Pandian (film)
{{short description|1992 film by S. P. Muthuraman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Pandian film poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = S. P. Muthuraman
| screenplay = Panchu Arunachalam
| story = Prabhakar
| producer = S. P. Muthuraman
| starring = {{ubl|Rajinikanth|Khushbu}}
| cinematography = T. S. Vinayagam
| editing = R. Vittal
| music = Ilaiyaraaja
Karthik Raja
| studio = Visaalam Productions
| released = {{film date|1992|10|25|df=y}}
| runtime = 135 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}
Pandian is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language action film produced and directed by S. P. Muthuraman and written by Panchu Arunachalam. The film stars Rajinikanth, Khushbu, Janagaraj and Prabhakar. It is a remake of the 1991 Kannada film Bombay Dada which starred Prabhakar, who portrayed the antagonist of this film. The film was released on 25 October 1992 during Diwali and performed averagely at the box office.
Plot
{{more plot|date=November 2020}}
The film centers around Pandian, who wants to revenge his brother-in-law's death. He joins the murderer's gang and seeks vengeance. The gang discovers that Pandian is performing an undercover operation, since Pandian is a police officer. Despite this, Pandian eventually captures the culprit.
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Rajinikanth as Pandian I.P.S.
- Khushbu as Rekha
- Janagaraj as Vinayaga
- Prabhakar as Parameshwaran
- Vinu Chakravarthy as Rajendran
- Charan Raj as Ashok Kumar I.P.S.
- Radha Ravi as Lawyer of Parameswaran
- Delhi Ganesh as Public Prosecutor
- Rocky as Philips
- Prathapachandran as Police Officer
- Natraj as Press reporter
- V. Narasimhan as Commissioner of police
- Typist Gopu as Kannaiyan
- Archana Puran Singh as Reeta
- Jayasudha as Inspector Vijayalakshmi
}}
Production
Rajinikanth decided to make a low-budget film with director S. P. Muthuraman. Muthuraman produced the film under his production banner Visaalam Productions, named after his mother. Although not being a producer, Rajinikanth took care of production duties of the film along with M. Saravanan. Rajinikanth decided to act in the film to contribute to the retirement fund of main crew members of the Muthuraman team who were regulars in most of the latter's films. The film title was initially titled Nanban ({{translation|Friend}}) before being retitled to Pandian. It was Muthuraman's penultimate film as director,{{Cite news |last=Rangarajan |first=Malathi |date=3 December 2009 |title=Musings, the Muthuraman way |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Musings-the-Muthuraman-way/article16851341.ece |url-status=live |access-date=18 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925211351/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Musings-the-Muthuraman-way/article16851341.ece |archive-date=25 September 2020}} and remade from the 1991 Kannada film Bombay Dada. Prabhakar, who acted as that film's protagonist, portrayed a different role in Pandian, the antagonist.{{Cite book |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |title=Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography |title-link=Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-14-342111-5 |pages=150 |author-link=Naman Ramachandran |orig-date=2012}} Rajinikanth acted in the film without taking any remuneration.{{Cite news |date=31 December 2012 |title=எஸ்.பி.முத்துராமன் யூனிட்டின் உதவிக்காக ரஜினி நடித்துக் கொடுத்த 'பாண்டியன்' |language=ta |work=Maalai Malar |url=http://cinema.maalaimalar.com/2012/12/31223412/sp-muthuraman-unit-help-rajini.html |url-status=dead |access-date=27 June 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131031101703/http://cinema.maalaimalar.com/2012/12/31223412/sp-muthuraman-unit-help-rajini.html |archive-date=31 October 2013}} This would be the last film in Rajinikanth portrayed a police officer until the release of Darbar (2020).{{Cite web |date=9 January 2020 |title=Rajini's 'Darbar' releases to a full house |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/dh-talkies/rajini-s-darbar-releases-to-a-full-house-792979.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210102050323/https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/dh-talkies/rajini-s-darbar-releases-to-a-full-house-792979.html |archive-date=2 January 2021 |access-date=2 January 2021 |website=Deccan Herald }}
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja,{{Cite web |title=Pandian (1992) |url=http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/moviedetail.asp?mid=t0000578 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140304065309/http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/moviedetail.asp?mid=t0000578 |archive-date=4 March 2014 |access-date=4 March 2014 |website=Raaga.com}} while his son Karthik Raja composed "Pandianin Rajyathil", his first song.
{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Ulagathukaaga
| lyrics1 = Vaali
| extra1 = Mano
| length1 = 4:49
| title2 = Adi Jumba
| lyrics2 = Vaali
| extra2 = Mano, K. S. Chithra
| length2 = 6:00
| title3 = Anbe Nee Enna
| lyrics3 = Vaali
| extra3 = Mano, K. S. Chithra
| length3 = 4:41
| title4 = Pandiayana Kokka Kokka
| lyrics4 = Vaali
| extra4 = Mano
| length4 = 4:56
| title5 = Pandiyanin Rajiyathil
| lyrics5 = Panchu Arunachalam
| extra5 = Mano, K. S. Chithra
| length5 = 5:44
| total_length = 26:10
}}
Release
Pandiyan was released on 25 October 1992, Diwali day.{{Cite news |date=25 October 1992 |title=Pandian |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19921025&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=5 January 2019 |work=The Indian Express |pages=7 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web |date=25 October 2019 |title=தீபாவளி ரிலீஸ்! |url=http://www.kungumam.co.in/VArticalinnerdetail.aspx?id=9746&id1=40&issue=20191025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025053114/http://www.kungumam.co.in/VArticalinnerdetail.aspx?id=9746&id1=40&issue=20191025 |archive-date=25 October 2022 |access-date=11 January 2022 |website=Kungumam |language=ta}} Though Muthuraman's wife died 10 days before, he refused the crew's suggestion to postpone the release.{{Cite news |date=1 January 2013 |title=மனைவி மறைந்த துயரத்தை அடக்கிக்கொண்டு 'பாண்டியன்' படத்தை முடித்து வெளியிட்டார், முத்துராமன் |language=ta |work=Maalai Malar |url=http://cinema.maalaimalar.com/2013/01/01215350/Wife-death-suppressed-sorrow-P.html |url-status=dead |access-date=27 June 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131031101710/http://cinema.maalaimalar.com/2013/01/01215350/Wife-death-suppressed-sorrow-P.html |archive-date=31 October 2013}} The film opened up against other Diwali releases such as Thevar Magan, Senthamizh Paattu, Thirumathi Palanisamy and Rasukutty. Due to facing competition from Thevar Magan, Pandiyan achieved only moderate success.{{Cite news |last=Ramesh |first=Akshay |date=17 September 2015 |title=Thoongavanam vs Kabali: Kamal Haasan meets Rajinikanth on the battlefield |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/thoongavanam-vs-kabali-kamal-haasan-meets-rajinikanth-on-the-battlefield-263430-2015-09-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629183710/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/thoongavanam-vs-kabali-kamal-haasan-meets-rajinikanth-on-the-battlefield-263430-2015-09-17 |archive-date=29 June 2020 |access-date=27 June 2020 |work=India Today}} Even though it made some money, the money grossed was used for the retirement fund of Muthuraman's crew.
Critical reception
Malini Mannath of The Indian Express called it "a typical Rajini film; a mishmash of all ingredients formulated to please his fans". K. Vijiyan of New Straits Times wrote, "This 135-minute movie is only for hard-core Rajini fans". C. R. K. of Kalki praised Muthuraman for taking a simple knot and making it interesting for seventeen reels which clearly shows his experience.{{cite magazine |last=சி. ஆர். கே. |date=15 November 1992 |title=பாண்டியன் |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1992-11-15/page/44/mode/2up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231031142609/https://archive.org/details/kalki1992-11-15/page/44/mode/2up |archive-date=31 October 2023 |access-date=18 December 2022 |magazine=Kalki |page=44 |language=Ta |via=Internet Archive}}
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{Cite news |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=16 October 1992 |title=Deepavali releases |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19921016&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=5 January 2019 |work=The Indian Express |pages=7 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}
{{Cite news |last=Mannath |first=Malini |date=30 October 1992 |title=Grab it, you fans |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19921030&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=5 January 2019 |work=The Indian Express |pages=7 |via=Google News Archive}}{{cbignore}}
{{Cite news |last=Vijiyan |first=K. |date=21 November 1992 |title=Hackneyed plot and unconvincing fighting scenes |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A69UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TpADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5916%2C147744 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516034947/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A69UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TpADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5916%2C147744 |archive-date=16 May 2024 |access-date=13 March 2019 |work=New Straits Times |pages=25 |via=Google News Archive}}
}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0318540}}
{{S. P. Muthuraman}}
Category:1990s Tamil-language films
Category:Fictional portrayals of the Tamil Nadu Police
Category:Films directed by S. P. Muthuraman
Category:Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja
Category:Films with screenplays by Panchu Arunachalam
Category:Indian courtroom films