Vijay Sethupathi Unplugged: Kaattaan, Pocket Novel & Fear That Never Leaves | InFocus | THR India

In this episode of InFocus, Anupama Chopra sits down with Vijay Sethupathi for a wide-ranging conversation that traces his remarkable 22-year journey in cinema. From being a 16-year-old rejected as a junior artist on the sets of Kamal Haasan's Nammavar to sharing the screen with the same star in Vikram, Vijay reflects on the full circles life has drawn for him — his struggling days in Chennai, his stint in Dubai, and the relentless chase for dreams that never quite lets up. He opens up about his acting process, particularly the "vetty time" he spends with directors like Sriram Raghavan, Manikandan, and Karthik Subbaraj to build a subconscious understanding of their vision before stepping on set. The conversation moves into his latest project Kaattaan, a web series directed by Manikandan for JioHotstar, where Vijay plays Muthu — a character introduced, quite literally, as a severed head in a boombox. He discusses the thin line between innocence and performance that defined his role as Ramaiah in Kadaisi Vivasayi, his excitement about reuniting with Thiagarajan Kumararaja for Pocket Novel, his relationship with his acting coach Kumaran, and why he deliberately avoids reading reviews. Vijay also shares why screen time has never been a source of insecurity for him, why he believes artists grow more sensitive with time rather than less, and how he measures his long drives not in kilometres but in Ilayaraaja songs. 00:00 Introduction 01:04 Reflecting on 22 years in cinema 07:18 Learning Hindi and working across industries 09:08 The "vetty time" process with directors 15:34 Playing Muthu and Ramaiah's complexity 22:12 Trusting directors and Pocket Novel update 28:59 Working with an acting coach 33:04 Processing criticism and growing sensitivity 37:39 Screen time insecurity and storytelling philosophy #VijaySethupathi #InFocus #THRIndia