The name 'Rajinikanth' may be more associated with action-packed crowd-pleasers, but the actor's early work, in significant dramas and comedies directed by iconoclasts, is a class apart.
An enviable debut for any actor. In the film directed by K. Balachander and co-starring Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth played a notable supporting role as a man falling for an older woman.
Arguably Rajinikanth's best non-action movie performance, the film benefited from a then-first-time director, Mahendran, who based his screenplay adaptation on Uma Chandran's eponymous novel.
Another notable Rajnikanth film where he played a flawed, unlikeable character. Like 'Mullum Malarum', the film was made by a debutant filmmaker with an unorthodox vision, who gravitated more towards realism.
Aside from K. Balachander, Rajinikanth did some of his best early work with director SP Muthuraman, who played a crucial role in shaping the former into a mass-friendly superstar. This film is notable for casting Rajinikanth against type.
SP Muthuraman and Rajinikanth collaborated again for an affecting, tragic family drama about a man's emotional journey from his burdensome, duty-bound younger days to his successful but lonely older days.
Rajinikanth demonstrated his comedic skills in this remake of the 1979 Hindi classic Gol Maal. Many regard the film, directed by K. Balachander, as one of the most rewatchable entertainers in Tamil cinema.
Powered by the dynamite combination of S.P. Muthuraman's direction and K. Balachander's writing, the film proved to be a stellar showcase for Rajinikanth's serious acting chops in dual roles, as a father and son with conflicting traits.