Vijay Sethupathi on refusing villainous roles: 'I was happy to share screen with Shah Rukh Khan, but..’ - Exclusive

Vijay Sethupathi, the Tamil superstar, donned a negative role in Atlee’s Bollywood film ‘Jawaan.’ Though his work as an actor was impressive as ever, and he left an indelible mark on the cinematic canvas, his fans didn’t really appreciate him playing a negative character. Thus, despite being happy about the fact that he shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan, Vijay Sethupathi has taken the conscious decision of not playing any more negative villainous roles. In an exclusive conversation with us, the ‘Maharaja’ actor shared that neither he nor his fans like to see him in negative roles.

No more villainous roles for Vijay Sethupathi

“The way a role finally shapes up is not in my mind,” Vijay said when asked about his fans’ reaction to his negative role in ‘Jawan.’

The ‘Ace’ actor then added, “I was just happy to share screen space with Shah Rukh Khan. But I won’t do any more villain roles just to prop up a hero’s presence. My fans don’t like it. Neither do I.”

Vijay Sethupathi says there’s more to life than just work

The actor who turned 48 today, also shared a bluntly honest take on getting a year older. Highlighting that life isn’t just about his work, he mentioned, “It feels like I have one less year to do all the things I want to do in my life. And not just an actor. There is so much to do in life, and it is not all about cinema.”

Having said that, when it comes to cinema, Vijay Sethupathi’s focus always lies in his script. “I would love to do films in all languages. It's an experience, sir. I get offers from all languages. Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, also. The script is my main concern. I've heard a lot of stories in Tamil. Yes. But I couldn't do the films,” he shared.

What’s next for Vijay Sethupathi?

Vijay Sethupathi will next be seen in the silent film ‘Gandhi Talks.’ Sharing about the same, he said, “One Gandhi as a freedom fighter. The other Gandhi we know is an Indian. So, it's about this guy, when he speaks the truth, he doesn't get respect. He starts lying.”

“At the end of the day, he follows the real Gandhi. That's the story,” he explained.

He also has a Telugu movie with Tabu, who Vijay describes as ‘an amazing actor.’ However, at this moment, he kept the details of the project under wraps.

As for ‘Gandhi Talks,’ it is releasing on January 30, 2026. The expectations are high for 'Gandhi Talks'.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”