Best Actor of 2023 POLL: From Thalapathy Vijay, Rajinikanth to Prabhas; who won you over with his performance?
Pinkvilla is back again with yet another exciting poll and readers get to choose which South actor of 2023 deserves to be titled the Best for this year’s performances. Cast your votes now!

Pinkvilla is once again presenting a poll for our readers as we prepare to welcome the upcoming year in just a few days. You have the opportunity to select your favorites and help them emerge victorious.
Reflecting on the year 2023, we witnessed a wide range of lead actors in South cinema leaving a strong impression with their exceptional performances and powerful characters. Therefore, we present to you a compilation of the finest actors in South cinema, allowing you to decide who is worthy of being crowned the Best Actor of 2023.
Top actors of 2023 in South Cinema
1. Thalapathy Vijay for Leo
Thalapathy Vijay starred in one of the most anticipated films of this year called Leo. The film co-written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj featured the story of Parthiban, who runs a café and is an animal rescuer in Theog, Himachal Pradesh. The protagonist is pursued by gangsters known as Antony Das and Harold Das who suspect him to be Antony's estranged son, Leo.
The film further develops into a complete action thriller where Parthiban tries to prove he isn’t Leo and strives to protect his family from getting harmed. The film features an ensemble cast of actors like Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Trisha, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Madonna Sebastian, George Maryan, Priya Anand, Mathew Thomas, and many more in key roles. Though the film was met with mixed-to-positive responses from the audience, it turned out to be the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year with Thalapathy Vijay being highly praised for his acting performance. The film’s music was a big highlight with Anirudh Ravichander composing it.
2. Mammootty for Kannur Squad and Kaathal - The Core
Mollywood’s own Megastar Mammootty was spotted in two amazing roles this year. The first movie is Kannur Squad, directed by Roby Varghese Raj in his directorial debut, featuring the real story of a team of police officers who were part of a crime investigation unit called Kannur Squad, formed by former Kannur SP S Sreejith IPS.
The crime thriller film featured two separate incidents that took place two years apart from one another. The first account of the incident essentially builds up the characters in the film while the second one delves more deeply into the investigation angle of the film. The film featured an ensemble cast of actors like Rony David Raj, Azees Nedumangad, Shabareesh Varma, Kishore, Vijayaraghavan, and many more with Sushin Shyam composing the music. The movie received a warm reception from both critics and audiences in the current year.
Mammootty also appeared in another path-breaking movie this year called Kaathal - The Core, directed by Jeo Baby and written by Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Skaria. The film featured Jyothika in the lead female role with the story exploring the themes of homosexuality in India and how contemporary society treats LGBT individuals. The film was also well-received by critics and audiences.
3. Sivakarthikeyan for Maaveeran
Maaveeran was a superhero film directed by Madonne Ashwin with Sivakarthikeyan in the lead role and had an ensemble cast of actors like Aditi Shankar, Saritha, Mysskin, Monisha Blessy, Yogi Babu, Sunil, and many more in key roles. Sathya, a soft-spoken struggling cartoonist, was the central character in the film. He had a tendency to avoid any kind of problematic situation and instead focused on adapting and adjusting to his circumstances.
However, the situation takes a dramatic turn when an unexpected incident takes place, granting Sathya the ability to hear a voice narrating his life events right before they occur. This newfound power plunges him into a whirlwind of chaos and heroism. The movie's musical score, crafted by Bharath Sankar, received acclaim from critics and contributed to its commercial triumph.
4. Rakshit Shetty for Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side - A and Side - B
Rakshit Shetty has been an icon of acting and has delivered exemplary performances in Kannada cinema for years now. Just like his films Kirik Party, Avane Srimannarayana, 777 Charlie, and more being unique from one another, this time also the actor was featured in a touching and emotional love story called Sapta Sagaradaache Ello.
The film which was released as a two-part series focused on the story of Manu and Priya who are made to part ways due to certain circumstances even though having an ever-lasting love for one another. The film directed by Hemanth M Rao also featured actors like Rukmini Vasanth, Chaitra J Achar, Achyuth Kumar, and many more in key roles. The film’s music is composed by Charan Raj. The movie was both a theatrical and critical hit.
5. Ajith Kumar for Thunivu
Ajith Kumar came back to the big screens in the early days of 2023 with his action-heist film Thunivu, written and directed by H Vinoth. The film also had an ensemble of actors like Manju Warrier, Samuthirakani, John Kokken, Ajay, Veera, and many more in supporting roles, marking Ajith Kumar’s 3rd collaboration with the director after Nerkonda Paarvai and Valimai.
The film’s events take place within a day where Ajith Kumar plays a dreaded gangster called Dark Devil who tries to rob a bank for Rs 5000 crores, also indicating a hidden plan within. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a theatrical hit, with music composed by Ghibran.
6. Vishal for Mark Antony
Vishal featured in a science fiction action comedy film called Mark Antony directed by Adhik Ravichandran with both him and SJ Suryah playing dual roles in the film. The film features a time-traveling telephone which is used by a dead gangster’s son to talk to his father in the past so that he could save his life.
Along with Vishal and SJ Suryah, the film featured an ensemble cast of actors like Ritu Varma, Sunil, Selvaraghavan, Abhinaya, and many more in crucial roles. The film had music composed by GV Prakash Kumar with positive reviews for the film and became a massive hit, marking Vishal’s highest-grossing flick ever.
7. Mohanlal for Neru
Neru, the latest courtroom drama film directed by Drishyam fame Jeethu Joseph features a massive acting performance by Mohanlal in the leading role. The film was written by Jeethu Joseph along with Santhi Mayadevi. It features an ensemble cast of actors like Priyamani, Anaswara Rajan, Siddique, Sankar Induchoodan, Santhi, Jagadish, and more in the supporting roles. The film’s music is composed by Vishnu Shyam with high critical praise and audience appeal.
Many have touted the film as a comeback for Mohanlal who has been in a creative slump with some of his previous films being major failures in both critical and theatrical sense.
8. Nani for Hi Nanna and Dasara
Nani, the natural star of Telugu cinema, appeared in two highly successful films this year, each with contrasting themes. One of these films, Dasara, was released earlier this year and showcased Nani in a rural setting, where he finds himself entangled in a chaotic situation after crossing paths with the wrong individuals. Directed by Srikanth N Odela, Dasara marked his directorial debut and also starred Keerthy Suresh and Dheekshith Shetty in significant roles. The film's music was composed by Santhosh Narayanan.
Later towards the end of the year, Nani came back with the film Hi Nanna starring Mrunal Thakur alongside him. The film also directed by a debutant, Shouryuv, featured the loving story of a father and his daughter, where he is reluctant to talk to her about her mother until a new person comes into their lives. The film features an ensemble cast of actors like Kiara Khanna, Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Angad Bedi, and Viraj Ashwin in supporting roles, with Hesham Abdul Wahab composing the tracks. Additionally, Shruti Haasan played a cameo role in the film and also sang a duet song with Dhruv Vikram crooning along with her.
9. Rajinikanth for Jailer
Jailer, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar featured Superstar Rajinikanth in the leading role along with an ensemble cast of actors like Vinayakan, Ramya Krishnan, Vasanth Ravi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sunil, Mirnaa Menon, Yogi Babu, and more in crucial roles. The film also had Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, and Jackie Shroff in cameo roles.
Rajinikanth portrayed the role of a former prison warden in the movie, takes on a quest for vengeance against a peculiar criminal involved in the illegal trade of ancient artifacts. This film emerged as one of the most commercially successful productions in the Tamil film industry during the current year. Moreover, it garnered positive reviews from critics, with the musical compositions and background scores expertly crafted by Anirudh Ravichander.
10. Siddharth for Chithha
In 2023, Siddharth delivered a remarkable performance in the drama thriller movie Chithha, showcasing his talent like never before. Directed by SU Arun Kumar, known for his previous work in Pannaiyarum Padminiyum, the film boasted an impressive ensemble cast including Baby Sahasra Shree, Baby S Aafiyah Tasneem, Nimisha Sajayan, Anjali Nair, and several other talented actors in pivotal roles.
The movie's musical compositions were crafted by Dhibu Ninan Thomas and Santhosh Narayanan, while Vishal Chandrashekhar's background score proved to be a resounding success both in theaters and among critics.
11. Prabhas for Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire starring Prabhas in the lead role and directed by KGF director Prashanth Neel featured an ensemble cast of actors like Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu, Bobby Simha, Tinnu Anand, Easwari Rao, Sriya Reddy, Ramachandra Raju, and many more in key roles.
Deva and his closest companion, Vardharaja Mannar, the prince of Khansaar, are at the center of the narrative in this film, which takes place in the fictional dystopian city-state of Khansaar. When a coup d'état is plotted against Vardharaja by his father's ministers and relatives, he turns to Deva for assistance in securing his rightful place as the next king. Ravi Basrur is the composer of the film's music, and it has garnered a combination of positive and mixed reviews while enjoying a successful theatrical run.
12. Raghava Lawrence for Jigarthanda DoubleX
Raghava Lawrence and SJ Suryah featured in both the prequel and spiritual sequel to Karthik Subbaraj's 2014 movie Jigarthanda, titled Jigarthanda DoubleX. Taking place in the 1970s, the film narrated the tale of a feared gangster residing in Madurai, who aspires to become a leading actor. Coincidentally, a wannabe policeman discovers this desire and cleverly disguises himself as a film director to seize the opportunity and eliminate the gangster.
The movie was created in the genre of Western films, paying tribute to the film industry and filmmakers worldwide. The film, written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj, features musical composition by Santhosh Narayanan. It was a commercial success and received critical acclaim, with many considering it to be better than the original.
Cast your votes here:
Cast your votes for the most outstanding acting performance of the year from South Cinema, determining the recipient of the Best Actor title for 2023. Stay tuned for the announcement of the results.