Vijay
A poster from Vijay's "Kaththi".IB Times India

The year 2014 has been a great one for some of the big stars of Tamil cinema with their films having performed well at the box office. Tamil film lovers also got to enjoy different genres of films and the most-preferred was the horror comedy entertainer. Several small-budget films, with less-known stars were also critically-acclaimed and also commercially successful.

Check out the list of top grossing Tamil films of 2014:

Kaththi

Vijay-starrer "Kaththi" is one of the highest grossing Tamil films of the year. The film surpassed the ₹100 crore mark in 12 days and its total collections amount to over ₹124 crore. Its distribution share stands at ₹68 crore and it has easily recovered the worldwide theatrical estimated price, which amounts to around ₹62 crore, according to Andhraboxoffice.

"Kaththi" took fantastic openings during Diwali festival period and continued its good run at the worldwide box office, thanks to positive reviews and Vijay's star power. The action drama flick is the second Vijay-starrer to surpass the ₹100 crore mark after "Thuppakki."

"Kaththi" also created history in the US where the film minted over $600K and emerged as the only non-Rajinikanth and non-Kamal Haasan film to achieve the feat.

Lingaa

Superstar Rajinikanth's "Lingaa" has emerged as the highest grossing South Indian film (including the dubbed versions) of 2014 at the worldwide box office. The film has minted over ₹148 crore in just 17 days and has surpassed "Kaththi" (Tamil alone) worldwide collections. However, the Rajini-starrer has not yet surpassed "Kaththi" collections in Tamil Nadu.

Although "Lingaa" is the highest grossing South Indian film, it is not yet a profitable venture as its worldwide theatricals is estimated at a higher price.

The action drama film is managing to hold on to screens despite new releases. It needs to be seen if the film will be able to pick its business during the New Year weekend.

Velai Illa Pattathari

Dhanush's "Velai Illa Pattathari" ("VIP") is reportedly the biggest hit in the actor's career. The film minted more than ₹50 crore and emerged as one of highest grossing Tamil films of 2014. The success of "VIP" gave some relief for the national award-winning actor whose previous two releases "Mariyaan" and "Naiyaandi" failed to set the cash registers ringing.

Armed with good reviews, "VIP" fared well not just in India, but also in overseas markets.

Veeram

Ajith's "Veeram" fared well despite facing huge clash with Vijay's "Jilla."  "Veeram" showcased Ajith in a mass avatar and the actor carried off his role to perfection. His rural avatar is the major highlight of the mass masala entertainer.

The Ajith-starrer received good feedback from the critics and the audience alike. It performed well in India as well as overseas markets. According to Forbes India, "Veeram" is estimated to have earned about ₹130 crore.

Other films that fared well at the box office include Sivakarthikeyan's "Maan Karate," Vijay Milton's "Golisoda," Kreshna's "Yaamirukka Bayamey," Vemal's "Manjapai," Vishnu Vishal's "Mundasupatti" and Hansika's "Aranmanai."

A few films that were critically-acclaimed are Siddharth's "Jigarthanda" and "Kaaviya Thalaivan," Karthi's "Madras," Natraj's "Sathuranga Vettai" and Vishnu Vishal's "Jeeva."