JOIN USDuring his days as a struggler knocking on every door in a bid to gain a foothold in cinema, Vijay Sethupathy was inevitably shooed away even when all that he was demanding was a small role just to get noticed. Five years after his labours finally bore fruit, the actor with a tough countenance, a baritone voice and a flair for offbeat roles has moved up the ladder and has even turned producer with his latest film Orange Mittai directed by Biju Viswanath, where for the second time after the runaway hit Soodhu Kavvum, Vijay has donned the role of an elderly protagonist. Quite unlike some of his contemporaries who are more keen to make hay while the sun shines, Vijay has been more than careful to avoid getting pigeonholed.
Non-filmy background
The Commerce graduate, who even served a stint as an accountant in Dubai, was bitten by the acting bug after he started doing minor roles in Koothu Pattarai, a theatre group in Chennai. Initially, his enthusiasm waned because he could land only minor roles in films but director Seenu Ramaswamy reposed faith in him by casting him in the lead role in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru. Small roles in the Dhanush-starrer Pudhupettai, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu and Naan Mahaan Alla could not, however, do the trick.
Vijay struck a green patch in 2012 when a few of his films fared well at the box-office. He turned villain in Sundarapandian and proved that he could also essay negative roles with ease. His next film was the horror thriller Pizza, directed by a debutant Karthik Subbaraj. The film afforded the budding actor an opportunity to reveal a whole gamut of emotions. The same year he had another release as a hero in Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, directed by another up and coming director Balaji Tharaneetharan. Vijay was saddled with the role of a young man who has a bout of amnesia after being struck on the head by a cricket ball. This film which relied more on comedy than on any substantial theme also turned out into a superhit. Both Pizza and Naduvula... made it to the Norway Film Festival and won acclaim.
Taste of success
The actor’s successful run continued the next year as well, with Soodhu Kavvum and Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara. The former film, which had a kidnap as its main theme, found Vijay trading his youthful looks to one of an old man and the slick thriller gave him a leg up by faring well at the box-office. Idharkuthane... was again a comedy based subject and the actor had a whale of a time doing the breezy entertainer. A temporary setback followed with two of his films Rummy and Pannaiyarum Padminiyum. He could, however, regain lost ground with Jananathan’s Purampokku Engira Podhuvudamai, a film with a social theme. Vijay’s latest release Orange Mittai has elicited mixed reviews and apart from donning the mantle of a producer, the actor has essayed the lead role, turned writer, lyricist and singer as well.
Although he is yet to step into the big leagues, Vijay has reached a stage where he can demand his price and choose his scripts with greater care. He has a slew of projects on hand including Seenu Ramaswamy’s Idam Porul Yaeval, Ranjith Jayakodi’s Mellisai, Karthik Subbaraj’s Iraivi, Vignesh Sivan’s Naanum Rowdydhaan and also Nalan Kumarasamy’s next. Vijay has landed roles that are quite different and are all sketched out in such a way that he can really get into the skin of the characters and portray them in a convincing manner. The soft-spoken actor who has so far not been paired with some of the leading ladies in Kollywood, could soon find them vying for roles in his films. Vijay seems all set to achieve more laurels in the near future.