<p>With Jana Nayagan marking his final film, Thalapathy Vijay’s remarkable journey is once again in focus. Here’s how the actor rose from a child artist to one of Tamil cinema’s biggest and most influential stars.</p><img><p>South superstar Thalapathy Vijay’s much-awaited film Jana Nayagan has finally released in theatres today. Directed by H. Vinoth, the political action thriller also stars Bobby Deol and Pooja Hegde in key roles. Reportedly made on a massive Rs 300 crore budget, the film had generated tremendous buzz ahead of its release and opened to grand celebrations by fans across Tamil Nadu and overseas.</p><img><p>Everyone knows him as Thalapathy Vijay, but his real name is actually Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar. He decided to shorten it for his film career. Over the years, ‘Vijay’ became a huge brand in Tamil cinema. Today, that name stands for one of the industry’s most successful actors, with fans all over India and the world.</p><img><p>Vijay first went to Fathima School in Kodambakkam and then to Balalok School in Virugambakkam. He even joined Chennai’s famous Loyola College for a Visual Communications degree. But he dropped out to chase his acting dream full-time. This early decision to enter cinema was what made him the star he is today.</p><img><p>Vijay started his acting career when he was just 10, with the 1984 Tamil film ‘Vetri’. He acted as a child artist in many films like ‘Kudumbam’, ‘Vasantha Raagam’, and ‘Sattam Oru Vilaiyattu’. He even worked with the legendary Rajinikanth in ‘Naan Sigappu Manithan’. This was just the beginning of his long and successful career.</p><img><p>When he turned 18, Vijay debuted as a lead hero in ‘Naalaiya Theerpu’ (1992). After that, he gave one hit after another, including ‘Poove Unakkaga’, ‘Pokkiri’, ‘Theri’, ‘Mersal’, ‘Bigil’, ‘Master’, and ‘Leo’. He can do action, romance, and drama with ease, which is why he’s one of the biggest stars in Tamil cinema today.</p>
