35 years of Superstar Rajinikanth’s Velaikaran: Interesting facts about the film

It’s been 35 years since Superstar Rajinikanth’s action comedy Velaikaran hit screens. The film, which released in 1987, is directed by SP Muthuraman, and had Rajinikanth, Amala, Sarath Babu and Pallavi as part of the star cast. While the cinematography for the film is by TS Vinayagam, editing is by R Vittal and C Lancy. Music for the film is by Ilaiyaraaja.

Velaikaran was a remake of Namak Halal that starred Amitabh Bachchan, Smita Patil, Shashi Kapoor and Parveen Babi in the lead. The 1982 film was directed by Prakash Mehra and was a huge blockbuster. This was also the first time that music composer Bappi Lahiri had scored music for a Prakash Mehra film. The album, too was a chartbuster.

Rajinikanth did not take a remuneration for the film and it is said that he was one of the first lead actors in Tamil to do a film without salary. Kavithalaya Productions’ previous outing with Rajinikanth, Sri Raghavendrar, wasn’t a successful venture. Interestingly, that was the actor’s 100th film. To compensate the losses incurred, Rajinikanth worked in Velaikaran without a remuneration.

While the original plot of the film was retained, the popular dialogue by Amitabh Bachchan, ‘I can talk English, I can walk English..’ too, was retained. And just like the Hindi version, the songs were a chartbuster in Tamil, too. The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja and the album comprised the songs - Thottathila Paathi Katti, Va Va Va Kanna Vaa, Maamanukku Mayilapooruthan, Velai Illathavan and Enakku Thaa Un Uyirai. Mano sang for Rajinikanth for the first time. The song was Va Va Va Kanna Vaa.