Vijay, from Ghili to Leo: The superstar who wears his simplicity like a shield

Producers started flocking to Vijay because even his so-called flops (say Sura or Velayudham) earned them money and a Vijay film would be proof of satellite TRP hitting the roof (and now it’s also OTT views which are in large numbers). Vijay’s movies, be it a hit or a flop, always had great songs and his dances in them are as catchy as his action or drama sequences. In cinema and in real life, a hero emerges stronger when he is beset with myriad roadblocks. Vijay faced his first political block with Kaavalan (a Malayalam remake where he starred opposite Asin). The film’s release was marred with stay orders and financial missiles from the then AIADMK government, something his film Thalaiva also faced. Vijay began to harness his fan clubs post these setbacks and ensured his films were roaring at the box-office despite any blocks thereafter. As recently as two years ago, Vijay’s much touted IT raid happened during the shoot of his 2020 release, Master. The one picture Vijay took of himself on top of a caravan with his fans around him, broke the internet (and thereafter the raid news itself fizzled out).

Thank you Neyveli pic.twitter.com/cXQC8iPukl

— Vijay (@actorvijay) February 10, 2020

Let’s cut back from the kind of power centre Vijay is today and go back to the milestone movies that made Vijay leap forth. The milestones were Ghilli, Pokkiri, Thuppaaki, Kaththi and Theri. Vijay kept to his template, which by the mid-millennium was also borrowed heavily from Chiranjeevi’s style in Telugu (including the penchant for dancing). Vijay, in what happens to be my favorite role of his, reprised Aamir Khan’s role from 3 Idiots in Nanban, a film directed by Shankar. Somehow that film didn’t make as much noise as it should have but one saw the wonderful actor in Vijay bloom. By then, he had made a niche for himself with newer audiences – the “youth” in Tamil Nadu who grew up with him and younger crowd thanks to his “family hero appeal”. Pokkiri (also a Mahesh Babu remake) was that one film which amalgamated Vijay’s box-office position and the January Pongal festival became a lucky time for releasing his films. His latest Varisu is also a Pongal release and despite the film receiving average reviews, it has emerged as a hit. This again proves how audiences are simply happy to see Vijay, the quality of the film comes later. So the burden on a filmmaker directing Vijay today is to deliver a quality film which can add to the actor’s powerful hold over the box-office and not be satisfied with delivering the basic minimum. His reach has gone beyond Tamil and with Varisu, his films now garner one sixth of its revenue from its dubbed versions.

Vijay also has a track record of delivering musical hits with composers who are “in demand” such as GV Prakash, Anirudh, Thaman, D Imaan, Devisri Prasad and of course AR Rahman. The songs in Vijay’s films are his primary calling card to his primary audience – the under30 and teenagers. With time, Vijay has come to command an enviable business which can be equaled only by the Khans and Akshay Kumar in Hindi. His reach has gone beyond Tamil and with Varisu, his films now garner one sixth of its revenue from its dubbed versions. It’s a sheer joy to see Vijay on screen – his simplicity is not an act. It is who he is offscreen as well.

2003 was not just the year of Ghilli but it was also a watershed year for Tamil cinema. Vijay, Suriya, Madhavan and Ajith had super-hit films with the then upcoming directors like Dharani, Gautham Menon, Lingusamy etc. It was around that time the FM radio space had begun and I was an RJ back then. Vijay, being a fan of radio and film music, was open to the concepts we took to him for his film promotions. He would walk into the studios without any manager or entourage accompanying him. His simplicity made me wonder many times as to how he is the quintessential Chennai guy you are likely to run into in a coffee shop and go on talking nineteen to a dozen as he, “the” Thalapathy Vijay would just listen rapt in attention. He has a listener’s vibe and his silence would often be interspersed with a witty comment from his end which would send you into peals of laughter. His offscreen charm was reserved for a very few and it would come to the fore when he truly trusts the person in front of him. A new concept, a fresh idea always found space with him. Once he agreed to an idea, he would give his hundred percent to the directions of the person in charge (which is how directors also speak of him). He is super punctual and professional even for his media interactions and hence it’s no surprise that producers have repeatedly worked with him, his box office appeal notwithstanding.

Post Kaththi – it was Mersal which changed the fame game for Vijay when it came to his social media appeal and power. That film set the record innings for how fast his songs and trailers would clock the views and this holds good till date. Vijay’s position can possibly be countered by Ajith – the fan wars take gargantuan proportions on social media and both Vijay and Ajith have their own unique loyal fans who never let their icons down. The comeback of a hero is always greater than his lows.Vijay had seen many a setback in his first decade of being an actor — magazines had criticized his looks, his acting was panned by critics (read nepotism as his father was directing him in film after film – Vijay and acted as child artiste and teen boy with Vijayakanth and Rajinikanth where his father Chandrashekar was the director) and his lack of any special skills to be an actor. That’s when Vijay worked on all of those very aspects and quickly course-corrected his path and delivered his milestone movies. He can cycle to a voting booth and it becomes breaking news. His audio launch speeches are interpreted for political undertones. His love for his fans and their reciprocal maddening loyalty makes even an average film a hugely profitable one.

If this is not power, what else is? Vijay as always wears simplicity as his strong suit and he wears it well. What’s needed is that one film which will kickstart his new milestones. Will Leo be that film? Time will tell.