Vijay’s second major release of the year, Bagavathi saw the star in a dual role (though primarily focusing on a ruffian turning good for his sister). The mass dialogues and A. R. Rahman’s energetic soundtrack made it a festival hit for Deepavali.
Directed by Vincent Selva, Youth was the Diwali winner that year. Riding high on Vijay’s "Ilayathalapathy" craze, the film featured chartbuster music by Mani Sharma. The story of a happy-go-lucky engineering student navigating love and friendship clicked massively with the urban audience.
One of the defining "vigilante" films of the era. Directed by A. R. Murugadoss (before Ghajini ), Ramanaa tackled corruption in the education system. It was a critical and commercial success for "Captain" Vijayakanth, sparking a trend of social justice films.
Did your favorite film make the list? Re-watch these classics on streaming platforms like Sun NXT, Prime Video, or YouTube to relive the magic of 2002.