Thalapathy Vijay

Vijay
Born	Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar 22 June 1974 Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Actor, politician
Years active	1984–2024 (films) 2024–present (politics)
Political party	Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Spouse	Sangeetha Sornalingam (m. 1999)
Children	2
Known for	Tamil cinema, mass entertainer roles, "Thalapathy"

Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974), known professionally as Vijay, is an Indian actor and politician who works primarily in Tamil cinema. With a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in 69 films as a lead actor and is regarded as one of the highest-paid actors in India. He is among the most commercially successful actors in Tamil cinema and is popularly referred to as "Thalapathy".

Early Life and Education

Vijay was born in Madras, Tamil Nadu, to film director S. A. Chandrasekhar and playback singer Shoba Chandrasekhar. He had a sister, Vidhya, who passed away at a young age. He completed his schooling in Chennai and briefly pursued a degree in visual communication at Loyola College before leaving to focus on acting.

Film Career

1984–2002: Early career and rise

Vijay began his career as a child actor in the film Vetri (1984). He appeared in several films directed by his father before making his debut as a lead actor in Naalaiya Theerpu (1992). Although the film was unsuccessful, he gained recognition with Senthoorapandi (1993).

He went on to establish himself with successful romantic and family-oriented films such as Poove Unakkaga (1996), Love Today (1997), Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), Thullatha Manamum Thullum (1999), Kushi (2000), Priyamaanavale (2000), and Friends (2001).

2003–2011: Transition to action roles

Vijay shifted towards action-oriented roles with Thirumalai (2003) and achieved major commercial success with Ghilli (2004). Films like Thirupaachi (2005) and Pokkiri (2007) further strengthened his status as a leading actor in Tamil cinema.

Despite some fluctuations in box office performance, he maintained popularity with films such as Kaavalan (2011) and Velayudham (2011), both of which were commercially successful.

2012–2022: Commercial peak

Vijay entered a phase of consistent success with films like Thuppakki (2012), which became a major box office hit. He continued with successful projects including Kaththi (2014), Theri (2016), Mersal (2017), and Sarkar (2018).

His films Bigil (2019), Master (2021), and Beast (2022) further cemented his position as a top star, with several of them crossing major box office milestones globally.

2023–2024: Final film phase

In 2023, Vijay starred in Leo, which became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the year. His subsequent film The Greatest of All Time (2024) also performed strongly at the box office.

In 2024, he announced his retirement from films after completing his final project, Jana Nayagan.

Political Career

In February 2024, Vijay officially entered politics by launching his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. His entry marked a major transition from cinema to public life. He has since been active in political events and public engagements.

Personal Life

Vijay married Sangeetha Sornalingam in 1999. The couple has two children. He is known for maintaining a relatively private personal life despite his public image.

Music Career

Vijay is also a playback singer and has sung several songs in his films. He made his debut as a singer with the song "Bombay City Sukkha Rotti" in Rasigan (1994). Some of his popular songs include "Google Google" and "Selfie Pulla".

Awards and Recognition

Vijay has received numerous awards for his performances, including the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor. He was also awarded the Kalaimaamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu. He remains one of the most influential and widely followed actors in South India.