Directed by A.R. Murugadoss · Music by G.V. Prakash Kumar · November 2012 (Diwali)
Army action blockbuster. Murugadoss-Vijay first super hit. Vidyut Jammwal as villain.
This was Vijay's film 54 of 69 as a lead actor — counted from his debut Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) — released in 2012 during the 2010s.
Soundtrack composed by G.V. Prakash Kumar
A. R. Murugadoss's sleeper-cell thriller redefined the Tamil action template — the 'I'm waiting' confrontation scene became iconic.
One of the earliest South Indian films to enter the ₹100-crore club and a major Diwali record-breaker (site records).
Later remade in Hindi as Holiday starring Akshay Kumar.
Thuppakki (2012) stands among the commercial high points of Vijay's 69-film journey as a lead actor — a film that resonated deeply with audiences and reinforced his stature as one of Tamil cinema's most bankable stars of the 2010s. Every blockbuster in this filmography was another step on the road that ultimately led from cinema halls to the Chief Minister's chair.