Dalapathy was Mani Ratnam's first star-studded release, featuring Rajnikanth, a man around whom it's difficult to create a character other than his on-screen persona, Malayalam superstar Mammooty, Arvind Swami in one of his early appearances, and Amrish Puri.

The film is about the thin line between relationships and loyalties; the storyline references the Mahabharata.

Rajnikanth is Surya, a reference to Karna. He is a foundling, as Karna was; if the warrior in the epic was Duryodhan's right hand man, here Surya is the enforcer for local don Devaraj (Mammooty).

Arjun (Arvind Swamy) is Surya's younger step-brother -- the character references the fabled Arjun of the Mahabharat. Epic confrontation scenes between the protagonists, clipped dialogues and well-rounded supporting characters made it a super-hit in South India.