Vijay Sethupathi says he wants 'stardom'; blames himself for the failure of 'Junga'

Time of India

21-05-2025

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Vijay Sethupathi
is all set for the release of his upcoming movie '
Ace
' on May 23. The film, directed by
Arumuga Kumar
, also features actress
Rukmini Vasanth
in her Tamil debut. In a recent conversation, he spoke about '
stardom
' and shared his views on
commercial cinema
.
Vijay Sethupathi about reuniting with Arumuga Kumar
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Vijay Sethupathi spoke about working with director Arumuga Kumar, who gave him his break back in 2018 with Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren. Asked why it took them six years to collaborate again, the actor said, 'We did have conversations in between and discussed around seven or eight ideas, but Ace is the story which finally clicked for me.
He executed Laabam for me in 2021.'
Ace - Official Telugu Trailer
He further elaborated on the plot of Ace, calling it a mix of love story, crime, and action. 'The protagonist has a major past, but he gives it all up to create a new identity for himself and lead a new life. But unfortunately, life presents a situation – love and the people he loves – where he has to become the old one once again,' he explained.
With popular comedian
Yogi Babu
also part of the cast, Sethupathi assures that the film offers not just intensity but also lighter moments.
Embracing Failures and Taking Risks
Despite a series of critically acclaimed performances, Sethupathi has had a few misfires at the box office, including Junga. But he owns up to the setbacks. 'I liked Junga. I'll blame myself for the failure of that film – maybe I didn't act convincingly enough in it, and it didn't reach the audience,' he says candidly. He explains that while a story may seem promising during narration, filmmaking is unpredictable — miscalculations can happen, and if the final product doesn't connect with audiences, it's often seen as a failure.
He shares that audience and critic feedback has helped him grow, and despite warnings about playing villains, he chose to take risks. Coming from a middle-class background, he believes it was courage – not fear – that led him to pursue acting, and he refuses to stay in a comfort zone.
Defining Stardom on His Own Terms
Sethupathi has often been labelled more of an 'actor's actor' than a commercial star, but he sees things differently.
'No, I see myself as a star – the way I approach cinema is probably different,' he asserts. He shared that the way people define a star varies. But for him, a star is someone who brings the audience to theatres – and he does that with his films.
'I believe I'm a star because I can bring the audience to theatres, engage them, act convincingly, entertain them, and make an impact with the story being told,' he stated.
He further explains that, for him, commercial cinema is not about mass appeal elements – it's all about bringing back the money invested in the film.
He believes that a movie should give fans a sense of exhilaration through performance.
'I want stardom, and I want to be a star, and I want to work to remain a star,' he shared. The actor also admitted that following the same formula to make a hit movie will not help, as there should be constructive changes in the filmmaking format.
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