Neenga nallavara illa kettavara ? Are you a good man or a bad one?

When grandson Sakthivel poses this question to the mighty Velu Naicker (Kamal Haasan), who is on his knees outside the court, his entire life flashes before him. The killings, standing up for his people, and lending a helping hand didn't provide an answer to the ambiguous question. Even his famous line, ' Naalu peruku nalladhu na edhuvum thappila (If it helps four people, there's nothing wrong),' didn't feel right to present it as an answer to the young kid.

This one scene captured the essence of the life that Naicker led. Kamal Haasan, through his towering performance and director Mani Ratnam's mastery, made 'Nayakan' the epic it continues to be. The 1987 film was a watershed moment not just for Tamil cinema, but for

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