Illaya Thalapathy
Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar
Actor | Dancer| Singer
Actor | Dancer| Singer
Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974), known professionally as Vijay, is an Indian actor and playback singer who works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning in just over 3 decades, Vijay has acted in over 65 films and is one of the most commercially successful actors in Tamil cinema with multiple films amongst the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time and is amongst the highest paid actors in India.
In 2009, Vijay launched his fan club Vijay Makkal Iyakkam. The organization supported the AIADMK alliance in the 2011 assembly elections. The fan club organization contested in the local body elections in Tamil Nadu in October 2021, securing victory in 115 out of the 169 contested seats. On 2 February 2024, Vijay announced the launch of his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. Political analysts suggested that, the TVK party might undergo its expansion to other states of India including North in the near future. Vijay deemed the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 passed by the BJP government as unacceptable as it will disrupt the social religious harmony of the nation.
Vijay married Sangeetha, a Sri Lankan Tamil on 25 August 1999. They have two children: a son Sanjay who briefly appeared alongside his father in Vettaikaaran, and a daughter Divya who appeared in her father's Theri
In 1998, Vijay was awarded the Kalaimaamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu and Vijay received an honorary doctorate from the Dr. M.G.R. Educational Institute for of his achievements in the film industry in 2007. Vijay was awarded the Best International Actor of 2018 in the United Kingdom for his role in Mersal. He has received numerous other awards and accolades for his acting.