Happy Birthday Atlee! From Bigil To Jawan, Let Us Take A Look At The Director’s Back To Back Box Office Superhits!

Arun Kumar (born September 21, 1986), popularly known as Atlee, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work in Tamil films. He directed the films ‘Theri’ (2016), ‘Mersal’ (2017), and ‘Bigil’ (2019), all of which starred Vijay and were economically and critically successful. He later directed the Hindi-language ‘Jawan’ (2023), which starred Shah Rukh Khan and became his highest-grossing film.

At the age of 19, Atlee began his career as an assistant director for filmmaker S. Shankar's films ‘Enthiran’ (2010) and ‘Nanban’ (2012), an adaptation of the Hindi blockbuster ‘3 Idiots’. ‘Mugaputhagam’ (2011), his short film, earned a massive response from the audience and across all media channels. ‘Raja Rani’, a romantic comedy produced by A. R. Murugadoss, Fox Star Studios, and Next Big Films, was Atlee's directorial debut in 2013. Arya, Jai, Nayanthara, Nazriya Nazim, and Sathyaraj appeared in it. It grossed over 50 crores at the movie office and earned him the Vijay Award for Best Debut Director and the Tamil Nadu State award for best dialogue writer. (Also Read:)

Atlee then went on to produce blockbusters one after the other, so let’s take a look at them in detail:

1. Theri

'Theri' was Atlee's second directorial effort and his first collaboration with Vijay. Vijay, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Amy Jackson appear in the film. Atlee created the emotional action thriller flick in 2014. Vijay joined the film after being impressed by the success of ‘Raja Rani’. The story centers on Joseph Kuruvilla, a nonviolent man who lives with his 5-year-old daughter. He does, however, have a horrible past that resulted in the deaths of his wife and mother. He adopts a new identity in order to fulfil the dying wife's wish. His history, however, catches up with him, putting his daughter's life in peril. He reverts to his former self, DCP Vijay Kumar, in order to exact revenge on his wife and mother's deaths.

‘Their’ was released on April 14, 2016 to excellent reviews from critics and audiences alike. The film earned Rs 150 crore (US$19 million) on a budget of Rs 75 crore (US$9.4 million), making it the second highest-grossing Tamil film of 2016.

2. Mersal

With 'Mersal,' Atlee attempted an action thriller for his third directorial effort. Following the success of 'Theri,' Atlee and Vijay teamed up for their second collaboration. Vijay plays three characters in the film, along with S. J. Suryah, and Sathyaraj, Vadivelu, Nithya Menen, Kajal Aggarwal, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Hareesh Peradi, Kovai Sarala, and Sathyan play key supporting parts.

The plot centres around two brothers who were separated at birth; one is a magician seeking vengeance for his parents' deaths and medical malpractice, and the other is a renowned doctor who charges pitiful fees from his patients. 'Mersal,' like his first two films, has a past-present narrative aspect. Vetri and Maaran revisit their history in order to make sense of their present and their life's purpose.

The film debuted in over 3,300 theatres globally, a record for a Tamil film. The film was also a box office success in several countries other than India. The film made Rs 31.3 crore on its first day of release in India and Rs 47.1 crore internationally.

3. Bigil

Atlee chose a sports drama/gangster drama for his third collaboration with Vijay and fourth directorial. ‘Bigil’, like ‘Mersal’, finds Vijay playing two characters. It follows Michael Rayyapan, alias Bigil, a footballer-turned-gangster who decides to coach a women's football team after their coach is assassinated. His crew, however, faces numerous problems as his mafia days catch up with him. The character's past, as in Atlee's earlier films, plays a crucial role in defining his present and future. This film focuses on women in sports and how they triumph despite all odds.

Critics gave the film mixed to excellent reviews, with acclaim for Vijay's performance, social message, and direction, but criticism for formulaic screenwriting and excessive length. The film grossed Rs 58 crore (US$7.3 million) on its first day of release, becoming the highest-opening day grosser of 2019, surpassing ‘Petta’, which earned Rs 36.6 crore (US$4.6 million) on the first day.

4. Jawan

At the moment, all eyes are on Atlee's film ‘Jawan.’ It was his first collaboration with superstar Shah Rukh Khan, as well as his Hindi debut. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role as both the father, Vikram Rathore, and the son, Azad. The film is anti-establishment and calls into question the operation of a system that is unfair to the average man.

Khan, like Atlee’s previous films, is seen in several avatars in the film. The film also features a terrible history that inspires the protagonist to choose the path of righteousness, a topic that Atlee has addressed in earlier films. In ‘Jawan’, Atlee also reunites with Nayanthara. They had previously collaborated on ‘Raja Rani’ and ‘Bigil’. Priyamani and Sanya Malhotra also play important roles in the film. Deepika makes a brief appearance as Azad's mother and Vikram Rathore's brave wife.

Since its release on September 7, Shah Rukh Khan's 'Jawan' has broken box office records. The film has so far made over Rs 518 crore at the domestic box office and is still performing well in theatres. The film grossed over Rs 900 crore in the global market. It is now aiming for a Rs 1000 crore valuation.