2023}}
Rajasekar is a skilled prosecutor with a wife named Radha, a police inspector son named Shankar, and a mute daughter named Geetha. Sattanathan is a defense attorney and a bitter professional rival of Rajasekar. He offers advice and guidance to Kalidas, the leader of a diamond smuggling gang. Rajasekar had earlier successfully argued for Kalidas's twin brother Ranjith to be hanged for his crimes, which had created animosity between them. Despite this, Rajasekar is appointed as a judge, bypassing Sattanathan. As a judge, Rajasekar sentences Kalidas's other brother Jagan to life imprisonment. This event triggers Sattanathan and Kalidas to plan to bring Rajasekar down.
Thyagu is a mechanic and car racer who is determined to build a large house for his imprisoned mother, Janaki. Janaki was a single mother who took the blame for a murder Thyagu committed as a child trying to protect her. Thyagu begins to work for Kalidas by driving getaway vehicles. He also falls in love with Devi, Sattanathan's daughter. When Devi learns of Thyagu's criminal activities, she convinces him to give up crime and start anew. However, just as he is ready to walk away from crime, Thyagu learns that his father, whom he believes abandoned Janaki, is none other than Rajasekar. This discovery enrages him, and he teams up with Kalidas and Sattanathan to destroy Rajasekar. Together, they plot to make Geetha's husband abandon her and have Shankar arrested on false charges. Meanwhile, Janaki is released from prison, and Rajasekar learns about the conspirators against him. He must now uncover deeply buried truths about his family and outsmart those against him.
Cast
{{cast listing|
- Sivaji Ganesan as Justice Rajasekar
- K. R. Vijaya as Radha
- Sujatha as Janaki
- V. K. Ramasamy as Lawyer Sattanathan
- Manorama as Arogyamary a. k. a Lucy
- Radhika as Devi
- Prabhu as Thyagu
- R. N. Sudarshan as Kalidas and Ranjith
- Menaka as Geetha
- Sathyakala as Uma
- Vijayakumar as Ramesh (guest role)
- Ceylon Manohar as Mano
- Y. G. Mahendran as Anthony
- V. Gopalakrishnan as Boopathy
- Poornam Viswanathan as Radha's father
- Natarajan Ramji as Raja's Son
- Silk Smitha dancer in the song "Muthedukkum Aasaiyile"
}}
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Gangai Amaran.{{Cite web |title=Neethipathi Tamil Film LP Vinyl Record by Gangai Amaren |url=https://mossymart.com/product/neethipathi-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-gangai-amaren/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019072109/https://mossymart.com/product/neethipathi-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-gangai-amaren/ |archive-date=19 October 2021 |access-date=19 October 2021 |website=Mossymart}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Muthedukkum Aasaiyile
| lyrics1 = Gangai Amaran
| extra1 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
| length1 =
| title2 = Thanthai Naan
| lyrics2 = Vaali
| extra2 = T. M. Soundararajan
| length2 =
| title3 = Police Namakku
| lyrics3 = Vaali
| extra3 = Malaysia Vasudevan, Vani Jairam
| length3 =
| title4 = Pasamalare
| lyrics4 = Vaali
| extra4 = T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela, S. P. Sailaja
| length4 =
| title5 = Oru Devathai
| lyrics5 = Vaali
| extra5 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vani Jairam
| length5 =
}}
Critical reception
Ananda Vikatan called it yet another Ganesan film to be watched, enjoyed and disliked.{{Cite magazine |date=1983 |title=நீதிபதி |url=https://issuu.com/sudalai/docs/____________________________________da8c38a10b2861 |magazine=Ananda Vikatan |language=ta |page=9 |access-date=11 May 2022 |via=Issuu}} Thiraignani of Kalki praised the acting of Ganesan but felt the film is not that flashy as much as the list of actors is flashy.{{Cite magazine |last=திரைஞானி |date=13 February 1983 |title=நீதிபதி |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1983-02-13/page/n61/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230417132940/https://archive.org/details/kalki1983-02-13/page/n61/mode/2up |archive-date=17 April 2023 |access-date=17 April 2023 |magazine=Kalki |page=62 |language=Ta |via=Internet Archive}} Balumani of Anna praised the acting, dialogues, music and humour but criticised the inclusion of an item number.{{cite news |last=பாலுமணி |date=30 January 1983 |title=நீதிபதி |url=https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_7_102/4.jp2/full/1000%2C1354/0/default.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250614072035/https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_7_102/4.jp2/full/1000,1354/0/default.jpg |archive-date=14 June 2025 |access-date=14 June 2025 |newspaper=Anna |pages=4 |language=ta |via=Endangered Archives Programme}}
References
{{Reflist}}