National Sports Day: 26 Tamil films that celebrated sportsmanship in their own special ways
The sports genre has always been a successful formula in Kollywood. From Thalapathy Vijay to Sivakarthikeyan, all our top stars have their share of sports-dramas.
From Ghilli to Bigil, we list out the Tamil films, whose central conflict revolves around sports.
Aadukalam (2011): In a village in South India, where rearing roosters and using them for fights are a way of life, a young man develops an enmity with his mentor over an important rooster fight.
Badri (2001): When a kickboxer gets attacked by his enemies and ends up bedridden, his brother sets out to fulfil his dream of winning the kickboxing championship.
Chennai 600023 (2007): Friendship, love, and rivalry spice up the game of street cricket in the suburb of Chennai, whose zip code gives this landmark movie its name.
Eetti (2015): An athlete suffers from a rare health condition that prevents him from physical exertion. But he must play to his strengths to overcome his obstacles.
Bhoologam (2015): A North Madras local boxer, who defeats a notorious wrestling champ, realises that the greedy media corporation was trying to kill him to increase their TRP.
Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009): An unconventional group youngsters from various walks of life want to make it big in the field of Kabaddi.
Ethir Neechal (2013): A young man opts to run a marathon to prove a point about himself, and tries insanely with a woman coach.
Ghilli (2004): An aspiring kabaddi player goes to Madurai to participate in a regional match, where he has to rescue a girl from a powerful man.
Haridas (2013): A cop, who neglects his autistic child because of his profession, makes it up by training his child in what he excels in, marathon running.
IrudhiSuttru (2016): The story of a former boxer who quits boxing following some ugly office politics, but goes on to coach a girl, from the fisherman community, to laurels.
Jeeva (2014): A youth, who is talented in cricket, has to several deterrents in the form of injuries and selection politics, to get selected into the national team.
M. Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi (2004): A story about a kick boxer goes to Malasia in search of his father after his mother's dead.
Vallinam (2014): A basketball player has to face several roadblocks in his journey to win a national-level tournament,
Viswasam (2019): This is a beautiful father-daughter moment in a Sports event in Mumbai. The girl's father is a villager, who prevents his daughter from getting killed by a notorious business tycoon.
Kennedy Club (2019) A coach, who's passionate about the sport, inspires female Kabaddi players from a small hamlet to take up the sport professionally. They made it to the National Level Championship.
Kanaa (2018): A very talented cricketer, who gets his eyes injured while wicketkeeping.in an one-day international, returns to coach the Indian women's team to victory.
Natpe Thunai (2019): An ace hockey player from Pondicherry, who quits the sport because of his friend's suicide, returns to fight for the land where the hockey players once played.
Karuppan (2017): A TN youngster doesn't get recognition from the Government, since Jallikattu isn't officially recognised as a sport in India. But he is considered as one of the best in business.
Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu (2019): A young man, who is in a love-hate relationship with his father, takes up Kabaddi professionally for pleasing his dad.
Potta Potti 50-50 (2011): Two youngsters in a small village decide to play a cricket match to win over the girl they love.
Enakul Oruvan (1984): A young man experiences strange feelings and visions and is advised to go on a trip, where he learns about his past birth as a kung fu fighter.
Jada (yet to be released): Kathir plays a professional footballer in this upcoming sports drama.
Boxer (yet to be released): Arun Vijay will be seen as a boxer, who trains in mixed martial artis, in the film, directed by debutant Vivek. Ritika Singh plays a boxer-turned-sports journalist.
Sumo (Yet to be released): The film will reportedly trace the relationship dynamics between a surfing coach (played by Shiva) and a professional suma wrestler.
Jai's upcoming film with Gopi Nainar: The North-Madras set film, also starring Aishwarya Rajesh, will reportedly portray the football culture in the fishermen-dominated area.
Bigil (Diwali 2019 release): The sports has Vijay playing dual roles of a footballer son, and a gangster father. The film also features an all-women team, whose players get coached by the son.