83-463: Kumaravadivel Natarajan (born 12 September 1960) known professionally as Vadivelu , is an Indian actor, comedian and occasional playback singer, having acted mainly in Tamil cinema . He has at least 290 credits to his name . He was a recipient of several awards including two Filmfare Award South and six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards . He was launched in 1988, in T. Rajendar 's En Thangai Kalyani at
166-563: A bachelor degree in visual communication from Loyola College . At the age of 10, Vijay made his debut as a child actor in the Tamil film Vetri , produced by P. S. Veerappa in 1984. He then acted as a child actor in films such as Kudumbam (1984), Vasantha Raagam (1986), Sattam Oru Vilayaattu (1987) and Ithu Engal Neethi (1988). He also acted in a supporting role with Rajinikanth in Naan Sigappu Manithan (1985), directed by his father. Vijay played
249-956: A town or village to screen the films. The first of its kind was established in Madras , called "Edison's Grand Cinemamegaphone". This was due to the fact that electric carbons were used for motion picture projectors. Most of the films screened then were shorts made in the United States and Britain . In 1909, an Englishman, T. H. Huffton, founded Peninsular Film Services in Madras and produced some short films for local audiences. But soon, hour-long films, which narrated dramatic stories, then known as " drama films ", were imported. From 1912 onwards, feature films made in Bombay (now Mumbai ) were also screened in Madras. The era of short films had ended. The arrival of drama films firmly established cinema as
332-667: A ₹ 200 crore salary, becoming one of the top paid actors in India. On 5 February 2020, the Income Tax Department raided Vijay's residence in Chennai on potential tax evasion and his investments in immovable properties . Later, the officials stated that nothing significant was found during the raid. On 13 July 2021, the Madras High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by Vijay in 2012 seeking exemption of
415-437: A box office success. His next film was the dark comedy action film Beast , which received mixed reviews from critics. The film performed well in overseas box office and was commercially successful, collecting more than ₹ 300 crore worldwide. It became one of the most viewed films on Netflix globally in 2022. In 2023, Vijay starred in the action drama film Varisu directed by Vamshi Paidipally . The film
498-488: A considerable margin. Vadivelu, who has been out of public sight ever since the last State Assembly elections, which tripped him, will be seen again in Marupadiyum Oru Kadhal (2012) in which he plays a quack. As his career as a lead actor was waning following negatively received films such as Tenaliraman (2014) and Eli (2015), Vadivelu chose to return to portraying supporting roles. He portrayed
581-596: A decent market. Tamil films have enjoyed consistent popularity among populations in South East Asia . Since Chandralekha , Muthu was the second Tamil film to be dubbed into Japanese (as Mutu: Odoru Maharaja ) and grossed a record $ 1.6 million in 1998. In 2010, Enthiran grossed a record $ 4 million in North America. Many Tamil-language films have premiered or have been selected as special presentations at various film festivals across
664-531: A few months. Once it was demonstrated as a commercial proposition, a Western entrepreneur, Warwick Major, built the first cinema theatre , the Electric Theatre, which still stands. It was a favourite haunt of the British community in Madras. The theatre was shut down after a few years. This building is now part of a post office complex on Anna Salai ( Mount Road ). The Lyric Theatre was also built in
747-655: A global presence, enjoying strong box office collections among Tamil-speaking audiences in Sri Lanka , Malaysia , and Singapore . Tamil films are also distributed throughout the Middle East , Oceania , Europe , North America , parts of Africa , and Japan . The industry also inspired independent filmmaking among Tamil diaspora populations in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and the West . M. Edwards first screened
830-420: A grand exhibition was organised in Madras . Its major attraction was the screening of short films accompanied by sound. A British company imported a Crone megaphone , made up of a film projector to which a gramophone with a disc containing prerecorded sound was linked, and both were run in unison, producing picture and sound simultaneously. However, there was no synched dialogue . Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu ,
913-425: A lead actor, Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi (2006), also achieved commercial and critical success. His comedic portrayals have been critiqued as using the persona of a misunderstood, mistreated Subaltern rogue, often subject to on-screen violence and ridicule in the style of slapstick comedy. Images and videography of Vadivelu's expressions found a second life despite the corresponding dormancy in his career during
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#1732794259403996-638: A permanent cinema house in Madras—Gaiety, in 1914, the first cinema house in Madras to be built by an Indian. He soon added two more, Crown Theatre in Mint and Globe (later called Roxy) in Purasawalkam . Swamikannu Vincent, who had built one of the first cinema halls of South India in Coimbatore , introduced the concept of "Tent Cinema" in which a tent was erected on a stretch of open land close to
1079-566: A popular entertainment form. More cinema houses came up in the city. Fascinated by this new entertainment form, an automobile dealer in the Thousand Lights area of Madras, R. Nataraja Mudaliyar , decided to venture into film production. After a few days' training in Pune with the cinematographer Stewart Smith, the official cinematographer of Lord Curzon 's 1903 Durbar, he started a film production concern in 1916. The man who truly laid
1162-480: A press conference, accusing fellow comedian and actor Singamuthu for forgery and financial cheating. Vadivelu, who was previously friends with Singamuthu, purchased land from him but later came to learn that the documents were void. This resulted in the former taking legal action against the latter. In the year 2011, Kaavalan movie with actor Vijay was a remarkable one. During the 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election , Vadivelu vehemently campaigned for
1245-646: A project, the comedian said, "You've also been asking why I'm not acting yet. Soon, I will make my entry in a grand manner". In 2021, in a significant hint about his return to the Tamil cinema, Vadivelu said that a good thing will happen definitely. On 28 August 2021, joining an over the phone interview with Puthiya Thalaimurai TV , Vadivelu confirmed that his ban was lifted and he has agreed for 5 films with Lyca Productions . First of which will commence shooting in September 2021, named Naai Sekhar . Vadivelu confirmed
1328-593: A role alongside Vishal in Suraj 's Kaththi Sandai (2016), before collaborating again with P. Vasu in the horror comedy Shivalinga (2017). Vadivelu then portrayed a supporting role alongside Vijay in Mersal (2017), with critics lauding his performance. A critic from The New Indian Express noted that it was a "brilliant comeback for Vadivelu" and that "his comedy is subtle, yet sufficient". After agreeing to work with Chimbu Deven on Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi ,
1411-599: A selection of silent films at the Victoria Public Hall in Madras in 1897 during the British Raj . The selected films all featured non-fictional subjects; they were mostly photographed records of day-to-day events. The film scholar Stephen Hughes points out that within a few years there were regular ticketed shows in a hall in Pophams Broadway, started by one Mrs. Klug, but this lasted only for
1494-405: A sequel to their successful film, he fell out with the director over an issue regarding his costume designer and subsequently refused to cooperate. The film's producers, S. Shankar and Subaskaran Allirajah , later filed a legal case over his unexplained absence. Likewise, R. K. and Stephen, the producers of Neeyum Naanum Naduvula Peyum and another untitled film, also opted to file complaints to
1577-399: A servant who loses his hand for acting on the whims of his adored landlord. This raised attention, and the revisiting of Mari Selvaraj 's earlier condemning letter to Kamal Haasan , the scriptwriter-lead of the movie, for its unchecked glorification of oppressor caste lifestyles and privileges. This renewed controversy has placed Vadivelu in new light, especially given his filmography where he
1660-422: A significant fan following. News 18 describes Vijay as a "versatile actor" and a "fantastic playback singer, dancer and philanthropist". He has been praised for his dancing with The Times of India labelling Vijay's dance moves as "energetic and effortless". He has been praised for his acting skills with Zee Media reporting that "Vijay amazed audiences with his acting and screen presence". In 2019,
1743-521: A significant fan following. Born in Madras to director S. A. Chandrasekhar , Vijay made his debut as a child actor in the Tamil film Vetri (1984). After a few roles as a child actor in his father’s films, he played his first lead role in the film Naalaiya Theerpu (1992) at the age of 18. Vijay continued doing lead roles for the next few years with notable films amongst them included Poove Unakkaga , Love Today , Kadhalukku Mariyadhai , Thulladha Manamum Thullum and Kushi . In 1998, he
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#17327942594031826-460: A standard deviation of ±10 lakh tickets during 2011–16. The Chennai film industry produced the first nationally distributed film across India in 1948 with Chandralekha . They have one of the widest overseas distribution, with large audience turnout from the Tamil diaspora . They are distributed to various parts of Asia, Africa, Western Europe, North America and Oceania. Many successful Tamil films have been remade by other film industries. It
1909-586: A studio, the first in south India, was set up in Madras at 10 Millers Road, Kilpauk. He called it the India Film Company. Rangavadivelu, an actor from Suguna Vilasa Sabha, a theatre company then, was hired to train the actors. Thirty-five days later, the first feature film made in south India, The Extermination of Keechakan / Keechakavatham , based on an episode from the Mahabharata , was released produced and directed by R. Nataraja, who established
1992-637: A successful photographer , took over the equipment after the exhibition and set up a tent cinema near the Madras High Court . With this equipment, he screened the short films Pearl Fish and Raja's Casket in the Victoria Public Hall. When this proved successful, he screened the films in a tent set up in Esplanade. These tent events were the true precursors of the cinema shows. Naidu travelled with this unit to Burma (now Myanmar ) and Sri Lanka , and when he had gathered enough money, he put up
2075-466: A theatrical revenue of more than ₹ 450 crore. In February 2024, Vijay announced that he will be doing only one more film, which will be his 69th and last as a lead actor which is tentatively titled as Thalapathy 69 . 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
2158-451: A worker in patriarch Sivaji Ganesan 's household. Vadivelu's first solo came in director Shankar 's Kadhalan (1994), in which he played the friend of Prabhu Deva 's student character. He made his singing debut with the song 'Ettanaa Irundha' from the film Ellame En Rasathan (1995). They were also considered sidekicks for an older generation of heroes, which included Kamal Haasan , Rajinikanth , Vijayakanth and young heroes in
2241-446: Is an Indian actor and playback singer who works in Tamil cinema . In a career spanning over three decades, Vijay has acted in 68 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. He has won several awards as an actor. Referred to as "Thalapathy" ( transl. commander ), Vijay has
2324-712: Is estimated by the Manorama Yearbook 2000 (a popular almanac) that over 5,000 Tamil films were produced in the 20th century. Tamil films have also been dubbed into other languages, thus reaching a much wider audience. There has been a growing presence of English in dialogue and songs in Chennai films. It is not uncommon to see movies that feature dialogue studded with English words and phrases, or even whole sentences. Some movies are also simultaneously made in two or three languages (either using subtitles or several soundtracks). Chennai's film composers have popularised their highly unique, syncretic style of film music across
2407-711: Is heavy-handedly cast in the role of the mistreated and ridiculed Subaltern friend of the protagonist. In December 2023, he wins Best Actor award for Maamannan at Chennai International Film Festival . Vadivelu's roles involve heavy use of slapstick and puns, which has led him to be typecast . His comedy sequences typically end with him getting thrashed and a closing quip from him bemoaning his situation or antagonists. His popularity has been described as stemming from audiences identifying with his rustic appearance, accent, and body language. Vadivelu's dialogues served as an inspiration for memes in social media. Many meme creators use Vadivelu's dialogues for all ongoing situations in
2490-566: Is known to assist directors, with his own input being used during sets. The hallmark of his comedy was self-deprecation. Vadivelu's characters thought very highly of themselves – they were clownish versions of the gang leader. After a certain stage of success, he started to act as a solo comedian, supported by other minor comedians. He starred in movies as Kaathala Kaathala (1998), Kannathal (1998), Viralukketha Veekkam (1999), Nesam Pudhusu (1999), Mudhalvan (1999), Thirupathi Ezhumalai Venkatesa (1999) and Paattali (1999). As
2573-399: Is to sweep out Vijayakanth's whole team and to campaign vigorously for DMK's victory". Vadivelu was criticised as being biased, only supporting a DMK-led victory for personal gains and not once mentioning anything against the official opposition, the AIADMK, or its leader. In a turn of events, the election was eventually successful for the AIADMK alliance, and Vijayakanth won his constituency by
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2656-603: The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea. In 2018, Vijay acted in the political film Sarkar with Keerthy Suresh , which entered the 100 Crore Club within two days. The film was released in 80 countries and became his second ever film to gross over ₹ 250 crore. Vijay acted in a football action film Bigil , which released in 2019. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, Vijay
2739-745: The Central Board of Film Certification alone were eligible for tax exemption and those with an "A" certificate could not fit into this category. There are three major roles in the Tamil film value chain viz producer, distributor and exhibitor. The distributor purchases theatrical distribution rights from the producer for exhibiting the film in a defined territory. The distributor performs enhanced functions such as: There are three popular approaches to transfer of distribution rights via distribution contracts: There are four popular approaches to transfer of exhibition rights via exhibition contracts: Film studios in Chennai are bound by legislation, such as
2822-677: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its alliance. During his public speeches, he predominantly condemned politician and actor Vijayakanth , whose party, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), allied with the opposition party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), headed by Jayalalithaa . His allegations of Vijayakanth included him being a "drunkard". In a campaign speech in Tiruvarur , Vadivelu stated that "(his) only aim
2905-519: The Entry Tax for his Rolls-Royce Ghost car that was imported from the United Kingdom and imposed a fine of ₹ 1 lakh. On 27 July 2021, a two-judge bench of Madras High court stayed the earlier order. On 25 January 2022, the court dismissed the critical statements made by the earlier judge and on 15 July 2022, the court declared that no fine shall be imposed. In 1998, Vijay was awarded
2988-491: The Goundamani - Senthil -Vadivelu combination that produced a few skits in the early 90s. Vijayakanth supported Vadivelu during his early career. He stated that he was substantial in casting him in 1992's Chinna Gounder . In 1992, he played contrasting characters in both Kamal Haasan films. Vadivelu joined Goundamani and Charle in the comedy film Singaravelan . Then in the movie Thevar Magan , Vadivelu played
3071-734: 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. Referred to as Thalapathy ( transl. commander ), Vijay has
3154-412: The Madras audience. The legendary Otraivadai drama theatre had been built in 1872 itself in Mint. Many drama halls had come up in the city where short silent films were screened in the afternoon and plays were enacted in the night. The scene changed in 1934 when Madras got its first sound studio. By this time, all the cinema houses in Madras had been wired for sound. Narayanan, who had been active during
3237-835: The Nadigar Sangam against Vadivelu's lack of cooperation. The Tamil Film Producers Council issued a ban against casting Vadivelu in future films. In a video sent to Sun TV , Vadivelu said that a few vested interests are trying to stop his growth in the film industry. In 2019, Vadivelu was interviewed by Behindwoods , in which he criticized Chimbu Deven and Shankar for their creative differences. Producer T. Siva and director Naveen (who worked as an assistant to Chimbu Deven in Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikesi ) spoke out against Vadivelu's comments. In 2020, Vadivelu, who had recently joined Twitter , has not been taking up as many roles as he did earlier. Adding that he would soon take up
3320-520: The Saligramam neighbourhood in Chennai was pelted with stones by a gang, leaving several windows broken and furniture damaged. The actor had taken refuge in a room in his home and was safe. Vadivelu is said to have suspected Vijayakanth because of a recent case that he had filed against the latter for assault and because the final court hearing was to take place the following day. He suspected that
3403-403: The Tamil -language only. This is in accordance with Government Order 72 passed on 22 July 2006. The first film to be released after the new Order was Unakkum Enakkum . The original title had been Something Something Unakkum Ennakkum , a half-English and a half-Tamil title. In July 2011, strict norms on entertainment tax were passed which stated that films which were given a "U" certificate by
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3486-491: The film projector and silent films from the Frenchman Du Pont and set up a business as film exhibitor . Soon, he tied up with Pathé , a well-known pioneering film-producing company, and imported projectors . This helped new cinema houses to sprout across the presidency . In later years, he produced talkies and also built a cinema in Coimbatore . To celebrate the event of King George V 's visit in 1909,
3569-675: The masala film Bairavaa was released, again to mixed reviews. In 2017, the action thriller Mersal released, which became a commercial success, becoming the first of Vijay's films to gross over ₹ 250 crore. The film won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the National Film Awards UK in 2018 with Vijay earning a nomination for the best acroe. The film was amongst the few films of Vijay to be released in Japan and China with further screening at
3652-691: The 2000s began, Vadivelu became the undisputed "King of Comedy. He later went on to perform numerous roles, including Kandha Kadamba Kathir Vela (2000), Vetri Kodi Kattu (2000), Koodi Vazhnthal Kodi Nanmai (2000), Friends (2001), Middle Class Madhavan (2001), Manadhai Thirudivittai (2001), Thavasi (2001), Arasu (2003), Winner (2003), Giri (2004), Chandramukhi (2005), Thalai Nagaram (2006), Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei (2006), Pokkiri (2007), Karuppusamy Kuththagaithaarar (2007), Aarya (2007), Marudhamalai (2007), Kathavarayan (2008) and Ellam Avan Seyal (2008). Cashing in on his popularity, he starred in
3735-727: The 2010s in Indian Internet subcultures. In 2017, The News Minute reported, "Vadivelu's career is not what it used to be but Tamil Nadu still turns to him for a laugh or to a summarize a situation in one line." In 2019, Vadivelu was featured in the sudden viral memes related to the hashtag Pray for Nesamani which was the most trending hashtag in India during the year. Prior to his career, Vadivelu worked in his father's glass cutting business and continued it with his brothers after his father died. In his free time, he participated in local stage plays, usually in comedic roles. In 1988, he
3818-638: The Cinematography Film Rules of 1948, the Cinematography Act of 1952, and the Copyright Act of 1957. In Tamil Nadu , cinema ticket prices are regulated by the government . Single screen theatres may charge a maximum of ₹ 50, while theatres with more than three screens may charge a maximum of ₹ 120 per ticket. Vijay (actor) Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974), known professionally as Vijay ,
3901-514: The India Film Company Limited. Despite a century of increasing box office takings, Tamil cinema remains informal. Nevertheless, there are few exceptions like Modern Theatres, Gemini Studios , AVM and Sri Thenandal Films that survived beyond 100 productions. In 2017, opposing the dual taxation of GST (28%) and entertainment tax (30%), Tamilnadu Theatre Owners Association announced indefinite closure of all cinemas in
3984-617: The Mount Road area. This venue boasted a variety of events, including plays in English, Western classical music concerts, and ballroom dances . Silent films were also screened as an additional attraction. Swamikannu Vincent , a railway draftsman from Tiruchirapalli , became a travelling exhibitor in 1905. He showed short movies in a tent in Esplanade , near the present Parry's Corner, using carbide jet-burners for projection. He bought
4067-705: The attack may have been carried out to prevent Vadivelu from attending the hearing. As a result, Vadivelu filed another case against Vijayakanth for attempted murder. He later mentioned his interest in contesting against Vijayakanth in the upcoming assembly elections and in his words, "teaching him a lesson." In response, actor Vijayakanth, in a press meet on 22 September, claimed that Vadivelu's allegations were based on hearsay . Vadivelu appeared in notables comedy roles such as Villu (2009), Kanthaswamy (2009), Peranmai (2009), Aadhavan (2009), Kacheri Arambam (2010), Sura (2010), Thillalangadi (2010) and Nagaram Marupakkam (2010). In 2010, Vadivelu held
4150-478: The box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing Tamil films in 2014. In 2015, he starred in the fantasy film Puli , directed by Chimbu Deven , which received mixed to poor reviews from critics. Despite the reviews, the film was one of the highest-grossing films of 2015. In April 2016, the action-thriller Theri directed by Atlee released to mixed reviews. It became the second-highest-grossing Tamil film of 2016, grossing over ₹ 170 crore. In 2017,
4233-632: The career peak of the Goundamani - Senthil duo. His popularity led to his media-coined nickname, Vaigai Puyal , referring to the river that flows through his hometown Madurai . Vadivelu has received awards in the Best Comedian category for his performances in Kaalam Maari Pochu (1996), Vetri Kodi Kattu (2000), Thavasi (2001), Chandramukhi (2005), Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei (2006), Pokkiri (2007), Marudhamalai (2007) and Kathavarayan (2008). His first as
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#17327942594034316-556: The constructed nature of their work so that the realistic narrative was wholly dominant, Indian filmmakers made no attempt to conceal the fact that what was shown on the screen was a creation, an illusion, a fiction. However, they demonstrated how this creation intersected with people's day-to-day lives in complex ways. By the end of the 1930s, the State of Madras legislature passed the Entertainment Tax Act 1939 . In 1916,
4399-576: The early cinema were the cultural influences of the country. The Tamil -language was the medium in which many plays and stories were written since the ages as early as the Cholas . They were highly stylised and nature of the spectacle was one which could attract the people. Along with this, music and dance were one of the main entertainment sources. There is a strong Indian tradition of narrating mythology, history, fairy tales and so on through song and dance. Whereas Hollywood filmmakers strove to conceal
4482-450: The films Endrendrum Kadhal , Nenjinile , and Minsara Kanna . In 2000, he acted in critically successful, Kannukkul Nilavu , which was his 25th film, alongside commercially successful romantic films, Kushi and Priyamaanavale . In 2001, he acted in hat-trick box office successes; Friends , Badri and Shahjahan before starring in the action film Thamizhan alongside Priyanka Chopra in 2002. Later, he appeared in
4565-567: The first Tamil film to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film , the feat was repeated by Kanchivaram in 2007. Tamil films enjoy significant patronage in neighbouring Indian states like Kerala , Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh , Maharashtra , Gujarat and New Delhi . In Kerala and Karnataka the films are directly released in Tamil but in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh they are generally dubbed into Telugu where they have
4648-492: The foundations of Tamil cinema was A. Narayanan. After a few years in film distribution, he set up a production company in Madras, the General Pictures Corporation, popularly known as GPC. Beginning with The Faithful Wife / Dharmapathini (1929), GPC made about 24 feature films. GPC functioned as a film school and its alumni included names such as Sundara Rao Nadkarni and Jiten Banerji. The studio of GPC
4731-583: The globe, such as Mani Ratnam 's Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Vasanthabalan 's Veyyil (2006) and Ameer Sultan 's Paruthiveeran (2007). Kanchivaram (2009) was selected to be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival . Tamil films have been a part of films submitted by India for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language on eight occasions, next only to Hindi. Mani Ratnam's Nayakan (1987)
4814-592: The highest paid actors despite the moderate success of then recently released movies. In 2010, he acted in the action comedy film Sura , which was his 50th film as an actor. In early 2011, Vijay acted in the romantic comedy Kaavalan , directed by Siddique which received positive response and a box office collection of ₹ 102 crore worldwide. The film was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China. Kaavalan
4897-537: The launch of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam . Vijay was born as Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar on 22 June 1974 in Madras (now Chennai ), Tamil Nadu . His father, S. A. Chandrasekhar , is a film director and his mother, Shoba Chandrasekhar is a playback singer and vocalist. His father is of Christian descent and his mother is a Hindu . Vijay had a sister, Vidhya, who died when she was two years old. Vijay did his schooling initially at Fathima school, Kodambakkam and later at Balalok school, Virugambakkam . He pursued
4980-824: The lead role for the first time in Naalaiya Theerpu in 1992. Vijay then appeared in the films Senthoorapandi , Rasigan , Deva and Coimbatore Mappillai , most of those were successful. In 1996, Vijay acted in Poove Unakkaga , directed by Vikraman , which according to him, gave him his initial break and popularity. In 1997, Vijay acted in Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen and Love Today . Later, he starred in commercially successful films such as Nerrukku Ner , Kadhalukku Mariyadhai , Ninaithen Vandhai , Priyamudan and Thulladha Manamum Thullum . In 1999, he then acted in
5063-423: The lead role of the historical comedy in the film Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei . The movie was declared a blockbuster and was widely acclaimed for its 'clean' comedy. Vadivelu played in a dual role, playing twin brothers of a heartless but comical dictator king and a revolutionary. His next venture as the lead star was in the movie Indiralogathil Na Azhagappan (2008). On 21 September 2008, Vadivelu's residence in
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#17327942594035146-605: The lifting of the ban, after 4 years, and returned to play the lead in Naai Sekar Returns ; however the movie received a lukewarm response from critics. His next release, in Mari Selvaraj 's Maamannan (2023) sees him returning to the screens. Selvaraj's comments in the soundtrack launch event of the movie suggests that the movie revisits Vadivelu's previous hit performance in Thevar Magan as Esakki,
5229-719: 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 expansion to other states of India. Vijay deemed the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 passed by the BJP government as unacceptable as it will disrupt
5312-556: The making like such as Ajith Kumar , Vijay , Prabhu Deva which began rising in prominence, the script required fresh faces for the role of the comedian. He won his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian in Kaalam Maari Pochu (1996). The following year, Vadivelu played many films, but his work in Bharathi Kannamma (1997) was successful and its combination with actor Parthiban . Vadivelu
5395-527: The most commercially successful actors, directors and films of Indian cinema. By the end of the 1930s, the legislature of the State of Madras passed the Entertainment Tax Act of 1939. Madras (now Chennai), then became a secondary hub for Hindi cinema , other South Indian film industries, as well as for Sri Lankan cinema . Over the last quarter of the 20th century, Tamil films established
5478-496: The record for the most people watching the movie within the first week of its release, previously held by M. G. Ramachandran 's Adimai Penn (1969). Following the same, he acted in Madhurey and Thirupaachi in 2005. Later, he starred in the commercially successful films Sachein , Sivakasi and Pokkiri . Pokkiri became one of the highest-grossing films of his career at the time. In late 2007, Vijay starred in
5561-505: The romantic thriller film Azhagiya Tamil Magan , where he portrayed a dual role for the first time in his career. He played the roles of both protagonist and antagonist. The film was commercially successful outside India. Except the commercially successful, Kuruvi in 2008 and Vettaikaaran in 2009, his subsequent releases Azhagiya Tamil Magan and Villu were average successes at domestic box office while continuing to be more successful overseas. Vijay continued to be one of
5644-483: The romantic film Youth and the action film Bagavathi in the same year. Vijay began 2003 with Vaseegara and Pudhiya Geethai . In 2003, following the action-romance film Thirumalai , Vijay starred in Ghilli , directed by S. Dharani with Trisha and Prakash Raj . The movie became a commercial success and became the first Tamil film to gross over ₹ 500 million at the domestic box office and also broke
5727-583: The silent era, founded Srinivasa Cinetone in which his wife worked as the sound recordist. Srinivasa Kalyanam (1934), directed by Narayanan, was the first sound film (talkie) produced in Madras. The second sound studio to come up in Madras was Vel Pictures, started by M. D. Rajan on Eldams Road in the Dunmore bungalow, which belonged to the Raja of Pithapuram . Before long, more sound studios came up. Thirty-six talkies were made in Madras in 1935. The main impacts of
5810-478: 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 . As of 2021 , Vijay's net worth is over ₹ 420 crore. Vijay earned a ₹ 100 crore salary for Beast and also earned an estimated ₹ 120 crore— ₹ 150 crore for Varisu . In 2023, he reportedly received
5893-418: The state from 3 July 2017. The strike has been called off and the cinemas will be playing the movies starting Friday 7 July 2017. Government has formed a committee to decide on the existence of state's 30% entertainment tax. It was reported that, per day business loss during the strike was around ₹ 20 crores. Annual admissions in Chennai multiplexes and single screens averaged 1.1 crore tickets with
5976-549: The third Tamil film to gross more than ₹ 100 crore domestically and became the most successful film of Vijay's career at the time, grossing over ₹ 121 crore. His next film Thalaivaa , directed by A. L. Vijay , was released in August 2013 to mixed reviews. In 2014, he acted in Jilla which ended up as a box office hit. Vijay starred in the action thriller Kaththi , which received positive reviews and collected ₹ 130 crore at
6059-489: The world to express irony. His lines from certain films also influenced the titles for various Tamil films. Tamil cinema Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language , the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu . It is nicknamed Kollywood , a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam , a neighbourhood in Chennai , and Hollywood . The first Tamil silent film , Keechaka Vadham ,
6142-515: The world. Quite often, Tamil movies feature Madras Tamil , a colloquial version of Tamil spoken in Chennai . Keechaka Vadham (1918) was the first silent film made in South India . Kalidas (1931) was the first Tamil talkie film made in 1931. Kalava (1932) was the first full-length talkie made entirely in Tamil. Nandanar (1935) was the first film for American film director Ellis R. Dungan . Balayogini released in 1937
6225-469: Was a commercial success in China. His next film was the action film Velayudham , directed by M. Raja which released during Diwali and became one of the top-grossing films of 2011. The movie was also a critical success overseas. In 2012, Vijay acted in the commercially successful Nanban , a remake of successful Hindi film 3 Idiots . Later in the year, he acted in the action thriller Thuppakki , directed by A. R. Murugadoss . The film became
6308-421: Was a commercial success, grossing over ₹ 300 crore at the box office. His next release of 2023 was the action thriller Leo . It received mixed reviews from critics, but went on to become a commercially successful film and emerged as one of the highest grossing Indian films of the year with a gross more than ₹ 600 crore. His sci-fi action film The Greatest of All Time opened to mixed reviews, but had
6391-672: Was awarded Kalaimaamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu . In 2004, he starred in Ghilli , which became the first Tamil film to gross over ₹50 crore and with subsequent success of Thirupaachi and Pokkiri later, he established himself as one of the leading and commercially successful actors in Tamil cinema. Following a period of moderate success, Vijay acted in several critically and commercially successful films starting from early 2010s including Thuppakki , Kaththi , Mersal , Sarkar , Master , Leo and The Greatest of All Time . In February 2024, Vijay announced his retirement from films and his entry into politics with
6474-436: Was considered to be first children's film of South India. It is estimated by the Manorama Yearbook 2000 (a popular almanac) that over 5,000 Tamil films were produced in the 20th century. Tamil films have also been dubbed into other languages, thus reaching a much wider audience. There has been a growing presence of English in dialogue and songs in Chennai films. In 1991, Marupakkam directed by K.S. Sethu Madhavan , became
6557-570: Was directed by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1918. The first Tamil talking feature film , Kalidas , a multilingual directed by H. M. Reddy was released on 31 October 1931, less than seven months after India's first talking motion picture Alam Ara . Tamil cinema has been noted for its advanced narratives and diverse films, with several productions in the 1990s and early 2000s cutting across ethnic and linguistic barriers. Such films include Roja (1992), Indian (1996), Pokkiri (2007), Enthiran (2010). Tamil cinema has since produced some of
6640-699: Was housed in the Chellapalli bungalow on Thiruvottiyur High Road in Madras. This company, which produced the most Tamil silent films, had branches in Colombo , Rangoon and Singapore . The Ways of Vishnu / Vishnu Leela , which R. Prakasa made in 1932, was the last silent film produced in Madras. The silent era of south Indian cinema has not been documented well. When the talkies appeared, film producers had to travel to Bombay or Calcutta to make films. Most films of this early period were celluloid versions of well-known stage plays. Company dramas were popular among
6723-549: Was included in Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies list. Average annual film output in Tamil film industry peaked in 1985. The Tamil film market accounts for approximately 0.1% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the state of Tamil Nadu . For the purpose of entertainment taxes, returns have to be filed by the exhibitors weekly (usually each Tuesday). The Government of Tamil Nadu made provisions for an entertainment tax exemption for Tamil films having titles in words from
6806-471: Was launched through a small character in T. Rajendar 's En Thangai Kalyani . Vadivelu met Rajkiran on a train while on his way to Chennai to visit his bride-to-be. Rajkiran later recalled that he was so amused by their conversation during the train ride that he agreed to give Vadivelu a role in his upcoming film, En Rasavin Manasile (1991), directed by Kasthuri Raja . It was also the beginning of
6889-462: Was praised for the portrayal of his character and the film was a commercial success, earning more than ₹ 300 crore. It was also the first Tamil film to be released in Egypt and Jordan . In 2021, his next film Master , directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj was released. Upon release, it received mixed to positive reviews from the critics. The film collected over ₹ 300 crore worldwide and was declared
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