Madhavan at 55: 8 essential Madhvan films to watch

R Madhavan, or Maddy, as he is fondly called, has a variegated career that spans more than 30 years. From his collaborations with Mani Ratnam or with his ventures in Hindi, here is a list of films which displays his well-regarded body of work.

With headphones over his ears, as he drove along the streets of Chennai, and 'Endrendrum Punnagai' playing over the visual, Madhavan announced the birth of a new, younger kind of romance in Mani Ratnam's Alaipayuthey. As Kartik Varadarajan, we were introduced to a new generation's highs and lows of romance, with AR Rahman's unparalleled soundtrack to elevate the film. But it is his unforgettable proposal to Shalini on the train, that is the highlight of the Alaipayuthey.

How far will an idealistic writer go to do the right thing? In Kannathil Muthamittal, as the writer who is forced to confront his child's quest for her true parentage, Madhavan confronts a country plagued by civil war, and as a result is forced to understand the effect of that war on his young child. Simran's performance as Indira, a mother conflicted about her child's quest is also worth noting.

As Shiva, Madhavan was able to play an affable boy-next-door, who can turn into a man that can go toe-to-toe with the biggest gangster in Chennai. And, who can forget the parallel story of Vivek's character Mohan, as he tries to make it Chennai only to find himself meeting every eccentric character in the city.

As Inba, the thug who was forced to fend for himself, Madhavan portrayed a character that was different from his previous ventures. With a bald head and brash character, he portrayed someone who cared about surviving and not living.

In what can be defined as a film that was a trailblazer in the new age horror in Tamil cinema, Madhavan as a panicked Manohar delivered a chilling performance that took us on a roller coaster ride that starts with him trying to find out why his phone took weird pictures.

If Alaipayuthey talked about romance in a new generation and Aayutha Ezhuthu was about the voice of a new generation, 3 Idiots talked about the woes of the new generation. Playing a character that was forced to pursue engineering because that was safe, and was pushed away from his goal, Madhavan as Farhaan, was someone we all relate to.

Burnt-out and facing failures, Madhavan as Prabhu was a fresh character to watch in a sports drama, that was his return to Tamil cinema after a while.

In his directorial debut, Madhavan played a wronged scientist, who spends his entire life to clear his name and get justice. While being a reflection on scientific innovation and corruption in the country.