Iconic gangster films of top Kollywood stars

Gangster movies hold a special place in the hearts of movie buffs, and just like playing a cop, playing a gangster is considered a must for top stars in Kollywood. With Silambarasan TR's Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu all set to hit screens tomorrow, we take a look at the times when our Tamil superstars turned gangsters and their iconic films...

The OG gangster in Tamil cinema. Even if Billa had released before it, Nayakan, an epic saga, capturing the journey of a boy from Tamil Nadu who goes to become a don in Bombay, taking up violence for the cause of the downtrodden, set the template for a gangster movie in Kollywood. With Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam in top form, the film also became India's official entry to the Oscars that year.

While Rajinikanth played a don first in Billa, it is Mani Ratnam's Thalapathi and Suresh Krissna's Baashha, which are the most favourite of his gangster films among fans. In Thalapathi, the Superstar showed an until-then-unseen side as an actor, and in Baashha, he let loose the charismatic superstar in him to keep us cheering for ever.

Think gangster and you think of a raw and gritty persona. But Ajith Kumar turned the concept on its head and gave us a suave and stylish don in Vishnu Varadhan's Billa (a remake of Rajinikanth's 1980s blockbuster), which not only ended his streak of bad run at the box office, but also gave him one of his most memorable characters.

While it is hard to relate Vijay with a hardcore gangster film, the actor played a memorable gangster in director Vijay's Thalaivaa. The film drew inspiration from the likes of The Godfather and Nayakan to present Vijay as a don who stands up for his people.

It would be impossible to talk about Kollywood's gangster films without talking about the two iconic gangster movies that Dhanush has been part of — Pudhupettai and Vada Chennai. If Selvaraghavan's Pudhupettai showed the raw, unpolished bundle of talent that Dhanush was at that point of time, Vetri Maaran's Vada Chennai presented him as a seasoned actor who could do no wrong.

Suriya has played gangsters in three films — Nandha, Aaru and Anjaan. But it is Bala's Nandha that is his most memorable role as a gangster. As a henchman to a don, Suriya was all fire in this emotional gangster drama that also showcased the beast of an actor lurking inside him for the very first time.

Vijay Sethupathi has a knack of slipping into any kind of role, and in Pushkar-Gayatri's Vikram Vedha, the versatile actor gave one of his most memorable performances as Vedha, a feared gangster with shades of grey.

Vikram hulked up to play a gangster in Lingusamy's Bheema. While the film might not have hit the bull's eye at the box office, Vikram gave yet another macho performance that is cherished by fans.