Rajan Singh at 01:56, 24 April 2026

2026-04-24T01:56:25Z

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{{short description|1984 film by K. Vijayan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Vidhi 1984 poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[K. Vijayan]]
| writer = [[Aaroor Dass]] (dialogue)
| story = D. Kameswari
| producer = Anandavalli Balaji
| starring = {{unbulleted list|[[Sujatha (actress)|Sujatha]]|[[Mohan (actor)|Mohan]]|[[Poornima Bhagyaraj|Poornima]]|[[Jaishankar (actor)|Jaishankar]]}}
| cinematography = Tiwari<ref name="movie" />
| editing = V. Chakrapani<ref name="movie" />
| music = [[Shankar–Ganesh]]
| studio = Sujatha Cine Arts
| released = {{film date|1984|1|26|df=y}}
| runtime = 137 minutes{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|p=84}}
| country = India
| language = Tamil
}}

'''''Vidhi''''' ({{translation|Fate}}) is a 1984 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language [[legal drama]] film directed by [[K. Vijayan]]. A remake of the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] film ''[[Nyayam Kavali]]'' (1981), it stars [[Sujatha (actress)|Sujatha]], [[Mohan (actor)|Mohan]], [[Poornima Bhagyaraj|Poornima]], and [[Jaishankar (actor)|Jaishankar]]. The film revolves around a court case that Radha (Poornima) files against Raja (Mohan), concerning the legitimacy of her child conceived out of wedlock.

[[Principal photography]] began in December 1983 and was completed within two months. ''Vidhi'' was released on 26 January 1984. The film received positive reviews from critics, particularly for the dialogues in its courtroom scenes and was a commercial success, running for over 500 days in theatres.

== Plot ==
Raja, the son of lawyer "Tiger" Dayanidhi, is a playboy and [[Womanise|womaniser]]. Whenever he sets his eyes on a girl, he convinces her he is madly in love with her, then abandons her after having a relationship with her. This becomes a routine for him. Radha is a girl from a middle-class family. Raja meets her, tries his techniques to impress her, and succeeds. Radha loves him and yields to his advances for a physical relationship.

When Radha realises she is pregnant, she requests Raja to marry her, but he writes off their relationship. Much against her parents' suggestion to get an abortion, Radha decides to have the child and tells them that she wants to take Raja to court and prove he has fathered her child. She leaves home and meets Sakunthala, a leading lawyer who works for women's rights.

Sakunthala's story is similar to Radha's: she had been Dayanidhi's lover. When she had become pregnant, he had deserted her, and she had given birth to an illegitimate daughter. Sakunthala does not want history to repeat itself and drags Raja to the court on Radha's behalf. Dayanidhi fights for his son, but Sakunthala wins the case. The court declares Raja the father of Radha's child, but leaves the decision of marriage to them.

While meeting the media after winning the case, Radha states that she intended to get legitimacy for her child. She declares that she is satisfied with the court's verdict and has decided to be on her own. Meanwhile, Sakunthala gets a heart attack, and before dying, she hands over her daughter in Radha's care.

Years later, Raja and his wife, married for some years and childless, run into Radha. It turns out that she has been raising her son, Suresh, all by herself, and he has become a talented, well-adjusted, smart boy.

== Cast ==
{{cast listing|
* [[Sujatha (actress)|Sujatha]] as Sakunthala<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rangarajan |first=Malathi |date=9 April 2011 |title=We will miss you, Sujatha |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/We-will-miss-you-Sujatha/article14677027.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321152755/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/We-will-miss-you-Sujatha/article14677027.ece |archive-date=21 March 2018 |access-date=21 March 2018 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>
* [[Mohan (actor)|Mohan]] as Raja{{sfn|Balabharathi|2012|p=277}}
* [[Poornima Bhagyaraj|Poornima]] as Radha<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 August 2014 |title=என் விதியை மாற்றி அமைத்த 'விதி' - ஆரூர் தாஸ் |trans-title=The 'Fate' that changed my fate - Aaroor Dass |url=http://www.dailythanthi.com/Cinema/CinemaNews/2014/08/11122502/The-other-side-of-cinema.vpf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822052524/http://www.dailythanthi.com/Cinema/CinemaNews/2014/08/11122502/The-other-side-of-cinema.vpf |archive-date=22 August 2017 |access-date=27 July 2017 |work=[[Dina Thanthi]] |language=ta}}</ref>
* [[Jaishankar (actor)|Jaishankar]] as "Tiger" Dayanidhi{{sfn|Balabharathi|2012|p=277}}
* [[K. Bhagyaraj]] as himself (guest appearance)<ref name="telugucinema.com" />
* [[K. Balaji]] as the judge<ref name="telugucinema.com" />
* [[Manorama (Tamil actress)|Manorama]] as Pattama{{sfn|Balabharathi|2012|p=278}}
* [[J. Livingston|Livingston]] as K. Bhagyaraj's assistant<ref name="vikatan">{{Cite web |last=கண்ணன் |first=சுரேஷ் |date=19 January 2023 |title=விதி: தமிழ் சினிமாவின் விபரீதமான மரபை உடைத்த படம்; சுஜாதாவின் நடிப்பு, கே.பாக்யராஜின் அந்த கேமியோ! |trans-title=''Vidhi'': A film that broke the perverse tradition of Tamil cinema; Sujatha's performance, that cameo by K. Bhagyaraj! |url=https://cinema.vikatan.com/kollywood/vidhi-this-movie-broke-the-most-important-stereotype-of-tamil-cinema |url-access=subscription |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120224948/https://cinema.vikatan.com/kollywood/vidhi-this-movie-broke-the-most-important-stereotype-of-tamil-cinema |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=24 January 2023 |website=[[Ananda Vikatan]] |language=ta}}</ref>
* [[Sathyakala]] as Raja's wife<ref name="vikatan" />
* [[Poornam Viswanathan]] as Radha's father<ref name="vikatan" />
}}

== Production ==
''Vidhi'', a remake of the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] film ''[[Nyayam Kavali]]'' (1981) was produced by Sujatha Cine Arts.<ref name="dinamalarnellai" /> Although [[A. Kodandarami Reddy]], director of the original, was offered to direct the remake, he declined owing to his lack of fluency in Tamil. Hence, [[K. Vijayan]] was chosen.<ref name="telugucinema.com" /> [[Aaroor Dass]] was chosen to write the dialogues after being asked to by [[K. Balaji]]. This marked his return to film after a near 17-year sabbatical; he last wrote for ''[[Thangai]]'' (1967).{{sfn|Balabharathi|2012|p=275}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krishnamachari |first=Suganthy |date=23 February 2012 |title=‘Star’ Wordsmith |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/star-wordsmith/article2923705.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330065238/https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/star-wordsmith/article2923705.ece |archive-date=30 March 2021 |access-date=30 March 2021 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> Because [[Sujatha (actress)|Sujatha]]'s character, a lawyer, speaks lengthy dialogues, and the actress found memorising them difficult, Dass simplified her dialogues. During the scene where her character faints in court, Sujatha fainted for real.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 June 2025 |title=பிளாஷ்பேக்: கண்ணாம்பாவிற்கு பிறகு வசனத்தால் புகழ்பெற்ற சுஜாதா |trans-title=Flashback: Sujatha, famous for her dialogues after Kannamba |url=https://www.dinamalar.com/cinemanews/130582 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250625150212/https://www.dinamalar.com/cinemanews/130582 |archive-date=25 June 2025 |access-date=25 June 2025 |website=[[Dinamalar]] |language=Ta}}</ref> [[Principal photography]] began on 1 December 1983 and was completed within two months.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|p=85}}

== Soundtrack ==
The soundtrack was composed by the duo [[Shankar–Ganesh]], while the lyrics were written by [[Vaali (poet)|Vaali]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vidhi Tamil Film Super 7 EP Vinyl Record by Shankar Ganesh |url=https://mossymart.com/product/vidhi-tamil-film-super-7-ep-vinyl-record-by-shankar-ganesh/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124050237/https://mossymart.com/product/vidhi-tamil-film-super-7-ep-vinyl-record-by-shankar-ganesh/ |archive-date=24 January 2023 |access-date=24 January 2023 |website=Mossymart}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 July 2003 |title=Vidhi — Film Story Dialogues And Songs |url=https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/vidhi---film-story-dialogues-and-songs/4YR0-eBrJAk_ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200311035504/https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/vidhi---film-story-dialogues-and-songs/4YR0-eBrJAk_ |archive-date=11 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020 |website=[[JioSaavn]]}}</ref> The songs "L O V E – Lovethaan" and "Vaadi Macchi" attained popularity.<ref name="dinamalarnellai" />

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Devadasum Naanum
| extra1 = [[Malaysia Vasudevan]]
| length1 = 4:30
| title2 = Vaadi Macchi
| extra2 = [[S. P. Balasubrahmanyam]]
| length2 = 4:35
| title3 = L O V E – Lovethaan
| extra3 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, [[S. P. Sailaja]]
| length3 = 4:21
| title4 = Vidhi Varaindha
| extra4 = [[Kalyani Menon]]
| length4 = 3:49
| total_length = 17:15 
}}

== Release and reception ==
''Vidhi'' was released on 26 January 1984.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ராம்ஜி |first=வி. |date=26 January 2019 |title=கே.பாலாஜிக்குப் பிடித்த ஜனவரி 26ம் தேதி! |trans-title=K. Balaji liked the date 26 January! |url=https://www.kamadenu.in/news/cinema/15892-kbalaji-4.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190223063617/https://www.kamadenu.in/news/cinema/15892-kbalaji-4.html |archive-date=23 February 2019 |access-date=23 February 2019 |website=[[Kamadenu (magazine)|Kamadenu]] |language=ta}}</ref> The film received positive reviews from critics, who compared it favourably to ''[[Velaikari]]'' (1949) and ''[[Parasakthi (1952 film)|Parasakthi]]'' (1952) for featuring courtroom scenes with powerful dialogues.{{sfn|Balabharathi|2012|pp=274–275}} The Tamil magazine ''[[Ananda Vikatan]]'', in a review dated 19 February 1984, said that though the film was a remake, it was a healthy remake, and rated it 51 out of 100.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vikatan Review Board |date=19 February 1984 |title=விதி |url=https://www.vikatan.com/arts/nostalgia/36944--2 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200311035306/https://www.vikatan.com/story-feed |archive-date=11 March 2020 |access-date=11 March 2020 |website=[[Ananda Vikatan]] |language=ta}}</ref> ''[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]]'' praised the film for the cast performances, its theme of women boldly seeking justice instead of bowing down to male authority, and felt the film was a must watch for those craving societal change.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=18 March 1984 |title=விதி |url=https://archive.org/details/kalki1984-03-18/page/n57/mode/2up? |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230828134638/https://archive.org/details/kalki1984-03-18/page/n57/mode/2up? |archive-date=28 August 2023 |access-date=23 March 2024 |magazine=[[Kalki (magazine)|Kalki]] |pages=56–57 |language=ta |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Balumani of ''Anna'' praised the acting and direction but found the music average.<ref>{{Cite news |last=பாலுமணி |date=30 January 1984 |title=விதி |url=https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_8_103/3.jp2/full/1000,1369/0/default.jpg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623133717/https://images.eap.bl.uk/EAP372/EAP372_6_23_8_103/3.jp2/full/1000,1369/0/default.jpg |archive-date=23 June 2025 |access-date=23 June 2025 |work=Anna |pages=3 |language=ta |via=[[Endangered Archives Programme]]}}</ref> The film became a major commercial success, running for over 500 days in theatres;<ref name="dinamalarnellai" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=23 August 2016 |title=நடிகர் மோகனின் 60வது பிறந்தநாள் புகைப்பட தொகுப்பு |trans-title=Actor Mohan's 60th birthday photo gallery |url=https://tamil.samayam.com/photogallery/kollywood/actors/actor-mohan-60th-birthday-celebration-gallery/photoshow/53827701.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226101828/https://tamil.samayam.com/photogallery/kollywood/actors/actor-mohan-60th-birthday-celebration-gallery/photoshow/53827701.cms |archive-date=26 February 2018 |access-date=26 February 2018 |work=[[Samayam]] |language=ta}}</ref> Malathi Rangarajan of ''[[The Hindu]]'' stated that ''Vidhi'' "soared high because of its well-etched women characters, commendably enacted by Sujatha and Poornima Jayaram".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rangarajan |first=Malathi |date=7 March 2014 |title=Women of Steel |url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/women-of-steel/article5760715.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410221025/http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/women-of-steel/article5760715.ece |archive-date=10 April 2017 |access-date=13 March 2018 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>

== References ==
<references>

<ref name="movie">{{Cite AV media |title=Vidhi |type=motion picture |language=ta |publisher=Sujatha Cine Arts |year=1984 |time=0:00 to 3:23 |time-caption=Opening credits, from}}</ref>
<ref name="dinamalarnellai">{{Cite web |date=7 September 2016 |title=சாதனை புரிந்த தமிழ் படங்கள் – 261 – எஸ்.கணேஷ் |trans-title=Achievements in Tamil Films – 261 – S. Ganesh |url=http://www.dinamalarnellai.com/web/news/14648 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313094015/http://www.dinamalarnellai.com/web/news/14648 |archive-date=13 March 2018 |access-date=13 March 2018 |website=[[Dinamalar]] |language=ta |location=Nellai}}</ref>
<ref name="telugucinema.com">{{Cite web |date=14 May 2016 |title=Nyayam Kavali (1981) – Retro |url=http://www.telugucinema.com/Nyayam-Kavali-1981-Retro |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314174111/http://www.telugucinema.com/Nyayam-Kavali-1981-Retro |archive-date=14 March 2018 |access-date=13 March 2018 |website=[[Telugucinema.com]]}}</ref>

</references>

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |last=Balabharathi |title=தமிழ் சினிமா 80 பாகம்-2 |publisher=Nakkheeran Publications |year=2012 |isbn=978-93-81828-41-0 |location=Chennai |language=ta |trans-title=Tamil Cinema 80 Part-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Dhananjayan |first=G. |author-link=G. Dhananjayan |title=The Best of Tamil Cinema, 1931 to 2010: 1977–2010 |publisher=Galatta Media |year=2011 |oclc=733724281}}

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

{{K. Vijayan}}

[[Category:1984 Indian films]]
[[Category:1980s legal drama films]]
[[Category:1984 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1984 films]]
[[Category:Films about stalking]]
[[Category:Films directed by K. Vijayan]]
[[Category:Films scored by Shankar–Ganesh]]
[[Category:Indian courtroom films]]
[[Category:Indian legal drama films]]
[[Category:Indian pregnancy films]]
[[Category:Tamil remakes of Telugu films]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]

Vidhi (1984 film) - Revision history

Rajan Singh at 01:56, 24 April 2026