Pandian (பாண்டியன்)
Pandian was released on 25 October 1992, Diwali day, and was the last collaboration between Rajinikanth and Muthuraman.1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cast | Rajinikanth (Pandiyan), Khushbu (Rekha), Jayasudha (Vijayalakshmi), Janagaraj, Charan Raj, Tiger Prabhakar2 |
| Dubbed versions | Hindi as Kanoon Ka Khiladi; Telugu as Secret Police3 |
| IMDb rating | 5.2/10 from 317 ratings4 |
Spoilers
Plot
Pandiyan (Rajinikanth) is a well-trained Indian Police Service officer whose sister's husband, a police inspector played by Charan Raj, is killed. To avenge the death and expose the kingpins of the criminal network, he joins the murderer's gang and works undercover; the story follows how he exacts revenge on those responsible.1 Tiger Prabhakar, who directed and starred in the original Kannada film Bombay Dada, played the antagonist in the Tamil version.5
Production
Rajinikanth decided to make a low-budget film with Muthuraman, who produced it under Visaalam Productions, a banner named after his mother. Although not a producer himself, Rajinikanth handled production duties along with M. Saravanan, and he acted in the film without taking any remuneration.
In the film, Rajinikanth's character was called "Mr. Right", and his T-shirts carried a tick symbol; fans briefly flocked to tailor shops to have tick marks embroidered on their shirts.5
Soundtrack
The film is one of the few Rajinikanth films with no tracks sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.1
Release and reception
Pandiyan was released on 25 October 1992, Diwali day. Muthuraman's wife had died ten days earlier, but he refused the crew's suggestion to postpone the release.
Its commercial outcome was disputed. Business of Cinema describes it as a rare box office disaster for a Rajinikanth film that received largely negative reviews,5 while a Tamil news report describes it as made for the workers who lost money on it,6 and one streaming guide calls it a hit.7
Critical reception was mixed. Malini Mannath of The Indian Express called it "a typical Rajini film; a mishmash of all ingredients formulated to please his fans". K. Vijiyan of New Straits Times wrote, "This 135-minute movie is only for hard-core Rajini fans".
Legacy
The film was the last collaboration between Rajinikanth and Muthuraman,1 and the last film in which Rajinikanth portrayed a police officer until the release of Darbar in 2019. Its Hindi dub was released under the title Kanoon Ka Khiladi.4
References
- Pandian on Moviebuff.com
- Pandian (1992) Full Cast & Crew, Plex
- Pandiyan Full Movie HD, RajVideoVision (YouTube)
- Pandian (1992), IMDb
- Pandiyan Full Movie, Business of Cinema
- Director open talk on Pandian, Cinesamugam
- Pandian 1992, Airtel Xstream Play
Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Tamil films before 2000 › Released 1992 to 1999
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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