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Sivaji Ganesan vs. Rajinikanth in a courtroom showdown that redefined Tamil masala cinema.
TMDB
68
IMDb
74
Google
78
Watch

Padikkadavan (1985)

family melodramacourtroom showdownmasala spectacle

Overview

ActionDrama

Two brothers are ousted from their house by their stepbrother's wife. Years later, when one of the brothers is framed for a murder, his stepbrother, who is a judge, returns as a lawyer to save him.

Flag of ININTamil
Content warning
justice vs. blood loyaltyredemption through sacrificeclass and power in the legal system

Standout Aspects

Acting

Sivaji's judge-to-lawyer transformation is theatrical perfection.

Direction

Rajashekar balances two megastars without either feeling sidelined.

Writing

The stepbrother dynamic hits harder than typical revenge arcs.

Best for:Friends: Vintage Rajini night with friends who appreciate dramatic zooms.·Solo: When you need to feel something loudly.·Rewatch: Spotting every Sivaji mannerism you missed.
Heads up:Violence: 1980s action sequences with dramatic blood effects.·Emotional: Family separation scenes that weaponize emotional manipulation.
R

Director

Rajashekar

ReleasedNov 11, 1985
Runtime2h 12m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensityhigh
Tonemixed
Feelheavy
Sri Eswari Productions

Top Cast

Sivaji Ganesan

Sivaji Ganesan

Rajasekhar

Rajinikanth

Rajinikanth

Rajendran

Ambika

Ambika

Mary

Jaishankar

Jaishankar

Chakkaravarthi

Nagesh

Nagesh

Rahim

Poornam Viswanathan

Poornam Viswanathan

Vedachalam

Thengai Srinivasan

Thengai Srinivasan

Ramanathan

Janagaraj

Janagaraj

Kabali

Vadivukarasi

Vadivukarasi

Radha

Senthamarai

Senthamarai

Advocate

Ramya Krishnan

Ramya Krishnan

Manju

Gundu Kalyanam

Gundu Kalyanam

Ask about Padikkadavan

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

This was one of few films where Sivaji accepted second billing to Rajinikanth, signaling the industry's generational shift.

Cultural

The 'judge defending framed brother' plot became a Tamil cinema template, copied throughout the 90s.

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