When Rajinikanth's Nattukku Oru Nallavan Was A Failure At The Box Office

Kannada actor, writer, and director V. Ravichandran has been a prominent figure in the Kannada film industry, known for his technical prowess in cinema. His film Premaloka still holds a special place in the hearts of audiences, primarily due to its memorable lyrics and grand songs. However, like many in the industry, Ravichandran also faced challenging times, notably when his film Nattukku Oru Nallavan failed to make an impact at the box office. This film was produced in Kannada, Telugu, Hindi (as Shanti Kranti), and Tamil (as Nattukku Oru Nallavan), and it failed to draw significant audiences in all four versions.

The storyline of Nattukku Oru Nallavan revolves around an orphanage involved in organ trafficking, led by an evil character. When Jyothi, a character in the film, uncovers these nefarious activities, she meets a gruesome end. Subhash, Jyoti’s lover, vows to avenge her murder. The film featured acclaimed actors such as Rajinikanth, Babu Antony, Juhi Chawla, Delhi Ganesh, Aruna Irani, and Anant Nag. Recently, the film marked its 32nd anniversary since its release on October 2.

Nattukku Oru Nallavan was one of the most highly publicized films in Rajinikanth’s career. Despite this, the audience could not connect with the storyline, and reports suggest that the film lacked emotional engagement. This disconnect was a significant factor behind its poor performance in all the languages it was released in. The film’s success was largely attributed to Rajinikanth’s exceptional acting skills.

Despite having action-packed sequences and melodious songs composed by music director Hamsalekha, critics believed that these strengths couldn’t compensate for the film’s weak screenplay, attributed to Ravichandran. The film’s box office failure plunged Ravichandran into financial difficulties, leading him to rely on remakes of hit Tamil and Telugu films to revive his acting career. He eventually made a successful comeback with films like Ramachari, Halli Meshtru, Putnanja, and Kanasugara.

Director B. Suresha, who had worked with Ravichandran in various films, mentioned that in the early stages of his career, Ravichandran used to complete a film in just four months. Suresha suggested that Ravichandran should return to that pace of filmmaking to regain momentum in his career.