Within a decade of working behind the camera, Atlee managed to make a name for himself. In a very short span of time, the Indian filmmaker gave the audience several successful films that set new benchmarks for Southern cinema. Bringing the same magic to the screen, Atlee’s most anticipated movie Jawan is just a few days away from its release. And just like his other movies, this Atlee directorial is also expected to create a big bang at the box office.
Jawan marks Atlee’s debut in Bollywood as a director. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Sanya Malhotra and Deepika Padukone in key roles, Atlee’s new movie is everything movie buffs are discussing right now. But if you haven’t already been introduced to Atlee’s craft and are still unsure if his movie with SRK will be worth it, we have curated a list of 5 of his best films that you can watch before you enter the theatres on 7 September.
5 must-watch Atlee movies to witness his magic
Atlee began his movie career at the age of 19. He worked as an assistant director under S. Shankar. He worked with the filmmaker on two films including Enthiran (2010) and Nanban (2012). A year later, he made his directorial debut with the film Raja Rani. The filmmaker was awarded Best Debut Director by Vijay Award and the Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Dialogue Writer for this film. Here’s a list of Atlee movies you should watch before Jawan hits the screen.
Raja Rani
Cast: Arya, Jai, Nayanthara, Nazriya Nazim, Sathyaraj, Santhanam, Sathyan
Release date: 27 September 2013
Synopsis: The story revolves around John and Regina. The couple gets married to each other because of certain circumstances, but never manages to fall in love with each other. The hatred makes Regina take the harsh decision of moving to Australia. While she waits for visa approval, she finds out why John is the way he is. The heartbreaking story makes Regina fall in love with John. Meanwhile, John also finds out about Regina’s sad past and develops feelings for her. Unaware of the fact that they both like each other, John and Regina decide to separate because of a few misunderstandings. However, life has different plans for the couple. This is one of the most romantic Atlee movies you can watch.
More about the film: The film was remade in Bengali as Shudhu Tomari Jonyo in 2015 and was remade in Odia as Tu Je Sei in 2016.
Theri
Cast: Vijay, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Amy Jackson
Release date: 14 April 2016
Synopsis: The story revolves around Joseph Kuruvilla, who lives a simple life with his young daughter Nivi. His daughter’s teacher, Annie develops a crush on him and learns that Joseph is actually DCP Vijay Kumar. She urges him to talk about his past when Vijay reveals how his wife, Mithra, tragically passed away because of his line of work. However, when the person who killed Vijay’s wife, enters their life again, Vijay makes sure he avenges his wife’s death.
More about the film: The script of the film is inspired by Mani Ratnam’s film Chatriyan. Theri emerged as the second highest-grossing Tamil film of 2016.
Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae
Cast: Jiiva, Sri Divya, Soori, Radha Ravi, Raadhika Sarathkumar, Thambi Ramaiah
Release date: 19 May 2017
Synopsis: Although not a film directed but produced by Atlee, this movie is quite an entertaining watch. The story revolves around Vasu, who dreams of buying a house for his family. He finally manages to fulfil his dream, only to later find out that the person who sold him the house has cheated him. Vasu finds out that another family is also living in the house already. Reluctant to give up the bungalow, the two families start living together. Vasu tries several tricks to make the other family leave the house but things take a turn when they discover that the house is haunted.
More about the film: The film was dubbed in Hindi as Sangili Bungli Darwaza Khol.
Mersal
Cast: Vijay, S.J. Suryah, Sathyaraj, Vadivelu, Nithya Menen, Kajal Aggarwal, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Hareesh Peradi, Kovai Sarala, Sathyan
Release date: 18 October 2017
Synopsis: The story revolves around two brothers who get separated in their childhood because of an evil man named Daniel. However, their fate makes them meet once again when they grow up. Vetri then explains to Maaran about everything that happened in their past and why Maaran never had any memory of it. Upon learning what Daniel did to their father, both Vetri and Maaran set out on a mission to finish him.
More about the film: The film was released on 6 December 2018 in China. Its high demand also resulted in a screening of the film at the largest cinema theatre in Europe Grand Rex, France.
Bigil
Cast: Vijay, Nayanthara, Jackie Shroff, Vivek, Kathir
Release date: 25 October 2019
Synopsis: The story revolves around Michael Rayyapan alias Bigil, who is a gangster with a dark past. With a history of playing football, his friend asks him to coach a women’s football team when his friend gets attacked by goons. Bigil agrees and faces a lot of problems from his enemy in the process of training the team and making them reach the finale. Despite all the roadblocks, Bigil manages to train the women well and make them win the national championship.
More about the film: Atlee’s film became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time and Vijay’s highest-grossing film in his career at that time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– How many movies are directed by Atlee?
Atlee has directed five movies so far.
– Who is South Indian film director Atlee?
Atlee is a director, screenwriter and producer best known for his work in Tamil films.
– Who is the director of Jawan?
Atlee is the director of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Jawan.
– Why is Atlee famous?
Atlee is famous because he is one of the youngest successful filmmakers.
Hero & Feature Image: Courtesy Atlee/Instagram
Cinema has always fascinated Ananya, so much that she got a degree in media to know more about it. She has worked for magazines like Man's World India and CineBlitz as an entertainment writer. When not writing about films and celebrities, she likes to travel to new places or try new cuisines. Travel and Food are her latest interests and she is looking forward to explore these further.
