Thirisoolam (Eng: Trident) is a 1979 Tamil film directed by K. Vijayan. It had Sivaji Ganesan playing triple roles and was promoted as his 200th film in a lead role. The movie was Sivaji’s last all-time blockbuster selling 1 crore tickets and completed a 200-day run at the box office. Thirisoolam is a remake of the Kannada film Shankar Guru (1978), that starred Rajkumar, who also appeared in the triple role.
Rajasekaran (Sivaji Ganesan) is an upright businessman whose associates are involved in shady deals. During an argument over such a deal, a scuffle ensues and Rajasekharan accidentally shoots one of his associates dead. Fleeing from the police, he loses contact with his pregnant wife Sumathi (K. R. Vijaya).
Many years later, Sumathi is now living with her son Shankar (also Sivaji Ganesan) in Delhi, while Rajasekaran is a rich estate owner in Kashmir. Rajasekaran’s niece encounters Shankar in Delhi and recommends him to manage her uncle’s estate in Kashmir. Also arriving in Kashmir for a romantic quest with a rich girl Sripriya is Guru (Sivaji Ganesan’s third role), a look-alike of Shankar, who is later also found to be his twin brother. Through Shankar, Rajasekaran finally manages to establish contact with his long-lost wife Sumathi and is overwhelmed with joy.
However, before he can meet Sumathi, trouble arrives in the form of Rajasekaran’s erstwhile crooked partners headed by M. N. Nambiar, who are after a valuable necklace stolen from a temple in Delhi, which they believe is now in Rajasekaran’s possession. The partners kidnap Sumathi and imprison and torture Rajasekaran, and it is up to Shankar and Guru to rescue and re-unite their father and mother.
Directed by K. Vijayan
Produced by Santhi Narayansamy & T. Manohar
Written by A. L. Narayanan (dialogues)
Story by M. D. Sundar
Based on Shankar Guru (1978) by V. Somashekhar
Starring Sivaji Ganesan, K. R. Vijaya, Sripriya, Reena
Music by M. S. Viswanathan
Cinematography K. S. Prasad & T. S. Vinayagam
Edited by B. Kandhasamy
Production Sivaji Productions
Release date 27 January 1979
Country India
Language Tamil
