Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu (born 16 January 1978), known professionally as Vijay Sethupathi, is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil films and occasionally in Telugu and Hindi films. One of the highest paid actors in Indian Cinema, Sethupathi is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards South and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
Following a stint as an NRI accountant in Dubai, Sethupathi started his film career as a background actor and initially played minor supporting roles before his first lead role in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010). In 2012, he rose to fame with Sundarapandian, Pizza and Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom.
Sethupathi established himself as a successful actor with films such as Soodhu Kavvum (2013), Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara (2013), Pannaiyarum Padminiyum (2014), Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum (2016), Iraivi (2016), Vikram Vedha (2017), '96 (2018), Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018), Petta (2019), Master (2021), Vikram (2022), Viduthalai Part 1 (2023), Viduthalai Part 2 (2024), Jawan (2023) Maharaja (2024), and Thalaivan Thalaivii (2025). For playing a trans woman in Super Deluxe (2019), he won the National Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Early life Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu was born on 16 January 1978 and was raised in Rajapalayam until he moved to Chennai in 6th class. He lived in the Ennore neighbourhood of North Chennai. He attended the MGR Higher Secondary School in Kodambakkam and Little Angels Mat. Hr. Sec. School. According to Sethupathi, he was a "below-average student right from school" and was neither interested in sports nor extra-curricular activities.Limitton, Teena (23 May 2013) My Struggle is my Strength: Vijay Sethupathi. Deccan Chronicle At age 16, he auditioned for a role in Nammavar (1994), but was rejected due to his short height.
Sethupathi did a series of odd jobs for pocket money: salesman at a retail store, cashier at a fast food joint and a phone booth operator. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Dhanraj Baid Jain College (an affiliate of the University of Madras) in Thoraipakam. A week after he finished college, he joined as an account assistant at a wholesale cement business. He had to take care of three siblings and moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates as an accountant because the salary was four times what he was earning in India. While in Dubai, he met his future-wife, Jessie, online. The two dated, eventually marrying in 2003.
Unhappy with his job, he returned to India in 2003. After a brief stint in the interior decoration business with friends, he joined a marketing company that dealt with readymade kitchens when he saw Koothu-P-Pattarai's poster. He recalled director Balu Mahendra remarking that he had a "very photogenic face", and motivated him to pursue an acting career; however he never cast Sethupathi in his films.
Career Early career (2004–2011) He subsequently joined the Chennai-based theatre group Koothu-P-Pattarai as an accountant and actor where he observed actors from close quarters. He made his beginnings as a background actor, particularly playing the role of the lead character's friend in a few films. He also acted in television series, including Penn that began in March 2006, as well as several short films as part of the television show Nalaya Iyakunar for Kalaignar TV. He worked with Karthik Subbaraj on many short films, who later cast him in his first feature film, subsequently garnering him the Best Actor award for one of his films at the Norway Tamil Film Festival short film competition.
Sethupathi accompanied a group of actors who went to director Selvaraghavan's studio to audition for his gangster film Pudhupettai (2006) and was selected to play Dhanush's friend in the film. After making an appearance in Prabu Solomon's Lee (2007), he was cast by director Suseenthiran in minor supporting roles in his first two projects, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009) and Naan Mahaan Alla (2010). Sethupathi would later credit Suseenthiran with having had an "important role in helping him realise his dreams". In 2010, he was associated with a Tamil-Kannada bilingual film called Akhaada. While he was selected to play the lead in the Tamil version, the director offered him the antagonistic role in its Kannada version. However, the film did not see a theatrical release. Director Seenu Ramasamy identified Sethupathi's talent during the audition of his film and Sethupathi landed his first lead role in Ramasamy's drama film Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010), in which he portrayed a shepherd, the film went on to win three National Film Awards including the prize for the Best Tamil Feature Film of that year. He played a man from a lower class in Varnam (2011).
Leading roles and critical acclaim (2012-2013) 2012 marked a turning point in Sethupathi's career; all his three releases were critical and commercial successes, resulting in a rise in his popularity. He was first seen in a negative role in Sundarapandian which featured M. Sasikumar in the lead role, and then played the lead roles in the directorial debuts of Karthik Subbaraj and Balaji Tharaneetharan, the thriller film Pizza and the comedy entertainer Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, respectively. He enacted the role of Michael, a delivery boy in the former and a young man named Prem who sustains short-term memory loss two days before his marriage in the latter, with his performance in both films being praised by critics. Malini Mannath from The New Indian Express in her review of Pizza wrote: "Sethupathy, a delight to watch, carries the entire film on his shoulders. His voice perfectly modulated, he proves his versatility and acumen to handle any role. Michael's nightmarish experience, and his fear and horror when he's trapped in the mansion, is perfectly conveyed by the actor". His performance in Pizza earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. With regard to Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, The Times of India reviewer M. Suganth cited that Sethupathi "continues his superb show from Pizza conveying Prem's peculiar condition with vacant stares and amusing pauses between his lines", further noting: "That he never makes the character's repetitive dialogues irritating is a proof of his terrific timing". Pizza and Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom both competed at the 2013 Norway Tamil Film Festival, while Sethupathi won two awards, one for each film, at the Edison Awards and the Big FM Tamil Entertainment Awards.
By the end of the year, film critic Baradwaj Rangan stated that Sethupathi had become "[...] sort of [an] indie-film star, the first ever in Tamil cinema".
In 2013, he was first seen in the crime comedy Soodhu Kavvum that saw him playing the role of a forty-year-old kidnapper. The film opened to extremely positive reviews and became a huge box office success. Malini Mannath from The New Indian Express in her review wrote: "It's laudable that the actor doesn't hesitate to take a role that has him playing a 40-year-old man, greying and with a paunch". The Times of India reviewer N. Venkateswaran cited that "His knack of choosing good roles and working with new directors brimming with ideas will stand him in good stead, as also the work he puts in to portray each character. He put on weight and grew a beard to play Das, and the look fits him to a 'T'". His next release was Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara, directed by Gokul. It was met with positive reviews by critics and Sethupathi's performance was highly praised. Haricharan Pudipeddi from The New Indian Express in his review wrote: "Vijay Sethupathi has become a darling of the masses. Scene after scene, the audience hoots and cheers for him in unison." Rediff reviewer S.Saraswathi cited that "His greatest strength lies in being able to counter the stereotypical image of heroes in commercial cinema today. In every film, we see him in a completely different avatar, and his latest film is no different. Sethupathi seems to have the knack of choosing the right role and script and he effortlessly slips into his character as Kumar."
Continued success (2014–2015)
In 2014, his films Rummy and Pannaiyarum Padminiyum were released, both directed by debutants. Pannaiyarum Padminiyum, based on its same-titled short film, revolved around an old man and his vintage car Premier Padmini, with Sethupathi starring as its chauffeur. The film opened to predominantly positive reviews from critics and is the only Tamil film which has been selected to be screened at the 19th International Film Festival of Kerala. The same year Akhaada resurfaced in the media as it was being dubbed into Tamil as Edakku by its makers, to profit from Sethupathi's popularity in Tamil Nadu. The film was being promoted as a Sethupathi film, with the actor being prominently featured in the posters, although he had only a minor role in it, and Sethupathi stated that the audience would feel cheated after seeing the film, if it was promoted this way. He was next seen in the action drama Vanmam directed by debutant Jaikrishna. Though the film was met with average reviews, Sethupathi's performance was praised by critics. Malini Mannath from The New Indian Express in his review wrote : "It's Vijay Sethupathi's film the whole way. The actor renders a power packed performance, capturing each nuance of the character with precision and understanding".
In 2015, he was first seen in the political thriller Purampokku Engira Podhuvudamai directed by S. P. Jananathan. It was met with positive reviews by critics and Sethupathi's performance was highly praised. The Times of India reviewer M. Suganth cited that "Vijay Sethupathi redeems everything with a sensitive performance.Balusamy might be the film's central character, but it is Yamalingam who is its beating heart." Rediff reviewer S.Saraswathi cited that "Vijay Sethupathi, as a tormented soul loath to pull the lever that will release the trapdoor and take a life, is perhaps the best." In July 2015, his first movie as producer Orange Mittai directed by Biju Viswanath got released and met with positive reviews by the critics and entertainment portals. He was next seen in the rom-com Naanum Rowdy Dhaan directed by Vignesh Shivan which became his highest-grossing movie until date.
2016–present