Thirumalai (2003)

Thirumalai is a cheerful two-wheeler mechanic in Chennai who lives among friends and spends his days fixing bikes and joking around. When he falls for a girl from a wealthy family, her father objects, but the bigger problem is a ruthless local don whose path Thirumalai crosses, turning a love story into a deadly confrontation. Directed by Ramana, the film gave Vijay a tougher, more rugged action image after years of romantic roles and is often seen as the start of his phase as a mass hero, the image that came to define his later career. Vidyasagar's songs were very popular.