Time magazine [14]. The year saw a mix of gritty crime dramas, family narratives, and path-breaking technical experiments. Major Highlights and Cult Classics Nayakan : Directed by Mani Ratnam and starring Kamal Haasan , this film is inspired by the life of Bombay don Varadarajan Mudaliar [5, 25]. It is celebrated for its technical expertise and path-breaking execution [5, 16]. Vedham Pudhithu : Directed by Bharathiraja, this film starred Sathyaraj and Amala and tackled themes of caste and religion through a powerful narrative [24]. Velaikkaran : A major commercial success starring Rajinikanth , it solidified his box-office dominance during the late 80s [3]. Poovizhi Vasalile : A thriller directed by Fazil, starring Sathyaraj and Baby Sujitha, which became a significant hit for its unique storytelling. Wikipedia Show more Notable Releases by Genre Genre Film Key Cast/Crew Crime Drama Nayakan Kamal Haasan, Saranya Drama/Social Vedham Pudhithu Sathyaraj, Amala Action/Commercial Manithan Rajinikanth, Rubini Comedy Drama Rettai Vaal Kuruvi Mohan, Raadhika, Archana Thriller Poovizhi Vasalile Sathyaraj, Karthika Romance Paruva Ragam V. Ravichandran, Juhi Chawla Complete 1987 Movie List (Alphabetical Selections) The Wikipedia list of Tamil films of 1987 includes over 100 releases. Notable titles include: A-I
| Film | Lead Actor | Director | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | M. G. Ramachandran | K. Shankar | MGR’s last release. Propaganda for his AIADMK party. | | Therkathi Kallan | Sivaji Ganesan | Muktha Srinivasan | Sivaji as a noble thief. Last major hit for the veteran in the 80s. | | Veerapandiyan | Sivaji Ganesan | S. S. Ravichandran | Historical drama; Sivaji’s 250th film. | 1987 tamil movies list