Vijay
Vijay is an Indian actor, best known for Tamil cinema. Vijay began their career in 1984 and has been a prominent figure in the industry for over 42 years. With over 90 credits to their name and an average audience rating of 6.5, Vijay remains one of the most prolific and celebrated talents in the industry. Spanning 40+ years, Vijay's career remains one of the longest and most celebrated in Tamil cinema.
- Born
Biography
Vijay is an Indian actor, playback singer and producer, who works in the Tamil film industry. Son of film director and producer S. A. Chandrasekhar, he started his career as a child actor in the movie Vetri and later made his debut as a lead actor in the 1992 film Naalaya Theerpu. He launched the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam, a social welfare organisation in 2009.
Personal Info
Career Milestones
First lead role in a Tamil film
Won Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
Breakthrough action blockbuster; first Tamil film to gross over ₹500 million domestically
View film →Cemented superstar status with one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of the year
View film →Career-best commercial success at the time; third Tamil film to gross over ₹100 crore domestically
View film →Iconic Roles
Ghilli
A carefree kabaddi player who gets entangled with a gangster while protecting a woman. This career-defining role transformed Vijay's image from romantic hero to mass action star and became the first Tamil film to gross over ₹500 million domestically.
Pokkiri
A ruthless rogue embedded in Chennai's criminal underworld. One of Vijay's highest-grossing films at the time, the role cemented his status as a top-tier commercial action hero in Tamil cinema.
Thuppakki
An Indian Army intelligence officer who infiltrates and dismantles a terrorist sleeper cell. The film grossed over ₹121 crore domestically and became the biggest blockbuster of Vijay's career at the time, with the character's 'I am waiting' dialogue becoming iconic.
Sachein
A fun-loving, carefree college student pursuing his love interest. The film was a major commercial success and the character's youthful, energetic persona became one of Vijay's most beloved portrayals among his fanbase.
Nanban
A brilliant, free-spirited engineering student in this Tamil remake of 3 Idiots. Vijay's portrayal of the Aamir Khan role was praised for bringing warmth and his signature style to the beloved character.
Defining Moments
Climax confrontation with Muthupandi — Saravanavelu deploys kabaddi instincts and agility against Prakash Raj's gang in an extended action sequence that fuses sport identity with mass hero spectacle
Marked Vijay's definitive transition from romance-centric roles to action stardom; Ghilli became the first Tamil film to gross ₹500M+ domestically and its 2024 re-release demonstrated its enduring cult status
View film →Opening chase/escape sequence — Velu flees Muthupandi's men across rural Tamil Nadu using speed and improvisation, establishing the film's kinetic tone and Vijay's physicality from the first reel
Frequently cited in retrospectives as the scene that reset audience expectations of Vijay — the sheer energy and commitment signalled a new phase in his career and influenced the pacing of Tamil action entertainers that followed
View film →Undercover identity reveal climax — Tamizh, believed to be a criminal throughout, is unmasked as an IPS officer, delivering the iconic dialogue 'Oru vaati mudivu paniten, naa yen pecha naane kekamaten' (Once I decide, I won't listen even to myself)
The dialogue became one of the most quoted lines in Vijay's filmography, reprised in Beast (2022); the undercover reveal structure ran for 200+ days in cinemas and established Vijay as a bankable mass-action star
View film →Pre-interval 12-person synchronized shootout — Jagadish uses his own sister as bait to lure a terror cell, culminating in a choreographed simultaneous elimination of all 12 targets, capped by the now-legendary interval line 'I'm waiting'
Redefined the 'mass hero' template in Tamil commercial cinema — the combination of tactical intelligence, cold calm, and the terse interval punchline became a cultural touchstone widely quoted and referenced in Tamil pop culture
View film →Real-time 15-minute bomb defusal climax — the sequence from bomb trigger to detonation mirrors actual elapsed screen time, raising narrative tension to a technical and emotional peak
Praised by critics and fans as a rare example of storytelling discipline in Tamil commercial cinema; cemented Thuppakki as the highest-grossing Tamil film of Vijay's career at the time (₹121 crore domestic)
View film →Filmography
See all 90 credits →
Career Analytics
Genre Breakdown
Language Distribution
Films by Decade
Top Co-Actors
See all →
Did You Know?
Vijay is often referred to by his fans as 'Thalapathy', which means 'Commander' or 'Leader' in Tamil.
He is the son of film director and producer S. A. Chandrasekhar and playback singer Shoba Chandrasekhar.
Vijay made his debut as a child actor in the 1984 Tamil film 'Vetri'.
He launched the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (Vijay People's Movement), a social welfare organization, in 2009.
Vijay is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.
Signature Dialogues
Enna sonna unga area va? Intha area, antha area, intha edam anha edam, all arealayum aiya Ghilli da
Saravanavelu·Ghilli
Oru vatti mudivu pannitenna, en peascha naane kekkamaten
Thamizh·Pokkiri
Vetrikku pinnadi pogatha, unakku pidicha thozila therndhu eduthu thiramaya valathuko, vetri un pinnala varum
Panchavan Pariventhan·Nanban
I'm waiting
Jagadish·Thuppakki
Photos
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Videos
Family
Father
S. A. Chandrasekhar
Mother
Shoba Chandrasekhar
News & Stories
GOAT first single, "Whistle Podu," is out and is currently #1 trending on YouTube.
15/4/2024
Vijay GOAT Movie gets a Release Date
12/4/2024
Double Trouble Double Guns: 'GOAT' Second Look Poster Explodes with Action!
2/1/2024
Thalapathy 68 Pooja video to be released, fans excited!
24/10/2023
Vijay and Venkat Prabhu Fly to LA for Thalapathy 68 VFX Works
4/9/2023
Legacy & Influence
Vijay, born Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, is one of the most influential and bankable stars in contemporary Tamil cinema. His career trajectory, spanning from a child actor to a leading man and now a pan-Indian superstar, reflects a unique evolution. He initially gained recognition in the 1990s as a romantic hero in youth-centric films like 'Poove Unakkaga', 'Kadhalukku Mariyadhai', and 'Thulladha Manamum Thullum', which established a deep connection with family audiences and young viewers. His screen persona, often portraying charming, relatable characters fighting for justice or love, became a template for commercial success. From the early 2000s onwards, he strategically transitioned into action-oriented mass hero roles in films like 'Ghilli', 'Thuppakki', 'Kaththi', and 'Mersal', often incorporating social and political commentary into mainstream entertainment. This shift cemented his status as 'Thalapathy' (Commander), a title embraced by his massive fanbase. His contribution extends beyond acting; his films are major cultural events, setting box office records and influencing fashion, dialogue, and music trends across South India. While debates about his political forays exist, his undisputed impact lies in his ability to command unparalleled fan devotion and deliver consistently high-grossing films that blend commercial formulas with contemporary societal issues, ensuring his centrality in the industry's economic and cultural landscape for over three decades.