With a career spanning over 25 years, it is safe to say that R. Madhavan has become a household name. The actor, who made his debut in 1997 with the English film Inferno, has left a lasting impact in the Indian film industry over the last two and a half decades. Let us take a look at the top 7 must-watch films from the Shaitaan actor’s filmography.
Bear in mind that this list only delves into the actor’s South Indian films, and thus does not mention R. Madhavan’s excellent Hindi ventures, including the likes of Rang De Basanti and 3 Idiots.
Top 7 Best films of R Madhavan
1. Alai Payuthey (2000)
- Director: Mani Ratnam
- Star Cast: R Madhavan, Shalini, Jayasudha, Vivek, KPAC Lalitha, Swarnamalya
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
What better way to start off this list than with Mani Ratnam’s 2000 romantic musical Alai Payuthey. The film, which is actually R. Madhavan’s Tamil debut, revolves around the love life of the actor and Shalini’s characters helped establish Madhavan as a chocolate boy, and the heartthrob of many in the Kollywood industry.
Right from the time of release, Alai Payuthey was a blockbuster. The film, which delves deep into the tensions of married life among a young couple who elope, also has a philosophical undertone where traditionalism and modernity are pitted against each other. Alai Payuthey is undoubtedly a must-watch while talking about R. Madhavan’s filmography.
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2. Minnale (2001)
- Director: Gautham Vasudev Menon
- Star Cast: R. Madhavan, Abbas, Reema Sen, Nagesh, Vivek, Kitty
- Where to watch: YouTube
Continuing with romantic films, in 2001 R. Madhavan played the lead role in Gautham Vasudev Menon’s directorial debut, titled Minnale. The film revolves around the life of a love-struck man who uses a false identity in order to woo the girl he likes. However, things go south when his cover is blown before he can come clean. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
Similar to Alai Payuthey, the film was a blockbuster right from the time of release. Apart from Gautham Menon, the film also marked the debut venture of music composer Harris Jayaraj, who went on to become one of the most sought-after composers in the industry. Minnale was remade in Hindi in 2001 as Rehnaa Hai Tera Dil Mein, which also featured R Madhavan in the lead.
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3. Kannathil Muthamittal (2002)
- Director: Mani Ratnam
- Star Cast: R Madhavan, Simran, Prakash Raj, Nandita Das, Pasupathy
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Marking his second collaboration with Mani Ratnam, Maddy played the lead role in the ace filmmaker’s 2002 musical war film Kannathil Muthamittal. The film follows the story of a Sri Lankan Tamil child adopted by Indian parents, who wishes to meet her biological mother in the midst of the Sri Lankan Civil War.
The film garnered widespread acclaim, and raked in National and International awards as well. Kannathil Muthamittal is considered one of both Mani Ratnam and R. Madhavan’s best films till date. The film, along with Anbe Sivam, and Run, earned Maddy his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
4. Anbe Sivam (2003)
- Director: Sundar C
- Star Cast: R Madhavan, Kamal Haasan, Nassar, Kiran Rathod, Seema
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
In 2003, R Madhavan and Kamal Haasan collaborated in the slice-of-life drama Anbe Sivam, helmed by Sundar C. The film tells the story of Nallasivam and Anbarasu, two people with polar opposite personalities, who meet each other unexpectedly during a trip from Bhubaneswar to Chennai.
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The film was written by Kamal Haasan, and delves into topics like communism, atheism and altruism. Although it did not perform well at the box office, it gained widespread acclaim from critics, and has gained the status of a cult classic over the last two decades. Anbe Sivam, along with Kannathil Muthamittal, and Run, earned Maddy his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
5. Irudhi Suttru (2016)
- Director: Sudha Kongara
- Star Cast: R Madhavan, Ritika Singh, Mumtaz Sorcar, Nassar, Radha Ravi
- Where to watch: SonyLIV
The next film on the list is the 2016 sports drama film Irudhi Suttru, helmed by Sudha Kongara. The film follows the tale of a boxing coach, played by Madhavan, who decides to train an amateur boxer in order to achieve his dream, after being ignored by the Boxing Association.
The film was simultaneously released in Hindi as Saala Khadoos. Irudhi Suttru garnered positive reviews from fans and critics alike. Maddy also won the Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film.
6. Vikram Vedha (2017)
- Director: Pushkar & Gayathri
- Star Cast: R Madhavan, Vijay Sethupathi, Shraddha Srinath, Prem Kumar, Hareesh Peradi, Vivek Prasanna
- Where to watch: Zee5
The neo-noir gangster action thriller Vikram Vedha is one of the most prominent Tamil films to come out in the last decade. The film, inspired by the folktale of Vikram and Betala, features R. Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi in the titular roles.
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Maddy’s character Vikram is an honest cop, who aims to track down and kill gangster Vedha. However, Vedha surrenders, and proceeds to tell three stories to Vikram, changing the latter’s perspective of good and evil. The film delves into a space of moral ambiguity, advocating that right and wrong are only based on one’s perspectives. Vikram Vedha was remade in Hindi in 2022, and featured Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan in the titular roles.
7. Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)
- Director: R. Madhavan
- Star Cast: R Madhavan, Simran, Ravi Raghavendra, Karthik Kumar
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
In 2022, R. Madhavan made his directorial debut with the biographical drama film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, based on the life of aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan. The film follows Nambi’s days at Princeton University, as well as his days as a scientist and the false espionage charges placed on the scientist.
The film garnered both critical and commercial acclaim, with the audience praising R. Madhavan’s performance as well as his direction. The film was also awarded the prize for Best Feature Film at the National Film Awards, 2023.
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