Vijay Sethupathi at 47: The trailblazer has shown the pros and cons of his trail… who will join him?

But make no mistake, in an industry like Tamil cinema where there were just two paths to take — the MGR or Sivaji Ganesan way, which later became the Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan way — Vijay Sethupathi was doing the unthinkable. He was creating a unique third path. The one where an actor was allowed to be anything he wanted to be. This wasn’t always the case for actors of Tamil cinema who had to pick a lane, and more often than not, most chose the Rajini way. The way, which allowed them to constantly work within the commercial cinema space, and briefly finding their way into not-so-commercial cinema, before returning home. Of course, all this while Kamal Haasan did Kamal Haasan things, but it was still in his own zone. There was hardly any other actor in Tamil cinema, who decided to push the boundaries even when being at the prime of their career as a hero. Of course, there was a stray Ajith Kumar who played a pivotal role in Shah Rukh Khan’s Asoka. But honestly, there wasn’t enough happening for heroes who wanted to be actors before being stars. But with an evolving cinema understanding, and the makers having the confidence to tell different kind of stories, VJS became the right person making the time right too.

Probably why, for the first time, in many many many years, there was a different name that was uttered by upcoming heroes in Tamil cinema when asked about a star they look up to. And it helped his case that his interest in diversifying his portfolio coincided with the ascension of OTT, and his films became a talking point among actors from outside Tamil cinema. Of course, one might argue that among his peers, Dhanush did it with his movies like Raanjhanaa, and how “Kolaveri di” became a pan-Indian cultural phenomenon. But the Dhanush way was completely different from the VJS way. The Dhanush way still placed him at the centre of his films. But the VJS way allowed for collaborations. The VJS way asked actors to shed their ego to accommodate opportunities that would remain a pipedream otherwise.

The VJS way was a path people happily adopted in the initial phase of their careers to get a foothold in the industry. Many stars of today have played ‘smaller’ parts in other stars’ movies as they climbed up the ladder. But once perched at a height where the bottom step seems like a speck, many reject the idea of playing such roles. In fact, these roles are often allotted to actors making a comeback, or actors wanting to create a new image for themselves. It was never done by actors who were at the top of their game. That is why the VJS way was special. It put the story and script back in the forefront. It lead to the creation of multi-starrers albeit in a different form. Of course, this isn’t that big a deal in Malayalam cinema where someone like Mammootty is redefining superstardom as a septuagenarian, and is at the forefront of many a change. We have seen actors like Fahadh Faasil also jump on this bandwagon of not wanting to be boxed into any category whatsoever. But it is still a huge deal in Tamil cinema where every actor worth his salt has the numero uno position in sight. Will these stars do in Malayalam cinema what Fahadh does in Tamil? That’s the million dollar question. Not many want to just survive and then thrive in cinema, they want to rule. And that is why, the VJS way is shuffling things around, and disturbing the ecosystem of Tamil cinema.

But, Vijay Sethupathi’s decision to put a hold on playing such characters is like taking this phenomenon a few steps back. When aspirants look at the trailblazer deciding to abort the trail, it makes them question the credentials of the said trail. It creates doubts in their minds if this is indeed a path that would help them become better actors, and eventually more commercially viable stars. Who wouldn’t want to be the villain of a Rajinikanth or a Kamal Haasan? But should it come at the expense of their own lineup of films? When Vijay Sethupathi said that one of the reasons why he has stopped acting in cameos is because it affected the market of the films he was playing the lead, it would have sounded alarm bells in many actor’s minds.

That is the problem of being a trailblazer. Every step is celebrated. But every step is also scrutinised. But after starring in over 50 films over the span of a decade and more, Sethupathi can afford to take a step back from his own path. Should he be worried if his decision would act as a deterrent for the ones looking upto him for guidance? Of course, they wouldn’t say ‘no’ for a Super Deluxe Shilpa, but would they say ‘yes’ to an Oh My Kadavuley? Of course, they might not say ‘No’ to a Sandhanam or Jithu from Vikram and Petta, but would they say ‘yes’ to an Imaikka Nodigal? Of course, they might not say ‘No’ to a Bhavani from Master, but would they say ‘yes’ to a Viduthalai? Would they say yes to a film like 19 1(a)? Would they say yes to a film like Uppena? Would they say yes to a Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy? That is why Sethupathi’s decision to put a hold on such roles for now is understandable yet might come across as a betrayal of sorts, because there is no successor in sight.

Many say that a burnt child dreads the fire, but there is a reason why success in cinema, is more often than not, called as a trial by fire. And Vijay Sethupathi has walked long enough on the trail for it to be seen as a success. There isn’t an actor in Indian cinema right now who can say they have been the villain to Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Shah Rukh Khan, won a National award, experimented with their landmark 25th film by acting in ‘spirit’, backed not-so-successful films but never lost hope, and finally, experimented yet again but delivered a super successful landmark 50th film.

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Basically, Vijay Sethupathi’s decision is a personification of the meme of the man who continued to dig for gold, but decides to find an exit after understanding that the gold splinters he found weren’t justifying the dirt he was shoveling over himself. Things might seem easier for the ones following suit. Cinema might have evolved into something better. Filmmakers might be pushing the boundaries even further. Audience might be more receptive of such attempts. But for now Sethupathi has taken a detour. Make no mistake, even that path would be the VJS way of things. That would still be a unique path, but one that might be more palatable to follow. But to reach that detour… it would be helpful if you dig your way through dirt knowing the specks of gold you get would be worth it. Who would be the one that hits that huge reserve of gold in the end? We are not sure now, but when they do it… they, and the Tamil cinema audience would have one person to thank… The man who celebrates his 47th birthday today… Vijay Gurunatha Sethupathi.