‘Thalapathy’ Vijay aka Leo: How the average kid in town became one of the biggest stars of Indian cinema

The ‘Vijay’ brand is not something that came into existence recently; it has been in the making since 1992 when he made his debut as a leading actor in his father SA Chandrasekhar’s film Naalaiya Theerpu, after a couple of roles as a child artist. Despite encountering several setbacks during his illustrious 31-year career, Vijay’s transformation from a budding actor to ‘Ilaya Thalapathy’ and eventually ‘Thalapathy’ has been truly remarkable.

Unravelling the reasons behind his stardom is challenging. Even his dedicated fans struggle to explain why they admire him, though expressing their fondness is effortless. While some credit his dancing abilities, others highlight his comedic timing and mass appeal. A few also attribute his fame to the pertinent themes in his movies. However, since there are numerous actors, particularly in Tamil cinema, who excel in dancing, comedy, charisma, and addressing social issues more boldly, these explanations lack coherence.

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay-starrer Leo hit theatres on October 19. (Image: Seven Screen Studio/Instagram)

Despite being an average actor with a moderate grasp of comedy, decent yet not exceptional dancing skills, and an ability to handle action sequences with modest proficiency, all coupled with a certain level of swagger, how has he emerged as one of the biggest superstars in India today? During our attempts to understand this, we observed that nearly all fans frequently mention two words when describing him: nostalgia and relatability, which make more sense.

Not all, but many of today’s Vijay fans were born in the late ’80s, the ’90s, or later, and grew up watching the actor as they traversed through their childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood. Particularly for those born in the late ’80s and the ’90s, options to watch movies were limited to theatres and TVs, leading many to consume predominantly Indian content in their formative years.

It was during this period that an 18-year-old named Vijay made his entrance, showcasing his youthful charm, holding dumbbells and doing push-ups. However, in contrast to the typical Tamil heroes of that era, he lacked a deep, resonant voice, and his child-like appearance gave the impression that he was attempting to lift weights beyond his capacity. He lacked the conventional qualities of a Tamil hero, leading the film to perform poorly at the box office. Nevertheless, his proficiency in acing action sequences, reminiscent of his idol Rajinikanth, drew attention.

It did not take Vijay long to understand his forte — romance. His very next film, the romantic actioner Sendhoorapandi, again helmed by his father SA Chandrasekhar, extensively utilised Vijay’s stunt abilities and his charm in romantic moments.

Vijay and Keerthana on the sets of Naalaiya Theerpu. Vijay’s father and director SA Chandrasekhar can also be seen. (Express archive photo)

Now, here’s the thing. When the kids of that era laid eyes on Vijay, he stood out from the likes of Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijaykanth, Sathyaraj and others, who were already in their 40s. Vijay was young and adept at acing action sequences, the focal points of most Indian mainstream movies back then. Thus, children developed an affection towards him instantaneously. His appearance, resonating with many South Indian men, also fostered an immediate sense of connection among the youngest audience members.

Moreover, his skilful handling of intense moments, despite being just an average actor, employing innocence in his body language, deeply touched them. Vijay recognised that embodying the persona of a “romantic hero, who endures significant pain, yet is assertive when needed, and possesses a delightful sense of humour” was something he could cash in on. This became his trademark for years to come, evident in various films including Rasigan (1994), Deva (1995), Vasantha Vaasal (1996), Poove Unakkaga (1996), Nerrukku Ner (1997), Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1999), Minsara Kanna (1999), Kushi (2000), Friends (2001), Shahjahan (2001) and many more, making him the ‘Ilam Thendral’ of the industry.

With back-to-back superhits featuring rehashed versions of the same romantic-angry-young-hero archetype, Vijay garnered a substantial fan following. (Express archive photo)

With back-to-back superhits featuring rehashed versions of the same romantic-angry-young-hero archetype, Vijay garnered a substantial fan following. Another factor that played in his favour was that most of his films featured amazing songs. His innate talent in acing scenes featuring playback songs, whether melodies or upbeat numbers, made him effortlessly endearing. Since he started his career at a time when only a few Tamil actors could effortlessly execute dance routines, his movements and flexibility, though not groundbreaking, captivated the viewers.

Now that he had become an indisputable heartthrob, Vijay’s next step was to ascend to stardom. Here, he followed the conventional Tamil hero trajectory, embodying down-to-earth yet larger-than-life characters and infusing them with his distinctive Vijay-ness, such as romance, emotional depth and captivating dance sequences. Bagavathi (2002), Pudhiya Geethai (2003), Thirumalai (2003), Ghilli (2004), Madhurey (2004) and Thirupaachi (2005) played key roles in this endeavour, thus rightfully earning the sobriquet ‘Ilaya Thalapathy’ finally.

Vijay with Jyothika on the sets of Kushi. (Express archive photo)

Additionally, the powerful messages they conveyed and the dialogues tailored to his persona gained widespread acclaim, exemplified by the resounding success of Thamizhan (2002), one of his early films that directly addressed societal issues.

Simultaneously, the depiction of toxic masculinity in his movies, along with the preaching of women on how to be sanskaari naaris, also was received well by the testosterone-driven male audience members.

On the other hand, his ‘simplicity’ in real life, maintaining a low profile when not involved in projects, further endeared him to many, reinforcing the notion that “he is just an ordinary person like us” among the public.

It was Prabhudheva’s Pokkiri (2007) that served as a crowning moment for Vijay. By skillfully intertwining all the elements that defined the ‘Vijay’ brand and amplifying them multiple times in an exhilarating manner, Pokkiri and its success underscored one thing: this average guy is here to stay, quite possibly forever.

With this movie, Vijay became a strong sentiment in the hearts of his fans, mostly in their 20s or late adolescence. This bond was so strong that even his subsequent subpar films such as Kuruvi (2008), Villu (2009) and Sura (2010), which essentially replicated the Pokkiris and Ghillis, though in a less compelling manner, garnered significant initial attention. Vijay’s insistence on exceptional soundtracks also helped such films generate considerable anticipation before their release.

Realising that soundtracks were the biggest USP of his films, Vijay began leveraging audio launch events. Given his limited public presence, these appearances began evolving into festivals for Vijay fans, as he dedicated a significant portion of his speeches to expressing affection and gratitude towards his admirers. His gentle demeanour, coupled with his reserved nature and the perceived affection he held for his fans, inspired his supporters to actively promote his films in their own ways, embracing him as their ‘Annan’ (elder brother).

‘Thalapathy’ Vijay in Atlee’s Mersal. (Image: Actor Vijay/Facebook)

Once he regained momentum with the success of Siddique’s Kaavalan (2011), Vijay’s career trajectory has only seen an upward trend, though his film choices haven’t always been good. The successive triumphs of Velayudham (2011) and Nanban (2012) further fueled his journey, which soared to new heights with the overwhelming success of Thuppakki (2012). His subsequent films essentially revolved around one central theme: how to elevate the celebration of Vijay beyond the previous film. While Thalaivaa (2013) and Jilla (2014) fell short of achieving this, Kaththi (2014) pushed the boundaries significantly. Despite being nonsensical, both Puli (2015) and Bairavaa (2017) managed to be successful, largely owing to the influence of the ‘Vijay’ brand.

Vijay’s perceptive understanding of evolving trends and the diminishing ‘appeal’ of misogyny also started reflecting in his films, particularly noticeable since Atlee’s Theri (2016). There has been a notable shift in the portrayal of female characters, with his movies providing them with more significant roles rather than relegating them to traditional stereotypes. This approach has endeared him further to his fans. While films like Mersal (2017), Sarkar (2018), and Bigil (2019) primarily focused on Vijayness, evoking nostalgia in audiences, each film contributed to the growth of his on-screen persona, amplifying his fans’ admiration, and also paving the way for his speculated political entry.

‘Thalapathy’ Vijay with Trisha in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo.

Consequently, even recent disappointments like Beast (2022) and Varisu (2023) turned into major commercial successes, justifying Atlee’s decision to remove the ‘Ilaya’ from his sobriquet and promote him to the position of ‘Thalapathy’ in Mersal. Thus continues the story of the average kid who became the biggest star Indian cinema has ever seen and is now gearing up to break the opening day worldwide record for any Indian film in 2023, beating Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, which was around Rs 129 crore.

Since Lokesh Kanagaraj is arriving hot on the heels of the triumph of the iconic Kamal Haasan-starrer Vikram (2022), the second installment in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), and with Leo marking his second collaboration with Vijay, following the actor’s widely cherished recent film Master (2021), it is certain that Leo will achieve great heights. The only lingering question is to what extent, regardless of its association with the LCU.