Vijay Sethupathi birthday special: Must watch movies of the actor

Vijay Sethupathi rained films last year and he received a lot of accolades for his efforts. He is definitely one of the most versatile actors that Tamil cinema has seen in recent times. Today, as the rising star celebrates his 39th birthday, here are a few best movies of his career where he was at his brilliant best!

Pizza

This Karthik Subbaraj film was Vijay’s first film as a hero and he nailed it. His portrayal of the intrepid Michael Karthikeyan, a pizza delivery boy, who ends up locked in a haunted house, was super entertaining and his performance combined with Subbaraj’s brilliant direction made this thriller film a cult classic for budding filmmakers. Vijay won a SIIMA in the Best Actor category in 2012 and this film marked the beginning of his stardom.

Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom

This black comedy is a testimony to Sethupathi’s acting skills. He played the role of Prem, a man who is about to be married, but suffers a head injury that gives him temporary short term memory loss. It was hilarious and awe inspiring to see him repeat the same sentences again and again throughout the film without even a slight change in his dialogue, voice modulation or expression. Nobody could have played this role better than him. It is also one of his most popular films.

Soodhu Kavvum

Nalan Kumarasamy dished out a real gem of a comedy in 2013, titled ‘Soodhu Kavvum’. A comedy film that involves kidnapping, a whole lot of stupidity, scheming, politics and the most hilarious ending you will ever witness. Vijay Sethupathi was the star of this comedy as Das, a middle aged man who does low profile kidnapping for a living. Compared to his rather energetic screen presence in his previous films, he was totally lax, laidback, funny yet menacing in this movie. The versatility this man brings to the table is unbelievable.

Orange Mittai

It can be said that comedy is one of the strong mettles of Vijay Sethupathi. Yet, his role and mannerism for each film are as different as they get. In this critically acclaimed film, he plays the role of Kailasam, an old man who has a heart problem. When two paramedics come to take him to the hospital, it comes to light that he has an agenda of his own and hilarity ensues as the paramedics try to figure out why Kailasam is such an adamant old man and make sure he safely reaches the hospital. This one is a critic’s favourite.

Sethupathi

Who could have imagined Vijay as an action hero? But considering his talent, it is not so surprising. ‘Sethupathi’ is the movie where the actor proved that he can play any role with ease and panache. Many were skeptical if he could pull this one off, but he was simply brilliant as Sethupathi, a tough cop with oodles of swag and quick temper. His portrayal of an action hero with brawns and brains was so awesome that the movie could easily be compared with Suriya’s ‘Singam’, one of the most famous cop movies of Kollywood.

Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum

‘Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum’, or KaKaPo as it is better known as, was one of the few out-and-out romantic movies from Vijay's stable. It had a fair share of laughs, but ultimately it was a love story between two people who come from very different backgrounds. Vijay played the role of Kathir, a convict who gets out of jail after serving time for murder. This tough thug then comes across Yazhini, a young woman who is in desperate need of an IT job. He played his role spot on as he was tough, yet funny and sometimes really caring and sweet as the story demanded. No wonder the movie was a super hit.

Iraivi

When you are an amazing actor, it is easy to out shadow others and make the film your own. But it takes a real artist to underplay his or her role so that the story is the real winner. This is exactly what he did in ‘Iraivi’ where he played Michael, one of the three protagonists. Vijay was stoic, calm and he really underplayed his role because that was exactly what the script demanded. Even though SJ Suryah was the one who became the star with ‘Iraivi’, Vijay’s contribution was invaluable as he kept the story moving.

Dharmadurai

This drama set in rural India, saw the versatile star playing the role of a doctor who gives up his practice after the shocking death of his fiance played by Aishwarya Rajesh. The film follows his journey from a young doctor eager to serve his community, through his plight after heartbreak and ultimately the silver lining that sees him getting his life back together. Makkal Selvan convincingly portrayed the part of the young doctor and also the older, bitter version of himself. His screen presence along with director Seenu Ramasamy’s expertise made ‘Dharmadurai’ a commercial success

Aandavan Kattalai

This Vijay Sethupathi starrer is a masterstroke from director M.Manikandan. This filmmaker has a knack for subtlely delivering his message while entertaining his audience with lighthearted comedy. He pulled off something similar with the versatile actor’s help in ‘Aandavan Kattalai’, where Vijay plays Gandhi, an accountant who is obsessed with going to London to earn more. He struggles to get his passport and visa but he is determined to get there by any means necessary, including faking his own marriage and divorce. While the film is a genuine comedy at heart, it brilliantly addresses the Indian obsession with going abroad and making money.