Thevar Magan

1992 168’ col/scope Tamil d B.G. Bharathan pc Raajkamal Films p/s Kamalahasan lyr Vali c P.C. Sriram m Ilaiyaraja lp Kamalahasan, Sivaji Ganesan, Gauthami, Revathi, Nasser, K. Radhakrishnan, S.N. Lakshmi, Prasanthi

The Tamil megastar Kamalahasan produced and wrote this Godfather-type hit described by the star as ‘a Sicilian drama’, set in the feudal Madurai district controlled by big landlords who employ their own gangs and often indulge in expensive feuds with their neighbours. The star explained that this environment was part of his childhood experience. He plays Shaktivelu, the modern son of Peria-thevar (Ganesan), who returns to his ancestral home to introduce his girlfriend (Gauthami) to his family. He becomes involved in the bloody feuds between different members of the clan led by Mayathevar (Nasser), and when his father dies he assumes the godfather’s mantle. The rival family is eventually annihilated in a gory ending. Kamalahasan’s performance, especially in the second half, pays tribute to the patriarchal figure of Ganesan, the focus of a neo-traditionalist discourse valorising fundamentalism along with the star’s screen image.

Film