The title of Vijay Antony's upcoming film, Shakthi Thirumagan, could either mean Vinayagar, the smart worker who revolves around his parents, or Murugar, the hard worker who revolves around the world. Vijay Antony says his Kittu in the film embodies both. "Kittu is a smart go-getter. Any powerful person in India will appear before him at his beck and call. But to get there, he would have hustled a lot. So he is both Vinayagar and Murugar," he begins.
Though Shakthi Thirumagan marks the 25th film of Vijay Antony, he says he isn't a big fan of doing films that propel him to the limelight, and that was why he chose this Arun Prabu film. "I neither picked this film nor any of my earlier films to help amp up my hero image. Since I am also a producer, I don't listen to narrations that way," he quips. He adds that the advantage with filmmakers such as Sasi and Arun Prabu is that they don't let the market determine their projects. "Such directors do not sign projects just because they delivered a hit with their previous outing. They need to find a story worth telling. I think Salangai Oli Kamal sir is an apt example to describe the kind of filmmaker Arun Prabu is. He completely dedicates himself to the art form. We aren't doing a film just because Aruvi and Vaazhl blew me away; it is because Arun thought of a story that could accommodate me. I read somewhere that Vijay Deverakonda has been calling Arun for a long time to do a movie, but he instead wanted to make a Shakthi Thirumagan with me. That is the amount of sway the market has over him," says Vijay Antony.
A milestone film is always special for an actor, and we have often seen actors wanting to go the 'next level' in their career with these films. A content Vijay Antony, however, has a completely different viewpoint. "I don't plan for the long haul. I think it is futile, and it complicates things. If you want to make sambar, it is enough if it is tasty. If you think of making the world's best sambar and then turn on the stove, you will definitely mess it up. That is how I view life and films. I am okay with it not being the best. If it excites me, and if I want to make that story into a film, I will take it up. I don't have long-term plans. You will understand the kind of liberation it gives when you grow older," he weighs in.
He not just carries this philosophy in picking movies, but also in learning and equipping himself enough to guarantee survival in the industry. Vijay Antony says he is satisfied with how much he knows as an actor, producer, and music composer, and doesn't feel the need to accumulate more knowledge to go places. "Honestly, I still do not know what a synopsis is. I don't want to learn how to gauge a film's quality through a synopsis. I prefer having the entire narration. It's old school, but it still has utility. Similarly, in music, I believe I have a grasp of how to create commercial music. I feel that is enough for me. In my opinion, knowledge and its absence are subjective. Mozart cannot compose five songs for a Tamil film. Does he lack musicality?"
His expectations about Shakthi Thirumagan also align with his philosophy of keeping things simple. "I know that one movie will not bring about a profound transformation in people, and that is also not the purpose of Shakthi Thirumagan," says the no-nonsense Vijay Antony. Elaborating, he says, "A movie might have an impact on you for a couple of days, but I don't think people will change their lives and opinions. From the third day, you will go back to who you were. So, Shakthi Thirumagan is not a political thriller that plainly accuses the politicians. It also points out that people have elected inept and corrupt leaders as their representatives, and we are also culpable for the woes in society. Shakthi Thirumagan will engage in a discussion of this core entertainingly. But I reiterate, we did not make the movie to change the world. We cannot." However, he does praise Arun Prabu's sense of social responsibility. "It takes a lot of courage to hit out at society in such a scathing manner in his very first film, Aruvi. Shakthi Thirumagan will display his strengths as a thinker/writer and a filmmaker."
Vijay Antony signs off with updates about his lineup. "We are planning to release Lawyer this December. Once that is done, I can turn my focus to signing music projects. I think I can work on two films at least in a year, on other heroes' projects. Also, I have Sasi sir's project planned for a mid-2026 release."
