Agni Natchathiram

Agni Natchathiram
Directed by	Mani Ratnam
Produced by	G. Venkateswaran
Written by	Mani Ratnam
Starring	Prabhu Karthik Amala Vijayakumar Nirosha
Music by	Ilaiyaraaja
Cinematography	P. C. Sriram
Edited by	V.T.Vijayan
Production company	Sujatha Productions
Release date	April 15, 1988
Running time	146 mins
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Agni Natchathiram (English: Star of Fire) is a 1988 Indian Tamil action drama film directed by Mani Ratnam. The film is about two half-brothers who come into conflict with each other in their claim for legitimacy as sons of a common father. Prabhu and Karthik played the lead roles along with Amala and Nirosha as their pairs. This film marks the debut film for Nirosha. The film's score and soundtrack composed by Ilaiyaraaja was well received. The film was a blockbuster and completed a 200-day run at the box office.

The film was dubbed into Telugu with the title Gharshana (not to be confused with the 2004 Telugu film of the same name), and was remade in Hindi as Vansh starring Siddharth Ray and Sudesh Berry.

Ashok (Karthik Muthuraman) attends a job interview in which the interviewer turns out to be his father, Vishwanath's (Vijayakumar), high school friend. The interviewer asks personal questions and it is revealed that Ashok is Vishwanath’s second wife Kamala's (Jayachitra), son. More personal questions anger Ashok and he beats the interviewer and storms out.

Gautham (Prabhu Ganesan) is a police academy trainee and during a routine boxing match, he goes overboard and beats up his opponent even after the referee has stopped the fight. The police commissioner reprimands Gautham and asks him not to take out his anger towards his father, Vishwanath, on someone else.

Ashok returns home to his mother, sister Mallika (Tara) and his inebriated father. His mother asks him to take his father to his first wife Susheela (Sumitra) home. Ashok initially protests but relents to take him home. After the ride, Gautham comes to the door and helps his father into home. There is a brief moment of animosity between Gautham and Ashok and it is clear that both the half-brothers hate each other.