On the occasion of Tamil cinema legend Thalapathy Vijay's 51st birthday, it is important to recognize the actor's fan base in the South States, particularly in Kerala, which has historically been ruled by legends like Mohanlal and Mammootty.

The majority of Kerala would believe that Mohanlal and Mammootty's films have been competing for the industry's box-office records, but this is not the case. In reality, Thalapathy Vijay's movies have given Mohanlal, who has had a record-breaking year, the most intense rivalry over the past ten years. His film Thudarum lately beat Leo's two-year record by being the quickest to earn Rs 50 Cr in Kerala.

When Mohanlal called Thalapathy Vijay his ‘younger brother’

For this reason, their 2014 collaboration in the Tamil film Jilla, in which Mohanlal portrayed Vijay's character Shakti's father, was warmly received by audiences in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The partnership was unique for Mohanlal himself. "More than him respecting him, I respect him and love him because he's such a down-to-earth person," the superstar stated in an interview with this journalist from the sets of Jilla in 2013. I am no longer astonished by his enormous fan base, which extends beyond Tamil Nadu to Kerala.

He had referred to Vijay as his "younger brother" and stated, "For me, he's a boy next door. He has carved out a niche for himself in the industry and I am sure this (collaboration) was destined to happen."

Can Vijay’s Jana Nayagan break Thudarum’s records in Kerala?

On his birthday, the producers of Vijay's forthcoming film Jana Nayagan released a peek of his role from the H Vinoth film via a video called First Roar.

Pooja Hegde, Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and Prakash Raj all play important roles in the movie, which is said to be Vijay's final effort before entering politics. As of right now, Jana Nayagan is scheduled for release on January 9, 2026.

Considering Vijay's popularity in Kerala and the buzz around the political action-thriller, it might well break the records established by Mohanlal's flicks Thudarum and L2: Empuraan earlier this year.

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