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{{short description|1989 film by R. Sundarrajan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Rajadhi Raja
| image = Rajadhi Raja (1989).jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[R. Sundarrajan (director)|R. Sundarrajan]]
| screenplay = [[Panchu Arunachalam]]
| story = R. Sundarrajan
| starring = [[Rajinikanth]]<br />[[Nadhiya]]<br />[[Radha (actress)|Radha]]
| producer = R. D. Bhaskar
| music = [[Ilaiyaraaja]]
| cinematography = Rajarajan
| editing = [[B. Lenin]]<br />[[V. T. Vijayan]]
| studio = Pavalar Creations
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1989|03|04}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Rajadhi Raja''''' ({{trans|King of Kings}}) is a 1989 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[action comedy film]], directed by [[R. Sundarrajan (director)|R. Sundarrajan]] and written by [[Panchu Arunachalam]]. The film stars [[Rajinikanth]] in a dual role, with [[Nadhiya]] and [[Radha (actress)|Raadha]] portraying his characters' love interests. It revolves around Raja, a rich estate owner's son who seeks to avenge his father's death. He is aided in his quest by Chinnarasu, a lookalike.

''Rajadhi Raja'' was released on 4 March 1989. The film became a box office blockbuster.<ref>http://rajinifans.com/boxoffice/rajathi-raja.php</ref> This film was dubbed in Telugu as ''Raajaadhi Raajaa''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/jyothichitra-1990-02-16-08 |title=Jyothichitra_1990_02_16_08.jpg | archive-url=https://archive.org/details/jyothichitra-1990-02-16-08 |archive-date=20 September 2020 |access-date=20 September 2020}}</ref>

== Plot ==

A rich estate owner Vishwanathan ([[Vijayakumar (Tamil actor)|Vijayakumar]]) is killed by his second wife Sarasu ([[Y. Vijaya]]) and her brother Aadimoolam ([[Radha Ravi]]) for his property. The estate owner's son Rajashekar ([[Rajinikanth]]) returns from the United States and learns of this. In order to bring the culprits to book, he makes his friend Sethupathi ([[Janagaraj]]), a [[rickshaw]] puller, act as Raja. But soon, Aadimoolam learns of this, kills Sethu and frames Raja as the killer. Raja is sentenced to death. In between, Raja loves Senkamalam ([[Radha (actress)|Radha]]), sister of an employee in his estate.

In the same village where Raja lives, there exists his lookalike, Chinnaraasu ([[Rajinikanth]]), whose aim in life is to wed his sweetheart Lakshmi ([[Nadhiya]]). Raja escapes from jail, meets Chinnaraasu and makes Chinnaraasu take his place in jail. After many twist and turns, Raja brings the culprits to book. At the end, Raja marries Senkamalam and Chinnarasu marries Lakshmi.

== Cast ==
*[[Rajinikanth]] as Rajashekar and Chinnaraasu
*[[Nadhiya]] as Lakshmi
*[[Radha (actress)|Radha]] as Senkamalam
*[[Radha Ravi]] as Aadhimoolam
*[[Vinu Chakravarthy]] as Nallamuthu Gounder
*[[Janagaraj]] as Sethupathi
*[[Anandaraj]] as Kangeyan
*[[Vijayakumar (Tamil actor)|Vijayakumar]] as Vishwanathan
*[[Y. Vijaya]] as Sarasu
*S. N. Vasanth as Kathavarayan
*[[G. Srinivasan (actor)|G. Srinivasan]] as Advocate Chidambaram
*[[Pradeep Shakthi]] as Valparai Varathan
*[[Idichapuli Selvaraj]]
*[[Balu Anand]]

== Production ==
=== Development ===
[[R. Sundarrajan (director)|R. Sundarrajan]] initially planned to direct ''[[Amman Kovil Kizhakale]]'' with [[Rajinikanth]] which did not happen. When Sundarrajan met [[Panchu Arunachalam]] who was finding plot for a new project with collaboration of [[S. P. Muthuraman]] and Rajinikanth, he narrated the plotline of ''Rajathi Raja'' which impressed both Rajinikanth and Arunachalam. Rajinikanth insisted Sundarrajan to direct the film who relented after initial rejections to direct the film.<ref name="av" /> The film was produced under Ilaiyaraaja's brother R. D. Bhaskar under their home banner Pavalar Creations.<ref name="ti" /> Cinematography was handled by Rajarajan, and editing by [[B. Lenin]] and [[V. T. Vijayan]].<ref name="cinemaexpress" />

=== Casting ===
Initially, [[Revathi]] and [[Rupini]] were reported to be the two lead actresses. Due to date clashes, Revathi's role was given to [[Radha]] and Rupini's role to [[Nadhiya]].<ref name="cinemaexpress" /> This was the last film for Radha to act with Rajinikanth and it was the only film for Nadhiya with Rajinikanth.<ref name="ti" />

[[Radha Ravi]], who portrayed one of the antagonists, initially "approached the role like a serious villain". However, when he was told that his character knows Rajinikanth’s real identity, "I decided to play the character like a muff, and when I suggested the idea to director Sundarrajan, he accepted it".<ref name="ti" /> Ravi also intentionally mimicked his father [[M. R. Radha]]'s voice and took inspiration from his father's character from the 1961 film ''[[Paava Mannippu]]''.<ref name="ti" />

=== Filming ===
The song "Vaa Vaa" was initially planned to shoot at Ooty but due to heavy rainfall, the crew then decided to shoot the song at Coonoor and again went back to Ooty during its non rainy day and completed the remaining shoot.<ref name="av" /> Radha Ravi said Rajinikanth wanted this scene where there will be a snake in the hand, Sundarrajan "wasn’t keen on having this as he felt it was over the top" but Rajinikanth insisted on this scene because “he liked to have a snake scene in his films for sentimental reasons”.<ref name="ti" /> The filming was completed in 50 days.<ref name="av" />

== Soundtrack ==
The music was composed by [[Ilaiyaraaja]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/movie/T0000151.html |title=Rajadhi Raja (1989) |website=[[Raaga.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223051456/http://www.raaga.com/channels/tamil/movie/T0000151.html |archive-date=23 February 2014 |access-date=10 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=http://ilayaraja.forumms.net/t63p345-vinyl-lp-record-covers-speak-about-ir-pictures-details-thamizh |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191216071310/http://ilayaraja.forumms.net/t63p345-vinyl-lp-record-covers-speak-about-ir-pictures-details-thamizh |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-12-16 |title=ராஜாதி ராஜா |last=Ilaiyaraaja |type=[[liner notes]] |language=ta |publisher=Echo |year=1989 |trans-title=King of kings |author-link=Ilaiyaraaja}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! No. !! Song !! Singer(s) !! Lyrics !! Length (m:ss) !! Notes !! Song number in the film
|-
| 1 || "Meenamma Meenamma" || [[Mano (singer)|Mano]], [[K. S. Chitra]] || [[Piraisoodan]] || 04:38 || Rajinikanth, Radha || Fifth (Last song)
|-
| 2 || "Maama Un Ponna Kodu" || [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]] || [[Gangai Amaran]] || 04:25 || Rajinikanth, Nadiya || Fourth
|-
| 3 || "Malaiyaala Karaiyoram" || Mano || [[Vaali (poet)|Vaali]] || 04:42 || Rajinikanth || First
|-
| 4 || "Enkitta Modhadhe" || Mano, K. S. Chitra || Ponnadiyan || 04:51 || Rajinikanth, Nadiya || Second
|-
| 5 || "Un Nenja Thottu Sollu" (Album Only) || [[P. Susheela]], K. S. Chitra ||Gangai Amaran||04:38||(Not in the movie, Rajini, Radha, Nadiya)||
|-
| 6 || "Vaa Vaa Manjal Malare" || Mano, [[S. P. Sailaja]] || rowspan=3|[[Ilaiyaraaja]] || 04:34 ||Rajinikanth, Radha || Third
|-
| 7 || "Ulaga Vaazhkkaiye" || S. P. Balasubrahmanyam || 00:58 || Rajinikanth||
|-
| 8 || "Adi AathuKulla Aathimaram" || S. P. Balasubrahmanyam || 01:18 ||Rajinikanth||
|-
|}

== Release ==
''Rajadhi Raja'' was released on 4 March 1989.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sreekanth |first=Gayathri |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K2xIAQAAIAAJ&q=The+Name+Is+Rajinikanth |title=The Name Is Rajinikanth |publisher=Om Books International |year=2008 |isbn=978-81-87108-44-3 |chapter=Complete Filmography }}</ref> ''[[Ananda Vikatan]]'' rated the film 43 out of 100.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 March 1989 |title=சினிமா விமர்சனம்: ராஜாதி ராஜா |url=https://www.vikatan.com/arts/nostalgia/40651--2 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200621063804/https://www.vikatan.com/arts/nostalgia/40651--2 |archive-date=21 June 2020 |access-date=21 June 2020 |website=[[Ananda Vikatan]] |language=ta}}</ref> N. Krishnaswamy of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' wrote "[sic] the film is entertaining despite the abundant cliches and to-the-hilt commercialism".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krishnaswamy |first=N. |date=17 March 1989 |title=Rajathiraja |page=5 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19890317&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="av">{{Cite web |url=https://cinema.vikatan.com/tamil-cinema/pokkisham/153521-a-special-article-about-rajinis-rajathi-raja-movie.html#cmt-sec |title=''ஒன்லைன் வாய்ப்பு, ஊட்டி மழை, ரஜினி சொன்ன சஜஷன்!" - ஆர்.சுந்தர்ராஜன் #30YearsOfRajathiraja |last=Guna |first=M. |date=27 March 2019 |website=[[Ananda Vikatan]] |trans-title=One-line opportunity, Ooty rainfall, Suggestion given by Rajini – R. Sundarrajan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119142243/https://cinema.vikatan.com/tamil-cinema/153521-a-special-article-about-rajinis-rajathi-raja-movie#bypass-sw |archive-date=19 November 2019 |access-date=28 March 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="cinemaexpress">{{Cite news |url=http://www.cinemaexpress.com/cinemaexpress/story.aspx?Title=%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9C%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF+%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9C%E0%AE%BE+(1989)&artid=112086&SectionID=144&MainSectionID=144&SectionName=Fashion&SEO= |title=ராஜாதி ராஜா (1989) |work=[[Cinema Express]] |access-date=12 January 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140929130712/http://www.cinemaexpress.com/cinemaexpress/story.aspx?Title=%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9C%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF+%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9C%E0%AE%BE+(1989)&artid=112086&SectionID=144&MainSectionID=144&SectionName=Fashion&SEO= |archive-date=29 September 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="ti">{{Cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/celebrating-30-years-of-raajadhi-raja/articleshow/68242906.cms |title=Celebrating 30 years of Raajadhi Raja |last=Suganth |first=M. |date=4 March 2019 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=4 March 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119141915/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//entertainment/tamil/movies/news/celebrating-30-years-of-raajadhi-raja/articleshow/68242906.cms? |archive-date=19 November 2019}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==

* {{IMDb title|id=0288784}}
{{R. Sundarrajan (director)}}

[[Category:1980s Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1989 films]]
[[Category:Films about miscarriage of justice]]
[[Category:Films directed by R. Sundarrajan]]
[[Category:Films shot in Ooty]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Panchu Arunachalam]]
[[Category:Indian action comedy films]]
[[Category:Indian films about revenge]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Masala films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja]]
[[Category:1980s action comedy films]]

Rajadhi Raja (1989 film) - Revision history

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imported>Kailash29792: /* Production */