Periyar
Poster
Directed by	Gnana Rajasekaran
Written by	Gnana Rajasekaran
Starring	Sathyaraj Jyothirmayi Khushbu Sundar Swarnamalya Vennira Aadai Nirmala
Cinematography	Thangar Bachan
Edited by	B. Lenin
Music by	Vidyasagar
Production company	Liberty Creations Limited
Release date	4 May 2007 (2007-05-04)
Running time	188 minutes
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Periyar is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language biographical film, made about the life of the social reformer and rationalist Periyar E. V. Ramasamy^[1] with Sathyaraj who himself is a rationalist in the lead role. This movie was partly funded by the then Tamil Nadu government headed by Karunanidhi. The film was dubbed in Telugu and released as Periyar Ramaswamy Naicker.

Plot

The film details the life of Periyar right from childhood to his marriage to Nagammal to his pilgrimage to Kashi which changed his life where he understands the cruelty of the Caste System that only Brahmins are welcomed and he was refused meals at choultries which exclusively fed Brahmins forbidding other Hindu castes. Having starved severely, Periyar found no other better way than to enter a choultry disguises himself with the appearance of a Brahmin wearing a thread on his bare chest but it is found out and is disgusted with life in Kashi.^[2] Periyar returns and joins his father's business and later becomes the Chairman of the Erode Municipality. Later, which he resigns from this post and joins the freedom struggle. He becomes the President of Congress party of Madras Presidency. Later he quits the Congress party and joins the Justice Party. He goes on to form the DK. His role in the Anti-Hindi agitation and Vaikom struggle, his second marriage, the formation of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) by his lieutenant C. N. Annadurai, and Periyar's death and its aftermath.^[3]

Cast

Production

The film's budget was funded by ₹95 lakh (worth ₹3.9 crore in 2021 prices) grant by Government of Tamil Nadu.

Music

The music for the film has been scored by Vidyasagar.