Before 2005, heroes were either action stars or village bumpkins. Then came Ghajini (2005) by A.R. Murugadoss. Surya transformed his body into a Greek god, suffered from anterograde amnesia, and killed villains with a scientific precision that was new to Tamil screens. Ghajini was violent, stylish, and tragic. It wasn't just a film; it was a template for the next decade of action cinema (later borrowed by Bollywood and Hollywood).