Since his 1997 debut, R Madhavan has helmed some of the most well-known films in the past 20 years. Let's examine the actor's top 7 motion pictures.

It's safe to assume that after more than 25 years in the industry, R. Madhavan is now well-known. Over the past 25 years, the actor—who made his feature debut in 1997 in the English film Inferno—has had a significant influence on the Indian cinema industry. Let's examine the best 7 movies from the Shaitaan actor's discography that you really should not miss.

Remember that this list only looks at the actor's South Indian roles; it ignores R. Madhavan's fantastic Hindi roles in movies like Rang De Basanti and 3 Idiots.

Top 7 Best films of R Madhavan

1. Alai Payuthey (2000)


* Director: Mani Ratnam

* Star Cast: R Madhavan, Shalini, Jayasudha, Vivek, KPAC Lalitha, Swarnamalya

* Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Alai Payuthey, the 2000 love musical directed by Mani Ratnam, is a fitting way to begin this list. The film centers on the love life of the actor, R. Madhavan, who is actually making his Tamil cinema debut. Shalini's portrayal of Madhavan helped make him famous in Kollywood as the industry's ‘chocolate boy.’

Alai Payuthey was a huge hit as soon as it was released. A philosophical undertone pits traditionalism and modernism against one another in this film, which explores the complexities of marital life among a young couple who elope. When discussing R. Madhavan's filmography, Alai Payuthey is without a doubt a must-see.

2. Minnale (2001)


* Director: Gautham Vasudev Menon

* Star Cast: R. Madhavan, Abbas, Reema Sen, Nagesh, Vivek, Kitty

* Where to watch: YouTube

Keeping with the romance flicks, Gautham Vasudev Menon's directorial debut, Minnale, had R. Madhavan in the lead role in 2001. The story of the movie centers on a young man who falls in love and pretends to be someone else to win her over. But before he can make an admission of guilt, his cover is compromised, and things go south. The main plot point of the story is what transpires next.

Like Alai Payuthey, the movie was a hit from the moment it came out. In addition to Gautham Menon, the movie was also the first project for music composer Harris Jayaraj, who later rose to prominence in the business. Rehnaa Hai Tera Dil Mein, a 2001 Hindi remake of Minnale, starred R Madhavan in the title role.

3. Kannathil Muthamittal (2002)


* Director: Mani Ratnam

* Star Cast: R Madhavan, Simran, Prakash Raj, Nandita Das, Pasupathy

* Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar

In 2002, Maddy worked with Mani Ratnam again, this time as the lead actor in the musical war picture Kannathil Muthamittal.In the midst of the Sri Lankan Civil War, the film tells the narrative of a Tamil kid adopted by Indian parents from Sri Lanka who longs to find her biological mother.

Along with receiving a lot of positive press, the movie won both national and international accolades. Mani Ratnam and R. Madhavan both agree that Kannathil Muthamittal is one of their greatest movies to date. The movie brought Maddy his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award, together with Anbe Sivam and Run.

4. Anbe Sivam (2003)


* Director: Sundar C

* Star Cast: R Madhavan, Kamal Haasan, Nassar, Kiran Rathod, Seema

* Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Under Sundar C's direction, R Madhavan and Kamal Haasan worked together on the slice-of-life drama Anbe Sivam in 2003. In the movie, two completely different personalities—Nallasivam and Anbarasu—unexpectedly cross paths while traveling from Bhubaneswar to Chennai.

Kamal Haasan wrote the script for the movie, which explores subjects including benevolence, communism, and atheism.Despite having a poor box office run, it was widely praised by reviewers and has become something of a cult classic in the last 20 years. Anbe Sivam won Maddy his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award, along with Kannathil Muthamittal and Run.

5. Irudhi Suttru (2016)


* Director: Sudha Kongara

* Star Cast: R Madhavan, Ritika Singh, Mumtaz Sorcar, Nassar, Radha Ravi

* Where to watch: SonyLIV

The next movie on the list is Sudha Kongara's sports drama Irudhi Suttru (2016). The movie tells the story of a boxing coach (Madhavan) who, after being turned down by the Boxing Association, chooses to teach an amateur boxer in order to fulfill his passion.

The movie, Saala Khadoos, was concurrently released in Hindi. Both critics and fans gave Irudhi Suttru favorable reviews. For his role in the movie, Maddy was also awarded the Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Actor.

6. Vikram Vedha (2017)


* Director: Pushkar & Gayathri

* Star Cast: R Madhavan, Vijay Sethupathi, Shraddha Srinath, Prem Kumar, Hareesh Peradi, Vivek Prasanna

* Where to watch: Zee5

Within the past ten years, one of the most well-known Tamil films is the neo-noir gangster action thriller Vikram Vedha. In the title roles of the film, which is based on the folktale of Vikram and Betala, are R. Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi.

Maddy plays an honest police officer named Vikram, whose mission is to find and murder mobster Vedha. But after giving up, Vedha tells Vikram three stories that alter his understanding of right and wrong. The movie explores a morally gray area and argues that morality is merely a matter of viewpoint. In 2022, a Hindi remake of Vikram Vedha was released, starring Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan in the lead parts.

7. Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)


* Director: R. Madhavan

* Star Cast: R Madhavan, Simran, Ravi Raghavendra, Karthik Kumar

* Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, a biographical drama film based on the life of aeronautical scientist Nambi Narayanan, marked R. Madhavan's directorial debut in 2022. The movie chronicles Nambi's time at Princeton University, his career as a scientist, and the unfounded espionage accusations made against him.

The public praised R. Madhavan's directing and performance in the film, which won praise from critics and audiences alike. At the 2023 National Film Awards, the movie also took home the Best Feature Film trophy.