How Vikram has always pushed the boundaries of Tamil cinema: 7 best performances

The Tamil film industry has a handful of big stars who command a huge fan base, but it is rare for any star to be universally admired. There might be fan wars between Vijay and Ajith's fans, but if there is one actor who is unanimously loved by both audiences and critics, then it would be none other than Vikram. He has completed over 25 years in Kollywood and has carved a niche for himself with his flawless performances. As a tribute to this effortless performer, here are seven of his best performances that made him the star that he is today.

SETHU It took a decade for Kollywood to sit up and take notice of Vikram. The big break came in the form of Bala's Sethu. He ended up on a juice diet for his role. He followed a strict diet in the film and almost lost consciousness on the sets by doing so.

DHILL In Dhill, Vikram essayed the role of an aspiring police officer who is embroiled in a tussle with a corrupt cop. The latter tries to crush Vikram's dream of becoming a police officer. How he tackles the situation forms the crux of the story.

SAAMY Vikram is one actor who can easily pull off both content-oriented films and the usual masala entertainers. The actor essayed the role of Aarusamy, a not-so-upright cop who fights a power-hungry politician to save the people of Tirunelveli.

PITHAMAGAN It was Bala who gave Vikram his big break with Sethu. Once again, he teamed up with Vikram in Pithamagan where he played the role of an orphaned boy brought up in a graveyard. He had almost no dialogues in the film but managed to give a performance that won him a Best Actor National Film Award.

ANNIYAN Shankar's Anniyan spoke about the concept of multiple personality disorder and Vikram was seen as Ambi (an upright lawyer), Remo (a model) and Anniyan (a vigilante killer). In a scene, Vikram enacts all the three characters and watching the scene now, after a decade, still leaves people speechless.

DEIVA THIRUMAGAL Director Vijay's Deiva Thirumagal is a fitting example of why Vikram is considered the best in his arena. His performance as a mentally-challenged father is yet another class act. He won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.

I Though the film directed by Shankar didn't have much substance in terms of story, it was Vikram's mind-boggling performance that took it to the next level. He put on weight to look like an international model and lost nearly 20 kilos to turn into a diseased hunchback. Film personalities were upset that his efforts weren't recognised by the National Film Awards jury in 2016.