A soft chemical route is described for the preparation of platinum nanorods and self-assemblies over photochemically reduced polyoxometalate (silicotungstate) containing composite films. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the diameters of the platinum nanorods are around 55-60 nm. The formation of platinum nanorods on solid-liquid interface reactions was explained on the basis of single site growth mechanism and diffusion limitation aggregation process. © Indian Academy of Sciences.