Nayakan to Jigarthanda: 5 Gangster films in Tamil to watch before the release of Jagame Thandhiram

Can't wait to catch Dhanush's upcoming gangster thriller Jagame Thandhiram on Netflix on June 18? In the lead up to this Friday, fill up your popcorn tubs and make time to revisit a handful of iconic gangster sagas in Tamil cinema, on streaming platforms. OTTplay picks five swashbuckling Tamil films that portray gangsters in a unique light.

Nayakan - Amazon Prime Video

The beauty of a hallmark film standing the test of time is that it offers you a different perspective with every viewing. Mani Ratnam-directed Nayakan traces the graph of a Tamil speaking man Velu Nayakan, who avenges the death of his father and flees to Bombay, where he eventually turns a gangster. Apart from Kamal Haasan's stellar performance and Ilaiyaraja's evergreen music, the film is a rollercoaster emotional ride where characters are caught in the crossfire amid several moral complexities.

Pudhupettai - Amazon Prime Video

If one were to talk in a Tamil film spectator's lingo, Pudhupettai is a movie, (its lead character) Kokki Kumar is an emotion. This gangster film that surprisingly received a lukewarm response at the theatres at the time of release, attained cult status over the years. Bringing together real-life siblings actor Dhanush and director Selvaraghavan, the gangster saga remains a gold standard in terms of its raw portrayal of the symbiotic relationship between politicians and gangsters.

Baasha - Zee5

Does this blockbuster even need an introduction? Baasha was the perfect package of style, substance and entertainment, paving the way for Rajinikanth's meteoric rise as a star. Easily the most celebrated film of the star in the 90s, the Suresh Krissna-directorial still works as a strong reference point for most gangster films made in the South Film industry. Not many know that the film was partially inspired by not one but two Hindi films - Agneepath and Hum. Interestingly, Rajinikanth had even acted in the latter.

Jigarthanda - Hotstar

The gangster comedy works perfectly as a showcase of director Karthik Subbaraj's filmmaking excellence in only his second project. Divided into two contrasting halves loaded with plenty of action and humour, Jigarthanda revolves around an aspirant director's desire to make a film based on the life of a deadly gangster in Madurai. The writing of the film is sparklingly innovative and original, filled with cheeky odes to iconic Tamil films and popular local references. It's easy for a non-Tamil viewer to miss the larger picture of this gangster comedy, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't have fun watching it.

Billa - MX Player

Billa, a remake of Rajinikanth's gangster drama by the same name (which itself was a remake of Amitabh Bachchan's Don), was the perfect foil for Ajith's action-star image. The Vishnu Vardhan-directorial is slick, stylish with the dose mix of emotion thrown in and works superbly as a modern-day upgrade to a story that never ceases to amaze. The action sequences are nothing short of a spectacle, the pairing of Ajith and Nayanthara being an icing on the cake.