(2012) : A career-defining stylish action thriller directed by A.R. Murugadoss.
Vijay debuted as a child artist in Naalaiya Theerpu (directed by his father, S.A. Chandrasekhar). His early career was defined by the "Chocolate Boy" image. vijay tamil movies list
This era defined the modern "Thalapathy" (Commander) persona. (2012) : A career-defining stylish action thriller directed
After Sura ’s mixed reception, Vijay recalibrated. Kaavalan (2011), a remake of Bodyguard , showed restraint and warmth, earning critical praise. Velayudham (2011) and Nanban (2012)—the official Tamil remake of 3 Idiots —displayed his comedic and emotional range. Thuppakki (2012), directed by AR Murugadoss, was a watershed moment: a slick, intelligent action thriller about an army officer dismantling a sleeper cell. It redefined Vijay’s on-screen persona as a thinking mass hero. Follow-ups Jilla (2014), Kaththi (2014), Puli (2015), and Theri (2016) saw him balancing family sentiment with sharp political critiques, especially in Kaththi (corporate exploitation of farmers) and Theri (police corruption). Bairavaa (2017) closed this phase, which established him as a pan-Indian star via strong streaming and dubbed releases. Chandrasekhar)