He is a craze. He is a phenomenon. He is them. Thalapathy Vijay is an emotion by itself for scores of fans who go berserk at the sight of him. On his birthday eve, we have curated a list of his top five memorable performances.
Poove Unakkaga
This was one of the first bonafide hits of the star and endeared himself to the family audience. It featured him in the role of a soft-spoken guy who deals with unrequited love. He had Sangeetha for company in this Vikraman directorial.
Kadhalukku Mariyadhai
As the name suggests, it was about two lovers and how much they respected their families and ultimately, their love. Vijay's and Shalini's chemistry was much appreciated. Ilayaraaja's music added the much-needed boost for this Fazil directorial.
Thulladha Manamum Thullum
You could say that this Ezhil directorial made use of Thalapathy's acting prowess to the maximum. Thulladha Manamum Thullum followed Vijay's affection for Simran and the narrative sets up in a chilling climax as to whether the lovebirds head for a happy ending!
Thirumalai
Thirumalai saw Vijay heading for the action genre much before the likes of Pokkiri happened. It also saw the pair of Jyothika and Vijay return after the success of Kushi and needless to say, they set the stage on fire.
Kaavalan
It was a long time before we got to see Vijay in a soft-spoken role and Kaavalan filled that void. Remake of the Malayalam blockbuster Bodyguard, it spelled magic on screen and dealt with Vijay romancing a girl (Asin) who for her own reasons, decides to remain anonymous to him. Will she ever come out? Do they ever unite? Watch for yourself.