Vijay is affectionately known as Ilaya Thalapathy among his fans, which literally means "Young General" and is credited onscreen as such. He has starred and danced his way into people's hearts through several movies over the years. He is also the brand ambassador for various products.

He made his debut as hero at the age of 18 in the film Naalaya Theerpu in 1992. While he was filming Minsara Kanna in 1999, he married Sangeetha.