Thee

Thee

Year: 1981

Runtime: More mins

Language: Tamil

Director: R Krishnamurthy

DramaAction

Raja and Suman, two sons of a labour leader, choose different professions in their life after facing numerous difficulties from childhood to adulthood.

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Timeline & Setting – Thee (1981)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Thee (1981). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Madras (Chennai)

The story unfolds in Madras, a bustling coastal city with a gritty urban landscape that includes docks, markets, and crowded neighborhoods. Its streets and institutions—the bars, docks, and police precincts—shape the rise and fall of its inhabitants. The city’s mix of poverty and opportunity provides a vivid backdrop for labor struggles, crime, and the pursuit of justice.

🏙️ Urban hub 🚢 Port city 🏭 Industrial center

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:13

Main Characters – Thee (1981)

Meet the key characters of Thee (1981), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Raja (Rajinikanth)

Raja grows from a modest boot polisher to a dockyard worker, then becomes a smuggler and the head of a crime empire. He is driven by loyalty to family and a desire to secure their future, even as his methods grow increasingly violent. He sacrifices his education for Ravi, and his relationship with Anita offers a fragile hope for redemption. After Anita's murder, Raja plunges into vengeance, and his moral line blurs until Ravi finally stops him in a final, tragic confrontation.

🔥 Ambition 💥 Crime 💔 Tragic downfall

Ravi (Suman Talwar)

Ravi is raised to value education and integrity, growing into an upright police officer. He is well-educated, dating Radha, and is encouraged by the Commissioner to join the police force, where he climbs to Sub-Inspector. He is shocked to discover his own brother Raja among the criminals and must choose between family and duty. In the end, he confronts Raja and kills him, earning recognition for pursuing justice.

🧭 Integrity 👮 Duty ⚖️ Justice

Seetha (Manorama)

Seetha is the devoted wife of the exploited unionist, who raises Raja and Ravi in poverty after their father is forced to flee. She moves the family to Madras and works as a day laborer to survive, clinging to hope for her sons. She remains a steady moral center, though she is tormented by Raja's turn to crime and ultimately rejects him.

👨‍👩‍👦 Family 💪 Resilience 🌆 Urban hardship

Anita (Sripriya)

Anita is the woman Raja meets at a bar who becomes pregnant, prompting Raja to consider marriage and absolution. Her pregnancy prompts a shift in Raja's aims, but she becomes a target of rival criminals and is murdered, triggering Raja's brutal vengeance. Her relationship with Raja adds a fragile sense of humanity to his otherwise ruthless world.

💖 Love 🕊️ Tragedy 🏙️ Bar Scene

Mother (Sowcar Janaki)

She is the matriarch who loves Raja and Ravi, siding with Ravi over Raja even though Raja is her favorite child. She endures the strain of Raja's criminal path and the family's suffering, ultimately tormented by Raja's choices. She rejects Raja after his crimes, choosing loyalty to Ravi and the law.

🌷 Matriarch 💔 Torn loyalties 👵 Enduring love

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:13

Major Themes – Thee (1981)

Explore the central themes of Thee (1981), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👨‍👩‍👦 Family & Loyalty

The film centers on family ties and loyalty, showing how devotion to brothers and a mother can drive extraordinary choices. Raja’s ascent and downfall are framed by his desire to protect his family, even as those actions pull him away from the law. Ravi’s dutiful stance challenges his love for his brother, testing what family loyalty can cost. The ongoing tension between kin and duty drives the emotional core of the story.

💥 Crime & Consequence

A descent into crime is shown as a chain of choices with mounting costs for individuals and the city. Each violent act deepens the rift between Raja and Ravi, and between crime and law. Betrayals and power struggles propel an escalating cycle of violence that culminates in a tragic confrontation. The police pursuit, led by Ravi, finally confronts the criminal empire Raja built.

🕊️ Redemption & Forgiveness

Raja seeks redemption by intending to marry Anita and abandon crime, but the path to forgiveness remains obstructed by violence. His death in his mother’s arms embodies a failed quest for absolution and a poignant end to a troubled life. Ravi’s pursuit of justice is framed as his way to reconcile the past, though peace proves elusive. The film leaves unresolved questions about whether forgiveness can truly heal a broken family.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:13

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Thee Summary

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Thee Summary

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Thee Timeline

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