India, May 16 -- It wasn't so long ago that the 100-crore club was established in Indian cinema as a benchmark of box office success. But pretty soon, as ticket prices soared and Indian films found markets outside their core base, the Rs.100-crore mark became too low, and Rs.200 crore began to be seen as the minimum requirement for success. In the last decade, as most films try to breach that mark, there has been only one actor who has done that, film after film, without fail. And yet, despite this unbroken, unconquered streak, he is set to bid adieu to films.

Tamil superstar Vijay, known to his fans as Thalapathy (commander), has been a force at the box office for almost 20 years now. But over the last 10 odd years, he has consistently ...