Over the past three decades, Vasu has been a filmmaker whose success with Rajinikanth grew multifold with every collaboration.
Panakkaran: A remake of the Amitabh film, Laawaris, Vasu incorporated a slight change in climax that highlighted his trademark sentimentality. It was an all-round Rajini that we saw in this film.Mannan: A classic adaptation of the Taming of the Shrew, Mannan might not have aged well, but there is no doubt about the success of the film. Once again, an all-round Rajini, in top formUzhaippali: A spiritual template to Arunachalam, Uzhaippali saw Rajini fighting against capitalism. The twist? Rajini is a capitalist but avoids it like how he avoids gravity during his stuntsChandramukhi: The Vasu-Rajini combo peaked with this remake of Manichitrathazhu. Vasu made the remake his own to tweak certain scenes to accommodate the Superstar. And lakalakalaka was immortalisedKuselan: Yet another Malayalam remake. Once again, a lot of tweaks to accommodate the Superstar, but it backfired. But, the film scored on emotion, and Rajini's nuanced performance won acclaimBe it as a nonsensical comedian, a no-nonsense cop, a wronged youth, or a simpleton, this combination of Sathyaraj and Vasu delivered the goods, every single timeVelai Kidachuduchu: A bonafide blockbuster, Sathyaraj-Vasu's first collaboration, a revenge drama, was remade into multiple languages, becoming a success everywhereWalter Vetrivel: One of the most memorable cop outings for Sathyaraj was this film that didn't give space for the entertainer. But, the serious actor in Sathyaraj took centrestage, and how!Nadigan: This film will surely find itself in any list of best Tamil comedies. Be it Sathyaraj, the ever-dependable Goundamani, or the amazingly versatile Manorama, Nadigan had everything going for itRickshaw Mama: It is a known fact that Sathyaraj adores MGR. So does P Vasu. And a beautiful film, modelled after the iconic Rickshawkaaran, saw Sathyaraj score high in this family dramaMalabar Police: Who else would have thought Sathyaraj could be a Malayali cop but Vasu? His scenes with Goundamani still makes us laugh. A neat thriller wrapped up inside a dramedyThe success of this combination lies in the remake value of almost every collaboration. The universality of their films speaks volumes about their comfort levels and creative exchangesEn Thangachi Padichava: This was P Vasu's first solo-directed Tamil film. And marked the start of a fruitful collaboration. This saw a Bollywood remake starring none other than Amitabh BachchanChinna Thambi: It is still perplexing how they managed to sell the story of an innocent simpleton who didn't know what thaali was. Without a doubt, an ICONIC filmSenthamizh Paatu: The Prabhu-Vasu combo has delivered superhit songs, and the culmination of this collaboration was in this film that saw MSV and Ilaiyaraaja compose together.Suyamvaram: A Guiness record attempt. Multiple filmmakers. Biggest multi-starrer in Tamil cinema. An example of exemplary unity. And guess who directed the Prabhu portions?Every artist needs an inspiration, a muse, and it is safe to assume Kushboo was portrayed at her best in Vasu's films. Most of the films mentioned above feature Khushbu, and she aces every roleAmma Vandhaachu: The same film sees as her as a bubbly, vibrant salesperson and a sober telephone operator. As a girlfriend, as a mother, Khushbu makes us invested in this emotional dramaPurusha Lakshanam: Not a Vasu directorial, but written by him, this KS Ravikumar film saw Khushbu become gold standard in Tamil wives. The moment she asked for Thaali varam, Khushbu was immortalisedPathini: A very unlikely film from this combo saw Khushbu take on the role of a conflicted woman. It is unfortunate that the film didn't get its due. Khushbu won a special mention at the State Awards