Tik Tik Tik 1981

Sherley Sarika is a model who returns to Madras after a modelling stint abroad. She is welcomed by the modelling agency but soon becomes the victim of a sinister, drugging operation, and her death shocks everyone around her. The mystery surrounding Sherley’s fate lures viewers into a web of intrigue that hints at a much larger conspiracy within the fashion world.

Dileep [Kamal Haasan] is a photographer for a newspaper owned by Lakshmi Narayanan [Thengai Srinivasan]. He also covers a beauty pageant organized by a wealthy industrialist, Oberoi, which is won by Sharadha [Madhavi], Radha [Radha], and Swapna [Swapna]. As the story unfolds, Dileep finds himself professionally entangled with Radha and Swapna while also being romantically involved with Sharadha. The glamour of the pageant masks a dangerous underbelly, and soon Swapna’s body is discovered, making Dileep the prime suspect in the ensuing murder investigation. With his face plastered on wanted posters and police surveillance closing in, he flees and tries to piece together the truth from the shadows of the case. Sharadha’s house becomes a focal point for police attention, driving Dileep to seek out Radha for answers.

Radha, who has always treated Dileep like a brother because of his kindness, quietly helps him and offers shelter in her apartment. The next morning, a chilling discovery awaits: the tap runs red with blood, and Radha’s body is found in the apartment water tank. The sight shocks everyone and leads to a public perception that Dileep is a murderer, forcing him back into hiding as he becomes the object of a city-wide manhunt.

Determined to uncover the truth, Dileep investigates the pattern behind the murders and identifies a common thread: the modelling agency at the center of the winners’ circle. When he covertly confronts Sharadha, he notices a small incision on her body—the same mark he observed on the other two girls. Sharadha cannot recall how she received the incision, though she remembers that she had not borne it before leaving for a photo shoot abroad. She also reveals that she was unconscious for several hours during the shoot, leaving gaps in her memory that trouble both of them.

As the clues accumulate, the pair uncovers a ruthless scheme led by Oberoi. The modelling agency acts as a cover for a nefarious business: during shoots abroad, models are drugged, operated on, and diamonds are smuggled into India using their bodies. When the models return home, they are drugged again, and one by one, the young women are killed to protect the operation.

Dileep is ultimately captured by Oberoi’s goons, but by that point, he has already gathered the necessary truth with the help of his editor and his girlfriend. The climactic moment arrives just as the police close in on Oberoi. Instead of facing arrest, Oberoi, a man obsessed with diamonds, consumes his own precious stones and commits suicide, choosing a deadly escape from the consequences of his crimes.