Tamil superstar Vijay, or 'Thalapathy', as he is lovingly called by his ardent and hardcore fans everywhere, has been a leading box office powerhouse for many years now and has headlined several blockbusters in his glorious three-decade career. Currently working on his upcoming film, Varisu, scheduled to open in cinemas as a grand Pongal treat in January 2023, there has also been a considerable buzz on the actor's next big venture, the tentatively titled Thalapathy 67, which is speculated to be a gangster project and will feature intense and high-octane action, as per early reports. 

Thalapathy 67 will be directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and also marks the reunion of Vijay with the filmmaker after their 2021 box office money-spinner, Master. There is a massive buzz surrounding the project as it reportedly also includes 'Rockstar' Anirudh Ravichander for the music and will apparently be bankrolled by 7 Screen Studio's Lalit Kumar, who co-produced Master. With the excitement getting bigger by the day for Thalapathy 67 after speculations began doing the rounds that it would be a gangster film, here's a list of Vijay films in the said genre. 

NENJINILE (1999)

An action romantic thriller film directed by Vijay's father S. A. Chandrasekhar, Nenjinile marked the first steps of the actor foraying into the gangster genre. Vijay plays the role of an unemployed youngster from Ambasamudram, who becomes a henchman for a gangster named Supari (Rami Reddy) in Mumbai and takes up assignments for money, which allows him to provide for his family back home. In the process, he falls in love with Nisha (Isha Koppikar), who eventually becomes a target after her parents are killed by members of Supari's gang. 

BAGAVATHI (2002)

The consequences leading up to the radical transformation of a tea shop owner into a gangster form the core crux of Bagavathi, which has been directed by A. Venkatesh, with the titular character played by Vijay. Guna (Jai) falls in love with Priya (Monica) and gets killed, with his brother Bagavathi then making it his life mission to protect her and her unborn child from her father Easwarapandiyan (Ashish Vidyarthi), who makes several attempts to kill the baby. 

POKKIRI (2007)

The mass action film directed by Prabhu Deva features Vijay as Tamizh, a criminal who undertakes dirty jobs before coming under the radar of gangsters in the underworld. He then falls in love with Shruthi (Asin), who is against his violent nature, while being in the middle of an ensuing battle between the underworld and the police, which reveals his true identity - Sathyamoorthi IPS, Assistant Commissioner of Police. Pokkiri revolves around Vijay as Tamizh/Sathyamoorthi and his true purpose to go undercover as a rogue alongside hardened criminals, while also showing a charming side to him. 

THALAIVAA (2013)

Thalaivaa directed by A. L. Vijay is set around Vishwa (Vijay), a dancer who manages a water distribution business in Sydney, Australia, and falls in love with Meera (Amala Paul), the daughter of a restaurateur, who is one of his customers. When the time comes for their marriage, the couple decides to head to Mumbai to meet Vishwa's father, Ramadurai aka. Anna (Sathyaraj), to discuss the proceedings formally. Upon arriving in Mumbai, Vishwa comes to know about his father's true profession and learns that he is in hiding after false charges were registered against him by his arch-enemy Bhima (Abhimanyu Singh). Vishwa realizes he has been lured to Mumbai in the name of love by Meera, whose real identity is revealed to be ACP Meera Narayanan, a crime branch officer. The shocking murder of Anna then leads to Vishwa staying back in Mumbai and taking up the reins of his father's crime syndicate. He then dons the title of Thalaivaa to provide his own brand of justice for those in need of help. 

BIGIL (2019)

A sports action film, Bigil sees Vijay playing dual roles as Michael 'Bigil' and Rayappan, with the former quitting a promising career in football after a tragedy, and then returning to coach the women's team. Directed by Atlee, Vijay is seen as the young and vibrant footballer Bigil and his father Rayappan, a crime boss who had a feud with a rival gangster Alex (I. M. Vijayan. Directed by Atlee, the story sees Bigil turn into a gangster after his father Rayappan gets killed by Alex and his son Daniel (Daniel Balaji), eventually forcing him to opt out of attending the selection trial for the Indian football team in Delhi. As time passes by and Bigil is healing from his ‘wounds’, he is presented with an opportunity to coach the women's football team, while the rest of the story revolves around his relationship with the young girls and him battling his own personal demons.