Amid Vijay vs Ajith debate, Varisu star reveals his true rival: ‘He was the reason for my growth’

At the Varisu audio launch, Vijay spoke about his formidable competitor. The actor got everyone to wonder who he was talking about. For a minute, everyone assumed that he was referring to his contemporary Ajith Kumar.

By: Entertainment Desk

Bengaluru | Updated: January 3, 2023 01:38 PM IST

3 min read

Vijay will be seen next in Varisu.

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Tamil superstar Vijay was in his element while speaking at the audio launch of his upcoming movie Varisu. The event took place a couple of weeks ago. However, it was televised on Sunday to coincide with the New Year celebration.

Vijay enthralled his fans with his speech, which was, as always, the equivalent of reading a self-help Twitter thread. He advised his fans to treat everyone with kindness and respect and not indulge in any form of discrimination on the grounds of caste and religion. He also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to his fans for “chiselling” him into the star he’s today.

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In his closing remarks, Vijay spoke about his formidable competitor. The actor got everyone to wonder who he was talking about. For a minute, everyone assumed that he was referring to his contemporary Ajith Kumar.

“In the 1990s, an actor was formed to challenge me. He became a serious competitor to me. I also started fearing him and his competition. Wherever I went, he came there. He was the reason for my growth (as an actor). I also kept competing to overtake him,” Vijay said, drawing everyone to the edge.

Ajith was an obvious guess because he also entered the film industry in the 1990s and both he and Vijay peaked around the same time. Tamil cinema is currently buzzing with a heated argument over who’s the bigger star between Ajith and Vijay. Many wondered whether Vijay was going to do a Kamal Haasan. A long time ago, Kamal credited Rajinikanth for keeping him on his toes and motivating him to run faster. But, Vijay added the twist at the end.

“A competitor like that should also be in your life. The year my competitor was born was 1992. His name is Joseph Vijay. Anybody who aspires to succeed should have a competitor and that competitor must be you. You don’t have to see others as your enemy or competition. If you do, you won’t know what your true potential is. Compete with yourself, only that makes you better. Be your own competition,” Vijay added, in a way clearing that he doesn’t have any bad blood with his contemporaries.

Varisu is set to clash at the box office with Ajith’s Thunivu, ergo the debate about who’s the bigger star between the two. Both films will open in cinemas during the Pongal holiday.

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