Dalapathy (1991)
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.
Santosh Sivan's cinematography is a highlight of the movie; a gorgeous sunny glow permeates the frames, as a visual reminder of Surya. Illayaraja's foot-tapping numbers such as Rakamma, a slickly choreographed piece that rightly predestines the item numbers of the nineties, remain landmarks to this day.
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