‘I’m a firm believer in God,’ Vijay says. ‘I go to church, temple, and dargah.’

On Sunday, Tamil superstar Vijay, who is set to release his new film Beast this week, gave a rare television interview. Sun TV, whose film production banner Sun Picture is financing the film, aired the interview. Beast director Nelson Dilipkumar conducted the interview. Given that Vijay had avoided media interactions for over a decade, the interview generated a lot of buzz.

“How about doing some media interviews?” “Do you have a full schedule?” Nelson inquired. “No, that’s not it. I have time available for interviews, but it did not work out. I think I gave an interview about ten years ago. And I had the impression that my words had been misunderstood during that interview. I was not pleased with myself. My family members even inquired as to why I had spoken so arrogantly. I then had to call the person in question and explain that I didn’t mean it that way. And I can’t do it to everyone all of the time, can I? As a result, I avoid doing interviews,” Vijay explained.

Apart from Rajinikanth and Ajith Kumar, Vijay is one of the three superstars in Tamil cinema who rarely promotes his films. People flock to the theatres without being persuaded because these celebrities have built such a strong fan base around the world. The audio release function for his upcoming films, one of the few events in which he participates, is awaited with bated breath. Sun Pictures did not hold a music launch event for Beast, much to the dismay of fans. The decision’s motivation is unknown. During the interview, neither Nelson nor Vijay mentioned the reason.

Vijay’s television interview was staged in order to ease the fans’ pain. Vijay seemed more reserved than usual, in contrast to the audio release events, where he usually lets his hair down and surprises the fans with impromptu dance moves, punchlines, jokes, and short fables. While Nelson did the majority of the talking, Vijay responded with humility and stoicism to Nelson’s praises disguised as questions.Nelson had, to his credit, asked some thoughtful questions about Vijay’s life, including his relationship with his father, filmmaker S. A. Chandrasekhar. “The only difference between God and the father is that we can’t see God but we can see our father,” Vijay said, emphasising that despite their recent squabble, he is still a loving son.

When Nelson mentioned that he went to church while filming in Georgia, Vijay talked about his religious beliefs. “I’m a firm believer in it.” I attend church, and during the filming of Thuppakki, I visited temples and the Ameen Peer Dargah. In every location, I’ve had a divine feeling. My father is a Christian and my mother is a Hindu. They both fell in love and married each other. I was raised in a home where I was never told where I should or shouldn’t go. “I teach the same to my children,” he added.

Nelson also inquired about Vijay’s intentions to get involved in politics. Vijay has made no secret of his political ambitions, but he has yet to set a date for his political debut. He appears to have plagiarised superstar Rajinikanth’s over two-decade-old response to the “will you/won’t you” question, substituting fans for God. Rajinikanth has always stated that “if God wills,” he will enter politics. “Today, my fans want me to be Thalapathy,” Vijay said (the movie star). So be it if tomorrow they want me to be Thalaivan (leader).”

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