Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Birthday: 5 must-watch movies on OTT by director that prove his versatility

On the occasion of Gautham Vasudev Menon’s 52nd birthday, Pinkvilla has curated a list of 5 must-watch films of the director, which you can catch on OTT. Read on!

Written by S Devasankar , Journalist

Published on Feb 25, 2025 | 08:32 PM IST | 5.4K

Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Birthday: 5 must-watch films by the director on OTT (PC: IMDb)

Gautham Vasudev Menon is undoubtedly one of the most multifaceted personalities in South Indian cinema. Not only is he a brilliant director, but he is also an actor, writer, and producer. On February 25th, as Menon celebrates his 52nd birthday, Pinkvilla has curated a list of 5 must-watch films that GVM has directed. Check out the list below!

5 must watch films of Gautham Vasudev Menon

1. Minnale

Cast: R. Madhavan, Reema Sen, Abbas, Nagesh, Vivek
Where to watch: ManoramaMAX

Gautham Vasudev Menon could not have asked for a better debut film than the R. Madhavan, Reema Sen starrer romantic drama Minnale. The film tells a beautiful love story surrounding the protagonist Rajesh, who falls in love with Reena, whom he sees on a rainy night due to a lightning bolt. The film quickly turns into a love triangle, including Rajesh, Reena, and Rajesh’s nemesis from college, Rajiv Samuel. Minnale is often considered to be one of the best romantic films to come out in the 2000s.

2. Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Jyothika, Lev Gorn, Kamalinee Mukherjee, Daniel Balaji, Prakash Raj
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu is the second police film in Gautham Vasudev Menon’s filmography after the 2003 film Kaakha Kaakha. The film revolves around protagonist Raghavan, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, who is called in by a friend from the forces to help investigate the murder of his daughter. The investigation soon leads Raghavan to the United States, where a romantic angle also emerges. The film is an action thriller that is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

3. Vaaranam Aayiram

Cast: Suriya, Simran, Sameera Reddy, Divya Spandana, Deepa Narendran
Where to watch: Sun NXT

Vaaranam Aayiram is undoubtedly the most popular film in Gautham Vasudev Menon’s filmography. The film is a semi-autobiographical father-son story, where a son, an army Major, reminisces about his father after getting to know of his passing. The film delves into romance, politics, and more, as well as how the father supports his son through all the issues. Apart from the film itself, the film’s soundtracks, composed by Harris Jayaraj, became extremely popular and has gained a cult status over time. GVM has also revealed that Vaaranam Aayiram is an ode to his own father.

4. Yennai Arindhaal

Cast: Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan, Arun Vijay, Anushka Shetty, Vivek, Anikha Surendran
Where to watch: JioHotstar

Yennai Arindhaal is often considered one of Ajith Kumar’s top performances. The film revolves around IPS Satyadev, attempting to bring down a mafia engaged in stealing organs. He had initially quit the police force due to personal issues but was later brought back in to bring down the organ mafia. The film, similar to other GVM films, also has a romantic angle, which has been showcased in a rather beautiful manner. The film has gone on to receive cult status from audiences worldwide.

5. Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu: Part 1 - The Kindling

Cast: Silambarasan TR, Siddhi Idani, Radhika Sarathkumar, Neeraj Madhav
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu is a neo-noir crime drama starring Silambarasan. The film follows Simbu’s character Muthu’s struggle to make money for his family and how he gets entangled in Mumbai’s crime world. He soon becomes involved in the crime world and even becomes the right-hand man of a don. How Muthu navigates his way through this world of crime, deceit, and revenge forms the crux of the story.