Merry Christmas star Vijay Sethupathi declares, 'No more cameos and villain roles'

Actor Vijay Sethupathi is known for his versatility in the Tamil film industry. In contrast to his peers who primarily focus on lead roles in Tamil films, Sethupathi distinguishes himself by embracing diverse characters across multiple languages. From portraying a transgender individual to embodying an outright villain, he consistently pushes the boundaries of his stardom. 

However, he seems to have reached a stage where this diversity is beginning to affect the market value of his solo movies. While promoting his upcoming movie Merry Christmas, Sethupathi expressed concern about the increasing influx of offers for cameo appearances and antagonist roles.

"I have said no to at least 20 requests for guest roles. At first, I had a different perspective on it. If my presence can boost the performance of a film, I thought why can't I help it? But, later everyone started to approach me, from newcomers to seasoned filmmakers. And this began to affect the business of films, where I played the lead. So I stopped doing guest roles," he revealed. 

ALSO READ: Vijay Sethupathi, Katrina Kaif share culinary tales ahead of Merry Christmas release

In addition to cameos, Sethupathi is also one of the most sought-after A-listers for playing antagonists in big star movies. Whether it's alongside Thalapathy Vijay in Master, Kamal Haasan in Vikram, or Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, Sethupathi has carved a niche for himself by bringing to life the different shades of villainy. However, after a point, this also became a problem in his career. 

"More and more people started asking me to play villain roles. And I was getting typical villain roles. Even when I say no, they ask me to listen to the script before making a decision. But, I am not able to allot time for such narrations. That's the reason I announced that I will no longer do villain roles," said Sethupathi. 

Sethupathi's villain in Jawan made him a household name across the Hindi-speaking states. Now, he's waiting for the release of Merry Christmas, which is directed by Sriram Raghavan. Judging from the trailer, the film seems like a psychological thriller with elements of surrealism. The movie stars Katrina Kaif as the female lead.

ALSO READ: Sriram Raghavan on making two versions of Merry Christmas: Didn't want one of them to look 'dubbed'

Merry Christmas was simultaneously shot in Tamil and Hindi. It's due in cinemas on January 12. 

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