Agni Natchathiram

Another coming of the age film for that time from Mani Ratnam a timeless masterpiece from  Ilayaraja too with amazing songs. A family drama, from Kartihik, Prabhu; Jayachitra, Sumitra; Amla, Nirosha; Tara  the comedy track between V K Ramaswamy & Janagaraj helped hold the film together. 

After Mouna Ragam (1986), the next script that Mani Ratnam wrote was Agni Natchathiram but Nyakan was released before.

In Madras, half-brothers Gautham and Ashok are the sons of a senior government official Vishwanath IAS. Gautham's mother is Vishwanath's first wife Susheela, and Ashok's mother is Vishwanath's second wife Kamala. Both Gautham and Ashok inappropriately take out the anger they have towards their father on others, and they display open antipathy towards each other.

Gautham, a trainee IPS officer, meets the Commissioner's daughter Anjali, and they slowly become lovers. After graduating from the police academy, Gautham is appointed as Assistant Commissioner in the same city. Around the same time, Ashok meets a mysterious girl, and they, too, slowly become a couple. Meanwhile, Vishwanath is appointed the head of an inquiry commission to probe a nefarious factory owner Chidambaram.

One night, Ashok and his friends run into Gautham and Anjali, and one of Ashok's friends teases Gautham. Gautham soon arrests Ashok's friend on a trumped up charge, abusing his police authority. Enraged, Ashok and his gang throw stones at Gautham's house, accidentally injuring Susheela. The next day, Gautham arrests Ashok after provoking him into attacking him. As Vishwanath is out of town, Susheela helps Kamala bail Ashok, but then offers snide unsolicited advice about raising her children to be law-abiding. Meanwhile, Chidambaram tries to bribe Vishwanath multiple times, but is rebuffed. Irked, he orders a hit on Vishwanath.

On the day when Ashok's sister Mallika is meeting a prospective groom's family for a matchmaking ceremony, Vishwanath fails to arrive, causing the groom's family to question the seriousness of the marriage between Kamala and Vishwanath. Enraged, Ashok goes to Vishwanath's house and berates him, only to realise that his paternal grandmother has died; Gautham throws him out. Later, Ashok learns that his girlfriend, too, comes from a broken family. The Commissioner learns of Gautham's romance with Anjali and doubts his monogamy, based on his father's behaviour.

Mallika runs into Gautham and Anjali on the same commuter train. Gautham ends up protecting her from a bunch of ruffians (hired by Chidambaram) harassing her, and he and Anjali accompany her home safely. Mallika addresses Gautham as her elder brother, but before he can respond, Ashok arrives and throws him out. Another altercation occurs at a wedding in which both exchange words. The next day, they get into a huge brawl in public. Vishwanath berates them both, lamenting his public humiliation at his sons' behaviour.

While Vishwanath is leaving his office, he is run over by a truck driven by one of Chidambaram's thugs and becomes comatose. Mutual fear brings the families closer as both Susheela and Kamala wait by his bedside. Chidambaram arranges for Vishwanath's murder in the hospital. When his thugs attack, Gautham and Ashok work together to foil the assassination attempt by switching to the ambulance that Vishwanath was in. The next day, a bandaged Vishwanath is brought into the commission's office by the brothers to submit evidence of Chidambaram's crimes. Chidambaram is arrested, and the brothers high five each other. 

Vishwanath and IAS officer having two wives, and the second not accepted by society, did film's like this justify and promote such actions? I wonder.