Nayakan
1987 · Movie · 156 min · ★ 7.8
After witnessing a brutal loss, a young man strikes back at corruption and is forced to flee to a new city. There, his fight for survival and justice pulls him into the criminal underworld, where power, loyalty, and hard choices reshape his life.
Also known as Hero · People's Hero
Where to watch
Streaming on Eros Now Select.
3 hours to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- நாயகன்
- Years
- 1987
- Release date
- 1987-10-21
- Language
- TA
- Runtime
- 156 min
- TMDB rating
- 7.8/10 (91 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want an emotional, character-driven gangster saga about power and moral trade-offs, with strong performances and memorable songs; Not for you if you dislike slow builds or crime stories like Thalapathi.
Pros: powerful performances; gripping gangster journey; memorable music | Cons: slow early stretch; some songs interrupt pace; heavy emotional moments
Themes
- gangster
- gang war
- symbolism
- revenge
- religion
- india
- family tragedy
- rise to power
- corrupt system
- life in the slums
Awards & recognition
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1988 · nominated
Cast & crew
Kamal Haasan
as Sakthivel 'Velu' Naicker
Saranya Ponvannan
as Neela
Karthika
as Charumati
Janagaraj
as Selvam
Vijayan
as Durai
- MR
M. V. Vasudeva Rao
as Hussain Bhai
Delhi Ganesh
as Iyer
Nizhalgal Ravi
as Surya
Nassar
as Assistant Commissioner Patil
Tara
as Shakila
Directed by Mani Ratnam