Joseph Vijay

Joseph Vijay Biography

Basic Information

• Full Name: Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar
• Date of Birth: 22 June 1974
• Place of Birth: Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India
• Age (2025): 51 years
• Height: 5′10½″ (1.79 m)
• Nicknames: Ilayathalapathy, Thalapathy (meaning “Commander”)
• Nationality: Indian

Family & Early Life

Father: S. A. Chandrasekhar (film director)

Mother: Shoba Chandrasekhar (playback singer, carnatic vocalist)

Siblings: He had a younger sister, Vidhya, who passed away at age two

Schooling: Fathima School, Kodambakkam; Balalok School, Virugambakkam

College: Loyola College, Chennai – studied Visual Communication (later dropped out to pursue acting)

Personal Life

Spouse: Sangeetha Sornalingam (married on 25 August 1999)

Children: Son- Jason Sanjay and Daughter- Divya Saasha

Career Highlights of Joseph Vijay

Early Beginnings (1984–1996)

• Appeared as a child actor in several films directed by his father, S. A. Chandrasekhar.
• 1992: Made his debut as lead actor in Naalaiya Theerpu.
• 1996: Achieved his first breakthrough with Poove Unakkaga, which made him a household name.

Rise to Stardom (1997–2003)

• Delivered several romantic and family entertainers that connected with youth audiences.
• Films like Love Today, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (which won him a Tamil Nadu State Award), and Friends boosted his popularity.

Mass Hero Transformation (2004–2010)

• 2004: Ghilli became an all-time blockbuster and cemented his image as a mass-action hero.
• 2005: Thirupaachi was another huge hit and earned him a State Award for Best Actor.
• 2007: Pokkiri (remake of Telugu hit) further strengthened his commercial success.

Peak Stardom & Box Office Dominance (2011–2018)

• 2012: Thuppakki was a massive success, crossing ₹100 crore at the box office and becoming a trendsetter.
• 2014: Kaththi received critical acclaim for its strong social theme and commercial success.
• 2016: Theri emerged as one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of the year.
• 2017: Mersal became a huge blockbuster, entering the ₹250+ crore club, and sparked political debates with its dialogues.
• 2018: Sarkar created records and highlighted issues like voter rights.

Global Superstar (2019–2023)

• 2019: Bigil (sports drama) was one of the highest-grossing Tamil films.
• 2021: Master, despite the pandemic, broke box office records worldwide.
• 2022: Beast was a commercial success with massive fan anticipation.
• 2023: Leo, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, entered the ₹600+ crore global box office club, making it one of his biggest hits.

Achievements & Milestones

• Acted in over 65 films across three decades.
• Among the highest-paid actors in India.
• Known as Thalapathy (Commander) by millions of fans worldwide.
• Multiple entries in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list for top-earning entertainers.
• Recognized for his charity work, especially in education and healthcare.

Transition to Politics (2024–Present)

• Announced retirement from films in 2024.
• Founded his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to focus on public service.

Joseph Vijay – Recent Activity

• Serving as the founder and leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party.
• Actively participating in rallies and conferences ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
• Balancing political commitments with cinema by working on his final film, Jana Nayakan.
• Recently filed a legal case challenging the Waqf Act.
• His party, TVK, is involved in a Supreme Court case concerning the framing of public meeting guidelines.

Joseph Vijay Awards List