The writer says Indian film actor Joseph Vijay, who bade farewell to his Malaysian fans recently, inspired his fans to believe that they could rise above their limitations. — KVN Productions/X
On Jan 9, 2026, fans of Tamil cinema phenomenon Joseph Vijay celebrated what felt like the final festival of a Thalapathy film. The farewell truly began earlier, on Dec 27, 2025, when the audio launch of Jana Nayagan lit up Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
Many media outlets described him as an “actor-turned-politician”, but to us, he has always been Thalapathy – a commander not by authority, but by connection.
That night, 85,000 fans filled the stadium, glowing with blinking wristbands and raised phone torches, transforming the space into a sea of starlight.
It was a surreal farewell for a figure larger than life, and an unimaginable moment for Malaysian fans who never expected to be part of such history.
We heard his iconic opening line one last time – “En nenjil kudiyirukkum” (“The fans who reside in my heart”). He shared his final kutti story, sang, danced and gave everything he could to make his fans smile.
We laughed, cried and cheered ourselves hoarse for a childhood hero who had always been a part of our lives.
As social media buzzed – alongside critics questioning the devotion shown to a “mere actor” – the answer was simple: That devotion was exactly the point.
He wasn’t just an actor – he felt like one of us, and in many ways, all of us. He inspired people like me to believe that we, too, could rise above our limitations. I first watched him as a fidgety, nervous introvert who struggled to speak on stage. As a similarly timid child, my voice grew loud only when defending his name. As he found confidence, I found my own.
Today, as he stands as our Thalapathy – our leader – he makes me believe that I, too, can lead. In many ways, this is how fans connect with him. To us, he was never just a character who danced and performed on screen. He felt real, tangible and deeply personal.
He taught us to step beyond our comfort zones and face fear head-on. Through his kutti stories, he reminded us to be kind, humble and brave enough to chase even the most audacious dreams.
He became our bubble of positivity, a voice we returned to during heartbreak, grief and self-doubt. He urged us to treat humiliation as fuel and failure as instruction.
Most importantly, he lived these values. We witnessed his setbacks and his triumphs. And now, we watch him lay down the crown at his peak – choosing to step aside not out of defeat, but conviction, and for what he believes is the greater good.
Back in 2014, I wrote an article in The Star titled, “A teen shares why actor Joseph ‘Ilayathalapathy’ Vijay is her hero”. Today, as I write this, I can affirm that he was and always will be our hero. Not an actor of the elites, but one who belongs to the streets.
Millions of hearts feel the void you leave as you retire from this thing called cinema.
But thank you for all these years as an “actor”, and for the years to come as our Thalapathy.
On Jan 9, we didn’t honour you for one last time – we celebrated a legacy that never ends.
