Vanakkam Vathiyare

Rajappa (Kathick) is a young man who earns his livelihood by beating up people for a fee. But he realises his folly when his mother herself becomes a victim of his doings. Rajappa promises to his dying mother that he will never indulge in violence again. He moves to a village with the intention of leading a quiet life; but realises that the village is a furnace of terror. The villagers are terrorised and opressed by a gangster Malaichami (Radharavi). But honouring his promise to his mother, Rajappa remains silent. Duraisingam (Jai Shankar) who has been a victim of Malaichami's cruel deeds, requests Rajappa to deal with the gangster. But Rajappa refuses to commit himself. A helpless Duraisingam also gives up on him. But the attrocities of Malaichami grow wilder and uglier with every passing day. Rajappa is saddened by the plight of the villagers. He thinks of a way to deal with this terror without breaking his promise. Will he succeed?

Directed by Ameerjan, Vanakkam Vathiyare leans on a strong ensemble — Karthik Muthuraman, Saranya Ponvannan, Jaishankar — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1991.