A Look At Thalapathy Vijay’s Biggest Movies Before He Begins His Political Innings
As Thalapathy Vijay gears up for his political innings, here’s a look at the box office giants that made him one of Indian cinema’s biggest stars.
Thalapathy Vijay has reigned supreme over the Tamil film industry for decades, delivering blockbusters that have continually rewritten box office history. His journey from cinema to politics is not just another star taking a detour into public life. It marks the end of one of Tamil cinema’s most powerful box-office runs. After launching his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, in February 2024, Vijay announced that he would eventually step away from cinema. As the celebrated actor prepares to pivot entirely to politics, his cinematic farewell has been marked by an unexpectedly turbulent saga.
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His highly anticipated film, ‘Jana Nayagan’ – which serves as his swan song – has faced significant delays, leaving fans eagerly awaiting his ultimate silver-screen bow. While the fate of his final outing remains a massive talking point, his legacy as a titan of Tamil cinema is unshakable. Before he trades the silver screen for the political stage full-time, let's look back at the cinematic juggernauts that defined his reign. Here are Thalapathy Vijay’s top 10 highest-grossing films globally, ranked by their worldwide box office collections.
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Check out the list below:
1. Leo (2023)
At the top of Vijay’s box-office mountain stands ‘Leo’, his 2023 action thriller directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Released on October 19, 2023, the film starred Vijay, Sanjay Dutt, Trisha Krishnan, Arjun Sarja, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Madonna Sebastian and Mathew Thomas. Produced by Seven Screen Studio, the film follows Parthiban, a mild-mannered café owner in Himachal Pradesh whose violent past appears to catch up with him when gangsters suspect he is actually Leo Das. With its link to the Lokesh Cinematic Universe and Vijay’s intense mass avatar, ‘Leo’ became a monster theatrical event. Sacnilk listed the film, made on a reported budget of Rs 250 crore, at Rs 401.90 crore India gross and Rs 605.90 crore worldwide, making it Vijay’s highest-grossing film to date.
2. The Greatest of All Time (2024)
Serving as his penultimate release before his full-fledged entry into the political arena, ‘The Greatest of All Time’ (often referred to as GOAT) was a massive celebratory event for his fans. Directed by Venkat Prabhu and released on September 5, 2024, the sci-fi action thriller blended nostalgia with high-stakes set pieces. It featured Vijay in a striking dual role alongside a star-studded ensemble of Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Sneha, and Meenakshi Chaudhary. Produced by AGS Entertainment, the film revolved around a former anti-terror squad operative whose past comes back to haunt him in a high-stakes action setup. The film easily dominated theatres, ending its impressive run with a worldwide box office collection of Rs 457.12 crore and Rs 296.87 crore India gross.
3. Varisu (2023)
Coming in third is ‘Varisu’, the family action drama that showed Vijay’s pull beyond pure action territory. Directed by Vamshi Paidipally and released on January 11, 2023, the film starred Vijay, Rashmika Mandanna, R. Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, Jayasudha, Shaam, Srikanth and Yogi Babu. Produced by Sri Venkateswara Creations and PVP Cinema, the story follows Vijay Rajendran, the youngest son of a business family, who is unexpectedly chosen to lead his father’s empire amid betrayal, rivalry and emotional fractures. The film worked strongly at the box office, with Rs 208.55 crore India gross, and Rs 297.55 crore worldwide.
4. Bigil (2019)
In this sports action drama, Vijay won hearts by portraying a dual role: a fearsome local don and his son, a passionate women's football coach with a tragic past. Directed by Atlee and released on October 25, 2019, ‘Bigil’ successfully merged the actor's trademark commercial mass elements with an uplifting message of female empowerment. Sharing the screen with Nayanthara, Jackie Shroff, and Vivek, Vijay delivered a performance that resonated deeply with the masses. The film, backed by a beloved AR Rahman soundtrack, shattered records to end its theatrical run with an impressive Rs 295.28 crore at the global box office and Rs 201.28 domestic gross, becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film of that year.
5. Mersal (2017)
Marking another massive milestone in his career, ‘Mersal’ saw Vijay collaborating with director Atlee for a high-voltage revenge drama with an underlying social message about medical corruption. Released on October 18, 2017, the film featured Vijay in a triple role, supported by a remarkable cast including Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nithya Menen, Kajal Aggarwal, and S. J. Suryah. The sheer ambition of the film, coupled with AR Rahman's chart-topping music, resonated strongly with audiences. It broke past previous benchmarks to pull in an outstanding Rs 260 crore worldwide, becoming the first Vijay-starrer to enter the elite Rs 250-crore club and solidifying his pan-India market potential.
6. Sarkar (2018)
If any Vijay film now feels like an obvious prelude to his political career, it is ‘Sarkar’. Directed by A.R. Murugadoss and released on November 6, 2018, the political action drama starred Vijay, Keerthy Suresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Pala. Karuppiah, Radha Ravi and Yogi Babu. Produced by Sun Pictures, the film followed an NRI corporate leader who returns to India to vote, only to discover that his vote has been illegally cast. That triggers his battle against a corrupt political system. Sacnilk listed Sarkar at Rs 182 crore India gross, and Rs 252 crore worldwide. Beyond the numbers, the film became important because it placed Vijay’s screen persona directly inside electoral anger, citizen rights and anti-corruption politics.
7. Master (2021)
Released during a highly critical period for Indian cinema amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘Master’ was heavily credited with single-handedly reviving the theatrical business in the country. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and hitting screens on January 13, 2021, the film featured an electrifying clash between Vijay - playing an alcoholic professor sent to a juvenile facility - and Vijay Sethupathi as a ruthless gangster. Also starring Malavika Mohanan and Andrea Jeremiah, the film provided audiences with the perfect post-lockdown cinematic escape. Despite strict theatre occupancy restrictions globally, ‘Master’ defied the odds to rake in a monumental Rs 178 crore India gross and Rs 223 crore worldwide.
8. Beast (2022)
Nelson Dilipkumar’s ‘Beast’ may have received mixed reactions, but commercially, it still found a place among Vijay’s biggest grossers. Released on April 13, 2022, the action thriller starred Vijay, Pooja Hegde, Selvaraghavan, Shine Tom Chacko, Yogi Babu and VTV Ganesh. Produced by Sun Pictures, the film follows Veera Raghavan, a former RAW agent who finds himself trapped inside a mall hijacked by terrorists and is forced back into action. The film faced tough competition from ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ and saw a sharp drop after the initial rush, but Vijay’s opening pull ensured a strong total. It minted Rs 151.58 crore India gross, with Rs 216.58 crore worldwide.
9. Theri (2016)
Setting the foundation for one of the most successful actor-director combinations in Tamil cinema, ‘Theri’ marked Vijay's first collaboration with director Atlee. Released on April 14, 2016, this emotional cop-revenge drama showcased Vijay playing a former deputy commissioner of police hiding in plain sight to protect his young daughter. The action thriller also starred Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Amy Jackson, Nainika, J. Mahendran, Radhika Sarathkumar and Rajendran. It mixed father-daughter emotion, police drama and revenge action perfectly. Reportedly, ‘Theri’ minted over Rs 150 crore worldwide, making it Vijay’s first major entry into the elite box-office bracket.
10. Kaththi (2014)
Rounding off the list is ‘Kaththi’, one of Vijay’s most important socially charged commercial films. Directed by A.R. Murugadoss and released on October 22, 2014, the film starred Vijay in dual roles (a petty thief and an idealistic social activist), alongside Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Tota Roy Chowdhury and Sathish. A deeply engaging action-drama with a strong message on corporate greed and farmer suicides, the film stood out as a critical and commercial landmark. Powered by a fiery narrative and a stellar Anirudh Ravichander album, the film achieved widespread acclaim. The movie concluded its theatrical run with an impressive global box office collection of Rs 130 crore, firmly establishing his dominance in the 2010s.
Ultimately, Vijay’s top-grossing films tell the story of a star who turned box-office power into something larger than cinema. He is not leaving behind just a filmography – he is leaving behind a carefully built mass image that spoke to fans as voters long before the campaign stage did. As ‘Jana Nayagan’ waits to become his cinematic farewell, these films stand as the commercial pillars of the Thalapathy era.
