Poonthotta Kaavalkaaran

Poonthotta Kaavalkaaran is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Senthilnathan, in his directorial debut. The film stars Vijayakanth, Radhika, Anand, Vani Viswanath and Livingston. It was released on 10 June 1988, and ran for over 175 days in theatres. The film was remade in Telugu as Dharma Teja (1988).

Plot
Like a gardener nurturing his flowers with tenderness, an elderly vigilante takes under his wing a young couple of runaway lovers, showering them with love and protection. The father of the young woman, however, seeks to eliminate her lover, who happens to be the sworn enemy of the law enforcer. It is this enemy who caused the tragic loss of the hero's only heir, rendering his wife unable to bear children. As horrific memories resurface, the old law enforcer gears up for a final confrontation.

Production
Senthilnathan, son of Jambulingam who directed Nam Naadu with M. G. Ramachandran and erstwhile assistant of S. A. Chandrasekhar and V. Azhagappan made his directorial debut with this film. Vijayakanth offered Livingston a negative role in the film, and he accepted.

Soundtrack
The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Gangai Amaran. The song "Sindhiya Venmani" song is set to the Carnatic raga Srothaswini, and "Paramal Partha Nenjam" is set to Suddha Dhanyasi.

Reception
Jayamanmadhan (a duo) of Kalki praised Livingston's performance but felt his character design as antagonist was not strong enough while also praising Chandran's humour and Ilaiyaraaja's music but panned the flashback of Vani and Anand as lengthy and dragged. They also felt the inclusion of stunt sequences in an emotional film was like neither here and nor there.

Accolades
Radhika won the Cinema Express Award for Best Actress – Tamil, and Livingston won for Best New Face.