Nayakan

Nayakan is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language crime drama film directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Kamal Haasan as the protagonist, Velu Nayakan, a smuggler in Bombay. The story follows Velu's rise from poverty to becoming a powerful underworld figure, his struggles with his conscience, and his eventual downfall. The screenplay was written by Mani Ratnam and the dialogues by T. Damodaran.

The film's narrative is inspired by parts of the life of the Bombay underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar, and also draws thematic parallels with Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 film The Godfather. Nayakan was critically acclaimed for its realistic portrayal of crime and its complex character development. Kamal Haasan's performance was widely praised, earning him the Best Actor award at the Filmfare Awards for Tamil. The film also received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil and was India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1988, though it was not nominated.

Nayakan is considered a landmark film in Tamil cinema and is often cited as one of the greatest Indian films ever made. Its technical aspects, including P. C. Sreeram's cinematography and Ilaiyaraaja's musical score, were also highly lauded. The film's influence can be seen in subsequent Indian gangster films.