Vijayakumar (Tamil actor)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Vijayakumar

• Vijayakumar is an Indian actor and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician who has not only worked in the Tamil film and entertainment industry but also in several Malayalam and Telugu films and TV serials. In September 2022, he acted in the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan: I (PS1).

• Vijayakumar started his acting career as a child artist in 1961 when he portrayed the childhood of Lord Murugan in the Kollywood film Sri Valli after which he bagged several roles in Tamil films like Mahaveera Bheeman (1962), Thaaye Unakkaga (1965), and Kandhan Karunai (1967).

• In 1973, Vijayakumar appeared as a collector named Shankar in Ponnukku Thanga Manasu, a Tamil film.

• Vijayakumar landed the role of a drunkard doctor in the 1974 Kollywood film Samarpanam. He, later on, was seen in another Tamil film titled Aval Oru Thodar Kathai in which he played the role of a man named Tilak.

• In 1976, Vijayakumar appeared in the Kollywood film Panayam and played the role of Captain Murali, an Indian Army officer. In the same year, he appeared in two more Tamil films titled Oru Oodhappu Kan Simittugiradhu (as Sasi) and Mogam Muppadhu Varusham (as Ravi Shankar).

• In the Tamil film Deepham, Vijayakumar landed the role of a man named Kannan. The film was released in 1977. In the same year, he acted in Tamil films like Unnai Suttrum Ulagam (as Sekar), Indru Pol Endrum Vaazhga (as Kumar), and Ilaya Thalaimurai (as Pandu).

• In 1978, he acted in two Tamil films titled Shankar Salim Simon and Aayiram Jenmangal as Shankar and Ravi.

• He was seen in several 1979 Kollywood films like Sigappukkal Mookkuthi, Velum Mayilum Thunai, Azhage Unnai Aarathikkiren, and more.

• Vijayakumar appeared in the 1980 Tamil-Telugu film Kaali. While he played the role of a character named GK for the Tamil version of the film, Chiranjeevi played the role of GK for the Telugu version of the film.

• He played the role of a man named Ranjith in Sawal, which is a Tamil film that was released in 1981.

• In 1983, he appeared in two Tamil films titled Sattam and Apoorva Sahodarigal. In Sattam, he played the role of a character named Michael Johnny.

• Vijayakumar acted in Paattukku Oru Thalaivan, a Tamil film, where he played the role of Marudhanayagam, a politician.

• Vijayakumar made his debut in the Kannada film industry with the 1989 film Geethanjali as the father of Geethanjali, who was the main protagonist in the film.

• Vijayakumar appeared as Periya Gounder in Cheran Pandian, a Tamil film that was released in 1991 and won the Cinema Express Award for his acting in the film.

  

• In 1992, he appeared in his second Telugu film titled Ghatana following which he was seen in a Tamil film titled Deiva Vaakku and played the role of a man named Vallatharai.

• He entered the Malayali film industry (Mollywood) in 1993 with Aayirappara in which he appeared as a character named Chettiyar.

• In the same year, he won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his role as Maayaandi Thevan in the Kollywood film Kizhakku Cheemayile after which he appeared in several Tamil films including Adharmam, Rasigan, Senthamizh Selvan, and more.

  

• In the 1996 Kollywood film Engirundho Vandhan, he played the role of a police commissioner. Later, he appeared in another Tamil film titled Anthimanthaarai.

  

• In the film Bharathi Kannamma, a 1997 Tamil film, he played the role of a character named Vellaisamy Thevar Zamindar.

• In the same year, Vijayakumar entered the Tamil television industry by making a debut with the TV serial Kokila Enge Pogiraal.

• From 2000 to 2010, he landed many roles in Tamil and Telugu films like Sandhitha Velai, Simharasi, Vasu, Kadhal Virus, Solla Solla Inikkum, and many more.

• In 2009, he appeared in the Sun TV show Thangam as Rajaramchandra Raghunath (aka Ayyaa).

• He was given a role in Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam, which is a 2011 Tamil romantic film.

• In the 2013 film Singam II, he landed a role of a politician.

• In the same year, he played the role of a character named Vetrivel Annachi in the Tamil TV show Vamsam.

• In 2014, he was seen in the Tamil film Lingaa, which had Rajinikanth in the leading role.

• In 2015, he appeared in the Kollywood film Aambala after which he was seen in several 2016 Tamil films like Janatha Garage, Ilamai Oonjal, and Nenu Sailaja.

• Vijayakumar debuted in the Telugu television industry in 2016 after he landed a role in the Gemini TV serial Talambralu. He worked in the soap opera till 2017.

• In the same year, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after leaving All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) that he had joined when Marudhur Gopalan Ramachandran was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Talking about joining the BJP, Vijayakumar said,
  

  I am known in all the southern states by virtue of my acting in all the regional language movies. People in Tamil Nadu know me well. I also applaud our Prime Minister Shree Narendra Modi for the excellent policies that he has implemented in the country taking it towards progression. I did not join the party aiming to contest the poll but wanted to strive for the BJP’s victory in the upcoming elections in the state.”

  

  

• He made an appearance as a politician in the 2017 Tamil film Singam III after which he was seen in the Kollywood action comedy film Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan, where he made a guest appearance.

  

• Later, in the same year, he appeared in Nandini, a Tamil-Kannada supernatural fiction soap opera as Rajashekar.

• He appeared as a politician in the 2018 Telugu film Touch Chesi Chudu.

• Vijayakumar acted in two Telugu films titled Prati Roju Pandage and Entha Manchivaadavuraa. The films were released in 2019.

• In the 2019 Sun TV soap opera titled Rasaathi, he appeared as Shanmugasundaram.

• In the 2022 children’s comedy-drama Kollywood film Oh My Dog, Vijayakumar played the role of Shanmugam.

  

• In Oru Oorla Rendu Rajakumari, a 2022 Tamil TV show, Vijayakumar made a guest appearance.

• On 30 September 2022, Vijayakumar was seen in the critically acclaimed Tamil epic period action drama film Ponniyin Selvan: I (PS1) in which he portrayed Vijayalaya Chola, a South Indian ruler who had established the Chola Empire. The film was directed by Mani Ratnam and featured the famous Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

  

• Vijayakumar has appeared in more than five Tamil films in which his son, Arun Vijay, was in the lead role.

• He has worked as a vice president in the South Indian Nadigar Sangam, which is an actors’ association.

• While giving an interview, Vanitha Vijayakumar told the media that Vijayakumar owns a licensed gun.