The Tamil actor who has been in the industry since the early 90s has won countless hearts while going through many hardships. The actor who was once mocked for his talent and looks managed to emerge as a superstar who inspires many even today.
Here we are celebrating the 50th birthday of Thalapathy Vijay, an actor who stole millions of hearts with his endeavours on and off screen.
Thalapathy Vijay: An entertainer for the ages
Born as Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar on June 22, 1974, the actor began his career as a child artiste, appearing in his father SA Chandrasekhar’s films such as Vettri and Kudumbam. However, the actor’s feature film debut came in 1992 with the film Naalaiya Theerpu, a vigilante action film.
However, his debut film turned out to be a box office bomb, leading a magazine to criticise the actor, asking, “Should we pay money to see this face in a theatre?” Despite the poor turnout of his debut film, the actor once again came to the forefront of Tamil cinema, but now with the help of the late Tamil superstar Captain Vijayakanth in the film Senthoorpandi.
The young actor’s public appeal and presence in the film had a unique impact on the film and Vijay’s career. The romantic action film managed to become a commercial hit and became a true start for the actor’s career.
Over the next few years, he acted in several films that either failed or were average at the box office, until 1996 when he appeared in the film Poove Unakkaga. Directed by Vikraman, the film gave the actor his first blockbuster film, which solidified his career as a lead hero.
The success of Poove Unakkaga increased the actor’s popularity, which was followed by several commercial hits in his career and even brought him critically acclaimed roles in Kadhalukku Mariyadhai and Thulladha Manamum Thullum. The box office hits and good earnings gave the actor the opportunity to become a viable artiste, but it was still a step behind his rise to superstardom.
However, it was not until 2004 that Thalapathy Vijay acted in Gilli, the Tamil remake of Okkadu, which catapulted his career to stardom. His image and popularity as a leading actor grew rapidly, breaking several box office records by that time.
Watch the trailer of Ghilli:
The following years of the actor’s career were filled with commercially viable films like Thirupaachi, Sivakasi and Pokkiri. After this, the actor worked in several films that were neither commercially successful nor critical, leaving everyone doubting whether his magic was over.
However, those who once thought so were proven wrong when the actor broke his own image once again with his 2012 action thriller film, Thuppakki. The film, directed by AR Murugadoss, once again managed to showcase the actor’s worth as an entertainer, adopting a stylish and character-driven persona that eventually marked the beginning of his superstardom.
Watch the trailer of Thuppakki:
Even though the actor had to face many problematic situations after this, his support and craze among fans increased more than ever.
Thalapathy Vijay’s future in cinema
Thalapathy Vijay is undoubtedly one of the most profitable and successful contemporary actors ever in Indian cinema. However, despite being at the peak of his career, the actor had recently announced his intention to put a halt to his cinema life, inadvertently making his 69th film, which is reportedly the last.
The actor is currently in the final stages of his next release The Greatest of All Time aka The Goat, with the superstar playing his role as a political leader. Even though fans are waiting for his last cinematic venture, the actor has given countless memories in the cinema halls that most will cherish for a lifetime. Here’s wishing a superstar on his 50th birthday!
Check out the best birthday photos ever:
