Sethupathi IPS (சேதுபதி ஜ.பி.எஸ்)
Sethupathi I.P.S (சேதுபதி I.P.S) is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by P. Vasu, starring Vijayakanth as a deputy commissioner of police who thwarts a terrorist plot against the Prime Minister of India1 • 2. It was produced by M. Saravanan for the Chennai studio AVM Productions, which also distributed it3 • 4.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 14 January 1994, India (theatrical)2 |
| Director and writer | P. Vasu1 |
| Lead cast | Vijayakanth (DCP Sethupathy IPS), Meena (Chandramathi), M. N. Nambiar (Ramarathnam)5 |
| Music | Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Vaali5 |
| Production | AVM Productions; producer M. Saravanan3 |
| Runtime | 147 minutes per Letterboxd and Rotten Tomatoes; IMDb lists 166 minutes2 • 1 |
| Audience rating | 6.5/10 on IMDb from 164 votes1 |
Spoilers
Plot
Sethupathi is an efficient police officer from a family with a history of serving India3. He captures the extremist Sivasubramaniam, who reveals that a terrorist strike on the Prime Minister is being planned; the disclosure puts Sethupathi's own family in danger1. After he saves the Prime Minister's life, the terrorists take over a school, presenting him with a new threat6. A Letterboxd review describes the film as violent in places, and notes that it received an 18 certificate from the British Board of Film Classification7.
Cast and crew
Vijayakanth plays the title role of DCP Sethupathy IPS. Meena plays his wife Chandramathi, M. N. Nambiar plays Ramarathnam, Srividya plays Sathyabama, Goundamani plays Muthaiya, Delhi Ganesh plays Kesavan, Senthil plays Alagappan, and Vijayakumar plays the head of police Ramanathan5. Kazan Khan plays the villain Sivaprakash, also known as Shantharam5.
Behind the camera, M. C. Sekar was the director of photography and P. Mohanraj the editor5. The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, a National Award winner, with lyrics by Vaali and playback singing by K. S. Chithra, K. J. Yesudas, Asha Bhosle, and Bhavatharini5 • 6. The Moviebuff tracklist lists the songs "Anathai Endru", "Mazhalai Endrum", "Saathu Nada", "Vanna Mozhi Maane", and "Vidiyum Neram"8.
Production and release
The film was shot over 180 days, entirely in Chennai, according to the MaJaa archive4. It was released theatrically in India on 14 January 19942. Release dates differ between databases: Moviebuff dates the film 1 January 19938, while Letterboxd, Rotten Tomatoes, and the MaJaa archive all place it in 19942 • 3 • 4. The MaJaa archive calls it one of the biggest blockbusters of Vijayakanth's career during the 1990s4.
Reception and availability
IMDb records a 6.5/10 rating from 164 users and one award win for the film1. A Letterboxd review praised Vijayakanth's performance, the direction, and the film's tense atmosphere, while cautioning that some scenes are difficult to watch7. The film can be rented or bought on Prime Video3.
Distinction from the 2016 film Sethupathi
Sethupathi I.P.S (1994) shares its title element with Sethupathi, a 2016 Tamil police drama directed by S. U. Arun Kumar starring Vijay Sethupathi as an inspector in the Madurai region who investigates the murder of a fellow officer9. The two films are separate works with different casts, directors, and stories.
References
- Sethupathi I.P.S (1994), IMDb
- Sethupathi I.P.S (1994), Letterboxd
- Sethupathi I.P.S, Rotten Tomatoes
- Sethupathi-IPS-1994-Tamil, MaJaa.Mobi
- Sethupathi I.P.S (1994) – Full Cast, Crew & Story, The Biographies
- Sethupathy IPS, Flixjini
- Sethupathi I.P.S review by Luke Thorne, Letterboxd
- Sethupathy IPS, Moviebuff
- Sethupathi (2016), Rotten Tomatoes
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 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
Your notes
© 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI. Free to use with credit under the Edgepedia Community License. Developers: read Edgepedia by API or MCP. Embed a reference card.