TajWoolcock75 at 05:07, 3 March 2026

2026-03-03T05:07:18Z

New page

{{short description|1983 film by S. P. Muthuraman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Adutha Varisu.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[S. P. Muthuraman]]
| screenplay = [[Panchu Arunachalam]]
| story = [[Nabendu Ghosh]]
| producer = [[Dwarakish]]
| starring = [[Rajinikanth]]<br />[[Sridevi]]
| cinematography = Babu
| editing = R. Vittal
| music = [[Ilaiyaraaja]]
| studio = Dwarakish Chitra
| released = {{film date|df=yes|1983|7|7}}
| runtime = 135 minutes
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Adutha Varisu''''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|d|u|θ|ə|_|v|ɑːr|ɪ|s|u}} {{translation|The next heir}}) is a 1983 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[action drama film]] written by [[Panchu Arunachalam]] and directed by [[S. P. Muthuraman]]. The film stars [[Rajinikanth]] and [[Sridevi]]. It is a remake of the 1972 [[Hindi]] film ''[[Raja Jani]]'', which itself was loosely based on the 1956 American film ''[[Anastasia (1956 film)|Anastasia]]''. The film was released on 7 July 1983.

== Plot ==
[[Zamindar]] Rathnakumar of Somanathapuram and his family are pursued by Muthukaruppan and his soldiers, who seek vengeance for the death of Muthukaruppan's brother, Jambulingam. In the attack, Muthukaruppan kills Rathnakumar and his wife, Mallikadevi, leaving their six‑year‑old daughter Radha an orphan. Rathnakumar’s courtier, Vijay, rescues Radha and attempts to flee, but he is ambushed, and Radha is thrown into the river.

Twelve years later, Queen Rajalakshmi, the zamindar's mother, mourns the disappearance of her granddaughter Radha, the rightful heir. The will stipulates that if Radha is not found within the next six months, the entire wealth will transfer to a trustee for public welfare. Diwan Rajalingam hires Kannan, a small‑time [[bounty hunter]], to locate a girl who can impersonate Radha and claim the throne, thereby allowing Rajalingam to seize the wealth after Rajalakshmi’s death. After months of searching, Kannan comes across a nomadic girl, Valli, a tribal dancer whose facial features resemble those of the missing Radha. Canning a way to secure Valli's cooperation, Kannan enlists his colleague to pretend to assault her, staging a fake murder. He then "rescues" Valli from the attackers on a train, gaining her trust. Valli moves into Kannan's house, concealing the murder. Kannan's cook, Ramanna, advises Valli to develop feelings for Kannan, hoping that love will keep her there permanently.

Kannan feeds Radha false information, warning her that the police are hunting her for the murder of her abuser, and insists she must begin impersonating Radha. With no alternative, Valli agrees. Over the next month, Kannan trains her in language, etiquette, dress, and body language, grooming her to play the lost heiress. Valli falls in love with Kannan, but he, harboring a deep distrust of women, rejects her affection. Valli demands that he give up his drinking; Kannan, swayed by her insistence, promises to cut back. Later, after learning how Kannan has molded her for the ruse, Valli feels betrayed and leaves, accusing him of being obsessed with money. Ramanna intercepts her, revealing Kannan's tragic past: his former friend Sundaram swindled him out of {{INRConvert|400000|year=1983}} for a business venture, and his lover Usha abandoned him when his fortunes fell. Disillusioned, Kannan turned to ruthless money‑making and shut himself off from love.

Ramanna pleads with Valli to continue the charade, warning that Kannan will relapse into alcoholism if she abandons him, noting that he was happy only when Valli was around. Valli, hoping Kannan might eventually recognize her love, agrees to play as Radha. Kannan and Rajalingam succeed in convincing Rajalakshmi that Valli is her long‑lost granddaughter, Radha. Rajalakshmi summons the courtier Vijay, Pratap, Radha's former teacher, and Dr. Gowtham for verification. After their tests, they all confirm that the girl claiming to be Radha is genuine. To remove any lingering doubt, Rajalakshmi asks what Radha's favorite childhood instrument was; Valli, playing the part, sits at a piano and performs, solidifying Rajalakshmi's belief. The sight of the piano triggers an unexplainable feeling in Valli. Ramanna suggests she make Kannan jealous by getting close to Pratap, hoping to awaken his possessiveness. Meanwhile, Valli's tribal foster parents are captured by Pratap and Rajalingam and thrown in jail.

At a public ceremony, Rajalakshmi announces the property transfer and the engagement of Radha and Pratap, sparking Kannan's jealousy. Kannan's ex‑lover, Usha, appears as a dancer, and it's revealed that she and Pratap are in a relationship. Usha pressures Pratap to marry her, but he refuses, citing the wealth he would gain. Usha threatens to expose their affair to Rajalakshmi, prompting Rajalingam to kill her. Kannan falls back into drinking, but a change of heart makes him confess his love for Radha. Radha admits she only pretended to love Pratap to manipulate Kannan. They plan a midnight escape, but Rajalingam overhears them, arrests Kannan, and has him tortured in prison, threatening Radha to stay silent or Kannan will die. Wedding preparations move forward, and Rajalingam uses a body double, Veeraiyan, wearing a mask to impersonate Kannan and avoid suspicion.

In prison, Kannan learns from Valli's tribal foster parents that Valli truly is the real Radha. They orchestrate an escape, and Kannan, disguised as a spiritual guru, infiltrates the palace, beats Veeraiyan (the fake Kannan), and takes his place, gaining Rajalingam's trust. Meanwhile, a dying Rajalakshmi reveals the hidden treasury's location to Radha, prompting Rajalingam and Pratap to follow them. Thinking Kannan is still the impostor, they approach the treasury, where Rajalakshmi finally discovers Rajalingam's treachery. Kannan engages in a fierce battle with Veeraiyan, Rajalingam, Pratap, and Rajalingam's guards. Rajalingam accidentally stabs his son Pratap while trying to defend the treasure. Rajalingam reveals to Rajalakshmi that he hired Kannan and Valli to impersonate Radha, unaware that Valli was the genuine princess Radha.

Ramanna arrives with Valli's foster parents and explains that they rescued the toddler Radha from the river and raised her as their own daughter, Valli, without knowing her true identity. As proof, they present the lion‑inscribed pendant, the zamindari heirloom from Radha's chain. Ramanna goes to fetch the police to arrest Rajalingam. The film concludes with Rajalakshmi blessing the marriage of her granddaughter Radha to Kannan.

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Rajinikanth]] as Kannan{{sfn |Ramachandran |2014 |p=109}}
* [[Sridevi]] as Radha / Valli{{sfn |Ramachandran |2014 |p=109}}
* [[Raveendran (actor)|Raveendran]] as Pratap
* [[Silk Smitha]] as Usha<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 December 2017 |title=Silk Smitha birth anniversary: Memorable films of the sex siren of South |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/cmcm/silk-smitha-birth-anniversary-memorable-films-of-the-sex-siren-of-south |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307063451/https://www.freepressjournal.in/cmcm/silk-smitha-birth-anniversary-memorable-films-of-the-sex-siren-of-south |archive-date=7 March 2020 |access-date=7 March 2020 |website=[[The Free Press Journal]]}}</ref>
* [[V. K. Ramasamy (actor)|V. K. Ramasamy]] as Valli's foster father
* [[Cho Ramaswamy]] as Ramanna
* [[Senthamarai (actor)|Senthamarai]] as Diwan Rajalingam
* [[V. Gopalakrishnan (actor)|V. Gopalakrishnan]] as Vijay
* [[C. L. Anandan]] as Veeraiyan
* [[S. V. Ramadas]] as Muthukaruppan
* [[S. S. Chandran]] in a special appearance as Kannan's colleague
* S.R. Veeraraghavan as Dr. Gowtham
* [[LIC Narasimhan]] as Sundaram
* [[S. Varalakshmi]] as Rajalakshmi
* [[Manorama (Tamil actress)|Manorama]] as Valli's foster mother
* Vasantha in a cameo appearance as Mallikadevi, Rathnakumar's wife
* [[Jaishankar (actor)|Jaishankar]] in a special appearance as Rathnakumar}}

== Production ==
''Adutha Varisu'' is a remake of the 1972 [[Hindi]] film ''[[Raja Jani]]'',{{sfn |Ramachandran |2014 |p=108}} which itself was loosely based on the 1956 American film ''[[Anastasia (1956 film)|Anastasia]]'' (1956).{{sfn |Nayak |2019 |p=63}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rangan |first=Baradwaj |author-link=Baradwaj Rangan |date=30 July 2016 |title=How do you solve a problem like Rajini? |url=https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-rajini/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218114753/https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-rajini/ |archive-date=18 December 2019 |access-date=18 December 2019 |website=Baradwaj Rangan}}</ref> The film was produced by [[Dwarakish]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harsha |date=26 February 2018 |title=I'm her Meera, says Sridevi's ardent fan |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2018/feb/26/im-her-meera-says-sridevis-ardent-fan-1778948.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928071626/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2018/feb/26/im-her-meera-says-sridevis-ardent-fan-1778948.html |archive-date=28 September 2019 |access-date=15 November 2019 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref> The filming was held at [[Udaipur]], [[Rajasthan]].<ref>{{cite news |date=19 June 1983 |title=திரைக்கு வரும் அடுத்த வாரிசு |url=https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_7_233/4.jp2/full/1000,1369/0/default.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250618004612/https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_7_233/4.jp2/full/1000,1369/0/default.jpg |archive-date=18 June 2025 |access-date=18 June 2025 |newspaper=Anna |pages=4 |language=ta |via=[[Endangered Archives Programme]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=27 April 2008 |title=ரயிலின் வேகத்தில் ரஜினி! |url=https://archive.org/download/kalki2008-04-27/kalki2008-04-27.pdf |access-date=14 January 2026 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=58–61 |language=ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
The soundtrack was composed by [[Ilaiyaraaja]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Adutha Vaarisu (1983) |url=http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/album/T0000021.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105233013/http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/album/T0000021.html |archive-date=5 November 2013 |access-date=21 November 2013 |website=[[Raaga.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Adutha Varisu Tamil Film LP Vinyl Record by Ilayaraja |url=https://mossymart.com/product/adutha-varisu-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraja/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021085840/https://mossymart.com/product/adutha-varisu-tamil-film-lp-vinyl-record-by-ilayaraja/ |archive-date=21 October 2021 |access-date=21 October 2021 |website=Mossymart}}</ref> The [[disco]] song "Aasai Nooru Vagai" was remixed by [[Yuvan Shankar Raja]] for ''[[Kurumbu]]'' (2003).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jeshi |first=K. |date=2 November 2007 |title=Mix and match |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/mix-and-match/article3023973.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130161142/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/mix-and-match/article3023973.ece |archive-date=30 November 2016 |access-date=6 March 2019 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> The song "Dan Dana Dan" from the Hindi film ''[[Department (film)|Department]]'' (2012) too was adapted from "Aasai Nooru Vagai".{{sfn |Ramachandran |2014 |p=109}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johri |first=Kanika |date=23 April 2012 |title=RGV's Dan Dan Dana Dan copied from a Rajinikanth song! |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/rgv-s-dan-dan-dana-dan-copied-from-a-rajinikanth-song/story-W2tNVYvPzQIA9k53c9ZFAO.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321034004/http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/rgv-s-dan-dan-dana-dan-copied-from-a-rajinikanth-song/story-W2tNVYvPzQIA9k53c9ZFAO.html |archive-date=21 March 2017 |access-date=15 November 2019 |work=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Pesa Koodathu
| lyrics1 = [[Panchu Arunachalam]]
| extra1 = [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]], [[P. Susheela]]
| length1 = 4:35
| title2 = Vaa Raja Vandhu Paaru
| lyrics2 = [[Vaali (poet)|Vaali]]
| extra2 = S. Janaki
| length2 = 4:26
| title3 = Vaazhga Raja Vaazhga Rani
| lyrics3 = Panchu Arunachalam
| extra3 = [[S. P. Sailaja]], S. Janaki
| length3 = 4:30
| title4 = Kaveriye Kavikuyiley
| lyrics4 = Panchu Arunachalam
| extra4 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
| length4 = 4:35
| title5 = Aasai Nooru Vagai
| lyrics5 = Panchu Arunachalam
| extra5 = [[Malaysia Vasudevan]]
| length5 = 4:31
| title6 = Ennaiah ABC
| lyrics6 = Vaali
| extra6 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
| length6 = 4:28
| total_length = 27:05
}}

== Release and reception ==
''Adutha Varisu'' was released on 7 July 1983 and become hit at the box office.<ref>{{Cite web |title=சூப்பர் ஸ்டார் ரஜினிகாந்த் - ஒரு சரித்திரம் {{!}} சூப்பர் ஸ்டாரின் திரைக்காவியங்களின் பட்டியல்கள் |url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/globalmusic/rajini02.asp |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622114535/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/globalmusic/rajini02.asp |archive-date=22 June 2022 |access-date=24 September 2022 |website=[[Lakshman Sruthi]] |language=ta}}</ref> ''[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]]'' criticised the film for lack of originality.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=31 July 1983 |title=அடுத்த வாரிசு |url=https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1983/jul/31-07-1983/p8.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220728085449/https://kalkionline.com/kalkionline_archive/imagegallery/archiveimages/kalki/1983/jul/31-07-1983/p8.jpg |archive-date=28 July 2022 |access-date=10 December 2021 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |page=8 |language=ta}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last=Nayak |first=Satyarth |author-link=Satyarth Nayak |title=Sridevi: The Eternal Screen Goddess |title-link=Sridevi: The Eternal Screen Goddess |publisher=[[Penguin Random House]] |year=2019 |isbn=9789353056780 |location=India}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |author-link=Naman Ramachandran |title=Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography |title-link=Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-14-342111-5 |location=New Delhi |orig-date=2012}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}

{{S. P. Muthuraman}}

[[Category:1980s action drama films]]
[[Category:1983 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1983 films]]
[[Category:1983 Indian films]]
[[Category:Films about bounty hunters]]
[[Category:Films about royalty]]
[[Category:Films based on adaptations]]
[[Category:Films directed by S. P. Muthuraman]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Panchu Arunachalam]]
[[Category:Indian action drama films]]
[[Category:Tamil remakes of Hindi films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language action drama films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]

Adutha Varisu - Revision history

TajWoolcock75 at 05:07, 3 March 2026