Baby Thalapathy! Rare Childhood Photos Of Vijay That Fans Have Never Seen Before

He was born Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar on June 22, 1974 — son of a Christian filmmaker father and a Hindu vocalist mother. From day one, his identity straddled two worlds, and he never chose between them.

That interfaith household shaped him deeply. His mother is a devout Sai Baba follower, and Vijay takes after her. And then there is Radhan Pandit — his official astrologer, on whose counsel Vijay has performed temple rituals and offered special prayers. For a man born between a Bible and a bhajan, the stars were always going to matter too.

He made his screen debut at just 10 in his father's film Vetri (1984). His first classroom was a film set. Not many superstars can say that.

By all accounts, a shy, watchful child — not showy. His personality changed completely after he lost his baby sister Vidhya, says his mother Shoba. The talkative, naughty boy went quiet. That stillness never quite left him.

In college, he was obsessed with Michael Jackson — learning every famous MJ dance move and performing them at competitions. The footwork that Tamil Nadu would one day go delirious over was built, quite literally, on moonwalks.

He enrolled in Visual Communications at Loyola College but dropped out early to chase acting full-time. His family had concerns. He had conviction. History sided with him.

His first lead role in 'Naalaiya Theerpu' (1992) flopped — bitter criticism for both his looks and his performance. The boy who grew up on film sets got his first real lesson: the camera doesn't care whose son you are.

Then came the gossipy bit. While shooting his second film, a female fan approached him on set to praise his debut. That fan was Sangeetha Sornalingam — daughter of a UK-based industrialist. Vijay invited her home for a meal with his parents. His mother sensed something. She was right.

Some unconfirmed sources claim his childhood nickname within the family was "Baba," and that he quietly discovered a talent for the keyboard in his teenage years — occasionally showing it off at private family gatherings. Charming, if true.

His college friends Sanjeev Venkat, Sriman, and Srinath stayed by his side — all three went on to appear in several of his films. The shy kid from Virugambakkam held on to his people. In Tamil cinema's brutal world, that said everything.