Actor Vijay Kumar, who features in S Narayan’s Marutha, refuses to be boxed into a label. The actor is clear about his role, stressing that this isn’t his hero vehicle but a gesture of faith and camaraderie. With Marutha set to hit theaters on October 31, speculation has been swirling about Vijay’s presence in the film, which also stars producer K Manju’s son, Shreyas Manju.

“Please don’t project me as the hero of Marutha. I’ve played a special role, but Shreyas is the hero of this story,” Vijay said, cutting through the chatter.

So why did Vijay say yes to Marutha in the first place? His answer is rooted in loyalty. “I have immense respect for producer K Manju and director S Narayan. That is the only reason I agreed to be part of this film. I’ve known Shreyas since he was very young, and I truly want to see him do well. My role is special, but I’m not the film’s protagonist,” he explained.

The actor’s candid words reflect the hard-earned place he has carved out in the industry. “I’ve struggled to come this far. I don’t want people to mistake my contribution in Marutha as a lead role. It’s Shreyas’ film, and I’m happy to support him,” Vijay added.

While Marutha readies for release, Vijay’s own hero projects are not far behind. His next, Land Lord, directed by Jadesha K Hampi, has wrapped shooting and is now in post-production. The film, produced by KS Suraj Gowda and KV Sathyaprakash, also features Vijay’s daughter Ritanya.

But Vijay is currently not limited to just Kannada cinema. He is currently in Chennai shooting Mookuthi Amman 2 under Sundar C’s direction opposite Nayanthara. On the pan-Indian front, he is also part of Telugu filmmaker Puri Jagannadh’s upcoming big-ticket project, sharing the screen with Vijay Sethupathi, Samyukta Menon, and Tabu.