Master

Storyline

Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the 2021 multi-starrer action blockbuster Master served as the savior of Indian cinema exhibition following pandemic lockdowns, grossing over ₹300 crore worldwide and uniting two of Tamil cinema's biggest superstars: Thalapathy Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi. Vijay stars as John Durairaj ('JD'), an alcoholic, beloved college professor and student union dean whose nonchalant charm and addiction mask deep psychological burnout. When campus election violence lands him in administrative trouble, JD accepts a three-month teaching assignment at a juvenile correctional facility in Nagercoil. There, he discovers the horrifying reality: ruthless gangster Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi in a delightfully wicked, scene-stealing performance) uses juvenile inmates as scapegoats to take the fall for his illicit trucking, extortion, and slaughterhouse operations. When two innocent boys are murdered by Bhavani's henchmen for trying to contact him, JD quits alcohol, vows redemption, and wages an all-out war to emancipate the youth. Featuring Anirudh Ravichander's viral chartbusters (including 'Vaathi Coming') and an epic hand-to-hand climax, Master was a seismic box-office spectacle.