Who was the Tamil actor of 2004? No, it was not somebody from the young brigade but a 50-year-old veteran called Kamal Haasan. And the man who has acted in the maximum number of films as hero is the other 50-something actor, Sathyaraj!

It was a spectacular year for Kamal after a long drought. His earlier productions like "Aalavandan" and "Anbe Sivam" had failed miserably. His dream project "Marudanayakkam" was stalled after a few months of shooting.

But Kamal is a fighter. And in 2004, the passionate filmmaker made "Virumaandi". He produced the film with his brother Charu Haasan. He directed, scripted and also acted in the lead role.

"Virumaandi", a violent film spreading the message of non-violence, won critical and commercial appreciation.

He also had another hit in 2004, "Vasool Raja M.B.B.S.", a remake of the Hindi blockbuster "Munnabhai M.B.B.S." Those who had seen the original were disappointed, but it was made for the Tamil public and they loved the comedy. Once again, it was Kamal's show all the way.

Vijay, with the biggest hit of 2004, "Gilli", takes the next spot. "Gilli", a fast-paced entertainer, had Vijay dancing, romancing, fighting and what not and the audience just lapped it up.

'Jeyam' Ravi had only one release, his second film "M. Kumaran s/o Mahalakshmy". Though not as big a hit as "Jeyam", "M. Kumaraan" also had the cash registers ringing. Needless to say 'Jeyam' Ravi will soon be a big force in Tamil cinema because, unlike Dhanush, he signs only safe projects.

A film like "Manmadan" is enough to catapult Silambarasan to the top mainly because the film has done well at the box office. The young actor has written the script, which is fast-paced and taut. As for his acting capabilities, he has shed a lot of his mannerisms.

With the success of "Kathal" released at the fag end of 2004, Bharath shed the "Boys" image. People will no longer describe him as Bharath of "Boys" fame. He had a huge hit in Malayalam called "4 the People". The Tamil version also did reasonably well followed by "Chellamey" that completed 100 days.

Bharath was excellent as a possessive teenage lover in "Chellamey". He was equally good as a simple motor mechanic in "Kathal". Great days are ahead for Bharath.