Thamizhan (English: Tamilian) is a 2002 Tamil film directed by Majeed and produced by G. Venkateswaran. The film stars Vijay in the lead role with Priyanka Chopra, the winner of the beauty pageant Miss World 2000, making her debut as a lead actress.Revathi, Nassar, Ashish Vidyarthi and Vivek also play pivotal roles in the film, while the film's score and soundtrack were composed by D. Imman. The film's release coincided with Tamil New Year of 2002 to above average reviews.

Surya (Vijay) is a lawyer with right values, who tries to redress things the legal way. He falls in love with Priya (Chopra). His brother-in-law Shakthivel (Nassar), also an upright lawyer, is killed in the process of upholding justice. Surya's sister (Revathy) also meets a pitiful end at the hands of criminals. But Surya refuses to give up. His mission is to make the layman understand his legal rights and how he does so forms the crux of the story.

In 2001, producer G. Venkateswaran signed on Thirupathisamy to direct Vijay in an action film titled Velan. The film, a remake of the director's Telugu film Azad, saw Priyanka Chopra, winner of the beauty pageant Miss World 2000, being roped in by Venkateswaren to make her debut and play the lead female role. However before production began, Thirupathisamy died in an accident and Venkateswaren duly decided to give debutant Majid a chance to direct a film with the same cast.

Priyanka Chopra (pronounced [prɪˈjəŋkaː ˈtʃoːpɽaː]; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress, singer-songwriter and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film Bluffmaster! During her career, Chopra has received four Filmfare Awards, among seven nominations and one National Film Award for Best Actress.

Chopra made her acting debut with the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan. The following year, she made her Bollywood film debut with The Hero: Love Story of a Spy and followed it with the hit Andaaz, for which she won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. In 2004, she became the second woman to win the Filmfare Best Villain Award, which she received for her critically acclaimed performance in Aitraaz. She subsequently appeared in successful films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005), Krrish (2006) and Don (2006).

Viluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manrayar, commonly known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan (1 October 1927 – 21 July 2001), was an Indian stage and film actor active during the latter half of the 20th century and was one of the most respected film actors in India. He was well known for his versatility and acting skills with numerous roles depicted on screen. He progressed from a stage actor since his childhood to the filmdom with such an authority that the Tamil cinema considered as the golden era. In a career spanning close to five decades he has acted in nearly 300 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.

Ganesan was the first Indian film actor to win a "Best Actor" award in an International film festival, the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Cairo, Egypt in 1960. Many leading South Indian film actors have stated that their acting was influenced by Ganesan. He was also the first Indian actor to be made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Ganesan is remembered as the iconic figure of Tamil cinema. He is referred to as "The Marlon Brando of Indian Cinema". From Parasakthi onwards, he has won the President's Award for more than 12 times. During end of his career, Ganesan was conferred the highest and the most prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema in 1997. In spite of his celebrated film career, his short stint in politics became a futile attempt.

Ramaswamy Ganesan (November 17, 1920 - March 22, 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian film actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was nicknamed "Kadhal Mannan" (King of Romance) for the romantic roles he played in films. Ganesan was one among the "three biggest names of Tamil cinema", the other two being M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. While Sivaji Ganesan excelled in films with drama, and MGR dominated films with fight sequences, Gemini Ganesan held his own with sensitive portrayals of the yearning lover. A recipient of the Padmashree in 1971, he had also won several other prestigious awards such as the "Kalaimamani", "MGR Gold Medal" and "Screen Lifetime Achievement Award". He came from an orthodox Brahmin family, and was one of the few graduates to enter the film industry at that time.

Gemini Ganesan made his debut with Miss Malini in 1947, but was noticed only after his villainous performance in Thai Ullam in 1953. After playing the lead role in Manam Pola Mangalyam (1954), he finally acquired star status. However unlike Sivaji Ganesan or MGR, Gemini Ganesan was not originally a stage performer, and was never involved in politics. Also, he had not won any National Award for his performances in films. In his long film career spanning over five decades, Ganesan acted in more than 200 films mainly in Tamil, and a few in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. His performances on the screen were enhanced by successful playback singers like A. M. Rajah and P. B. Sreenivas. In spite of his celebrated film career, Ganesan's personal life - particularly his marriage to multiple women over the years, has often been a subject of criticism.