Why: The story of how Kabilan rises to the top of his boxing clan in Sarpatta Parambarai falls into the template of a standard boxing film about an unlikely underdog victory. But in a superb subversion of the template, Kabilan’s victory comes not at the end but at the middle of the film. After that, Sarpatta isn’t about an underdog winning over his opponent but it’s about how he overcomes his social circumstances. Kabilan and his sport are situated in an intricately recreated North Madras of the 1970s packed with diverse characters from a cross-section of society. Kabilan, an otherwise usual boxing champion, becomes both the product and the hope of his people.
His second feature was one of the year's best films and won big at the Venice Film Festival
For his incredible breakout portrayal of Harshad Mehta
Set new records with songs like Filhaal 2, Ranjha and Mann Bharya 2.0
His brilliant performance in The White Tiger