Pongi Varum Kaveri

Pongi Varum Kaveri (transl. The raging Kaveri) is a 1989 Indian Tamil-language film produced by P. L. Palaniappan Chettiar and directed by T. K. Bose, starring Ramarajan and Gautami. It was released on 17 March 1989.^[1][2]

Six years after leaving the country, Raja— the wealthy heir to a sprawling empire returns home. His estate manager, together with two subordinate workers, an accountant and a cashier, has been embezzling money and diverting profits to themselves. While reviewing the accounts, Raja discovers that ₹25,000 (equivalent to ₹267,034 in 2023) has been misappropriated under the pretense of supporting a widow named Lakshmi after the death of her husband, Ravi. He demands a receipt showing the payment to Lakshmi and warns the manager that, if the document proves fraudulent, he will fire the manager and the two aides.

In an attempt to distract Raja, the manager organizes a party featuring liquor and an erotic dance, hoping to exploit any weakness. Raja, however, remains a gentleman, slaps the dancer and walks out, thwarting the manager's scheme and refusing to be lured into condoning the fraud. The manager then tries to keep Raja isolated so he remains unaware of the ongoing plunder. When Raja uncovers the full extent of the embezzlement, he gives the trio a ten‑day ultimatum to make restitution. Determined to avoid punishment, the manager plots Raja's murder. They hire goons on horseback to ambush Raja while he is riding, intending to push him off a cliff and conceal his death even from his mother. The attack succeeds; Raja's mother is left devastated, and the manager suggests that they conceal the fact that Raja has gone missing, in order to protect their business interests. Soon after, the corrupt manager and his two aides move to seize Raja's assets from his grieving mother.

Muthu, an illiterate look‑alike of Raja from Melur, shows up at the estate looking for work. He quickly befriends Mesthri, the estate supervisor, and heads to the office for a job. The manager is stunned by Muthu's resemblance to Raja and hires him as a laborer, planning to later pass him off as Raja and use the impostor to further their embezzlement scheme. After a series of comic mishaps with Kaveri, Mesthri's daughter, Muthu and Kaveri fall in love. Muthu notices Lakshmi, Mesthri's neighbor—a widowed mother with a toddler, Meena, who is struggling to survive after the death of her husband, Ravi. In the past, Ravi, an honest factory union leader clashed with the corrupt manager over compensation for an injured employee. When Ravi demanded proper payment, the manager sent goons, but Ravi fought them off. Lakshmi begged Ravi to leave town for a quiet life, but he refused. The following day, news reached Lakshmi that Ravi had been electrocuted and died.

At present, Lakshmi rushes around trying to get medicine for Meena's high fever, and Muthu intervenes, earning her gratitude. Over the next days, Muthu helps Lakshmi financially and grows close to Meena. Meanwhile, Raja's mother, convinced that her son is dead, decides to deed the estate to all the employees. The manager opposes this and secures a 30‑day extension, claiming they must wait for Raja's return before transferring the property to the workers. The manager pressures Muthu to pose as Raja in front of Raja's mother and the estate workers, hiding his own scheme to loot the property. Muthu initially refuses but the manager threatens to frame him with false charges, so Muthu reluctantly agrees, believing he is doing something noble.

Just before Raja's mother is about to distribute the estate to the factory staff, Muthu, disguised as Raja, appears and surprises her. In his "Raja" role he enters the factory and begins correcting the wage records that had been embezzeled by Nattu, one of the manager's aides. He appoints Lakshmi as his personal secretary, which infuriates the manager. Kaveri starts missing Muthu, but Raja later reveals to her that he is only pretending to be Muthu in order to expose the manager's fraud. Raja posing as Muthu, puts a stop to the illegal smuggling operations run by the manager's aides, drawing their wrath. In retaliation they kidnap Muthu; Lakshmi witnesses the abduction and overhears a conversation in which the manager admits that he and his men staged Ravi's murder as an electrical accident. At a public gathering Raja announces new welfare schemes and bonuses for all the laborers, further angering the corrupt manager. The manager demands Muthu to make Raja's mother to sign over the estate's documents.

The following morning the corrupt manager and his henchmen corner Raja, finally realizing that he had been posing as Muthu all along. Raja then discloses that he and his friend Ashok, a police officer had anticipated the manager's murderous plot and had escaped earlier. With the truth out, the manager blackmails Raja by taking his mother, Kaveri and the toddler Meena hostage. Raja manages to break free and a frantic horse‑back chase ensues; the manager, still holding Raja's mother and Kaveri at gunpoint, forces them to co‑sign the property documents. While Raja battles the goons, Lakshmi arrives clutching a cassette tape that contains the manager's recorded confession of his crimes and demands the release of the hostages. The manager shoots Lakshmi, but she returns fire, killing him and his two accomplices—the very men responsible for her husband Ravi's murder.

Dying, Lakshmi entrusts her daughter Meena to Raja and Kaveri before she passes away. Finally, a police led by Ashok arrives and arrests the others involved.

The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja.^[3][4] In particular, the song "Velli Kolusu" was a big hit.^[5]

• Pongi Varum Kaveri at IMDb