Nayakan

Plot synopsis:
An anti-government union leader's only son Sakthivel is arrested by the police to find his whereabouts. They trick Sakthivel into believing them as his well-wishers and release him. When Sakthivel meets his father, the police kill the latter. Feeling betrayed, Sakthivel stabs the police inspector and runs away to Bombay, where he is raised by Hussain, a kind-hearted smuggler living in the Dharavi slums.
One day, when Hussain is ill, Sakthivel, now a young man, decides to carry out the smuggling activity on behalf of Hussain. His demand for a bigger commission from the smugglers makes them furious and they involve a police inspector Kelkar to arrest Hussain and kill him in jail. When they close the case as suicide, Sakthivel is angered knowing the truth and murders Kelkar. He later takes care of Kelkar's family which consists of his wife and a mentally retarded son Ajit. Kelkar's wife knew that her husband's immorality resulted in his death.
Sakthivel meets Neela, a schoolgirl forced into prostitution who has interests to pursue her education. Her innocence impresses Sakthivel who marries her. They have two children: Surya and Charumathi. Sakthivel's power and command gradually increases in Dharavi as he voices out in support of local people which gains him huge popularity among the masses. His rival smugglers in Bombay try to murder Sakthivel in an attack but Neela is killed instead. Sakthivel sends his children to Chennai to safeguard them.
Meanwhile, Sakthivel's power further increases in Bombay and is fondly called "Velu Naicker" by everyone. Surya and Charumathi return to Bombay as adults after education. Surya follows Sakthivel's footsteps which makes him feel proud. But when Surya is killed by a gang during a clash, Charumathi blames Sakthivel for the deaths of Neela and Surya. She wants Sakthivel to leave Bombay and start life afresh, which he refuses to do.
Charumathi leaves her father and walks away. After some years, a new assistant commissioner of police is deputed in Bombay to eliminate the gangsters and his first target is Sakthivel. He collects all the evidence needed for the arrest of Sakthivel. When Sakthivel comes to meet him, he learns that Charumathi is married to him and they have a son. The assistant commissioner too learns that his wife is Sakthivel's daughter and suspects that she might help her father to flee from the police.
Sakthivel absconds and his allies are arrested. He decides to surrender to the police to save them from undergoing torture in the police station. Through Charumathi, Sakthivel informs her husband about his hide out place and is arrested. The assistant commissioner is shocked due to lack of proper evidence against Sakthivel as none comes forward from the public as witness against the crimes committed by him.
The assistant commissioner meets Kelkar's wife and the now grown-up Ajit and requests to disclose the truth behind her husband's death in the court. She refuses and defends Sakthivel's acts. But Ajit is shocked after learning the truth. Sakthivel is produced in the court and is exonerated due to lack of valid and strong evidence. Sakthivel steps out of the court amid big cheer from his supporters, until Ajit fatally shoots him to avenge his father's death; Sakthivel dies on the spot.

Tags: revenge, cruelty, murder, violence, romantic

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