Billa (1980) A pivotal action film in Rajinikanth's career, "Billa" is a remake of the Hindi film Don and ran for 25 weeks in Tamil Nadu theaters.
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Thillu Mullu (1981) A comedy classic, Thillu Mullu broke Rajinikanth's action-hero streak, as he plays a man lying to his boss about having a twin brother.
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Mannan (1992) In this film, a union leader is forced to marry his rich boss. It is a remake of the Kannada film Anuraga Aralithu and ran for over 25 weeks.
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Arunachalam (1997) This award-winning film revolves around an orphan who discovers he is the heir to a billionaire fortune with a bizarre challenge. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find the Tamil version on streaming platforms.
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Annamalai (1992) A remake of Khudgarz, Annamalai became the highest-grossing Tamil film until Baasha (1995), with Rajinikanth playing a milkman who has a fallout with his wealthy best friend.
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Baashha (1995) One of Rajinikanth's most successful films, Baashha ran for over a year in theaters, and features an auto-rickshaw driver who avoids violence but is forced to confront his past.
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Thalapathi (1991) Written and directed by Mani Ratnam, this critically acclaimed film is based on the friendship between the Mahabharata characters Karna and Duryodhana.
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Padayappa (1999) A blockbuster, Padayappa was the highest-grossing Tamil film of 1999 and focuses on a man seeking revenge and restoring his family’s honor.
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Enthiran (2010) A revolutionary sci-fi film in Indian cinema, Enthiran features Rajinikanth in a dual role, with groundbreaking visual effects. It was a prequel to the hit film 2.0.
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Mullum Malarum (1978) A breakthrough film in Rajinikanth's career, where he plays Kaali, a man who loses his arm in a dispute with his superior, earning him wide acclaim.