Vijay Sethupathi, widely regarded as one of the best South Indian actors, frequently faces questions about his simple and rustic appearance, especially compared with other film stars, who maintain a certain level of fitness.
During a press meet on Monday in Hyderabad to promote his film Maharaja, which releases in Tamil and Telugu today, the 46-year-old addressed this topic once again.
Sethupathi humorously remarked: “I keep getting asked this everywhere. I am not as simple as you all say. I don’t know what else I have to do. According to me, being handsome or smart has nothing to do with physical appearance.”
When asked about the trend of actors having six-packs, he said: “How many of us here have a six-pack? Let me get the number. Aren’t you all heroes at your own homes? Aren’t you heroes to your wife and kids?
“I am not against it. Suppose, if there is a project where I have to do it, then I will. The filmmakers should give me time for it. But the story should convince you to do that. I won’t get a six-pack for the sake of it.”
Sethupathi plays a cold-blooded barber in Maharaja, reported The Times of India. Directed by Nithilan Swaminathan, the film also stars Anurag Kashyap and Abhirami.
The film’s trailer promises an action-packed ride. It is a whirlwind of action sequences, glimpses of a dark and complex storyline and hints at a ruthless side to Sethupathi’s character.
The background music by B. Ajaneesh Loknath adds to the film’s intensity.
It marks a departure from Sethupathi’s usual roles, showcasing him in a gritty and intense avatar.
The actor recently revealed he would not be acting as an antagonist because of bad experiences.
“Many producers are offering me villain roles, and they want me to hear the script before saying ‘no’,” he said. “I don’t have time to listen to all of them. That’s why I stopped listening to such pitches.”
Sethupathi also said he is not averse to doing an action film.
“Everything is fine by me. As an actor, I have to justify the story if I like it. I can’t say this is right and this is wrong,” he said.
“I don’t have anything against commercial films. If I get a good film and a director who has it in him to execute it, I will do it.”
However, Sethupathi made it clear that he will not act in a film that has a much younger female lead. His sentiment goes against the grain of Indian films where casting male actors in their 60s along with females who are much younger is rather common.
“I have spoken out about this before,” Sethupathi said, referring to his 2021 film Uppena in which he worked opposite 20-year-old actress Krithi Shetty.
“I acted with Krithi Shetty in Uppena in 2021, and later, a director told me to approach her for another film as a heroine. I said no because I had asked her to consider me as a dad during the climax sequence of Uppena.
“What if she had told me that she doesn’t want to act with me because ‘this man has asked me to consider him as dad’? She can say no also.”
Within a month of its release, Maharaja will appear on Netflix, enabling a wider audience to appreciate Sethupathi’s newest cinematic offering.
