Actor who started as Arjun Sarja’s assistant director now facing misconduct allegations from producers but still a leading star in hit films
He’s a leading actor in Tamil cinema who started his career as an assistant director to Arjun Sarja and is the son of a veteran producer in South cinema. The actor has made various hit movies over the years, even directing his next one himself.
Yes, we are talking about actor-producer Vishal who has made a name for himself with numerous commercial flicks and is known for being vocal about public matters.
Vishal: From assistant director to a leading actor
Vishal who completed his studies in Chennai eventually shifted his focus to cinema. Despite landing an opportunity to assist Ram Gopal Varma, the actor’s parents wanted him to do films in the South instead and refused.
This led the actor to pursue his career in Tamil cinema starting off as an assistant director to Arjun Sarja in the 2001 romantic drama flick Vedham. On the sets of the same film, a producer spotted Vishal and signed him as a lead actor in the 2004 movie Chellamae, directed by Gandhi Krishna.
Check out a song from Chellamae:
In order to prepare for his debut role and hone his skills as an actor, Vishal joined a theater group called Koothu-Pattarai. The movie was a romantic thriller where a husband is out to save his wife who has been abducted by her crazed childhood friend.
Subsequently in the year 2005, Vishal joined hands with director Lingusamy for his movie Sandakozhi alongside Meera Jasmine. The movie quickly transitioned the actor into an action hero. Later on, the actor balanced his filmography by playing heroes in action flicks while also appearing as a comedic romantic lead in some others.
His film Thimiru was a massive hit commercially while Sivappathigaram did not meet the mark at the box office. However, in 2007 the actor and director Hari collaborated for the first time in a film called Thaamirabharani.
Watch a song from Thaamirabharani:
The family action drama starring multiple actors like Prabhu, Nadhiya, Bhanu (Muktha), Nassar, Vijayakumar, Rohini, and many more was a critical and commercial hit. Despite the clash amid releasing with big films, the movie was well-accepted by audiences.
Later on, the actor appeared in commercial duds like Malaikottai and Sathyam while his movies like Thoranai and Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai were average grossers. The movies Sathyam and Thoranai were even released in Telugu sectors but failed to create an impact for the actor.
The actor further went on to act in director Bala’s dark comedy movie Avan Ivan after being recommended by his friend and actor Arya. The movie portrayed him as a stage actor with a squint which even caused him eye problems and headaches while shooting. However, the actor’s performance was well-appreciated despite the average reception for the movie.
The year 2013 started with the actor’s action flick called Samar, which was followed by Pattathu Yaanai. The movie also marked the debut acting role of Arjun Sarja’s daughter Aishwarya Arjun. Furthermore, the same year Vishal jumped into the business of producing movies, making his debut with Pandiya Naadu.
In 2014, he played the role of a person with narcolepsy in the movie Naan Sigappu Manithan and did extensive case studies in order to portray the roles. Further ahead, the actor once again joined with director Hari for the movie Poojai and later starred in flicks like Aambala and Paayum Puli.
Watch the Ambala trailer:
Later on, he acted in films like Kathakali, Marudhu, and Kaththi Sandai. In 2017, Vishal even debuted in Malayalam with the movie starring Mohanlal in the lead role. The film directed by B Unnikrishnan featured a neo-noir psychological thriller with the actor playing the main antagonist of a mentally-ill doctor.
In 2017, Vishal starred in Mysskin’s directorial venture called Thupparivaalan which is one of the most memorable characters ever played by him. The film loosely based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes featured him as a detective.
After starring in several other films over the years, the actor was last seen in films like Mark Antony and Rathnam. While the latter featured him in a macho action role, the former was a fun-filled ride with sci-fi elements. The actor is now set to make his debut as a director next with the film Thupparivaalan 2.
Vishal’s personal life
Vishal was born to film producers GK Reddy and Janaki Devi on August 28, 1977. The actor is from a Telugu-speaking family in Chennai and completed his studies in the city itself.
The actor has a degree in Visual Communications and used to be classmates with actor-politician Udhayanidhi Stalin and his now-wife director Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi. The actor also has an elder brother called Vikram Krishna who is married to Salaar actress Sriya Reddy.
Furthermore, Vishal was also the President of the Tamil Film Producers Council and started the anti-piracy cell in a move against online piracy. Additionally, the actor has been alleged by the producers’ council of misusing their funds in the term he served as the president.
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