Vijay Sethupathi | |
---|---|
![]() Sethupathi in 2024 | |
Born | Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu [1] 16 January 1978 [2] Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India |
Other names | Makkal Selvan [3] |
Alma mater | Dhanraj Baid Jain College |
Occupations | |
Years active | 2006–present [4] |
Works | Full list |
Spouse | Jessie (m. 2003) |
Children | 2 |
Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu (born 16 January 1978) is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil films. [5] [6] Sethupathi is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards South and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
Following a stint as an NRI accountant in Dubai, Sethupathi started his film career working as a background actor and initially played minor supporting roles before his first lead role in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010). In 2012, he rose to fame with Sundarapandian , Pizza and Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom . [7] [8]
Sethupathi established himself as a successful actor with films such as Soodhu Kavvum (2013), Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara (2013), Pannaiyarum Padminiyum (2014), Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum (2016), Iraivi (2016), Vikram Vedha (2017), '96 (2018), Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018), Petta (2019), Master (2021), Vikram (2022), Viduthalai Part 1 (2023), Viduthalai Part 2 (2024), Jawan (2023) and Maharaja (2024). [9] For playing a trans woman in Super Deluxe (2019), he won the National Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu was born on 16 January 1978 and was raised in Rajapalayam until he moved to Chennai in 6th class. [10] He lived in Ennore located in North Chennai. He attended the MGR Higher Secondary School in Kodambakkam and Little Angels Mat. Hr. Sec. School. [10] According to Sethupathi, he was a "below-average student right from school" and was neither interested in sports nor extra-curricular activities. [4] [11] At age 16, he auditioned for a role in Nammavar (1994), but was rejected due to his short height. [12]
Sethupathi did a series of odd jobs for pocket money: salesman at a retail store, cashier at a fast food joint and a phone booth operator. [10] He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Dhanraj Baid Jain College (an affiliate of the University of Madras) in Thoraipakam. [11] A week after he finished college, he joined as an account assistant at a wholesale cement business. [10] He had to take care of three siblings and moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates as an accountant because it paid him four times more than what he was making in India. While in Dubai, he met his future-wife, Jessie, online. The two dated, eventually marrying in 2003. [10]
Unhappy with his job, he returned to India in 2003. [13] [14] After a brief stint in the interior decoration business with friends, he joined a marketing company that dealt with readymade kitchens when he saw Koothu-P-Pattarai's poster. [10] He recalled director Balu Mahendra remarking that he had a "very photogenic face", [13] and motivated him to pursue an acting career; however he never cast Sethupathi in his films. [15]
He subsequently joined the Chennai-based theatre group Koothu-P-Pattarai as an accountant and actor where he observed actors from close quarters. [14] [16] He made his beginnings as a background actor, particularly playing the role of the lead character's friend in a few films. [4] He also acted in television series, including the well-known series Penn that began in March 2006, [17] as well as several short films as part of the television show Nalaya Iyakunar for Kalaignar TV. [14] He worked with Karthik Subbaraj on many short films, who later cast him in his first feature film, [4] subsequently garnering him the Best Actor award for one of his films at the Norway Tamil Film Festival short film competition. [18] [19]
Sethupathi accompanied a group of actors who went to director Selvaraghavan's studio to audition for his gangster film Pudhupettai (2006) and was selected to play Dhanush's friend in the film. [14] After making an appearance in Prabu Solomon's Lee (2007), [20] he was cast by director Suseenthiran in minor supporting roles in his first two projects, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009) and Naan Mahaan Alla (2010). Sethupathi would later credit Suseenthiran with having had an "important role in helping him realise his dreams". [14] In 2010, he was associated with a Tamil-Kannada bilingual film called Akhaada . While he was selected to play the lead in the Tamil version, the director offered him the antagonistic role in its Kannada version. However, the film did not see a theatrical release. [14] Director Seenu Ramasamy identified Sethupathi's talent during the audition of his film and Sethupathi landed his first lead role in Ramasamy's drama film Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010), [21] in which he portrayed a shepherd, [22] [23] [24] [25] the film went on to win three National Film Awards [26] including the prize for the Best Tamil Feature Film of that year. [27] He played a man from a lower class in Varnam (2011). [28]
2012 marked a turning point in Sethupathi's career; [7] [29] all his three releases were critical and commercial successes, resulting in a rise in his popularity. [30] [31] He was first seen in a negative role in Sundarapandian which featured M. Sasikumar in the lead role, [32] and then played the lead roles in the directorial debuts of Karthik Subbaraj and Balaji Tharaneetharan, the thriller film Pizza and the comedy entertainer Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom , respectively. He enacted the role of Michael, a delivery boy in the former and a young man named Prem who sustains short-term memory loss two days before his marriage in the latter, with his performance in both films being praised by critics. [33] [34] Malini Mannath from The New Indian Express in her review of Pizza wrote: "Sethupathy, a delight to watch, carries the entire film on his shoulders. His voice perfectly modulated, he proves his versatility and acumen to handle any role. Michael's nightmarish experience, and his fear and horror when he's trapped in the mansion, is perfectly conveyed by the actor". [35] His performance in Pizza earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. With regard to Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, The Times of India reviewer M. Suganth cited that Sethupathi "continues his superb show from Pizza conveying Prem's peculiar condition with vacant stares and amusing pauses between his lines", further noting: "That he never makes the character's repetitive dialogues irritating is a proof of his terrific timing". [36] According to a survey published by BBC Tamil, Pizza and Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom claimed the first two spots in list of Best Films, [37] and both films competed at the 2013 Norway Tamil Film Festival, [38] while Sethupathi won two awards, one for each film, at the Edison Awards and the Big FM Tamil Entertainment Awards. [39] [40]
By the end of the year, Indiaglitz.com named Sethupathi as one of 2012's best Tamil actors, [41] and called him "the rising star of Kollywood" [41] whilst film critic Baradwaj Rangan stated that Sethupathi had become "[...] sort of [an] indie-film star, the first ever in Tamil cinema". [42]
In 2013, he was first seen in the crime comedy Soodhu Kavvum that saw him playing the role of a forty-year-old kidnapper. The film opened to extremely positive reviews and became a huge box office success. Malini Mannath from The New Indian Express in her review wrote: "It's laudable that the actor doesn't hesitate to take a role that has him playing a 40-year-old man, greying and with a paunch". [43] The Times of India reviewer N. Venkateswaran cited that "His knack of choosing good roles and working with new directors brimming with ideas will stand him in good stead, as also the work he puts in to portray each character. He put on weight and grew a beard to play Das, and the look fits him to a 'T'". [44] His next release was Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara , directed by Gokul. It was met with positive reviews by critics and Vijay Sethupathi's performance was highly praised. Haricharan Pudipeddi from The New Indian Express in his review wrote: "Vijay Sethupathi has become a darling of the masses. Scene after scene, the audience hoots and cheers for him in unison." [45] Rediff reviewer S.Saraswathi cited that "His greatest strength lies in being able to counter the stereotypical image of heroes in commercial cinema today. In every film, we see him in a completely different avatar, and his latest film is no different. Vijay Sethupathi seems to have the knack of choosing the right role and script and he effortlessly slips into his character as Kumar." [46] Behindwoods stated that Sethupathi "has done it yet again, raising his pennant higher, making himself more visible to his fervent fans. The depth in his innocence and the foolhardiness in his love are a couple of things that stand tall in the character he plays, and Vijay Sethupathi has pulled it off in grand style.". [47]
In 2014, his films Rummy and Pannaiyarum Padminiyum were released, both directed by debutants. [48] Pannaiyarum Padminiyum , based on its same-titled short film, revolved around an old man and his vintage car Premier Padmini, with Sethupathi starring as its chauffeur. [49] The film opened to predominantly positive reviews from critics and is the only Tamil film which has been selected to be screened at the 19th International Film Festival of Kerala. [50] The same year Akhaada resurfaced in the media as it was being dubbed into Tamil as Edakku by its makers, to profit from Sethupathi's popularity in Tamil Nadu. [51] The film was being promoted as a Sethupathi film, with the actor being prominently featured in the posters, although he had only a minor role in it, and Sethupathi stated that the audience would feel cheated after seeing the film, if it was promoted this way. [52] He was next seen in the action drama Vanmam directed by debutant Jaikrishna. Though the film was met with average reviews, Sethupathi's performance was praised by critics. Malini Mannath from The New Indian Express in his review wrote : "It's Vijay Sethupathi's film the whole way. The actor renders a power packed performance, capturing each nuance of the character with precision and understanding". [53] Behindwoods stated that the stand out element in the film is Vijay Sethupathi, who has managed to attach his performance to the nativity of the location to the best of his ability. The actor scores effortlessly in some portions, one of them being the scene where he breaks into Kreshna's house under the influence of alcohol. [54]
In 2015, he was first seen in the political thriller Purampokku Engira Podhuvudamai directed by S. P. Jananathan. It was met with positive reviews by critics and Sethupathi's performance was highly praised. The Times of India reviewer M. Suganth cited that "Vijay Sethupathi redeems everything with a sensitive performance.Balusamy might be the film's central character, but it is Yamalingam who is its beating heart." [55] Rediff reviewer S.Saraswathi cited that "Vijay Sethupathi, as a tormented soul loath to pull the lever that will release the trapdoor and take a life, is perhaps the best." [56] In July 2015, his first movie as producer Orange Mittai directed by Biju Viswanath got released and met with positive reviews by the critics and entertainment portals. He was next seen in the rom-com Naanum Rowdy Dhaan directed by Vignesh Shivan which became his highest-grossing movie until date. [57]
In 2016, he was first seen in the police action thriller Sethupathi directed by S. U. Arunkumar. Sethupathi received praise for his performance. Vishal Menon of The Hindu said that it was a good thriller and a better family drama. [58] Latha Srinivasan of DNA wrote that there were no loud over-the-top dialogues and punchlines that were typical of all on-screen cops in Tamil films and Vijay Sethupathi outshone many other Kollywood heroes as the cop. [59] Malini Mannath of The New Indian Express wrote that, "It is another feather in the cap for Vijay Sethupathi, who is revealing his versatility yet again as he handles his role with remarkable understanding." [60] Anupama Subramaniam of Deccan Chronicle wrote that, "Sethupathi's moves are full of energy and enthusiasm and his impeccable dialogue delivery is a treat to watch." [61] He was next seen in the romantic comedy Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum by Nalan Kumaraswamy. [62] His next release was Iraivi followed by Dharma Durai by Seenu Ramasamy, [63] [64] Aandavan Kattalai and Rekka . [65] [66] [67] He was nicknamed Makkal Selvan (lit. people's man) by Seenu Ramasamy [68] while filming Dharma Durai, and has been popularly known by that since. [69] His next release was the long delayed mystery-thriller Puriyatha Puthir . Then, he appeared in the rural drama Karuppan directed by R. Panneerselvam. In 2017, he appeared in the neo-noir action thriller film Vikram Vedha in the lead role alongside Madhavan, which earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. [70]
In 2018, his first release was Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren directed by Arumugakumar. [71] Then, he acted in the action comedy Junga which was directed by Gokul and was produced by Sethupathi. [72] He then appeared in Mani Ratnam's multi-starrer Chekka Chivantha Vaanam . [73] He then starred in C. Prem Kumar's romantic drama '96 alongside Trisha which released a week after the release of Chekka Chivantha Vaanam. [74] '96 earned him his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. He then acted in the Balaji Tharaneetharan-directorial Seethakaathi , [75] Thiagarajan Kumararaja's Super Deluxe and has acted in a negative role in Karthik Subbaraj's Petta alongside Rajinikanth. [76] [77] During the second half of 2019, he made his Malayalam and Telugu debuts with Maarconi Mathaai and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy , respectively. [78] [79]
In 2019, Film Companion ranked Sethupathi's performance in Aandavan Kattalai and Super Deluxe among the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade. [80] His performance in the latter won him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2020, he starred in Ka Pae Ranasingam starring Aishwarya Rajesh. [81] In October 2020, it was announced that Sethupathi would play the lead role of Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan in the biopic titled 800. Sethupathi later announced that he was opting out of the film on Muralitharan's request after political controversy regarding the role. [82]
In 2021, Sethupathi appeared in Lokesh Kanagaraj's film Master alongside Vijay. He then appeared in the Telugu film Uppena , which was written and directed by Bucchi Babu Sana. [83] After Uppena, Sethupathi appeared in three films in the month of September in 2021, Laabam , Tughlaq Durbar and Annabelle Sethupathi . [84] He appeared in Mughizh in which his daughter makes her debut. [85] Sethupathi also starred in Vetrimaaran's Tamil film Viduthalai Part 1 . [86]
As of October 2021 he is the host of MasterChef India – Tamil, which started on 7 August 2021 on Sun TV Network. [87]
In 2022, Vijay Sethupathi appeared in the drama film Kadaisi Vivasayi directed by M. Manikandan. [88] Following, the romantic comedy Vignesh Shivan's Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal with Nayanthara and Samantha. [89] After Master , Vijay Sethupathi again got a villain role in Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial Vikram starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role. Vijay Sethupathi played a drug dealer. [90] Vikram broke several box office records and officially became one of the highest grossing films in Tamil Nadu. [91] Vijay Sethupathi and his mentor Seenu Ramasamy have combined for the fourth time to deliver the family emotion packed Maamanithan . [92] Vijay Sethupathi acted in Malayalam movie 19(1)(a) starring with Nithya Menen and was released by streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar. [93] In December, his action comedy DSP was released to negative reviews. [94] In 2023, Vijay Sethupathi appeared in Jawan starring Shah Rukh Khan and Nayanthara in the lead role. Sethupathi played as an arms dealer, which was significantly praised by critics and the audience. [95]
In 2014, Chennai Mayopathy Institute of Muscular Dystrophy and Research Center organized a rally on 3 August at Marina Beach to raise awareness on Muscular Dystrophy. Sethupathi has taken part in the rally along with actresses Gayathrie and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar. [96] [97] Sethupathi met Chief minister of Tamil Nadu M.K Stalin on 15 June 2021 and donated ₹25 lakhs as part of the Corona relief fund. [98]
Sethupathi has three siblings, one elder brother, one younger brother and one younger sister. [10] He returned from Dubai in 2003 to marry his girlfriend, Jessie, whom he had met and dated online. [10] They have two children, a son Surya and a daughter Shreeja. [99] He named his son Surya in the remembrance of his friend who died during his school days. Surya made his acting debut playing the younger version of Sethupathi in Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015). [100] Surya appeared with his father again in Sindhubaadh (2019). [101]
Sethupathi's performance in Aandavan Kattalai and Super Deluxe is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" by Film Companion. [102] He was named the "Top Tamil Actor", by Rediff.com in 2013, 2016 and 2017. [103] [104] [105]
In 2020, Vijay Sethupathi was set to portray the role of Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan in a biopic titled 800 . The controversy surrounding Vijay Sethupathi's role in a biopic about Muttiah Muralitharan stemmed from the cricketer's support for the Sri Lankan Government and his political statements. Muralitharan, of Tamil descent, played cricket during the Eelam War, leading to debates within the Tamil community. Supporters of the film argued for recognizing Muralitharan's cricketing achievements. [106]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amar Choudary, known professionally as Jiiva, is an Indian actor and film producer who works mainly in Tamil cinema and a few Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. He is the youngest son of film producer R. B. Choudary.
The Vijay Award for Best Actor is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films. It was given from the second ceremony onwards. Dhanush and Vikram are the most award winners with 2 awards each.
Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, abbreviated as NKPK, is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language black comedy film, written and directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan in his directorial debut. Produced by V. S. Rajkumar under the studio Leo Vision, it was distributed by J. Satish Kumar under his banner JSK Film Corporation. It stars Vijay Sethupathi and Gayathrie, as well as debutants Vigneshwaran Palanisamy, Bagavathi Perumal, and Rajkumar. The plot is based on a true story that involves a young man who experiences retrograde amnesia after a cricket incident two days before his wedding.
Pizza is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language horror thriller film written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj. The film stars Vijay Sethupathi and Remya Nambeesan, with Aadukalam Naren, Karunakaran, Jayakumar, Pooja Ramachandran, and Bobby Simha in supporting roles. The story is about how a pizza delivery man lands in a mysterious predicament, and how it affects his life.
Balaji Tharaneetharan is an Indian film director. He made directorial debut with 2012 comedy film Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom that released on 30 November 2012 to highly positive reviews from critics.
Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara, also referred to as iDhaaba or simply Balakumara, is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film, written and directed by Gokul. Produced by Leo Visions, the film stars Vijay Sethupathi, Ashwin, Swathi, Nandita, and Pasupathy. It was released on 2 October 2013. The film received positive reviews from critics and became a success. It was remade in Kannada as Jackson (2015).
Gayathrie Shankar is an Indian actress who appears in Tamil and Malayalam films. Her Tamil film debut was in 2012 with 18 Vayasu, and she is best known for her role in Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (2012). She had her Malayalam film debut with Nna Thaan Case Kodu (2022).
Vanmam (transl. Vengeance) is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Jai Krishna, a former assistant of Kamal Haasan. It stars Vijay Sethupathi, Kreshna and Sunaina. The film has music scored by S. Thaman and cinematography by Balabharani. It is a rural tale about the life of two friends, played by Sethupathi and Kreshna. In spite of expectations the movie didn't perform well at the box office. The film was highly panned by the critics for its poor screenplay.
Bagavathi Perumal, popularly known as Bucks, is an Indian actor, who has worked in Tamil films. Perumal debuted in Balaji Tharaneetharan's critically acclaimed Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (2012). Bagavathi has since appeared in pivotal roles in films including Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavaanikalum (2014), Naalu Policeum Nalla Irundha Oorum (2015), Pichaikkaran (2016) and Super Deluxe (2019).
Rajakumar is an Indian actor, who has worked in Tamil films. Rajakumar debuted in Balaji Tharaneetharan's critically acclaimed Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (2012), Rajakumar has since appeared in pivotal roles in films including Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham (2013) and Naalu Policeum Nalla Irundha Oorum (2015).
Siddharth Vipin is an Indian composer, who mainly produces film scores and soundtracks in the Tamil film industry. He recently married Shriya Mohandas.
Vijay Sethupathi is an Indian actor who works mainly in Tamil films. He has also worked in a few Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. He began his career in 1996 by playing small uncredited roles in films, before his first lead role in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010), under Seenu Ramasamy's direction. 2012 marked a turning point in Sethupathi's career; all his three releases were critical and commercial successes, resulting in a rise in his popularity.
R. K. Suresh is an Indian film producer and actor in Tamil cinema, who heads the production company, Studio 9. In 2015, Suresh debuted as an actor, working in Bala's Tharai Thappattai and M. Muthaiah's Marudhu. He is currently the vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Tamil Nadu OBC wing.
Super Deluxe is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja, and additional screenplay written by Nalan Kumarasamy, Neelan K. Sekar and Mysskin. Produced by Tyler Durden and Kino Fist, Alchemy Vision Works, and East West Dream Work Entertainment, the film stars Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Ramya Krishnan. As a hyperlink film, it revolves around four groups of individuals who find themselves in the most unexpected predicaments, each poised to experience their destiny, all on one fateful day.
Vikram Vedha is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Pushkar–Gayathri and produced by YNOT Studios. The film, which is inspired by the Indian folktale Baital Pachisi, stars R. Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi in titular roles, alongside Shraddha Srinath, Kathir, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Prem, Achyuth Kumar, Hareesh Peradi and Vivek Prasanna. In the film, Inspector Vikram sets out to track down and kill Vedha, a gangster. After voluntarily surrendering himself, Vedha tells Vikram three stories which change his perceptions of good and evil.
96 is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by C. Prem Kumar in his directorial debut. Produced by S. Nanthagopal of Madras Enterprises, the film was distributed by Lalit Kumar under his banner, Seven Screen Studio. Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan are in the prominent roles as Ram and Jaanu, while newcomers Gouri G. Kishan and Aadithya Bhaskar played the younger versions. The film also stars an ensemble cast including Bagavathi Perumal, Devadarshini, Aadukalam Murugadoss, and others. The film revolves around the reunion of former students from the batch of 1996, twenty-two years after their graduation. The reunion also serves as an opportunity for two former lovers, Ram and Jaanu, to resolve issues surrounding their separation.
Seethakaathi is a 2018 Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Balaji Tharaneetharan, starring Vijay Sethupathi in his 25th lead role in a film. The film began production in April 2017. Upon release the film received very positive reviews from critics but they criticised the runtime of the film.
Maamanithan is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Seenu Ramasamy and produced by Yuvan Shankar Raja under his YSR Films banner. The film stars Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathrie, Guru Somasundaram, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Anikha Surendran, Jewel Mary, and Shaji Chen. In addition, Yuvan composed the soundtrack of this film along with his father Ilaiyaraaja. The cinematography and editing were handled by M. Sukumar and A. Sreekar Prasad.
Kwatle Satisha is a 2014 Indian Kannada-language comedy film directed by Mahesh Rao and starring Sathish Ninasam, Chikkanna, Anand, Suri, and Sonia Gowda. It is a remake of the Tamil film Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom (2012).
Raaghavan, also credited as Master Raghavan, is an Indian child actor who works in Tamil and Telugu language films. His debut was in the 2016 movie, Sethupathi, with Vijay Sethupathi. His performances have received positive reviews in several of his films
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Vijay Sethupathi has also been critically acclaimed for playing the role of the antagonist