Triple the action: From PU Chinnappa to Vijay and Ajith, actors who have aced multiple roles in a single film
With Sathyaraj's only directorial, Villadhi Villain which also had him in three roles for the first and only time, released this month 25 years back, we look at films that starred actors in 3 roles.
Sathyaraj played a cunning Brahmin lawyer, a road roller driver, and a squinted character with a Charlie chaplin moustache in Villadhi Villain
The first time in Tamil cinema when an artiste featured in triple roles was in 1949 when PU Chinnappa played the roles of King, Prince and the grandson in Mangayarkarasi.
Sivaji Ganesan has played the most number of triple action roles in Tamil cinema. After starting off with Bale Pandiya, he did three roles in films like Deiva Magan, Thirisoolam and Mohana Punnagai.
Legendary comedian Nagesh had tried his hand with three roles when he played the characters Raman, his father Balaraman and his grandfather Parasuraman in Panakkara Kudumbam (1964).
Veteran actor Muthuraman played three roles in Kula Gowravam (1974) which was a remake of the 1971 Kannada movie Kula Gourava, starring Rajkumar.
Rajinikanth's Moondru Mugam (1982) gave us the iconic Alex Pandian character and years later, he did triple-action again in Kochadaiiyaan and if you also consider Kutti Chitti, then 2.0 as well.
Kamal Haasan who has done multiple roles in films such as Michael Madana Kama Rajan and Dasavathaaram played triple roles in Apoorva Sagodharargal - a no-nonsense cop, a mechanic and circus clown.
Sarathkumar who is known for playing dual roles as father and son in many films did triple roles in 1994's Namma Annachi which had him playing three characters from three different generations.
Vijayakanth had a tryst with triple-action roles when he played a father and his two sons in 2000's Simmasanam which was also dubbed and released in Telugu and Hindi.
Ajith took the triple action route earlier in his career when he played the father and two sons -- Jeeva, Shivshankar, Vishnu -- in 2006's Varalaru directed by KS Ravikumar
Comedian Vadivelu who has done a number of multiple roles did triple action in Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan (2008) in which he played Indra, Yama and Azhagappan.
Anushka played triple roles in 2013's Irandaam Ulagam where she donned the role of medical student Ramya, Varna in an alternative world and an unnamed role in a third world.
Dhanush and Amyra Dastur played three characters from different generations in KV Anand's 2015 film Anegan.
Suriya, instead of playing the cliched father and two sons triple-action roles, did 24 (2016) where he played the roles of twins and one of their sons.
Jai played triple roles, even if the third cannot be considered a full-fledged role in 2017's Balloon, thereby probably making it the only horror film in this list.
Though playing dual roles in films such as Azhagiya Tamil Magan, Villu and Kaththi played triple roles in Mersal where he played a father and two sons -- Vetri, Maaran, Vetrimaaran.
Despite being on the screen for fleeting seconds, Vijay's Sethupathi's character Junga's father and grandfather, Ranga and Linga are also played by Sethupathi in 2018's Junga.
Santhanam will soon be playing three roles in the supposed time-travel film Dikkiloona. The film directed by debutant Karthik Yogi will release later this year.
