Ulaga Nayagan Kamal Haasan to Thalapathy Vijay to Thala Ajith: How these Tamil actors got their popular titles

Tamilians love addressing their favorite actors not just by their names but by their titles. This is not news to anyone. This phenomenon led to Ajith becoming Thala Ajith, Vijay becoming Thalapathy Vijay, and Kamal Haasan becoming Ulaga Nayagan Kamal Haasan. Well, Tamil Nadu’s love of titles is not merely limited to actors; this is also the case with cricketers as well. So, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is Thala, and Suresh Raina is Chinna Thala. 

For outsiders, these may be mere titles, but for the people in Tamil Nadu, this indicates their love and adoration for these people. We have thus decided to make a list of actors, their titles, and how exactly they got their titles. 

Ulaga Nayagan Kamal Haasan

Did you know Kamal Haasan was not initially keen on being referred to as Ulaga Nayagan? The thespian was given this title by director K S Ravikumar. He used this title for the first time ever in his film Thenali. Anyone who is familiar with Tamil cinema knows that the title card is a huge deal. This is the moment when a star’s name appears on screen in the movie, resulting in an uproar in the theater. Rather than just a plain display of the actor’s name, makers come up with exciting ways to introduce an actor. As Kamal had helped Ravikumar a lot during Thenali, the maker wanted to do something special for the actor and came up with the now iconic title of Ulaga Nayagan and an equally memorable title card.  

Nadippin Nayakan Suriya

Nadippin Nayakan can be translated as best in acting. Suriya is one of the most charismatic stars in Tamil cinema right now and also happens to be a very good actor. The beloved actor was given the title after starring in Bala’s Nandha. The film was a major breakthrough in his career and also gave him the title of Nadippin Nayakan. Suriya’s title is not as famous or widely used as the other titles. His name is not synonymous with Nadippin Nayakan like Vijay’s is with Thalapathy. But that does not take away the value of the title and its meaning, as Suriya is indeed a magnificent actor. 

Thalapathy Vijay

Since almost the start of his career, Vijay has been referred to as Ilayathalapathy. The 1994 film Rasigan was the first to use the title for the star. For three decades, addressing the actor as Ilayathalapathy continued. Towards the later part of the 2010s, it became evidently clear that it was time for the actor to naturally progress from Ilayathalapathy to Thalapathy. And finally, it happened, and it happened in style. In his first collaboration with Vijay, Atlee excluded the Ilaya part and introduced the actor as the Thalapathy we know him as now. 

Thala Ajith

There are two Thalas for the people of Tamil Nadu. One is Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and the other is Ajith Kumar. In Ajith's colossal success Dheena, one of the characters played by actor Mahanadhi Shanka refers to him as Thala. Little did anyone know back then that twenty years after the film’s release, Ajith would become synonymous with Thala. Also, if you think Kamal Haasan is the only one who has a problem with their title, then no, he has some company. Ajith has himself disowned the title of Thala and expressed his displeasure with people referring to him as such. 

Superstar Rajinikanth 

Rajinikanth is first and foremost Thalaiva for Tamil audiences. But when you see his movies, the title card never addresses him as such. Rather, he is always referred to as Superstar in his movies. When was he given the title first? Well, it was five decades prior, in 1978. This makes Rajinikanth’s title as Super Star the earliest given title mentioned in this list. Like his biggest competitor, Kamal Haasan, he has been addressed by a variety of names throughout his illustrious career. For the film Bairavai, Rajinikanth was addressed as Superstar but was hesitant to proceed with that title as he felt that addressing him as such would not be the best move when greats like Sivaji Ganesan and MGR were still around. 

Chiyaan Vikram

There is a story behind how Kennedy John Victor became Vikram and how Vikram proceeded to become Chiyaan Vikram. Vikram has not just used Chiyaan as a title; it has now become associated with his name. Many even think Chiyaan Vikram is his full name. But the actor added Chiyaan before his stage name, Vikram, after the film Sethu. In the acclaimed film, which even got a Hindi remake, his character was also referred to as Chiyaan. Sethu’s director, Bala, has revealed the meaning to be a street-smart rogue. For the uninitiated, Sethu was remade into Hindi as Tere Naam and Salman Khan reprised Vikram’s role. 

ALSO READ: Buzz: Manju Warrier onboard to play Vijay Sethupathi’s wife in Vetrimaaran’s Viduthalai sequel