Who Is Vijay? Bio, Age, Wife, Children, Parents, Net Worth & More
Robert Clark
Updated on December 31, 2025
Vijay is an Indian actor, dancer, and singer who works mainly in Tamil cinema and is one of the highest-paid actors in India. He has appeared in 66 films, with the International Business Times calling him a “consistent performer”.
Vijay was given the prefix Ilaya Thalapathy (Young Commander) after his 1994 film Rasigan, and he was chastised for it by fans and the media for the rest of his career. Despite his nickname, he eventually matured into Thalapathy.
The superstar who is Vijay today got off to a fairly modest start to his career. He initially had a string of flops, his debut film Naalaiya Theerpu (1992), and subsequent films like Sendhoorapandi (1993), Rasigan (1994), and Deva (1995), all of which bombed the box office.
Vijay Biography
Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar born on 22 June 1974, is an Indian actor, dancer, and singer, working mainly in Tamil cinema. He has appeared in 66 films, with the International Business Times calling him a “consistent performer”. Nicknamed “Thalapathy” by fans and the media, he has a huge international following. He has won several awards including International Achievement Award and South Indian International Film Award.
At the age of 10, Vijay began his film career as a child actor in Vetri (1984), receiving his first salary of 500 rupees from actor and producer P.S. Veerappa. After that, he appeared as a child actor in films such as Kudumbam (1984), Vasantha Raagam (1986), Sattam Oru Vilayaattu (1987), and Ithu Engal Neethi (1988). He also starred in Naan Sigappu Manithan (1985) as a co-star with Rajinikanth, who was in the lead role.
In 2009, Vijay became one of the highest-paid actors in South India. In 2010, he starred in the action comedy Sura, which failed at the box office. In early 2011, Vijay teamed up with director Siddique on his romantic comedy Kaavalan. Receiving a positive response from both viewers and critics, worldwide it grossed Rs 120 crore at the box office. Kaavalan was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival in China. Kaavalan was commercially successful in China [5].
The suspense film Varisu was produced by Telugu film producer Dil Raju and directed by Vamshi Paidipally. Taman S composed the music for the film and its background music. Varisu was released theatrically worldwide on January 11, 2023, to positive reviews. Varisu publishes in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu. His 67th film was directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, his second collaboration with Vijay.
Vijay was born in Madras, Tamil Nadu (now Chennai). His father S.A. Chandrasekhar is a film director and his mother Shoba Chandrasekhar is a playback singer and also a Carnatic singer. His father is Christian and his mother is Hindu. Vijay was baptized when he was twelve years old. Vijay had one sister of his, Vidhya, who died when he was two years old.
Vijay first attended Fathima Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Kodambakkam and then transferred to Balalok Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Virugambakkam where he completed his degree in Visual Communication from Loyola College.
Vijay married Sangeeta Sonaringam, a Tamil woman from Sri Lanka whom he met in England on 25 August 1999. They have two children. Vijay’s son had a cameo appearance alongside his father in Vettaikaaran (2009) and his daughter had a small role as his father’s teenage daughter in Her Theri (2016).
Vijay Nationality
Born in Chennai, India, Vijay is Indian
Vijay Net Worth
As of 2021, Vijay’s net worth is £4.2bn or £420m. Vijay earned £100 million on The Beast, and from an estimated £120 million on his 66th film Valis, he earned £150 million, he became one of the top actors as India’s highest-paid actors.
As of 2023, Thalapathy Vijay’s current net worth is estimated to be 56 million dollars, which is Rs 445 crores.
Where is Vijay From?
Vijay is from Chennai, India. Chennai is on the Bay of Bengal in eastern India and is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu.
How Old Is Vijay?
Born on June 22, 1974, Vij ay is 48 years
Vijay’s Height & Weight
Vijay’s height is 178 cm (1.78 m) and weighs 73 kg (161 lbs)
Vijay’s Education
Vijay was a student at Balalok Matric Higher Secondary School and Loyola College. Thanks to his constant contributions to film and society, Vijay has won three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, one of the highest honors in the arts, the Kalaimamani Award, and an Honorary Doctorate from MGR University, among many others.
Vijay’s Career
Vijay is an Indian actor working in Tamil cinema. He made his film debut in 1984 in Vetri directed by his father S. A. Chandrasekhar. After appearing in Chandrasekhar’s films in his childhood, Vijay made his lead acting debut in Naaliyah Terp (1992). He followed that up with Sendhoorapandi (1993) in a supporting role where opposite Vijayakanth. Vijay continued to appear in his father’s directorial works, including Rasigan (1994) and Deva (1995). Most of these films were commercially successful.
Vijay’s first breakthrough came in 1996 with Vikraman’s romance Poove Unakkaga. His subsequent films, Vasanth’s Nerrukku Ner (1997) and Fazil’s Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997) were both critically and commercially successful. His performance in the latter earned him the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor. Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1999), in which he played an impassioned singer, earned him a reputation as a romantic hero.
Vijay started the new millennium with critically and commercially successful films such as Kushi and Priyamaanavale. In the following years, he appeared in three films; Friends, Badri, and Shahjahan. Apart from successful ventures, Youth and Bhagavati (all three were released in 2002), his subsequent films Vaseegara and Pudhiya Geethai were released. While Vaseegara was moderately successful and praised for its comical timing, Puthiya Geethai performed poorly at the box office.
In 2011, Vijay’s career prospects improved after his acclaimed role as a bodyguard in Kavalan. Velayudham, in which he appeared as a masked superhero, was a commercial success worldwide. The following year, he appeared in two films. He was a college student in Nanban and an army officer in Tupakki. His performances in both films received positive critical feedback, with the latter being nominated for Best Actor at the 60th Film Fair Awards South.
Vijay’s performance earned him the South Indian International Film Award. He debuted in the third role in Mersal (2017), his second collaboration with Utley. In addition to winning the British Best Actor Award, the film grossed £2.5 billion at the box office. Vijay received critical acclaim for Sarkar (2018), Bigil (2019), and Master (2021). He later appeared in Beast (2022), which received mixed reviews but was a commercial success.
Vijay’s Relationship – Past & Present
The South Indian actor, Vijay is a married man and has been married to Sangeetha Sornalingam since August 25, 1999. There is no information about his past relationships before getting married to his wife in 1999 and after the marriage hasn’t been linked to or involved in any extramarital affairs.
Vijay’s Family And Siblings
Vijay was born into a Roman Catholic family of S.A. Chandrasekhar, a Tamil film director, and Shobha, a playback singer, and Carnatic singer. Vijay had a sister Vidhya who died when she was two years old.
So currently, Vijay is the only child of his parents as his only sister died at a very young age, and unfortunately, we don’t know the cause of her death.
Why Is Vijay Famous
Vijay is famous for his interesting timing and whether it’s an action scene or a comedy scene, he can pull off anything you give him. There are so many famous Vijay comedy lines that are still in use. Besides comedies, he is also known for his romantic roles.
In addition to his outstanding acting skills and excellent dancing, Vijay is also loved for his excellent comic timing. His roles in lighthearted comedies testify to the actor’s abilities as a true entertainer.
Vijay’s Children
Vijay is a father of 2, a son named Sanjay and a daughter named Divya. Jason Sanjay was born in the year 2000 in London, and Divya Shasha was born in the year 2005 in Chennai.
Vijay’s Social Media
On Twitter, Vijay goes by the handle (@actorvijay). He seems not to have an Instagram account but has a fan page with the handle (@vijay_official).