Vadivelu Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Vadivelu

• Vadivelu is an Indian actor known for his work in Tamil films. He is known for his distinctive style of humour, which often involves making fun of himself. His characters typically portray an exaggerated sense of importance, often taking on comical versions of tough gang leaders.

• He wanted to become an actor since he was a child. He used to take part in local stage plays, where he mainly played comic roles.

• Before he started working in films, he helped run his dad’s glass-cutting business. After his father passed away, he continued running the business with his brothers.

• After making his acting debut with the Tamil film En Thangai Kalyani’ (1988), he appeared in the film ‘En Rasavin Manasile’ (1991), starring Goundamani and Senthil. Following this film, he starred in several more films alongside Goundamani and Senthil as a trio.
  

  Vadivelu in a still from the film ‘En Rasavin Manasile’

• In 1992, he appeared alongside Vijayakanth in the film ‘Chinna Gounder.’

• In the same year, he essayed the role of Sabha in the film ‘Singaravelan.’

• Vadivelu became a household name after playing the role of Vasanth in the Prabhu Deva starrer film ‘Kadhalan’ (1994).
  

  Vadivelu (right) in a still from the film ‘Kadhalan’

• After making his debut as a playback singer with the film ‘Ellame En Rasathan’ (1995), Vadivelu worked as a playback singer for the film ‘Rajavin Parvaiyile’ (1995). He sang the song “Ammanuke Adanki” for the film.

• In 1996, he lent his voice for the song “Vaadi Potta Pulla Veliye” for the film ‘Kaalam Maari Pochu.’

• His performance as Sekar in the 1996 film ‘Kaalam Maari Pochu’ received huge praise from the audience.
  

  Vadivelu in a still from the film ‘Kaalam Maari Pochu’

• In 2001, he worked as a playback singer for the film ‘Magalirkkaga’ in which he sang the song “Therkathi Mappillai.”

• He, along with Kovai Kamala, Silambarasan, and Tippu, sang the song “Kadhal Panna” for the film ‘Kovil’ (2004).

• After making his debut as a lead actor in the film ‘Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei’ (2006), Vadivelu appeared in a lead role in the film ‘Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan’ (2008).
  

  Poster of the film ‘Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan’

• In 2011, he supported the DMK ( Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) party and its allies in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. He mainly criticised actor Vijaykanth for forming an alliance with the opposition party AIADMK, led by Jayalalithaa.

• In 2014, he played the titular role in the film ‘Tenaliraman.’ However, the film did not perform well at the box office.

• In 2015, he appeared in the lead role of Eli Saamy in the film ‘Eli.’ The film also failed to run at the box office. He also sang the song “Kannameya” for the film.

• Following setbacks as a lead actor in several films, Vadivelu decided to return to play supporting roles. He later appeared as a supporting actor in the films ‘Kaththi Sandai’ (2016) and ‘Shivalinga’ (2017) and regained popularity in the film industry.
  

  Poster of the film ‘Shivalinga’

• Vadivelu made his return to the Tamil film industry in 2022 after a ban of four years with the film ‘Naai Sekar Returns’ in which he essayed the titular role. The film received a positive response from the audience and critics.

• In 2023, he appeared alongside Fahadh Faasil in the film ‘Maamannan.’ Vadivelu played the titular role in the film. For the film, he also recorded the song “Raasa Kannu” with A. R. Rahman.
  

  Poster of the film ‘Maamannan’

• He lent his voice as a playback singer in several Tamil films, including ‘Thadayam’ (1997), ‘Manaivikku Mariyadhai’ (1999), ‘Vadagupatti Maapillai’ (2001), ‘Kadhal Kirukkan’ (2003), ‘Vel’ (2007), ‘Villu’ (2009), and ‘Naai Sekar Returns’ (2023).

• He has acted in more than 300 Tamil films in a career span of thirty years. Some of his most notable films include ‘Chinna Gounder’ (1991), ‘Chandralekha’ (1995), ‘Friends’ (2001), ‘Gambeeram’ (2004), ‘Muniyandi Vilangiyal Moonramandu’ (2008), ‘Mambattiyan’ (2011), ‘Mersal’ (2017), and ‘Chandramukhi 2’ (2023). 

• After achieving fame in films, he earned the nickname Vaigai Puyal, named after the Vaigai River in his hometown, Madurai. His nickname was inspired by the Vaigai River in his hometown, Madurai.

• In an interview, he disclosed how he landed his first role. He said that he met filmmaker Rajkiran on a train while heading to Chennai to meet his future wife. While travelling, they had a conversation and Rajkiran found him impressive. He later decided to give Vadivelu a role in the film ‘En Rasavin Manasile’ (1991).

• People on social media often use Vadivelu’s dialogues to make funny memes to express irony in real-life situations. In addition, many Tamil films have been named after his popular dialogues.