Pagaivan
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Pagaivan
| image = Pagaivan poster.jpg
| caption = Poster
| director = Ramesh Balakrishnan
| writer = Boopathy Pandian (dialogues)
| story = Viswaas Sundar
| producer = Viswaas Sundar
| starring = Ajith Kumar
Sathyaraj
Anjala Zaveri
| cinematography = D. Shankar
| editing = B. Lenin
V. T. Vijayan
| music = Deva
| studio = Viswas Films
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1997|8|1|ref1=}}
| runtime = 142 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Pagaivan ({{translation|Antagonist}}) is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed by Ramesh Balakrishnan, starring Ajith Kumar, Sathyaraj, and Anjala Zaveri, while Ranjitha, Nagesh, K. S. Ravikumar, and Vivek play supporting roles. The music was composed by Deva. The film revolves around a kidnapping undertaken by a man and the actions that the victim's father takes to save his daughter. The film released on 1 August 1997{{Cite web |date=26 March 2019 |title=ஆகஸ்ட் மாதம் ரிலீசாகும் ஹிட் படங்கள்... அஜித்தின் சென்டிமென்ட்! |url=https://tamil.news18.com/photogallery/ajith-movies-released-in-the-month-of-august-130809.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230607075945/https://tamil.news18.com/photogallery/entertainment/ajith-movies-released-in-the-month-of-august-130809.html |archive-date=7 June 2023 |access-date=7 June 2023 |website=News18 |language=ta}} to mixed reviews, but critics praised the comedy and performance of Sathyaraj.{{Cite web |last=Kavitha |title=Pagaivan |url=http://ajithkumar.free.fr/filmographie/pagaivan.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920162729/http://ajithkumar.free.fr/filmographie/pagaivan.htm |archive-date=20 September 2020 |access-date=11 September 2019 |website=ajithkumar.free.fr}} The film was a commercial failure.{{Cite web |date=1 May 2021 |title=10 films that were turning points in Thala Ajith's career |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/10-films-that-were-turning-points-in-thala-ajiths-career/photostory/82345839.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207095601/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/10-films-that-were-turning-points-in-thala-ajiths-career/photostory/82345839.cms |archive-date=7 December 2021 |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=The Times of India}}
Plot
{{more plot|date=March 2022}}
Prabhu, despite having all the required qualifications for the job he applied for, fails after he was demanded to pay a considerable amount as a caution deposit. Every time, his chances of getting the job were hanging on the payment of this caution.
Determined to get the job at all costs, Prabhu is ready to do anything to obtain this amount as quickly as possible. He decides to kidnap someone so as to demand a ransom from the family of this person. Fate leads him to abduct Uma, who happens to be the only daughter of Minister Durairaj.
Uma falls in love with Prabhu, and, before long, Prabhu begins to love Uma too. Meanwhile, Uma’s parents hire Vasu, a rowdy who is ready to do anything for the sake of money, to find their daughter. The rest of the film revolves around if the pair will be found.
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Ajith Kumar as Prabhu
- Sathyaraj as Vasu
- Anjala Zaveri as Uma Durairaj
- Ranjitha as Esther
- Nagesh as Church Father
- K. S. Ravikumar as Minister Durairaj
- Mansoor Ali Khan as Dharman
- Vivek as Prabhu's friend
- Babu Antony as Dharman's brother
- Sumithra as Uma's mother
- Delhi Ganesh as Prabhu's father
- S. Lalitha as Prabhu's mother
- G. Venkateswaran as Padmanaban, Medicine Company Owner
- Manobala as Govindhan
- Bayilvan Ranganathan as Durairaj's assistant
- Sempuli Jagan as Singam
- Ajay Rathnam as Police Inspector
- Balu Anand as Security Guard
- Soundar as Barman
- Mahanadi Shankar as Fighter
- Naga Kannan as Welding Kannan
- Vikram Singh as Singh
- Dhamu as Prabhu's friend
- Madhan Bob as Judge
- Ravi Raj as Lawyer
- Vellai Subbaiah as Kaliaperumal
- Priyanka as an Office Clerk
}}
Production
During the making of the film, the producers fell out with actress Anjala Zaveri, causing the film to be briefly delayed.{{Cite web |title=A-Z (IV) |url=http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Oct/a-z/atoz-4.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=27 September 2013 |access-date=9 April 2015 |website=Indolink |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927193804/http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Oct/a-z/atoz-4.htm}}
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Deva, with lyrics written by Vairamuthu and Piraisoodan.{{Cite web |title=Pagaivan |url=https://gaana.com/album/pagaivan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105102914/https://gaana.com/album/pagaivan |archive-date=5 January 2022 |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=Gaana}}
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Happy New Year
| length1 = 5:23
| lyrics1 = Vairamuthu
| extra1 = Mano, Krishnaraj
| title2 = Rajanea
| length2 = 5:08
| lyrics2 = Vairamuthu
| extra2 = Anuradha Sriram, Arunmozhi
| title3 = Anda Ka Kasam
| length3 = 5:13
| lyrics3 = Vairamuthu
| extra3 = Mano
| title4 = Oh My Butter Fly
| length4 = 5:14
| lyrics4 = Piraisoodan
| extra4 = Gopal Rao, Sujatha
| title5 = Poo Malai Podum
| length5 = 5:23
| lyrics5 = Vairamuthu
| extra5 = Anuradha Sriram, Krishnaraj
| title6 = Vaazhkai Enbadhu
| length6 = 2:13
| lyrics6 = Vairamuthu
| extra6 = Malaysia Vasudevan
| total_length = 28:34
}}
Reception
Ji of Kalki praised the acting of Sathyaraj and K. S. Ravikumar, he praised Deva's background score but panned his songs while also praising film's fast pace, fight choreography and camera angles.{{Cite magazine |last=ஜி. |date=17 August 1997 |title=பகைவன் |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1997-08-17/page/n97/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230317055157/https://archive.org/details/kalki1997-08-17/page/n97/mode/2up |archive-date=17 March 2023 |access-date=17 March 2023 |magazine=Kalki |page=80 |language=ta |via=Internet Archive}}
References
{{Reflist}}