Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974),
known as Vijay, is an Indian actor, dancer and singer who works predominantly in
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywo ...
.
He is among the highest paid actors in India.
He has played the lead in
66 films and the
International Business Times framed him as a "consistent performer".
Referred to by the fans and media as "Thalapathy", he has a significant fan following internationally.
He has
won several awards, including the
International Achievement Recognition Award and the
South Indian International Movie Award.
Early life and family
Vijay was born in Madras (now
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
),
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
. His father
S. A. Chandrasekhar is a film director and his mother
Shoba Chandrasekhar
Shoba Chandrasekhar (born 24 August 1948) is an Indian playback singer, director, writer and film producer. She is the mother of actor Vijay.
Personal life
She married S. A. Chandrasekhar, who is an Indian film director, producer and writer. ...
is a playback singer and carnatic vocalist. His father is of Christian descent and his mother is Hindu.
Vijay was
baptised
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
at the of age of 12.
Vijay had a sister, Vidhya, who died when she was two years old.
Initially attending Fathima Matriculation Higher Secondary School at
Kodambakkam, Vijay later joined the Balalok Matriculation Higher Secondary School at
Virugambakkam
Virugambakkam is a residential neighbourhood of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is an important residential area of and is famous for its schools, market, residential colonies and residences of film artists. Virugambakkam had some of Chennai's o ...
and went on to pursue a degree in Visual Communications from
Loyola College. While studying, at the age of 18, he asked his father if "he would launch him".
Film career
1984–2003: Child actor and transition into lead roles
![Childvj](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Childvj.jpg)
At the age of 10, Vijay started his film career as a child actor in ''
Vetri'' (1984), making his first paycheck of 500 rupees paid for by actor-and-producer
P. S. Veerappa. He then performed as a child actor in films such as ''
Kudumbam'' (1984), ''
Vasantha Raagam
''Vasantha Raagam'' () is a 1986 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film, directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar and produced by his wife Shoba who wrote the story. The film stars Vijayakanth, Rahman and Sudha Chandran. It was released on 1 August ...
'' (1986), ''
Sattam Oru Vilayaattu
''Sattam Oru Vilaiyattu'' () is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language vigilante action film, directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar and produced by Shoba Chandrasekhar. The film stars Vijayakanth, Radha and Ravichandran. It revolves around a man seeking to av ...
'' (1987) and ''
Ithu Engal Neethi'' (1988). He also performed in
''Naan Sigappu Manithan'' (1985) as a co-star to
Rajinikanth, who was the lead actor.
Vijay started to play lead roles at the age of 18 starting with ''
Naalaiya Theerpu
''Naalaiya Theerpu'' () is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar and produced by his wife Shoba Chandrasekhar which marked the debut of their son Vijay as a leading actor. The film which also starred Keert ...
'' (1992).
["Style of his own"](_blank)
Vijay then appeared in the films ''
Sendhoorapandi
''Sendhoorapandi'' is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language romantic action film directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar. The film stars Vijayakanth, Vijay, Gautami and Yuvarani. It revolves around Vijay (Vijay) who falls in love with Meena. But Meena's brother ...
'', ''
Rasigan
''Rasigan'' () () is a 1994 Indian Tamil-language romantic action film written and directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar. The film stars his son Vijay and Sanghavi. The film revolves around Vijay and Anitha secretly love each other but are unable ...
'', ''
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Deva'' (1989 film), a 1989 Kannada film
* ''Deva'' (1995 film), a 1995 Tamil film
* ''Deva'' (2002 film), a 2002 Bengali film
* Deva (2007 Telugu film)
* ''Deva'' (2017 film), a 2017 Marathi film
* Deva ...
'' and ''
Coimbatore Mappillai
''Coimbatore Mappillai'' () is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by C. Ranganathan. It stars Vijay and Sanghavi. The film's score and music was composed by Vidyasagar. It was released on 15 January 1996 coinciding ...
.'' They were commercially successful, though not critically acclaimed.
![98vjactor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/98vjactor.jpg)
In 1996, Vijay performed in the
Vikraman
Vikraman is an Indian film director primarily working in Tamil cinema.
Career 1990–1994
He worked as an assistant to actor and director R. Parthiban in '' Puthiya Pathai'' (1989), which was the latter's debut film as a director and an act ...
-directed ''
Poove Unakkaga
''Poove Unakkaga'' () is a 1996 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Vikraman. The film stars Vijay and Sangita. Actor Murali makes a guest appearance in a song in the film. The film released on 18 February 1996. ...
'', which he states gave him his "initial breaks" and caused his popularity to "reach great heights".
In 1997, Vijay acted in ''
Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen
''Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen'' () is 1997 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by R. Sundarrajan. The film stars Vijay and Dimple, while R. Sundarrajan, Jaishankar, Srividya, Karan, Manivannan play other pivotal roles. The music ...
'' which received positive response from critics,
and ''
Love Today,'' which was applauded by audiences.
He also starred in the films ''
Nerrukku Ner
''Nerrukku Ner'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Vijay, Suriya, Simran, and Kausalya, while Raghuvaran, Shanthi Krishna, Baby Jennifer, Karan ...
'', ''
Kadhalukku Mariyadhai
''Kadhalukku Mariyadhai'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film directed by Fazil. It is the Tamil remake of Fazil's own Malayalam film ''Aniyathipraavu'' (1997). The film stars Vijay and Shalini (reprising her rol ...
'', ''
Ninaithen Vandhai
''Ninaithen Vandhai'' () is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by K. Selva Bharathy and produced by Allu Aravind. The film stars Vijay, Rambha and Devayani, with Charle, Ranjith, Senthil, and Vinu Chakravarthy in s ...
'', ''
Priyamudan
''Priyamudan'' () is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film directed by Vincent Selva. The film stars Vijay in an antihero role and Kausalya as heroine, while Sujith Sagar plays a pivotal role. The story focuses on Vasanth, a yo ...
'' and ''
Thulladha Manamum Thullum
''Thulladha Manamum Thullum'' () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by debutant Ezhil. It stars Vijay and Simran, while Manivannan, Dhamu and Vaiyapuri among others play supporting roles. The film is produced by R. ...
'' which released to positive reviews and were commercially successful.
He then performed in ''
Nilaave Vaa
''Nilaave Vaa'' () is a 1998 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by A. Venkatesh and produced by K. T. Kunjumon. The film stars Vijay and Suvalakshmi in the main lead roles, while Sanghavi, Raghuvaran and Manivannan play oth ...
''. This was followed by the films ''
Endrendrum Kadhal
''Endrendrum Kadhal'' () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written, directed and co-produced by Manoj Bhatnagar. The film stars Vijay and Rambha with Raghuvaran, Nizhalgal Ravi, Bhanupriya, Radha Ravi, Charle, and Dham ...
'', ''
Nenjinile
''Nenjinile'' () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language action romantic thriller film written by A. C. Jairam and directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar. The film stars his son Vijay and Isha Koppikar, while Sonu Sood, Sriman, Nizhalgal Ravi, Devan, Nizh ...
,'' and ''
Minsara Kanna
''Minsara Kanna'' () is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. The film stars Vijay, Monica Castelino, Khushbu and Rambha, while an ensemble supporting cast includes Manivannan, Mansoor Ali ...
''.
In 2000, he performed in ''
Kannukkul Nilavu
''Kannukkul Nilavu'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film written and directed by Fazil. The film stars Vijay, Shalini and Kaveri, while Raghuvaran, Srividya and Ponvannan play other supporting roles. It was Vijay's 25th ...
'', which was Vijay's 25th critically successful film,
alongside two commercially successful romance films, ''
Kushi'' and ''
Priyamaanavale
''Priyamaanavale'' () is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by K. Selva Bharathy. The film stars Vijay and Simran, with S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vivek and Radhika Chaudhari in supporting roles. The film revolve ...
''. His next successful films were ''
Friends,'' ''
Badri'' and ''
Shahjahan
Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
.'' In 2002, he starred in the action film ''
Thamizhan
''Thamizhan'' is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language courtroom drama film directed by debutant Majith and produced by G. Venkateswaran. The film stars Vijay and Priyanka Chopra. Chopra made her debut in cinema through this film. Revathi, Nassar, A ...
'' alongside Hindi actress
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
.
Later, he featured in the romantic film ''
Youth
Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Yo ...
'' and the action film ''
Bagavathi
''Bagavathi'' is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by A. Venkatesh, which features Vijay and Reemma Sen. Jai, Vadivelu, Ashish Vidyarthi, K. Vishwanath, and Yugendran play supporting roles, while Deva composed t ...
''.
Vijay began 2003 with the comedy film ''
Vaseegara'' and the supernatural film ''
Pudhiya Geethai
''Pudhiya Geethai'' ( New Gita) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by newcomer K. P. Jagan. The film stars Vijay in the main lead role with Meera Jasmine and Ameesha Patel in the female lead roles. Kalabhavan Mani ...
''.
2003–2011: Star status in Tamil cinema
Following the action-romance flick ''
Thirumalai
''Thirumalai'' is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by Ramana. The film stars Vijay and Jyothika, with Manoj K. Jayan, Avinash (in his Tamil debut), Vivek, Raghuvaran, Kausalya and Karunas in supporting roles ...
'' in 2003'','' ''
Ghilli
''Ghilli'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language romantic action masala film directed by Dharani and produced by A. M. Rathnam. It is a remake of the Telugu-language film ''Okkadu'' (2003). The film stars Vijay, Trisha and Prakash Raj with Ashi ...
'', a film directed by
S. Dharani
Dharani (born V. C. Ramani) is an Indian former film director, who primarily directed Tamil and Telugu action films. He is best known for directing super hit Tamil action films ''Dhill'', ''Dhool'' and ''Ghilli''.
Career
He first directed t ...
and produced by
A. M. Rathnam
A. M. Rathnam is an Indian film producer, lyricist, screenwriter, and director known for his works in Telugu and Tamil cinema. Under the gamut of Sri Surya Movies Entertainment, Hyderabad, a movie production house owned by him, he has produced ...
, was released. It co-starred
Trisha
Trisha is a unisex given name, usually derived from the female Latin given name Patricia.
Notable people and characters with the name include:
People
*Trisha (actress), Indian film actress Trisha Krishnan (born 1983)
* Trisha Baptie (born 197 ...
and
Prakash Raj with Vijay as the lead. ''Ghilli'' was the first Tamil film of all time to gross over 500 million, or 50 crore, in the domestic box office.
The film grossed nearly $500,000 in the Malaysian market.
''Ghilli'' also broke the record for the most people seeing a movie in the first week of its release, previously held by
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...
's ''
Adimai Penn
''Adimai Penn'' () is a 1969 Indian Tamil-language action adventure film directed by K. Shankar and produced by M. G. Ramachandran and R. M. Veerappan. The film stars Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, with Ashokan, Pandari Bai, Rajasree, Manohar, ...
'' (1969).
''Ghilli'' received favourable reviews. ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' stated that "Vijay, the hero whom the masses today identify with, and
Prakash Raj, the inimitable villain in tow, this flick, "Ghilli"...on a winning track".
![Vijayat2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Vijayat2007.jpg)
''Ghilli'' was followed by commercially successful films ''
Madhurey
''Madhurey'' is a 2004 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film directed by Ramana Madhesh. It stars Vijay, Sonia Agarwal and Rakshitha while Vadivelu, Pasupathy, Seetha, and Tejashree play supporting roles. The film released on 29 August 2004 ...
'' and ''
Thirupaachi
''Thirupaachi'' is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Perarasu. The film stars Vijay, Trisha and Mallika, with Livingston, Pasupathy, Benjamin, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Vaiyapuri and Manoj K. Jayan in other roles. ...
'' in 2005.
Later, Vijay starred in the commercially and critically successful films ''
Sachein
''Sachein'' is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by John Mahendran, and produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu, starring Vijay, Genelia and Bipasha Basu in lead roles, with Santhanam, Vadivelu and Raghuvaran appearing in p ...
'', ''
Sivakasi
Sivakasi () is a city and Municipal Corporation in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This city is known for its fireworks, firecracker, matchbox and printing industries. Sivakasi city alone meets about 90% fire cracke ...
'' and ''
Pokkiri
''Pokkiri'' () is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language action film directed by Prabhu Deva. It is the Tamil remake of the 2006 Telugu film ''Pokiri'' starring Mahesh Babu. The film stars Vijay and Asin with Prakash Raj, Nassar, Mukesh Tiwari, Vadiv ...
''.
''Pokkiri'' was one of the highest-grossing films in his career at that time.
In late 2007, Vijay starred in the romantic
thriller film ''
Azhagiya Tamil Magan
''Azhagiya Tamil Magan'' ( Adorable Tamil son) is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language psychological action thriller film written and directed by Bharathan, written by S. K. Jeeva and produced by Swargachitra Appachan. The film stars actor Vijay in a ...
'', where he played the role of the protagonist and antagonist at the same time. ''Azhagiya Tamil Magan'' collected $1.043 million overseas, a top grosser at overseas box offices in 2007. ''
Screen Daily, a'' British magazine, reported that ''Azhagiya Tamil Magan'' had entered the top ten Asian films box office hit chart in Malaysia in 2007. Barring the commercially successful ''
Vettaikaaran'' (2009), all of his subsequent releases from ''Azhagiya Tamil Magan'', ''
Kuruvi
''Kuruvi'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language superhero comedy film written and directed by Dharani. Produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin, the film stars Vijay in the titular role with Trisha and Suman in other prominent roles. Vivek, Ashish Vidy ...
'' and ''
Villu'' were average successes; all three films were more successful overseas. In 2009, Vijay became one of the highest paid actors in South India. In 2010, he acted in the action comedy film ''
Sura'', which was a box office failure.
![Chinesefestival2011Vijay](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Chinesefestival2011Vijay.jpg)
In early 2011, Vijay joined up with director
Siddique for the romantic comedy ''
Kaavalan
''Kaavalan'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language romantic action comedy film written and directed by Siddique. A remake of the Malayalam film ''Bodyguard'', the film stars Vijay, Asin and Mithra Kurian with Rajkiran, Roja Selvamani and Vadi ...
.'' It received positive responses from both viewers and critics, with a box office collection of 102 crore worldwide.
''Kaavalan'' was screened at the
Shanghai International Film Festival
The Shanghai International Film Festival (, French: ''Festival international du film de Shanghai''), abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia.
"China's biggest film festival" according to the Hollywood Reporter. Nex ...
in China. ''Kaavalan'' was a commercial success in China. During
Diwali the same year, his next film, the action film ''
Velayudham
''Velayudham'' is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language superhero film written and directed by Mohan Raja. It stars Vijay in titular role with Genelia in the lead, while Hansika, Santhanam, Saranya Mohan, Soori, Abhimanyu Singh, and Vineet Kuma ...
'', directed by
M. Raja
Mohan Raja is an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter who primarily works in Tamil and Telugu film industries.
After making his debut in the Telugu film ''Hanuman Junction'' (2001), he went on to remake several successful Telugu films into Tamil, ...
and produced by
Venu Ravichandran, was released.
''Velayudham'' became one of the top-grossing films of 2011.
''Velayudham'' was a critical success among Japanese audiences.
2012–present: Increased critical and commercial success globally
Vijay's next release in 2012 was ''
Nanban Nanban may refer to: Japan
* Nanban art, Japanese art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries influenced by contact with the Nanban
* Nanban trade
or the , was a period in the history of Japan from the arrival of Europeans in 1543 to t ...
''. ''Nanban'' was screened at the
Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia. Vijay's performance in the film received positive critical acclaim. ''Nanban'' went on to have a 100 day theatrical run. ''
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...
'' reported the film ''Nanban'' grossed 150 crore at the box office.
The action thriller ''
Thuppakki
''Thuppakki'' () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by AR Murugadoss. Produced by Kalaippuli S. Thanu under his studio V Creations, and distributed by Gemini Film Circuit, the film stars Vijay and Kajal ...
'', directed by
A. R. Murugadoss and produced by
S. Dhanu, was released on Diwali 2012 to positive reviews. The film became the third Tamil film to enter the 1 billion club domestically. ''Thuppakki'' became the
highest-grossing film
Films generate income from several revenue streams, including theatrical exhibition, home video, television broadcast rights, and merchandising. However, theatrical box-office earnings are the primary metric for trade publications in assess ...
of Vijay's career at the time, and the first of his films to gross over 1,800,000,000.
''Thuppakki'' was screened at the Russian film festival.
![Tamil Film actor Vijay Celebrating World Environment Day at the U](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Tamil_Film_actor_Vijay_Celebrating_World_Environment_Day_at_the_U.S._Consulate_Chennai_18.jpg)
His next film ''
Thalaivaa
''Thalaivaa'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by A. L. Vijay. It stars Vijay in the title role. The film, produced by Chandraprakash Jain, features background score and soundtrack composed by G. ...
'', directed by
A. L. Vijay
A. L. Vijay, known professionally as Vijay, is an Indian film director who works in the Tamil film industry. An assistant director with Priyadarshan, he debuted as director with films such as '' Kireedam'' and the critically acclaimed ''Madr ...
, was released on 9 August 2013 worldwide to mixed reports, and had a delayed release in Tamil Nadu. ''Thalaivaa'' was overall a box office failure.
The film ''
Jilla
''Jilla'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by R. T. Neason and produced by R. B. Choudary through the company Super Good Films. Starring Mohanlal and Vijay athe film revolves around the conflict bet ...
'' released in 2014 and ended up as a box office hit. Vijay again worked with AR Murugadoss in the action thriller ''
Kaththi
''Kaththi'' (; ) is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action social drama film written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss, and produced by Allirajah Subaskaran under the banner Lyca Productions, along with Ayngaran International, as the co-produce ...
''. The film released to generally positive reviews. The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' called ''Kaththi'' a "success in style".
''Kaththi'' collected 130 crore at the box office.
It was the second-highest-grossing Tamil film of 2014.
In 2015, the
fairy tale fantasy film ''
Puli'' was released, directed by
Chimbu Deven
Chimbu Devan is an Indian film director also known as a writer, cartoonist, and screenwriter. His films mostly explore the fantasy and historical genres and also comedy. He debuted with the historical comedy-drama film Imsai Arasan 23 M Pulike ...
. ''Puli'' received mixed reviews from critics, though Vijay was praised for venturing into a new genre.
''Puli'' was one of the highest-grossing films of 2015 in its entire run.
The film's satellite rights and areawise distribution rights were sold for 100 crore.
Since director Deven is a cartoonist, the film's half-demon theme was partially based on Japanese hit anime manga series ''
Inuyasha
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from November 1996 to June 2008, with its chapters collected in fifty-six '' ...
'', similar to which, Vijay played a "Tiger-demon" with tiger's teeth and blue eyes.
''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' stated Vijay excels as a "Tiger-demon" in the film. ''
IB Times
The ''International Business Times'' is an American online news publication that publishes five national editions in four languages. The publication, sometimes called ''IBTimes'' or ''IBT'', offers news, opinion and editorial commentary on busi ...
'' reported ''Puli'' was successful in foreign markets and is regarded as one of the Indian films that took the standard to an international level.
The action-thriller ''
Theri'' directed by
Atlee was released in April 2016 to mixed reviews from critics and audiences, with one reviewer criticizing the actor's performance and the "predictable" storyline.
It was the second-highest-grossing Tamil film of 2016 and Vijay's second film to gross over 1,710,000,000.
In 2017, the
masala film
Masala films of Indian cinema mix multiple genres into one work. Masala films emerged in the 1970s and are still created as of the 2020s. Typically these films freely mix action, comedy, romance, and drama or melodrama. They also tend to be ...
''
Bairavaa
''Bairavaa'' is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language action masala film written and directed by Bharathan, and produced by B. Venkatarama Reddy. The film stars Vijay as the titular debt collector who takes on a criminal masquerading as an education ph ...
'' was released. It received mixed reviews and it collected 115 crore at the box office.
His 61st film, the action thriller ''
Mersal'', was directed by Atlee. It was both a critical and commercial success, becoming the first of Vijay's films to gross over 2.5 billion. The film was also released in Japan in the cities of Tokyo, Ebina, Osaka and Nakaya.
For his role in ''Mersal'', Vijay was nominated for Best Actor at the
National Film Awards UK
The National Film Awards UK are presented in an annual award show hosted by the National Film Academy (NFA). As of 2015, it has taken place in Central London at the Porchester Hall. The 5th National Film Awards UK was held on 27 March 2019.
Hi ...
in 2018. The film won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the same event.
The film was Vijay's third film to be released in China after ''Kaavalan'' (2011) and ''Puli'' (2015). The film was also screened at the
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Prior to 2015, it was known as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan. Inaugurated ...
in South Korea.
In 2018 the
political film
Political cinema, in the narrow sense of that portray current or historical events or social conditions through a partisan perspective in order to inform or to agitate the spectator.
Political cinema exists in different forms, such as documenta ...
''
Sarkar'' was released with Vijay in the lead role, directed by AR Murugadoss.
Keerthi Suresh
Keerthy Suresh (born 17 October 1992) is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films, in addition to a few Malayalam films. She was recognised as Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021.She won the National Film Award for Best Act ...
played the female supporting role, it being her second collaboration with Vijay after ''Bairavaa''. Following its release on
Diwali 2018, ''Sarkar'' broke several collection records and entered the
100 Crore Club
100 Crore Club is an unofficial designation by the Indian film trade and the media, related to Indian-language films that have net (1billion Indian rupees) or more in India after deducting the entertainment tax. By 2012, the () box office ta ...
within two days. ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' mentioned Vijay as a man with "swag" in the film. ''Sarkar'' was his second film to gross over 2.5 billion. ''Sarkar'' was released in Spain and screened in France and Japan.
''
Bigil
''Bigil'' () is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language sports action film written and directed by Atlee and produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram under the banner AGS Entertainment. The film stars Vijay in the titular role. It also stars Nayanthara, Jacki ...
'' was released in 2019, directed by Atlee, is a
football action film. Vijay underwent "special training" for his role in the film. ''Bigil'' was Vijay's last film of the decade. ''Bigil'' received mixed reviews from critics, but Vijay was praised for the portrayal of his character within the film.
It was a commercial success, collecting more than 300 crore, became both the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2019—within three months of its release—and the highest-grossing film of Vijay's career. ''Bigil'' was also the first Tamil film released in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
and
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. In 2020, ''Bigil'' was the first Tamil film re-released in Germany.
![IARA Award R FEmi Odelusi Vijay](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/IARA_Award_R_FEmi_Odelusi_Vijay.jpg)
During the same year,
Lokesh Kanagaraj
Lokesh Kanagaraj (born 14 March 1986) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Tamil films. He started his careers with a short film in the 2016 anthology '' Aviyal.'' He later directed his first feature film '' Maanagaram'' (201 ...
was selected as the director of Vijay's film ''
Master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
'' produced by Xavier Britto. ''Master'' was originally scheduled to be released on 9 April 2020, however, it was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. It was released on 13 January 2021 in theatres. ''Master'' was the highest-grossing film in
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
(UAE) with a box office collection of $1.4 million within two days, surpassing the Hollywood releases ''
Wonder Woman 1984
''Wonder Woman 1984'' (also known as ''WW84'') is a 2020 American superhero film based on the DC character Wonder Woman. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, and The Stone Quarry, and distributed by Warner Bros. P ...
'' and ''
Tenet'' within the same country. The film was screened at the International film festival of Alberta, Canada.
Upon release, it received both positive and mixed reviews from viewers and critics.
''
Eastern Eye, a'' British magazine, called ''Master'' "an entertaining massy action film" but stated that "the runtime is a bit long". The film collected 300 crore worldwide and it was declared as a box office hit. The combined gross earnings of ''Mersal'', ''Sarkar'', ''Bigil'' and ''Master'' was determined to be over 1000 crore according to trade analysts. ''
Beast'' released theatrically on 13 April 2022 worldwide. ''Beast'' received mixed reviews from critics.
Roger Ebert, an American film critic website, reviewed the film ''Beast'' with 3/5 stars and called "Vijay as a multifaced tiger with a multifaceted avatar". ''Beast'' was the highest grossing Tamil film in US premiere shows. ''Beast'' made box office collection records in the international markets of New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. The film was commercially successful, collecting 250 crore worldwide, and was one of the most viewed films on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
globally in 2022.
It was the first Tamil film released theatrically in
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
.
Vijay's 66th film ''
Varisu
''Varisu'' (; ) is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Vamshi Paidipally who co-wrote it with Hari and Ashishor Solomon. Produced jointly by Dil Raju and Sirish under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations and PVP ...
'' was produced by Telugu film producer
Dil Raju
Velamakucha Venkata Ramana Reddy (born 17 December 1970), known professionally as Dil Raju, is an Indian film producer and distributor known for his works in Telugu cinema. He has also financed some Tamil and Hindi films and owns the productio ...
and directed by
Vamshi Paidipally
Paidipally Vamshidhar Rao (born 27 July 1979), better known as Vamshi Paidipally, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is best known for directing mainstream film works such as '' Munna'' (2007), ' ...
.
Thaman S
Ghantasala Sai Srinivas Thaman (born 16 November 1983), known professionally as Thaman S, earlier as S S Thaman, is an Indian music composer, professional drummer, and playback singer who predominantly works in Telugu films and Tamil films. Th ...
composed music and background score for the film. ''Varisu'' will be released theatrically in January 2023.
His 67th film will be directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj his second collaboration with Vijay. Music will be composed by Anirudh.
Personal life
Vijay married Sangeetha Sornalingam, a
Sri Lankan Tamil whom he met in the United Kingdom, on 25 August 1999. They have two children. Vijay's son made a cameo appearance with his father in ''
Vettaikaaran'' (2009) and his daughter portrayed a small role as her father's pre-teen daughter in ''
Theri'' (2016).
On 5 February 2020, the
Income Tax Department raided Vijay's residence in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and inquired about potential tax evasion, making note of his investment in
immovable properties, which he inherited from the production studio AGS Entertainment. It was reported that Vijay and AGS Entertainment producer Anbu Cheliyan were suspected of undisclosed payments and alleged tax fraud. Nearly 65 crore was seized by the officials from Cheliyan's residence. The investigation took place while Vijay was shooting for his film ''Master'' in
Cuddalore
Cuddalore, also spelt as Kadalur (), is the city and headquarters of the Cuddalore District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Situated south of Chennai, Cuddalore was an important port during the British Raj.
While the early history of Cudda ...
. On 12 March, officials stated that nothing significant was found during the raid. Opponents of the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...
accused them of politically targeting Vijay through such raids because he was critical of the them on
demonetization and
Goods and Services Tax (India)
Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an indirect tax (or consumption tax) used in India on the supply of goods and services. It is a comprehensive, multistage, destination-based tax: comprehensive because it has subsumed almost all the indirect taxe ...
in the film ''
Mersal''.
On 13 July 2021, the
Madras High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by Vijay in 2012 seeking exemption of the
Entry Tax for his
Rolls-Royce Ghost
The Rolls-Royce Ghost is a full-sized luxury car manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The "Ghost" nameplate, named in honour of the Silver Ghost, a car first produced in 1906, was announced in April 2009 at the Auto Shanghai show. The produ ...
car that was imported from England. It imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh which was allotted to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public COVID relief fund. Justice S.M. Subramaniam said that Vijay's fan base considers him as a hero and he was expected to be one instead of a "reel" hero, further calling it an anti-national habit. On 15 July 2021, Vijay filed an appeal against defamatory statements made by the judge against him in Madras High court. On 20 July 2021, Vijay's appeal against the tax exemption case issue and defamatory statements was moved to a different tax bench sector of the court. On 27 July 2021, a two-judge bench of Madras High court stayed the earlier passed order by Judge S.M. Subramaniam that included the critical remarks and also stayed the order of a ₹1 lakh fine amount. On 25 January 2022, the court dismissed and removed the defamatory critical statements made by Judge S.M. Subramaniam against Vijay. On 15 July 2022, the court declared that no fine should be imposed on the car imported by since he had paid the full entry tax before January 2019, closing out the case in the process.
Wealth
As of 2021, Vijay's net worth is 4200 million or 420 crore. Vijay earned 100 crore salary for ''
Beast'',
and also earned an estimated 120 crore—150 crore for his 66th film, marking him among the highest paid Indian actors.
Artistry and honours
Vijay's wax figures were unveiled in several parts of India, especially in Kanyakumari Museum. The ''Arabic Kuthu-Halamithi Habibo'' music dance video from the film ''Beast'' garnered 20 million views in 1 day. ''Ranjithamae'' song from his film ''Varisu'' was well received in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
News 18
Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (formerly SGA Finance and Management Service and Network18 Fincap Limited) commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned b ...
describes Vijay as a "versatile actor" and a "fantastic playback singer, dancer and philanthropist".
Odisha TV reported that "While fans are crazy for
ijay'smovies, he has a set of dedicated audience who enjoy his dance moves".
Zee media
''Zee Media Corporation Limited'' (abbreviated as ZMCL; formerly Zee News Limited) is the news broadcasting company of the Essel Group which is controlled by Subhash Chandra. The company is engaged mainly in the business of broadcasting of news ...
reported that Vijay amazed audiences with his acting and screen presence.
''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' labelled Vijay's dance moves in his film songs as "energetic and effortless".
Vijay received an honorary doctorate from the Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute in 2007 in honour of his achievements in the film industry.
Vijay was awarded the 'Best International Actor of 2018' in the United Kingdom.
Further reading
*
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vijay
1974 births
Living people
People from Tamil Nadu
21st-century Indian male actors
20th-century Indian male actors
Indian male film actors
Loyola College, Chennai alumni
Male actors in Tamil cinema
Male actors from Chennai
Tamil male actors
Indian Tamil people
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners
Tamil playback singers
Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award
Indian male child actors
Indian film choreographers