Vijay Sethupathi, the philosopher, humourist, and man for all seasons

We all associate Vijay Sethupathi with his superlative performances in films, such as Iraivi, Super Deluxe, Merry Christmas, Petta, and Soodhu Kavvum, to name some. What about Vijay the personality, though? Few actors come across being as candid, witty, and forthright as Vijay, and fewer still embrace his personality the way he does. Remember the time when he dissed the concept of following a diet? While promoting his web series Farzi once, Vijay told Galatta Plus that he did not like to follow a diet because his life would lack flavour if he abstained from consuming tasty food. Vijay said that he disliked going to the gym as well, because he found the idea of exercising 'boring'. These statements are not only candid but are also refreshing for an actor, especially in a day and age where actors are way too conscious about their public image. Some even boast about things such as their Instagram follower count or the number of muscles and abs in their body. It serves as an antithesis to the concept of the idealistic star.

Search 'Vijay Sethupathi life philosophy' on YouTube, and you would find a list of video suggestions with keywords such as 'motivation' and 'inspiration' to watch. In each of the videos, you can listen to the actor talking about a different topic in a way that few of his contemporaries do. For example, he once questioned the relevance of caste and religion after Dalit student S Anitha's suicide while batting for a society devoid of caste-based discrimination. Elsewhere, speaking to actor Kishen Das in the latter's Netflix show, Vijay said that he wanted to become an actor after seeing a cartoon character repeatedly say, "I am a bird," as he left home after work in Dubai. The character impressed Vijay so much that he kept telling himself, "I am an actor," for the next two years. "I did not know why I said that to myself. I believed that I would become an actor one day," Vijay revealed.

For the uninitiated, Vijay Sethupathi made appearances in films that predate his time as an accountant in Dubai, such as a cameo in Pudhupettai. However, it is his mundane and redundant job in Dubai that made the actor reflect on his life and decide to something more creative with it. The actor said in multiple interviews that seeing people lead monotonous lives in Dubai made him take a look at his own life. Perhaps this background and keen sense of observation explain why Vijay is able to pull off some roles that require him to stay grounded and real and others that necessitate him to be 'larger-than-life' with equal ease. It also helps understand why he would go on to gain the popular 'Makkal Selvan' (roughly means People's Hero) nickname later in life.

When it comes to popularity, the actor is also known for his apparent simplicity, although he himself one quipped about how it is not his intention to project such an image for himself. In a conversation with Film Companion, a fan once told Vijay that she loved his simplicity, but the actor said that this was not the case. The actor explained that while his clothing might look simple, he would wear what he found comfortable and that it was still expensive. Vijay said that while he could wear blazers and coats, like James Bond, he chose not to because he did not find it comfortable. "This is not simplicity. All of this is expensive," Vijay said pinching his shirt, eliciting big laughs from the audience and his Merry Christmas co-star Katrina Kaif.

Speaking of Merry Christmas, Vijay's candid comments about Katrina during the film's promotions won over his co-star. Realising that merely praising her beauty might make it seem like he was relying on flattery, Vijay quickly pointed out Katrina's dedication and adaptability as an actor to explain his admiration for her. Vijay's deadpan way of praising even made Katrina blush momentarily.

These are some of the qualities that help contextualise Vijay Sethupathi's popularity among the masses and even throw light on his reasonably successful stint as a Bigg Boss Tamil host. The absence of Kamal Haasan notwithstanding, Vijay's performance as the show's host in the eight season landed him the opportunity to come back for the ninth season.