Ini Oru Sudhanthiram

Ini Oru Sudhanthiram (transl. Freedom Now) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language political drama film written and directed by Manivannan. The film, starring Sivakumar, was released on 12 June 1987,^[1] and failed at the box office.^[2]

Ini Oru Sudhanthiram
Poster
Directed by	Manivannan
Written by	Manivannan
Produced by	Thirupur N. Venkatachalam
Starring	Sivakumar
Cinematography	A. Sabapathy
Edited by	Gowthaman
Music by	Gangai Amaran
Production company	Kalaikovil
Release date	12 June 1987 (1987-06-12)
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Plot

Sundaramoorthy, a principled and respected Indian liberal leader, has spent his life advocating for justice, equality, and the betterment of society. A man of integrity, he is deeply committed to his ideals and the welfare of the people around him. However, in his later years, Sundaramoorthy finds himself entangled in a personal and bureaucratic struggle when he attempts to claim his rightful pension. Despite his years of service and his entitlement to the pension, he is met with systemic corruption, inefficiency, and apathy at every turn. His repeated efforts to navigate the labyrinth of bureaucracy prove futile, leaving him disillusioned with the very system he once believed in and fought to uphold.

Amidst his own struggles, Sundaramoorthy's family faces a devastating crisis. His daughter, Kannamma, becomes the victim of a manipulative and corrupt government collector named Raja. Raja deceives Kannamma, exploiting her trust and leaving her vulnerable. This relationship results in Kannamma giving birth to Raja's child. However, instead of taking responsibility for his actions, Raja abandons both Kannamma and the baby, refusing to acknowledge them or provide any form of support. This betrayal shatters Kannamma emotionally and socially, leaving her and her child ostracized and in a precarious position. Sundaramoorthy, already grappling with his own challenges, is deeply affected by the injustice inflicted upon his daughter and grandson.

As Sundaramoorthy continues to face roadblocks in his quest for justice—both for himself and for Kannamma—his frustration and despair grow. The systemic failures and the lack of accountability push him to the brink. In a moment of rage and desperation, Sundaramoorthy takes matters into his own hands and kills Raja. This act of vengeance, though born out of a sense of justice and protection for his family, leads to Sundaramoorthy's arrest and subsequent sentencing to death. His actions and their consequences become a turning point, not only for his family but also for the community that once admired him.

Cast

• Sivakumar as Sundaramoorthy^[3]
• Chandrasekhar as Muthukaalai^[3]
• Pandiyan as Pandiyan
• Raja as Raja, the collector^[3]
• Janagaraj
• Senthil
• Vinu Chakravarthy
• Nalini
• Rekha as Kannamma^[3]
• Jeevitha as Thayamma
• Kovai Sarala
• Sulakshana
• Chitra Lakshmanan
• Thyagu
• Sathyaraj as an IPS officer^[3]

Production

Ini Oru Sudhanthiram, directed by Manivannan,^[4] was Sivakumar's 154th film as an actor.^[5] Raja played a character with negative shades, in contrast to the softer roles he was known for at the time.^[6][7] The film was launched at office premises of Kalaikovil.^[8] It was also launched at Prasad Studios with minister Arumainayagam's wife Tamilselvi lighting the lamp.^[9] The filming was held at Coonoor and Ooty.^[10]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by Gangai Amaran, who also wrote the lyrics. His sons Venkat Prabhu and Premgi Amaren contributed as singers, using the names "Prabhu Gangai Amaran" and "Prem Gangai Amaran", respectively.^[11][12]

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Pallikoodam"	Gangai Amaran	Prabhu Gangai Amaran, Prem Gangai Amaran
2.	"Enru Thaniyum"	Bharathiyar	K. J. Yesudas
3.	"Solla Vallayo"	Bharathiyar	S. P. Sailaja, K. S. Chithra
4.	"Kaigalile Valuvirukku"	Jeeva Bharathi	Malaysia Vasudevan, K. S. Chithra
5.	"Mogathai Konruvidu"	Bharathiyar	K. J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra
6.	"Partha Pasikuthadi"	Gangai Amaran	P. Jayachandran, S. Janaki
7.	"Sonthangale"	Gangai Amaran	M. S. Viswanathan
8.	"Pattini"	Nagai Swaminathan	Malaysia Vasudevan

Critical reception

Jayamanmadhan (a duo) of Kalki praised Sivakumar's acting, Chandrasekhar-Nalini's subplot, Vinu Chakravarthy's acting and characterisation. They appreciated Manivannan for skillfully having woven so many characters into separate threads and performed the puppet show without any problems while also praising his hard hitting dialogues but questioned him for making Sathyamurthy's character remain silent to the problems but raging only after he faces a problem.^[13]