“When I get to you, I will kill you” says the terrorist, as usual calm and serenely “I am waiting” says Jagdish. The extent of thunderous applause that broke the theatres all over Tamil Nadu and we dare say wherever the movie was played the response was phenomenal. It’s not just because the racy plot required a dialogue that defined the heroism, but it was because who it came from. Merely to say, he is Tamil Cinema’s “ILAYATHALAPATHY”. Come June 22, he turns 39 after chipping in twenty years of grandiose showbiz to Tamil Cinema.

The Man he is:

Before Thirumalai he was a man synonymous for “Love” and most of his movies were Cupid smitten, for instance after his “KadhalukuMariyathai” broke numerous records, he was the most sought romantic actor. And he did marry the love of his life Sangeetha and their love was blessed with a son and a daughter. For an actor who appears kicked and always energized in his movies, he is very calm and serene in real life, little known to his private circle on what a wonderful human he is. Not often do we see Vijay being ridiculed to any gossips unlike so many other lead actors, he has always been media shy and has never been in a spot of bother too. Through his massive fan base he has continued to reach out to the poor and needy for quite a long time, and he has also claimed that his sortie into politics is to do something for the people.

Initial hiccups:

As a child artist he did have some acting experience up his sleeve; however his debut was “NaalayaTheerpu” directed by his father. Though the movie was written off as a flop by the critics, Vijay’s acting was no rookie stuff and he clearly had promising signs. He had a string of movies that did some average outing at the BO, but mostly because of sharing screen with other actors or so. However the little actor in Vijay was slowly making heads turn.

Rise to Stardom:

Through the years of 1992 – 1996 he had a run-of-the-mill kind of movies that neither bombed at the box office, nor went on as smashing blockbusters; however he groomed himself as someone ready to hit the road for a longer run. His breakthrough came in the form of “PooveUnakaga”, directed by Vikraman, the movie set pace for Vijay as an actor whom the family audience could relate to. His charming comical sense was inevitable to go unnoticed and that paved way for more movies to come.

Then on, the romcom genre appealed to him quite well and he went on to be a part of commercially successful films like “Once more” with legendary Sivaji Ganesan, “ NerukuNer”, “Love Today”. The cult movie “KadhalukuMariyathai” which pelted the box office for a long long time cementedthe way for Vijay’s rise to stardom. Post this movie there was no looking back and he went on to sign up an array of movies that redefined his acting career.

The Actor:

Versatility is one apt word to describe him, as the complete circle he brings about in being an actor is very much present in him. And why?Let’s ponder thoroughly:

Vijay the rib tickler:

Probably one of the reasons why the family audiences still consider him as their favorite actor, all owing to his amazing comic sense. Very few actors in Kollywood today have that incredible witty sagacity; Vijay for sure is one of them. Comedy was an integral part of him from the very beginning of his career, for instance “Coimbatore Mapillai” had him sporting a local connect with all that “nakkals” & “nayandi”.

Not to leave out his signature sarcastic remark “naa”! To this day he has used it extensively be it a scene bundled with humor or a racy action sequence. Yet another actor who does not lean on a comedian to bring out cracking wits to impress the audience, he can single handedly fit the roles of an entertainer with par comedy. To quote a few movies “Friends”, “Vasseegara”, “Kushi” etc all these movies were not strangled just with plots and subplots, but they had Vijay revealing his funny side easily.

Vijay the Dance phantom:

So who else is not impressed by his dancing? Who? No one! The grace and glam that he brings to the songs with his dancing is just worth the money! He is the darling of every single choreographer he has ever worked with, to start with in Kollywood’s Raju Sundaram to Bollywood’s “Farah Khan” it’s garlands all the way.

To name a few would never do justice to his dancing, however we are tempted to quote his modish dancing in “Pokkiri”, “Tamizhan”, “Thirumalai”, “AzhagiyeTamizhMagan” and even in the latest “Thuppakki”. The striking feature about his dance is the elegance that just illustrates the whole sequence to a perennial level. Vijay’s favorite dance partner has been Simran, and they both have given some “Shake a leg” numbers, oh who can forget “AlthotaBoopathy” !

Vijay the saga to continue tomorrow as well, watch out for more!