SPECIALITIES OF JILLA

Cover Story - THIS THALAPATHY TRAILBLAZES AHEAD

HE IS ONLY THE SECOND ACTOR IN THE TAMIL FILM INDUSTRY AFTER RAJINIKANTH TO ENTER THE `100 CRORE CLUB. HE IS A VERSATILE STAR -- KNOWN EQUALLY FOR HIS COMIC TIMING AND DANCING AS FOR HIS ACTION HERO PERSONA. DC'S REPORT ON THE ACTOR'S SHINING TWO DECADE CAREER IN TINSEL TOWN When Thuppakki in Murugadoss's direction released last Deepavali and became a huge success at the box office, Vijay entered the elite `100 crore club and the second actor in Tamil to do so after Rajinikanth Vijay has been amazing and holds the record of an `extraordinary dancer' without any formal training.
, Choreographer , Ashok Raja says that Vijay is a dance master's delight

He has spent 21 years in the film industry, worked in 56 films, is a versatile action hero who is also well known for his dancing prowess. He is a distributor's delight and the darling of the masses who still rules the roost in the Tamil film industry, which is no mean achievement for an actor. Vijay is affectionately addressed as Ilayathalapathy by his fans. After Superstar Rajinikanth, Vijay seems to grow younger by the day -he is the only star who has fans from the age of six to 60 years. The actor, who started his career as a child artist, debuted as hero in the 1992 flick, Naalaya Theerppu, at the age of 18 on December 4. He has come a long way since. His journey to superstardom has not been a bed of roses. But the actor's sheer hard work and perseverance, combined with a loyal fan base, which has been with him through thick and thin, has made him one of the top ranking stars of Kollywood.
Unlike his contemporaries, who started out playing chocolate boy characters, Vijay daringly began his career as an action hero in Naalaya Theerppu where he played a college student and proved his mettle. Box Office India described it as `the biggest blockbuster of the modern era'. Critics addressed Vijay as the new-born actor who grossed over `1 billion in the Tamil film industry .

What followed in the early 1990s were a few romantic comedies, which established his flair for it and his dancing abilities. In 1996, Poove Unakkaga directed by Vikraman, turned out to be a huge hit and Vijay became a recognisable star, completing 27 films in various genres between 1996 and 2003. Thirumalai, with an image makeover, gave him the new tag of an `action hero' and was the turning point in his career.
His new acting style combined punchlines, delivered in his inimitable fashion, and comic timing, which took him to dizzy heights of success with the masses. Some of his biggest hits, like Ghilli, Thiruppachi, Sivakasi and Pokkiri, followed. The period between 2007 and 2010 saw him encounter a slew of flops, including Sura, Villu etc, but he later bounced back with films, like Velayudham, Nanban and others. When Thuppakki in Murugadoss's direction released last Deepavali and became a huge success at the box office, Vijay entered the elite `100 crore club and the second actor in Tamil to do so after Rajinikanth. Vijay will next be seen in Jilla, a 2014 Pongal treat for his fans.
A DANCE MASTER'S DELIGHT In the 1980s, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan, a trained dancer, was the delight of audiences. Later, in the 1990s, Prabhu Deva, who inherited his dancing skills from his choreographer father, became a dancing sensation. But Vijay has been truly amazing, and till date, maintains the record of an `extraordinary dancer' without any formal training in dance. Popular choreographer Ashok Raja, who has worked with Vijay in many films, including Villu, Sivakasi, Pokkiri, Thirumalai and Velayudham, tells DC that `Vijay is an absolute dance master's delight'.
STAR POWER After Thuppakki made it to the `100 crore club, the trade is vying to be part of his upcoming offering, Jilla. Sources say that the distribution rights of the movie have been sold out. No sooner did R.B.
Choudhary, seasoned producer, open business for his film, the distributors competed with one anoth er to grab distrib ution rights for all the jillas (areas). No film in recent times has sold out so fast. Even in Kerala, the rights of which have been taken by Mohanlal, Vijay's co-star in Jilla, the film is being released in the maximum number of screens.
EXPANDING HORIZONS Vijay is hugely popular in the neighbouring state of Kerala. And each time he visits Kerala, it makes headlines. Vijay has revealed that he loves Malayalam movies for their realistic approach and is a great fan of Mammootty's and Mohanlal's. Fans in Kerala have also erected a robotic statue of the actor there. A lifelike statue, it moves electronically to the beats of Vijay's songs. The star is equally well-liked in Karnataka.
A TRAINED SINGER Vijay is a trained singer and has sung for composers like Ilaiyaraaja, Yuvan, Vidyasagar, Deva, Devi Sri Prasad and recently for Imman for Jilla. He sang most of his songs in the films he acted in and a few for fellow actors. After a gap he sang for Thuppakki and Thalaivaa and his number, Google Google and Vaangana became chartbusters. Imman who made him sing for his debut, Tamizhan, once again roped him in for a song in Jilla. “He was very reluctant to sing a melodious number for the first time, but we're very happy with the way it's turned out. It has a lot of folk elements too and Shreya Ghoshal has crooned alongside him,“ says imman