Life history

Vijay (Tamil: விஜய்), (born Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar on June 22, 1974) is a Indian film actor, who has been a prominent figure in Tamil cinema, as well as a playback singer and a brand ambassador.
Vijay began his career appearing in several of his father's directorial ventures in the early 1990s. He made his film debut in Naalaya Theerpu(1992). Since then, he has been part of numerous other commercially successful films and has earned a cult status among fans for many of his performances. During his years in the Chennai film industry, he has been nominated for a few South Filmfare Awards, and has won two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
While some of Vijay's best-known films, Poove Unakkaga (1996), Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1999), Khushi (2000), Ghilli (2004) and Pokkiri (2007), remain some of Tamil cinema's biggest hits, films like Thirumalai (2003), Thirupaachi(2005) and Sivakasi (2005) have kept him popular in the rural markets, making Vijay one of the most successful actors of Tamil cinema. Due to Vijay's popularity in Tamil Nadu, he is the current ambassador for the IPL cricket team Chennai Super Kings and has also served several commercial companies as a brand ambassador


Early life
Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar was born on June 22, 1974, to film producer and director S. A. Chandrasekhar and Shoba Chandrasekhar, a classical and a playback singer. He had a sister named Vidhya Chandrasekhar who died at the age of two. Vijay went on to do Visual Communications at Loyola College, Chennai. He was interestingly classmates with present-day film artistes Surya Sivakumar, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Karthik Raja, and Vishnuvardhan
Personal life
He married Sangeetha Sornalingam, of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, on August 25, 1999. Sangeetha was a die-hard fan of Vijay and sought interest in marrying him. She flew down and visited him personally in India. They have two children, a son named Jason Sanjay, born on August 26, 2000 in London, and a daughter named Divya Saasha, born on September 9, 2005 in Chennai.

Brand ambassadorship
In 2002, Vijay was chosen as Coca Cola's brand ambassador in Tamil Nadu. A year later, the company later decided they could increase their product sales without the help of a celebrity endorser. In February 2009, Vijay was chosen again as the brand ambassador for Coca Cola products.[2]

Chennai Super Kings
In 2008, Vijay was signed up as the star ambassador for the Indian Premier League cricket team Chennai Super Kings, along with actress Nayantara, who was later fired from the position. Currently, the other ambassador of the team is Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

Awards and honours
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best in Kadhalukku Mariyadhai in 1998
Roja Duke's Best Actor Award for Kadhalukku Mariyadhai in 1998
M. G. R. Award in 2000
Dinakaran Best Actor Award for Ghilli in 2005
Film Today Best Actor Award for Ghilli in 2005
Tamil Nadu State Film Special Award for Best Actor for Thirupaachi in 2006
Honorary doctorate in 2007

[Filmography

As actor
Year
Movie
Role
Notes
1992
Naalaya Theerpu
Vijay
1993
Sendhoorapandi
Vijay
1994
Deva
Deva
Rasigan
Vijay
1995
Rajavin Parvaiyile
Vijay
Vishnu
Vishnu
Chandralekha
Rahim
1996
Coimbatore Maaple
Balu
Poove Unakkaga
Raja
Vasantha Vaasal
Vijay
Maanbumigu Maanavan
Shiva
Selva
Selva
1997
Kaalamellam Kaathiruppen
Kannan
Love Today
Ganesh
Once More
Vijay
Nerrukku Ner
Vijay
Kadhalukku Mariyadhai
Jeevanandam
Winner: Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
1998
Ninaithen Vandhai
Gokulakrishnan
Priyamudan
Vasanth
Nilaave Vaa
Seluvai
1999
Thulladha Manamum Thullu
Kutty
Endrendrum Kadhal
Vijay
Nenjinile
Karunakaran
Minsara Kanna
Kannan
2000
Kannukkul Nilavu
Gautham
Khushi
Shiva
Priyamaanavale
Vijay
2001
Friends
Aravinth
Badri
Badri
Shahjahan
Ashok
2002
Thamizhan
Surya
Youth
Shiva
Bhagavathi
Bhagavathi
Vaseegara
Boopathy
2003
Puthiya Geethai
Sarathy
Thirumalai
Thirumalai
2004
Udhaya
Udhayakumaran
Ghilli
Saravanavelu
Madhurey
Madhurey
2005
Thirupaachi
Sivagiri
Winner: Tamil Nadu State Film Special Award for Best Actor
Sachien
Sachien
Sukran
Sukran
Sivakasi
Sivakaasi (Muthappa)
2006
Aathi
Aathi
2007
Pokkiri
Thamizh (Sathyamoorthy)
Nominated: Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award
Azhagiya Thamizh Magan
Guru,Prasad
2008
Kuruvi
Vetrivel
Pandhayam
As himself
Guest appearance
2009
Villu
Pugazh,Major Saravanan
Vettaikkaaran
Filming