Naalaiya Theerpu

Naalaiya Theerpu is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language vigilante action film directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar and produced by his wife Shoba Chandrasekhar which marked the debut of their son Vijay as a leading actor. The film which also starred Keerthana and Easwari Rao, with Srividya, Radha Ravi and Sarath Babu in supporting, had music composed by newcomer Manimekalai, cinematography by R. P. Imayavaramban and editing by Gautham Raju. The story revolves around a businessman who has many extra-marital affairs, molests his wife. However, things take an unexpected turn when she gets pregnant and has a son who later avenges against the deeds of his father.

The film was released on 4 December 1992 to mostly negative reviews and became a box-office bomb, though Vijay won the Cinema Express Award for Best New Face Actor.

Plot
Mahalakshmi endures abuse from her husband, Arun Mehta, who is unfaithful to her with multiple women. Despite this, Mahalakshmi independently raises her son Vijay. As Vijay grows up, he seeks revenge for his father's wrongdoings.

Production
Vijay made his debut as a leading actor with the film, aged eighteen. A fan of Rajinikanth, he told Chandrasekhar that he wanted to headline a film. Vijay enacted a scene from Annaamalai (1992), the one in which the title character (Rajinikanth) challenges Ashok (Sarath Babu). Chandrasekhar recalled, "He did it exactly the way it was in the film [...] That's when I realised that he had talent, a fierce passion".

Soundtrack
The music was composed by M. M. Srilekha, under the name of Manimekalai at the age of 12. The film featured lyrics written by Pulamaipithan, P. R. C. Balu and Bharani. The latter went on to become a popular music composer.

Release and reception
Naalaiya Theerpu was released on 4 December 1992. Ayyappa Prasad of The Indian Express wrote, "Many tongue-in-cheek remarks on the prevailing political and economic climate makes the film worth watching". However, other reviews were mostly negative, including the magazine Kumudam which wrote, "Should we pay to see this face in theaters?" Despite Chandrasekhar's confidence, Naalaiya Theerpu became a box-office bomb. Chandrasekhar recalled in 2018, "To be honest, I shouldn’t have made that film for him especially when he was just 18 [...] I thought now that my son is also becoming an actor, I could continue to practise my style of filmmaking and pass on socially relevant messages to the audience through him. Maybe the timing wasn't right". Despite the film's failure, Vijay won the Cinema Express Award for Best New Face Actor.