Raja (Tamil: ராஜா) is a 1972 Indian Tamil film, directed by C. V. Rajendran. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Jayalalithaa, S. V. Ranga Rao and K. Balaji in lead roles. The film had musical score by M. S. Viswanathan. The film was a remake of Hindi film Johny Mera Naam.
Chandru (Sivaji Ganesan) has a sister (Rajam) who is married to a handsome Ravi (Balaji). But her in-laws insist on a diamond necklace, without which she cannot join her husband. So, Chandru steals a diamond necklace with a locket and then his sister joins her husband. He and his mother (Shanthakumari) move to Madras where he finds a job in a company owned by a wealthy man (Ranga Rao). He falls in love with his daughter (Saroja Devi). One day, the necklace falls down and the locket opens, revealing a photograph of a young man. The husband and the others at home want to know who the person is. She says she has never seen him. But suspecting the worst, she is sent back to her parental home.
Sivaji Ganesan earns a living driving a truck. He is a rash driver and more than usually also driving while drunk. One night he stops at a prostitute's, spends the night with her, and gets up late the next morning. He rushes out and drives at breakneck speed in thick fog to make up for lost time while again drinking. He inevitably ends up running over and killing a farmer. But despite the opportunity to hit and run, he decides to stay and face the consequences. He is arrested by the police, charged, and brought before the courts.
, 2h34 ActeursSivaji Ganesan, Vanisri, Latha, Ramasamy Subramania Manohar, Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao, Cho Ramaswamy Note27% Pilot Ashok (Sivaji Ganesan) is in love with Sivakami (Vanisri). They have an affair and Sivakami becomes pregnant. Ashok dies in a plane crash. Sivakami tells her father about her pregnancy. But soon he dies too. Sivakami is now on her own with her new born child whom she gives to a rich family to look after. She works there as a servant and she tells the rich person about her past. She emphasizes that this must not be told to his wife who is fond of the child. He promises her that he wouldn't. Meanwhile, the wife's brother R.S.Manohar sees Sivakami and wants to marry her. When she rejects his proposal, he tries to rape her. Her son kills him with a knife. The child runs away leaving Sivakami with the knife. Sivakami goes to prison as she confesses to the murder. She is released twenty years later. Meanwhile, the rich man's wife finds out about Sivakami's history from her husband. She is shocked and wants her to be immediately released from prison. Sivakami returns to their home. A girl living there Latha sees Sivakami. They get along well. She takes Sivakami to the airport to meet her fiancé who turns out to be Sivakami's son Sivaji Ganesan. However he doesn't recognise her as he was much younger when he saw her last time. One day he finds a diary and sees pictures of his father, his mother and himself with his mother. Then he remembers Sivakami and asks her to come to his awards ceremony. During the ceremony, he asks his mother to present him the award to which she obliges. The film ends with both Sivaji Ganesan and Vanisri on the stage.