Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974), known professionally as Vijay, is an Indian actor and playback singer who works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning in just over 3 decades, Vijay has acted in over 65 films and is one of the most commercially successful actors in Tamil cinema with multiple films amongst the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time and is amongst the highest paid actors in India. Born in Madras to director S. A. Chandrasekhar, Vijay made his debut as a child actor in the Tamil film Vetri (1984). After a view roles as a child actor in his father’s films, he played his first lead role in the film Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) at the age of 18. Vijay continued doing lead roles for the next few years with mixed results, notable films amongst them included Poove Unakkaga, Love Today, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, Thulladha Manamum Thullum and Kushi. In 1998, he was awarded Kalaimaamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu. In 2003, he starred in Ghilli, which became the first Tamil film to gross over ₹500 million and with subsequent success of Thirupaachi and Pokkiri later, he established himself as one of the leading and commercially successful actors in Tamil cinema. Following a period of moderate success, Vijay acted in various critically and commercially successful films starting in the late 2010s including Thuppakki, Kaththi and Sarkar. He has won several awards as an actor. Referred to as "Thalapathy" (transl. commander), Vijay has a significant fan following. In February 2024, Vijay announced his retirement from films and his entry into politics with the launch of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.He was featured in Eastern Eye top celebrities in Asia, and he is the only Tamil actor to feature among Bollywood actors in the list in 2023.

Early life and family

Vijay was born as Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar on 22 June 1974 in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu. His father, S. A. Chandrasekhar, is a film director and his mother, Shoba Chandrasekhar is a playback singer and vocalist. His father is of Christian descent and his mother is a Hindu. Vijay had a sister, Vidhya, who died when she was two years old. Vijay did his schooling initially at Fathima school, Kodambakkam and later at Balalok school, Virugambakkam. He pursued a bachelor degree in visual communication from Loyola College.

Film career

At the age of 10, Vijay made his debut as a child actor in the Tamil film ''Vetri'', produced by P. S. Veerappa in 1984. He then acted as a child actor in films such as ''Kudumbam'' (1984), ''Vasantha Raagam'' (1986), ''Sattam Oru Vilayaattu'' (1987) and ''Ithu Engal Neethi'' (1988). He also acted in a supporting role with Rajinikanth in ''Naan Sigappu Manithan'' (1985), directed by his father. Vijay then appeared in the films ''Senthoorapandi'', ''Rasigan'', ''Deva'' and ''Coimbatore Mappillai'', some of which were successful. In 1996, Vijay acted in ''Poove Unakkaga'', directed by Vikraman, which according to him, gave him his initial break and popularity. In 1997, Vijay acted in ''Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen'' and ''Love Today''.Later, he starred in commercially successful films such as ''Nerrukku Ner'', ''Kadhalukku Mariyadhai'', ''Ninaithen Vandhai'', ''Priyamudan'' and ''Thulladha Manamum Thullum''. In 1999, he then acted in the films ''Endrendrum Kadhal'', ''Nenjinile,'' and ''Minsara Kanna''. In 2000, he acted in critically successful, ''Kannukkul Nilavu'', which was his 25th film, alongside commercially successful romantic films, ''Kushi'' and ''Priyamaanavale''. In 2001, he acted in hat-trick box office successes; ''Friends,'' ''Badri'' and ''Shahjahan'' before starring in the action film ''Thamizhan'' alongside Priyanka Chopra in 2002. Later, he appeared in the romantic film ''Youth'' and the action film ''Bagavathi'' in the same year. Vijay began 2003 with ''Vaseegara'' and ''Pudhiya Geethai''.In 2003, following the action-romance film ''Thirumalai'', Vijay starred in ''Ghilli'', directed by S. Dharani with Trisha and Prakash Raj. The movie became a commercial success and became the first Tamil film to gross over 500 million at the domestic box office and also broke the record for the most people watching the movie within the first week of its release, previously held by M. G. Ramachandran's ''Adimai Penn'' (1969). Following the same, he acted in ''Madhurey'' and ''Thirupaachi'' in 2005. Later, he starred in the commercially successful films ''Sachein'', ''Sivakasi'' and ''Pokkiri''. ''Pokkiri'' became one of the highest-grossing films of his career at the time. The film was commercially successful outside India. Except the commercially successful, ''Kuruvi'' in 2008 and ''Vettaikaaran'' in 2009, his subsequent releases ''Azhagiya Tamil Magan'' and ''Villu'' were average successes at domestic box office while continuing to be more successful overseas. Vijay continued to be one of the highest paid actors despite the moderate success of then recently released movies. In 2010, he acted in the action comedy film ''Sura'', which was his 50th film as an actor. In 2010, he acted in the action comedy film ''Sura'', which was his 50th film as an actor. In early 2011, Vijay acted in the romantic comedy ''Kaavalan'', directed by Siddique which received positive response and a box office collection of 102 crore worldwide. The film was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China. ''Kaavalan'' was a commercial success in China. His next film was the action film ''Velayudham'', directed by M. Raja which released during Diwali and became one of the top-grossing films of 2011. The movie was also a critical success overseas. Later in the year, he acted in the action thriller ''Thuppakki'', directed by A. R. Murugadoss. The film became the third Tamil film to gross more than 100 crore domestically and became the most successful film of Vijay's career at the time, grossing over 121 crore. His next film ''Thalaivaa'', directed by A. L. Vijay, was released in August 2013 to mixed reviews. In 2014, he acted in ''Jilla'' which ended up as a box office hit. Vijay starred in the action thriller ''Kaththi'', which received positive reviews and collected 130 crore at the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing Tamil films in 2014.In 2015, he starred in the fantasy film ''Puli'', directed by Chimbu Deven, which received mixed to poor reviews from critics. Despite the reviews, the film was one of the highest-grossing films of 2015. In April 2016, the action-thriller ''Theri'' directed by Atlee released to mixed reviews. It became the second-highest-grossing Tamil film of 2016, grossing over 170 crore. In 2017, the masala film ''Bairavaa'' was released, again to mixed reviews. In 2017, the action thriller ''Mersal'' released, which became a commercial success, becoming the first of Vijay's films to gross over 250 crore. The film won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the National Film Awards UK in 2018 with Vijay earning a nomination for the best acroe. The film was amongst the few films of Vijay to be released in Japan and China with further screening at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea. In 2018, Vijay acted in the political film ''Sarkar'' with Keerthy Suresh, which entered the 100 Crore Club within two days. In 2018, Vijay acted in the political film ''Sarkar'' with Keerthy Suresh, which entered the 100 Crore Club within two days. The film was released in 80 countries and became his second ever film to gross over 250 crore. Vijay acted in a football action film ''Bigil'', which released in 2019. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, Vijay was praised for the portrayal of his character and the film was a commercial success, earning more than 300 crore. It was also the first Tamil film to be released in Egypt and Jordan. In 2021, his next film ''Master'', directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj was released. Upon release, it received mixed to positive reviews from viewers and critics. The film collected over 300 crore worldwide and was declared a box office hit. His next film was the dark comedy action film ''Beast'', which was released theatrically on 13 April 2022 and received mixed reviews from critics. The movie performed well in overseas box office and was commercially successful, collecting more than 300 crore worldwide. It became one of the most viewed films on Netflix globally in 2022.In 2023, Vijay starred in the action drama film ''Varisu'' directed by Vamshi Paidipally. The movie was a commercial hit, grossing over 300 crore at the box office. His next release of 2023 was the action thriller ''Leo'' in which he played the titular role. It received mixed reviews from critics, but went on to become a blockbuster and emerged as one of the highest grossing Indian films of the year with a gross more than 600 crore. His upcoming sci-fi film ''The Greatest of All Time'' which is set to be released in 2024. In February 2024, Vijay announced that he will be doing only one more film, which will be his 69th as a lead actor.

1984–2003: Child actor and transition into lead roles

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'' (1986), ''Sattam Oru Vilayaattu'' (1987) and ''Ithu Engal Neethi'' (1988). He also performed in ''Naan Sigappu Manithan'' (1985) as a co-star with Rajinikanth, who was the lead actor.Vijay started to play lead roles at the age of 18 starting with ''Naalaiya Theerpu'' (1992). He then performed as a child actor in films such as ''Kudumbam'' (1984), ''Vasantha Raagam'' (1986), ''Sattam Oru Vilayaattu'' (1987) and ''Ithu Engal Neethi'' (1988). He also performed in ''Naan Sigappu Manithan'' (1985) as a co-star with Rajinikanth, who was the lead actor.Vijay started to play lead roles at the age of 18 starting with ''Naalaiya Theerpu'' (1992). Vijay then appeared in the films ''Senthoorapandi'', ''Rasigan'', ''Deva'' and ''Coimbatore Mappillai.'' They were commercially successful, though not critically acclaimed. In 1997, Vijay acted in ''Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen'' which received a positive response from critics, and ''Love Today,'' which was applauded by audiences.He also starred in the films ''Nerrukku Ner'', ''Kadhalukku Mariyadhai'', ''Ninaithen Vandhai'', ''Priyamudan'' and ''Thulladha Manamum Thullum'' which were released to positive reviews and were commercially successful. He then performed in the film ''Nilaave Vaa''. This was followed by the films ''Endrendrum Kadhal'', ''Nenjinile,'' and ''Minsara Kanna''.In 2000, he performed in ''Kannukkul Nilavu'', which was Vijay's 25th critically successful film, alongside two commercially successful romance films, ''Kushi'' and ''Priyamaanavale''. His next successful films were ''Friends,'' ''Badri'' and ''Shahjahan.'' In 2002, he starred in the action film ''Thamizhan'' alongside Hindi actress Priyanka Chopra. Later, he appeared in the romantic film ''Youth'' and the action film ''Bagavathi''.Vijay began 2003 with the comedy film ''Vaseegara'' and the supernatural film ''Pudhiya Geethai''.

1984–2003: Debut and transition to lead roles

At the age of 10, Vijay made his debut as a child actor in the Tamil film ''Vetri'', produced by P. S. Veerappa in 1984. He then acted as a child actor in films such as ''Kudumbam'' (1984), ''Vasantha Raagam'' (1986), ''Sattam Oru Vilayaattu'' (1987) and ''Ithu Engal Neethi'' (1988). He also acted in a supporting role with Rajinikanth in ''Naan Sigappu Manithan'' (1985), directed by his father. Vijay then appeared in the films ''Senthoorapandi'', ''Rasigan'', ''Deva'' and ''Coimbatore Mappillai'', some of which were successful. In 1996, Vijay acted in ''Poove Unakkaga'', directed by Vikraman, which according to him, gave him his initial break and popularity. In 1997, Vijay acted in ''Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen'' and ''Love Today''.Later, he starred in commercially successful films such as ''Nerrukku Ner'', ''Kadhalukku Mariyadhai'', ''Ninaithen Vandhai'', ''Priyamudan'' and ''Thulladha Manamum Thullum''. In 1999, he then acted in the films ''Endrendrum Kadhal'', ''Nenjinile,'' and ''Minsara Kanna''. In 2000, he acted in critically successful, ''Kannukkul Nilavu'', which was his 25th film, alongside commercially successful romantic films, ''Kushi'' and ''Priyamaanavale''. In 2001, he acted in hat-trick box office successes; ''Friends,'' ''Badri'' and ''Shahjahan'' before starring in the action film ''Thamizhan'' alongside Priyanka Chopra in 2002. Later, he appeared in the romantic film ''Youth'' and the action film ''Bagavathi'' in the same year. Vijay began 2003 with ''Vaseegara'' and ''Pudhiya Geethai''.

2003–2011: Star status in Tamil cinema

Following the action-romance flick ''Thirumalai'' in 2003'','' ''Ghilli'', a film directed by S. Dharani and produced by A. M. Rathnam, was released. It co-starred Trisha 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, at 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's ''Adimai Penn'' (1969). ''Ghilli'' received favourable reviews. ''The Hindu'' 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". Later, Vijay starred in the commercially and critically successful films ''Sachein'', ''Sivakasi'' and ''Pokkiri''. ''Pokkiri'' was one of the highest-grossing films in his career at the time.In late 2007, Vijay starred in the romantic thriller film ''Azhagiya Tamil Magan'', where he played the roles of 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 film box office hit charts in Malaysia in 2007. Barring the commercially successful ''Vettaikaaran'' (2009), all of his subsequent releases from ''Azhagiya Tamil Magan'', ''Kuruvi'' 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. ''Sura'' was Vijay's 50th film as a lead actor.102 crore worldwide. ''Kaavalan'' was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China. ''Kaavalan'' was a commercial success in China. During Diwali the same year, his next film, the action film ''Velayudham'', directed by M. Raja and produced by V. Ravichandran, was released. ''Velayudham'' became one of the top-grossing films of 2011. ''Velayudham'' was a critical success among Japanese audiences.

2003–11: Commercial success and stardom

In 2003, following the action-romance film ''Thirumalai'', Vijay starred in ''Ghilli'', directed by S. Dharani with Trisha and Prakash Raj. The movie became a commercial success and became the first Tamil film to gross over 500 million at the domestic box office and also broke the record for the most people watching the movie within the first week of its release, previously held by M. G. Ramachandran's ''Adimai Penn'' (1969). Following the same, he acted in ''Madhurey'' and ''Thirupaachi'' in 2005. Later, he starred in the commercially successful films ''Sachein'', ''Sivakasi'' and ''Pokkiri''. ''Pokkiri'' became one of the highest-grossing films of his career at the time. The film was commercially successful outside India. Except the commercially successful, ''Kuruvi'' in 2008 and ''Vettaikaaran'' in 2009, his subsequent releases ''Azhagiya Tamil Magan'' and ''Villu'' were average successes at domestic box office while continuing to be more successful overseas. Vijay continued to be one of the highest paid actors despite the moderate success of then recently released movies. In 2010, he acted in the action comedy film ''Sura'', which was his 50th film as an actor. In 2010, he acted in the action comedy film ''Sura'', which was his 50th film as an actor. In early 2011, Vijay acted in the romantic comedy ''Kaavalan'', directed by Siddique which received positive response and a box office collection of 102 crore worldwide. The film was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China. ''Kaavalan'' was a commercial success in China. His next film was the action film ''Velayudham'', directed by M. Raja which released during Diwali and became one of the top-grossing films of 2011. The movie was also a critical success overseas.

2012–present: Increased critical and commercial success globally

Vijay's next release in 2012 was ''Nanban''. ''Nanban'' was screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia. Vijay's performance in the film received critical acclaim. ''Nanban'' went on to have a 100-day theatrical run. ''The Indian Express'' reported the film ''Nanban'' grossed 150 crore at the box office. The action thriller ''Thuppakki'', 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 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. and had a delayed release in Tamil Nadu. ''Thalaivaa'' was an overall box office failure.The film ''Jilla'' released in 2014 and ended up being a box office hit. Vijay again worked with AR Murugadoss in the action thriller ''Kaththi''. The film was released to critical acclaim. The ''Los Angeles Times'' 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. ''Puli'' received mixed reviews from critics, In 2015, the fairy tale fantasy film ''Puli'' was released, directed by Chimbu Deven. ''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 distribution rights were sold for 100 crore. Since director Deven is a cartoonist, the film's half-demon theme was partially based on the Japanese anime manga series ''Inuyasha'', similar to which Vijay played a "Tiger-demon" with tiger's teeth and blue eyes. ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' stated Vijay excels as a "Tiger-demon" in the film. ''IB Times'' reported that ''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 ''Bairavaa'' 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 and released on Diwali of 2017. 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 in 2018. The film won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the same event. The film was Vijay's third to be released in China after ''Kaavalan'' (2011) and ''Puli'' (2015). The film was also screened at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea.In 2018 the political film ''Sarkar'' was released with Vijay in the lead role, directed by AR Murugadoss. Keerthi Suresh played the female supporting role, this 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 within two days. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' 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'' 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 characters 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 and Jordan. In 2020, ''Bigil'' was the first Tamil film re-released in Germany. ''Master'' was originally scheduled to be released on 9 April 2020, however, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released on 13 January 2021 in theatres. ''Master'' was the highest-grossing film in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a box office collection of $1.4 million within two days, surpassing the Hollywood releases ''Wonder Woman 1984'' and ''Tenet'' within the same country. It was the first Indian film to periodically hold the number one spot globally for its year. The film was screened at the International Film Festival of Alberta, Canada. Upon release, it received mixed to positive 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 was declared a box office hit. The combined gross earnings of ''Mersal'', ''Sarkar'', ''Bigil'' and ''Master'' were determined to be over 1000 crore according to trade analysts.The dark comedy action film ''Beast'' was 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 stoic multifaced tiger with a multifaceted avatar". ''Beast'' was the highest grossing Tamil film in US premiere shows. ''Beast'' broke box office collection records in the international markets of New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. The film was commercially successful, collecting 300 crore worldwide, and was one of the most viewed films on Netflix globally in 2022. It was the first Tamil film released theatrically in Uzbekistan.The action drama film ''Varisu'' was produced by Telugu film producer Dil Raju and directed by Vamshi Paidipally. Thaman S composed the music and background score for the film. ''Varisu'' was released theatrically worldwide on 11 January 2023 to polarizing reviews, while Vijay's meta-comedy acting was identified. ''Varisu'' collected 300 crore at the box office.In 2023, he starred in the action thriller, ''Leo'', playing the titular role directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, marking his second collaboration with him after ''Master''. It released worldwide on 19 October 2023 in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada languages. The film's soundtrack was composed by Anirudh, in his fourth collaboration with Vijay.On 21 May 2023, director Venkat Prabhu and AGS Entertainment announced Vijay's next movie, ''The Greatest of All Time''. The soundtrack will be composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, in his second collaboration with Vijay after two decades. It is set to be released in 2024.

2012–present: Critical success and acclaim

Later in the year, he acted in the action thriller ''Thuppakki'', directed by A. R. Murugadoss. The film became the third Tamil film to gross more than 100 crore domestically and became the most successful film of Vijay's career at the time, grossing over 121 crore. His next film ''Thalaivaa'', directed by A. L. Vijay, was released in August 2013 to mixed reviews. In 2014, he acted in ''Jilla'' which ended up as a box office hit. Vijay starred in the action thriller ''Kaththi'', which received positive reviews and collected 130 crore at the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing Tamil films in 2014.In 2015, he starred in the fantasy film ''Puli'', directed by Chimbu Deven, which received mixed to poor reviews from critics. Despite the reviews, the film was one of the highest-grossing films of 2015. In April 2016, the action-thriller ''Theri'' directed by Atlee released to mixed reviews. It became the second-highest-grossing Tamil film of 2016, grossing over 170 crore. In 2017, the masala film ''Bairavaa'' was released, again to mixed reviews. In 2017, the action thriller ''Mersal'' released, which became a commercial success, becoming the first of Vijay's films to gross over 250 crore. The film won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the National Film Awards UK in 2018 with Vijay earning a nomination for the best acroe. The film was amongst the few films of Vijay to be released in Japan and China with further screening at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea. In 2018, Vijay acted in the political film ''Sarkar'' with Keerthy Suresh, which entered the 100 Crore Club within two days. In 2018, Vijay acted in the political film ''Sarkar'' with Keerthy Suresh, which entered the 100 Crore Club within two days. The film was released in 80 countries and became his second ever film to gross over 250 crore. Vijay acted in a football action film ''Bigil'', which released in 2019. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, Vijay was praised for the portrayal of his character and the film was a commercial success, earning more than 300 crore. It was also the first Tamil film to be released in Egypt and Jordan. In 2021, his next film ''Master'', directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj was released. Upon release, it received mixed to positive reviews from viewers and critics. The film collected over 300 crore worldwide and was declared a box office hit. His next film was the dark comedy action film ''Beast'', which was released theatrically on 13 April 2022 and received mixed reviews from critics. The movie performed well in overseas box office and was commercially successful, collecting more than 300 crore worldwide. It became one of the most viewed films on Netflix globally in 2022.In 2023, Vijay starred in the action drama film ''Varisu'' directed by Vamshi Paidipally. The movie was a commercial hit, grossing over 300 crore at the box office. His next release of 2023 was the action thriller ''Leo'' in which he played the titular role. It received mixed reviews from critics, but went on to become a blockbuster and emerged as one of the highest grossing Indian films of the year with a gross more than 600 crore. His upcoming sci-fi film ''The Greatest of All Time'' which is set to be released in 2024. In February 2024, Vijay announced that he will be doing only one more film, which will be his 69th as a lead actor.

Political career

In 2009, Vijay launched his own fan club ''Vijay Makkal Iyakkam''. The organization supported the AIADMK alliance in the 2011 assembly elections. The organization contested in the local body elections in Tamil Nadu in October 2021, securing victory in 115 out of the 169 contested seats. On 2 February 2024, Vijay announced the launch of his political party, ''Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam''. Political analysts suggested that, the ''TVK'' party might undergo its expansion to other states of India including North in the near future. Vijay deemed CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) 2019 passed by the ruling authority of India as unacceptable as it will disrupt the social religious harmony of the nation.

2003–2010

In late 2003, Vijay starred in the action-romance flick Thirumalai, co-starring Jyothika, directed by debutant Ramana and produced by K. Balachander's Kavithalaya Productions, which featured him in a different way. Thirumalai was considered a turning point in Vijay's career. Udhaya, which began production in 1998 and filming in 2002, but was delayed, was finally released in early 2004. Ghilli, a remake of the Telugu film Okkadu was released next in 2004, and completed 200 days in theatres in Tamil Nadu. Directed by S. Dharani and produced by A. M. Rathnam, it co-starred Trisha and Prakash Raj. Ghilli is the first Tamil film of all time to gross over ₹500 million in the domestic box office. This was the time in which Vijay transformed himself from a romantic hero into an action hero.
It was followed by Madhurey, directed by Ramana Madhesh. In 2005, he starred in debutant Perarasu's Thirupaachi, followed by a guest appearance in his father's Sukran, the romantic comedy Sachien, co-starring Genelia D'Souza, directed by John Mahendran, and Sivakasi, starring Asin, again directed by Perarasu. Vijay's next film Aathi, the remake of Telugu film Athanokkade, was released in early 2006. It is produced by his father S. A. Chandrasekhar and again directed by Ramana. In early 2007, Vijay starred in the gangster film Pokkiri, a remake of the Telugu film of the same name. Directed by Prabhu Deva, it became the third highest grossing Tamil film of 2007. Pokkiri is the first Tamil film of all-time to complete a 100-day theatrical run in Kerala. The film received critical acclaim.
In late 2007, Vijay starred in the psychological thriller film Azhagiya Tamil Magan, directed by Bharathan, who made his directional debut with this film. Vijay played a dual role for the first time in his career. He played the roles of both the antagonist and protagonist. The film was only a moderate success at the box office. Vijay was honoured with people's choice Superstar award in 2008 Vijay TV awards ceremony. In 2008, he starred in the action comedy film Kuruvi, again under Dharani's direction, and produced by Red Giant Movies. The year 2009 commenced with the action film Villu, in which Vijay teamed up again with Prabhu Deva and played another dual role. His next film Vettaikaaran, directed by Babusivan and produced by AVM Productions and distributed by Sun Pictures became one of the highest grossing Tamil film of 2009. In 2010, he acted in the action comedy film Sura, also distributed by Sun Pictures. This was Vijay's 50th film.

2011–2016

In early 2011, Vijay joined up with director Siddique again, for the romantic comedy Kaavalan, a Tamil remake of the Malayalam film Bodyguard. It received positive responses from both viewers and critics and was a box office hit. Kaavalan was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China. During Diwali the same year, his next film, the action film Velayudham, directed by M. Raja and produced by Venu Ravichandran was released. Velayudham became one of the top-grossing films of 2011.
Vijay's next release was Nanban, the Tamil remake of the Bollywood film 3 Idiots, where he played the role which was played by Aamir Khan in the original. Directed by S. Shankar, it was released during the Pongal weekend of 2012 and emerged a major financial success. Nanban was screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia. Vijay's performance in the film was praised by critics, including leading Indian actor Kamal Haasan. Nanban went on to complete 100 days theatrical run. He made a special appearance in the 2012 Bollywood film Rowdy Rathore, starring Akshay Kumar and directed by Prabhu Deva.

Vijay's next film, the action thriller Thuppakki, directed by A. R. Murugadoss and produced by S. Dhanu, was released on Diwali 2012 to mostly positive reviews. The film became the third Tamil film to enter the ₹1 billion (US$14 million) club after Sivaji (2007) and Enthiran (2010). Thuppakki became the highest-grossing film of Vijay's career, and the first of his films to gross over ₹1,800,000,000. His next film Thalaivaa, directed by A. L. Vijay, was released on 9 August 2013 worldwide and had a delayed release in Tamil Nadu. His next film Jilla, co-starring Kajal Aggarwal and Mohanlal, and directed by R. T. Neason, was released on a Pongal weekend in 2014 and ended up as a box office hit.
Vijay again worked with AR Murugadoss in the action thriller Kaththi, co-starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Neil Nitin Mukesh and produced by Ayngaran International, which was released on Diwali 2014 to mostly positive reviews. He played a dual role for the third time. It was the highest grossing Tamil film of 2014. In 2015, the fairy tale fantasy film Puli was released. His next film, the action-thriller Theri, directed by Atlee, co-starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Amy Jackson and Produced by S. Dhanu, was released in April 2016 to positive reviews. Theri is the highest-grossing film of 2016 and his second film to gross over ₹1,720,000,000.

Personal life

Vijay married Sangeetha, a Sri Lankan Tamil on 25 August 1999. They have two children: a son Sanjay who briefly appeared alongside his father in ''Vettaikaaran'', and a daughter Divya who appeared in her father's ''Theri''., Vijay's net worth is over 420 crore. Vijay earned a 100 crore salary for ''Beast'' and also earned an estimated 120 crore—150 crore for ''Varisu''. In 2023, he reportedly received a 200 crore salary, becoming one of the top paid actors in India.On 5 February 2020, the Income Tax Department raided Vijay's residence in Chennai on potential tax evasion and his investments in immovable properties. Later, the officials stated that nothing significant was found during the raid. 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 car that was imported from the United Kingdom and imposed a fine of 1 lakh. On 27 July 2021, a two-judge bench of Madras High court stayed the earlier order. On 25 January 2022, the court dismissed the critical statements made by the earlier judge and on 15 July 2022, the court declared that no fine shall be imposed.

2017–present

His next, the masala film Bairavaa, directed by Bharathan, co-starring Keerthy Suresh and produced by Vijaya Productions was released in January 2017. His next film, the action-thriller Mersal, directed by Atlee, co-starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kajal Aggarwal and Nithya Menen and produced by Sri Thenandal Films was released in late 2017. Vijay played a triple role in the film, Mersal, which became the first of his films to gross over ₹2.5 billion. Mersal was also released in Japan in four major cities Tokyo, Ebina, Osako and Nakaya. For his role in Mersal, Vijay was nominated at the National Film Awards UK in 2018 and also the film won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the National Film Awards UK. Mersal was his second film to release in China after Kaavalan (2011). Mersal was screened at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea. His next film, the action film Sarkar directed by A R Murugadoss and produced by Sun Pictures released on Diwali 2018. The football action film Bigil (2019), Vijay's third collaboration with Atlee, was the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2019. It also became the highest-grossing film of Vijay's career.