Kollywood Actor Vishal Movies of All Time

Quick Intro About Vishal

Vishal is not only an action hero but also a producer, a risk-taker who carved a niche for himself with his raw energy and high-stakes stunts. From the rugged streets of Sandakozhi to the smart tech-thrills of Irumbu Thirai, he constantly tries to balance mass appeal with unique concepts. Though he has his share of slumps, the ability to bounce back with huge hits like Mark Antony proves that he still knows the pulse of the audience. This list covers his entire two-decade journey, listing those films that turned him into a staple of Tamil cinema.

List of all Movies by Tamil Actor Vishal

1. Chellame, 2004

This was a brave debut for Vishal, as he didn't play the typical "mass hero" right away. He plays a loving husband whose domestic bliss is shattered when a new neighbor, played by Bharath, develops an obsessive, psychopathic love for his wife (Reemma Sen). The tension builds until the violent climax on a cliff edge. The film is famous for the chartbuster song Kaadhalikkum Aasai, and Bharath’s creepy performance, but Vishal held his own as the desperate protector, proving he could act before he started fighting. 

2. Sandakozhi (2005)

This film turned Vishal into an overnight star. The storyline is an ideal blend of family sentiments and action in which he plays a student who accidentally humiliates a local thug while visiting his friend's village. The iconic "bus fight" sequence when he finally snaps and beats up the goons is part of Tamil cinema history. With Yuvan Shankar Raja's energetic music and the crackling chemistry with Meera Jasmine, who plays a mischievous village girl, the film ran for over 200 days and remains his biggest cult classic. 

3. Sivappathikaaram (2006)

In line with the proliferation of angry young men films in the middle of the 2000s, Vishal plays an academic turned vigilante to punish the politicians who destroyed his family. He travels from his village to Chennai and hunts them down one by one. The film is visually stunning, especially the "Kalloori Salai" song, which was shot in a very stylish, unique manner for that time. Though the plot was a bit repetitive, the political dialogues and the raw aggression in the fight scenes appealed to the youth audience. 

4. Thimiru (2006)

A high-octane commercial hit in which Vishal plays a guy trying to live peacefully in Chennai but is chased by a lady gangster who wants him to marry her forcibly. Sriya Reddy gave an immortal performance as the arrogant, loud-mouthed antagonist Eswari" often overshadowing the real villain. The climax fight in the rain is heavy on stunts and wirework. It sealed Vishal's position as a "B and C center" favorite due to the raw, dusty feel of the film and Yuvan's background score. 

5. Thaamirabarani (2007)

This is a heavy family drama set against the backdrop of the Thamirabarani river about two warring clans. Vishal plays the hot-headed nephew caught in the middle of the feud, supported by veterans Prabhu and Nadhiya in key roles. The mother-son sentiment between Vishal and Nadhiya is the emotional core of this film. Packed with sickle-wielding action scenes and a very popular comedy track by Ganja Karuppu ("Karuppana Kaiyale"), it makes for a perfect festival family entertainer. 

6. Malaikottai (2007)

A light-hearted entertainer set in Trichy where Vishal plays a casual, fun-loving guy who romances a college girl played by Priyamani and clashes with a local don. The movie's storyline is not as important as the comedy, especially the scenes with Ashish Vidyarthi as a singing villain. The "Baby. Sorry" scene from the film is a meme favorite. Following a very standard template of songs, comedy, and fights, Malaikottai managed to become a hit because it was breezy and did not take itself seriously.

7. Sathyam (2008)

This was a highly anticipated cop thriller where Vishal famously achieved a six-pack abs physique for the first time, which was a huge marketing point. He played an encounter specialist tracking a mystery killer, wherein Kannada superstar Upendra played the antagonist. However, the movie suffered from a disjointed screenplay and a comedy track featuring Vivek, which was highly criticized for its childishness. Despite all the big budget and slick production values, it did not meet expectations at the box office. 

8. Thoranai (2009)

A typical lost and found story, Vishal comes to the city in search of his long-lost brother and gets caught in the middle of a gang war between two rival dons, played by Prakash Raj and Kishore. The movie is supposed to be a fast-paced chase thriller, but the screenplay gets bogged down by subplots galore. Santhanam and Parotta Soori relieve the anguish a bit with their comedies. The film was generally viewed as a rehash of previous Telugu-style masala movies. It stars Shriya Saran as the female lead, adding an element of glamour in this otherwise gritty pic. 

9. Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai (2010)

Vishal took a break from sickle fights to play a rich, stylish playboy who decides to date three women together to choose the best wife among them. For Tamil cinema at that time, it was a bold and controversial concept. The movie is colorful and completely focuses on romance and comedy without violence. Critics had mixed feelings about the storyline of the "dating game", but the style factor and Yuvan's music made it a decent watch for urban youth. 

Avan Ivan (2011)

This is probably Vishal's most challenging role as an actor. Directed by the intense Bala, he plays a stage actor with a permanent squint eye, a mannerism Vishal maintained throughout the entire shoot that reportedly caused him to get severe migraines. The climax where he performs a "Navarasa" dance while crying over his mother's death, is heartbreaking and brilliant. Though the movie received mixed reviews for its loose plot, Vishal's dedication and his chemistry with co-star Arya were universally acclaimed. 

11. Vedi (2011)

This film was a remake of the Telugu hit Souryam. Vishal plays a cop who goes undercover as a college professor in order to protect a girl (Sameera Reddy) from gangsters. The film had all the telltale marks of a Prabhu Deva film: loud colors, fast editing, and gravity-defying stunts. Vishal and Sameera Reddy's chemistry was a highlight but the story, had nothing new to offer for the audience. The attempt was to get back to the mass masala genre after his experimental phase ended up being only an average grosser. 

12. Samar (2013)

This is an underrated thriller in which Vishal plays a trekking guide who goes to Thailand for his girlfriend, only to find that his entire life is being manipulated like a game by a billionaire villain. The first half builds great mystery as the protagonist tries to figure out why random events are happening to him. The puzzle-solving was unique in Tamil cinema at the time. The financial performance wasn't incredible, but it remains one of the smarter scripts in his career. 

13. Pattathu Yaanai (2013)

A comedy-heavy film where Vishal plays a guy setting up a "karaoke catering" business in Trichy. Honestly, this film belongs more to comedian Santhanam than Vishal since most of the runtime has comedy tracks. The plot involves them saving a girl (Aishwarya Arjun) from a local goon, but the stakes are kept very low and light. It was criticized for having a weak villain and a wandering screenplay while serving mostly as a time-pass comedy flick.

14. Pandiya Naadu (2013)

PThis was a massive comeback for Vishal and the debut of his production house, VFF. He plays a meek, ordinary guy who stutters when he is afraid, which makes his transformation into a man seeking revenge for his brother’s death very impactful. The stunts are realistic. He gets beaten up, falls and struggles, unlike his usual invincible hero roles. The climax fight near the bus stand is intense and emotional. With D. Imman’s fantastic background score, this became a critical and commercial blockbuster. 

15. Naan Sigappu Manithan (2014)

A high-concept psychological thriller where the hero suffers from Narcolepsy, a condition whereby he falls asleep if he feels extreme emotion-like anger or shock. The screenplay does a great job interweaving this disability with a revenge plot where he has to hunt down men who assaulted his wife. The underwater pool fight and the climax strategy of fighting while trying to keep awake were highly original. It was a hit that proved that Vishal was willing to experiment with unique character flaws. 

16. Poojai (2014)

A Diwali release pitted against Vijay's Kaththi. This is a regular Hari film, all fast-paced, with Vishal playing a money lender who inadvertently bumps into a contract killer in a vegetable market. The pace is breathless with characters either running or talking fast. Stars Shruti Haasan as the heroine and Sathyaraj in an important supporting role. Nothing great, but the high-octane action blocks pleased the festival audience.

17. Aambala (2015) 

This movie is a guilty pleasure for many-a spoof of the quintessential south Indian family drama. Vishal plays a guy who has to reunite three aunts in order to marry his love interest. The action scenes defy all laws of physics-the scene of a Sumo car flying and spinning in air is legendary meme material. If you switch off your brain, it's a fun and colorful ride with some catchy hip-hop music by Hiphop Tamizha. It wasn't taken seriously, but it was entertaining. 

18. Paayum Puli (2015) 

This movie, set in Madurai, deals with an extortion gang terrorizing the local businesses. Vishal plays an undercover cop, ACP Jayaseelan, who infiltrates the gang, but the twist is that the gang leader turns out to be his own brother. The movie has a very strong interval block, but the second half drags a bit with family sentiments. The climax fight on the bridge was well-shot, but overall the movie felt like a rehash of the director's previous work with Vishal. 

19. Kathakali (2016) 

A taut, edge-of-the-seat thriller set over the course of a single rainy night, wherein Vishal returns from the US to marry his girlfriend and gets framed for the murder of a local gangster. The entire movie is a race against time wherein he tries to find the real killer before the gangster's men find him. With very few songs and just two hours of runtime, it was a slick, engrossing watch that broke away from the usual masala format.

20. Marudhu (2016) 

Vishal returned to the rural genre with this raw, dusty action film. He plays a load-man (coolie) who is deeply devoted to his grandmother. The film is extremely violent, with heavy use of sickles and bone-breaking stunts. The emotional core is the bond between the grandson and the grandmother, played beautifully by Kulappulli Leela. It was a hit in the rural B and C centers, establishing Vishal as one of the few actors who could still pull off a veshti-clad hero role convincingly. 

21. Kaththi Sandai (2016) 

The movie is remembered mainly as a comeback vehicle for the legendary comedian Vadivelu in the role of Dr. Boothri. Vishal is cast as a guy trying to woo a girl to get close to her brother who has stolen money. In the second half, the plot tries to take a Robin Hood twist, but the script is really weak. There was a lot of hype around Vadivelu's return, but the comedy fell flat, and the movie turned out to be a commercial failure. 

22. Thupparivaalan (2017) 

One of the most stylish films in Vishal’s career, this is modeled after Sherlock Holmes, with him as an eccentric detective, Kaniyan Poongundran, and Prasanna plays his "Watson" figure. The film starts with a simple case of a dead dog and spirals into a massive conspiracy involving lightning strikes and assassins. With no songs to disrupt the flow, the fight scene in the Chinese restaurant is a technical marvel. It became a cult hit for its unique presentation.

23. Irumbu Thirai (2018) 

A techno-thriller way ahead of its time, the movie has Vishal essay the role of an army major suffering from anger issues, as money gets lost from his bank account and his hunt to track down the hacker who does this. The villain, essayed by Arjun Sarja, is sophisticated and dangerous. The film educates the audience on data theft, dark web, and social engineering, and became a massive blockbuster simply because it struck a chord with every common man as everyone lives in that fear- digital fraud. 

24. Sandakozhi 2 (2018) 

The long-awaited sequel to his biggest hit, released 13 years later. This also retains the same family setup and has Rajkiran reprise his role of father. Keerthy Suresh plays the bubbly female lead, while Varalaxmi Sarathkumar plays a vengeful villain. However, the movie failed to capture the natural charm of the first part. It was forced and repetitive, serving only as a nostalgia trip rather than a fresh story. It did average business. 

25. Ayogya (2019) 

A remake of the Telugu hit Temper. Vishal plays a completely corrupt, unethical police inspector who will do anything for money until a brutal crime against a girl changes his conscience. The climax courtroom scene is intense. The ending, unlike the original, was much darker and more sacrificing which critics appreciated. It showed Vishal in a negative shade for most of the film - refreshing change. 

26. Action (2019) 

This was a high-budget spy thriller shot in Turkey and Azerbaijan. Vishal plays a colonel in the Indian Army in search of a terrorist. The movie has many gravity-defying stunts where he jumps off buildings and does many bike chases. In many places the visual effects were found cartoonish. Tamannaah plays the role of another agent. Despite its glossy look and high production value, the weak storyline made it a box office bomb. 

27. Chakra, 2021 

This is being promoted as a spiritual sequel to Irumbu Thirai, and the film talks about e-commerce scams and digital robbery. Vishal investigates a series of robberies that happen on Independence Day using drones and delivery boys. Shraddha Srinath plays a cop, and Regina Cassandra plays the antagonist. Though the concept of "digital theft" sounded promising, the movie did lack the emotional depth of Irumbu Thirai and therefore felt more like a procedural drama.

28. Enemy (2021) 

A face-off between two friends-turned-foes. Vishal plays the "good" shopkeeper with a secret past, and Arya plays the "bad" assassin. The movie heavily relies on the set action pieces between the two actors who are close friends in real life. The song "Tum Tum" became a big viral hit on Instagram, which gave the movie lots of visibility, though the film received mixed reviews for being a generic cat-and-mouse game. 

29. Veerame Vaagai Soodum (2022) 

A very routine vigilante film in which Vishal plays a common man, an aspiring police officer, who takes on a local factory owner and a corrupt network to get justice for his sister. The movie suffers from the "been there, done that" effect as Vishal has played "angry brother avenging sister" umpteen number of times. Features some decent fight choreography but failed to engage audiences because novelty was lacking.

30. Laththi (2022) 

This is a survival action film. Vishal plays a suspended constable who gets trapped in an unfinished building with his young son, surrounded by hundreds of goons. The selling point of the film is the last 45 minutes, which is essentially one long, breathless fight sequence. Vishal suffered multiple injuries during the shoot. While the physical effort was immense, the logic was often questioned, making it an average fare. 

31. Mark Antony (2023) 

A huge comeback hit that grossed over ₹100 crores. It's a loud, chaotic, time-travel sci-fi comedy where Vishal finds a telephone that can call people in the past. He plays dual roles of father and son, while the real show-stealer is SJ Suryah, who brings a crazy, manic energy to his role as the villain "Jackie Pandian." The film is a riot of colors, retro music, and features a CGI recreation of late Silk Smitha. Pure, mindless entertainment. 

32. Rathnam 2024 

Reuniting with director Hari for the third time, this film is an unremitting action saga. Vishal plays a henchman working for a good-natured don who ends up protecting a medical student played by Priya Bhavani Shankar from land-grabbing villains. The highlight of the film is its "single shot" action sequences where the camera follows the violence without cutting. Extremely violent and bloody, it is strictly aimed at action lovers, though many found the screenplay too outdated.