The year 2001 was a transformative era for Tamil cinema, witnessing the emergence of legendary monikers like "Thala" for Ajith Kumar and the rise of blockbuster debuts such as A.R. Murugadoss's Dheena . From intense psychological thrillers like Aalavandhan to the commercial success of Friends , this exclusive list highlights the top-grossing films and critical milestones of the year.

: Directed by Bala, this gritty drama was a major turning point for Suriya, earning him critical acclaim and commercial success.

: An experimental psychological thriller starring Kamal Haasan in dual roles, earning roughly ₹22 crore.

2001 saw the first films of directors who would later become giants in the industry. : Debuted with Dheena . Gautham Vasudev Menon : Debuted with Minnale . N. Linguswamy : Debuted with Aanandham .