Tamil cinema has a rich history of producing compelling and groundbreaking films, particularly in the genre of crime and gangster dramas. This article delves into some of the most iconic Tamil films that explore themes of crime, vengeance, and the underworld, each bringing a unique narrative and cinematic style to the screen.
1. Nayakan
Directed by- Mani Ratnam
Written by- Mani Ratnam
Starring- Kamal Haasan, Saranya, and Karthika
Sakthivel, a young boy, leads a comfortable life until he witnesses his father’s brutal murder. Thereafter, he stabs the officer responsible for it and runs away to Mumbai to become a feared gangster. Nayakan is loosely based on The Godfather and on the life of Varadarajan Mudaliar, an underworld don in Mumbai. For his performance, Kamal Haasan was lauded with a National Film Award for Best Actor.
2. Aayirathil Oruvan
Directed by- Selvaraghavan
Written by- Selvaraghavan and S. Ramachandran
Starring- Karthi, Reema Sen, Andrea Jeremiah, and R. Parthiban
Anitha, a government official, embarks on a journey to find Chandramouli, an archaeologist, who went to Vietnam in order to search for any existence of the prince of the Chola dynasty. The film was a critical and commercial success and has developed a cult status since its release in 2010.
3. Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom
Directed by- Balaji Thareneetharan
Written by- Balaji Tharaneetharan
Starring- Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathrie, Vigneshwaran, Bagavathi Perumal, and Rajkumar.
Prem has an accident two days before his wedding ceremony. As a result, he forgets the past one year of his life, causing his friends to help him remember his fiancee and their impending wedding. The film was so successful that it was remade in six other Indian languages- Telegu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Gujrati, and Marathi.
4. Pudhupettai
Directed by- Selvaraghavan
Written by- Selvaraghavan and Balakumaran
Starring- Dhanush, Sonia Agarwal, and Sneha
After his mother’s death, a young boy runs away and is later recruited by a gangster. After becoming the right-hand man of his employer, he makes serious enemies and everyone starts targeting him. Although the movie received positive reviews, it did average business at the box office. However, in recent years it has attained cult status.
5. Baasha
Directed by- Suresh Krissna
Written by- Suresh Krissna and Balakumaran
Starring- Rajnikath, Nagma, and Raghuvaran
Released in 1995, Baasha is a gangster action film. Rickshaw driver Manickam is a man who avoids violence at all costs. However, when his brother, a cop, gets into trouble with some goons, it triggers a set of events that revive Manickam’s old self. Baasha opened to positive reviews and quickly became one of Rajnikanth‘s most successful films.
6. Aalavandhan
Directed by- Suresh Krissna
Written by- Kamal Haasan
Starring- Kamal Haasan, Raveena Tandon, and Manisha Koirala
Nandu and Vijay are brothers, who were abused by their stepmother during their younger days. Nandhu, who is mentally ill, decides to kill Vijay’s fiancee as he visualizes her as his stepmother. The film stars Kamal Haasan in dual roles and was adapted from the novel Dhayam which was also written by Haasan. The film was simultaneously shot in Tamil and Hindi with three different actors. The film is considered one of Kamal Haasan’s best films.
7. Subramaniapuram
Directed by- Sasikumar
Written by- Sasikumar
Starring- Sasikumar, Jai, Samuthirakani, and Swathi
Five fast friends live a carefree life in Madhurai in the ’80s. However, their loyalty towards each other is tested when they commit an almost perfect crime but do not manage to get away with it. Despite its low budget, the movie was lauded for its acting, cinematography, screenplay, direction, and period-accurate sets. Anurag Kashyap has claimed in several interviews that Subramaniapuram was an inspiration for his 2012 gangster flick Gangs of Wasseypur.
8. Guna
Directed by- Santhana Bharathi
Written by- Sab John and Balakumaran
Starring- Kamal Haasan, Rekha, Roshini
Guna, a mentally disturbed man, imagines a fictitious character of a woman to be his future wife. One day, he sees a girl in a temple and assumes that she is his imaginary love and kidnaps her. Guna is a tragic tale of obsession, love and psychological unravelling and has since its release become a cult favourite.
