Born Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar on June 22, 1974, in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India, the playback singer, actor, and dancer is better known by his stage name Vijay. Working predominantly in Tamil cinema (Kollywood), he is the highest paid actor in South India. He began his acting career at the age of 10 in Vetri (1984) and made his first appearance as a lead actor in 1992’s Naalaiya. For the next decade, he portrayed romantic leads in many films, finally becoming an action hero in 2003’s Thirumalai. His resume, which contains over 65 films, includes everything from cult films to blockbusters and have made him an international celebrity. Vijay made his debut as a playback singer in 1994 with “Bombay City Sukkha Rotti” (from Rasigan) followed by three songs performed in the 1995 film Deva. Some of his most popular playback performances include 2012’s “Google Google,” which won the Vijay Award for Favorite Song, 2014’s “Selfie Pulla” (nominated for a Vijay Award and Filmfare Award), “Yaendi Yaendi” (nominated for a Filmfare Award), and 2022’s “Jolly O Gymkhana,” which was streamed nearly 40 million times on social media within two weeks of release. “Selfie Pulla,” which had been released in 2014 received a new lease on life when it became a hit in Romania and several other European countries. Named a ‘consistent box office performer’ by the International Business Times, Vijay has received many honors and awards during his career and has been acknowledged numerous times as the ‘most searched’ Indian actor on social media
