Karthi is a Tamil superstar with a slight edge to him as instead of sticking to formulaic action hero tropes, the Ponniyian Selvan and Kaithi actor evokes a charismatic energy that is unique only to him. If you were wondering where to start with Karthi’s filmography, we’ve got you covered with the best Karthi movies along with a handy guide to stream them.
From Paruthiveeran to Madras: How to get started with Kaithi’s movies?
Before he became a three-time Filmfare Award winner, Karthi was born in a family of film professionals. Not only is his father veteran actor Sivakumar but his older brother is Suriya, the Tamil megastar behind hits like Singham and Jai Bheem.
Karthi made a stellar acting debut as the titular character in the 2007 social drama Paruthiveeran. Karthi and Priyamani shone in their performances as two lovers who defy caste boundaries and societal norms in a village near Madurai. Karthi earned his first Filmfare for Best Actor and never looked back from acting.
To witness a more commercial side of Karthi, you can always watch his popular titles like the action-romance Paiyaa (starring opposite Tamannah Bhatia), and Siruthai (a remake of SS Rajamouli’s Telugu actioner Vikramarkudu).
Some of his action films that have subverted the massy action formula in favour of more passionate personal arcs and social themes include Naan Mahaan Alla and Madras. The former found Karthi playing an unemployed slacker who picks up arms to protect his father from a ruthless gang. As for Madras, Pa. Ranjith’s acclaimed political action drama starred him and Kalaiyarasan as two rival political party workers who go against each other’s throats to lay a claim over a wall.
Another great example of his introspective brand of action hero is Theeran Adhigaram Ondru, a cop drama that found Karthi playing a hard nosed man of the law waging a crusade against a band of dacoits along a highway. However, instead of serving as a familiar good-vs-evil drama, Karthi’s career-defining performance explores the morally gray lines between justice and vigilantism.
Occasionally, Karthi can venture into comical territory such as the tearjerker slice-of-life drama Oopiri in which he played a caretaker to a reclusive wheelchair-bound rich man (played by Nagarjuna). The Tamil remake of the French cult favourite The Intouchables, Oopiri was a good way for Karthi to break typecast.
Then came more hits like the first film in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe: Kaithi. Playing a recently-released prisoner who must fight again to protect his daughter, Kaithi was a critical and commercial success and paved the way for a shared universe for other action thrillers by director Lokesh Kanagaraj like Vikram and Leo.
Fresh off the success of Kaithi, Karthi went on to reunite with his old mentor Mani Ratnam as one of the leads in Ratnam’s Chola-era two-part epic Ponniyin Selvan. Based on the classic Tamil novel of the same name, both Ponniyin Selvan movies were set in ancient India during the reign of the Chola dynasty. Revolving around a political conspiracy to remove the Cholas from power, the movies found Karthi playing Vanthiyathevan, a local chieftain loyal to the throne.
Why is Madras Karthi’s best movie to watch?
Madras marked a new era for Karthi as critics began taking him more seriously in terms of his creative choices, dialogue delivery, and dramatic range. No longer was he just beating up bad guys. This time around, he was expressing urban angst of a tumultuous period and taking on gritty characters written by socially-relevant filmmakers like Ranjith.
Where can you stream Karthi’s best movies?
You can watch Karthi’s movies on mainstream OTT platforms like Netflix and Prime Video along with South Indian-specific services like Sun NXT, Aha, and Manorama Max.
