Before 2017, Vishal had already distanced himself from the glitzy, romantic lead template. Unlike his contemporaries, he wasn’t trying to be the next Rajinikanth or Vijay. Filmibeat’s list, compiled during the pre-production of Thupparivaalan (2017), highlighted a specific through-line:
Back on August 29, 2017, the popular entertainment portal published a definitive ranking of his filmography. As we look back at that snapshot in time—before the release of later hits like Ayogya or Enemy —it offers a fascinating look at the foundation of his career. Before 2017, Vishal had already distanced himself from
Released just a year before this list was published, Kathakali secured the eighth spot. Directed by Pandiraj, it was a thriller that involved a protagonist caught in a web of misunderstandings and gang wars. As we look back at that snapshot in
Reading that headline today—“read August 29, 2017”—is a nostalgic exercise. That was before Irumbu Thirai (2018) gave him a new peak, and before his political forays. But the list remains a definitive document because it proved that a Tamil action hero could survive without a “mass” intro song or a silk shirt. Reading that headline today—“read August 29
Let us revisit the subtext of that 2017 curation and what it told us about Vishal’s unique cinematic identity.