Thalapathy Vijay is today one of the biggest superstars in South Indian cinema commanding one of the highest salaries and enjoying the fan following of millions from toddlers to senior citizens. His early life was not one of a bed of roses and his father S.A. Chandrasekar has revealed an interesting episode in their lives how the family got their first car.

SAC in a book written about his life has stated that even after directing three films in the eighties he only had a scooter and one day was travelling on the Kodambakkam bridge with wife Shobha and son Vijay. A car then stopped in front of him and it was the superstar of the times Jaishankar who asked him to come to his house immediately.

When SAC had gone to Jai's house the legendary actor expressed that he felt bad that he was traveling with Shobha and Vijay on a scooter and asked him to take one of his cars. When the director hesitated to do so saying he did not have the money Jaishankar insisted that he take it for free but when he couldn't convince him told him to pay whenever he can.

The red Ambassador car with number 7121 that SAC took from Jaishankar's house was the first car in which Thalapathy Vijay and family traveled. A thankful Chandrasekhar stated that he was floored by the concern of the Makkal Kalaigniar as Jai was known and he paid the car's worth money in installments.

Jaishankar reigned as the superstar of Tamil cinema after the MGR-Sivaji era and before the Rajini-Kamal period and was much loved by the audience till his death in 2000. His death anniversary fell on June 3rd and many who have known him including Chitra Lakshmanan, Parthiban, Radhika Sarathkumar and others continue to laud him as one of the best human beings ever in Tamil cinema.