Are you CM Vijay's son or superstar son or debut director? Jason Sanjay answers

For Jason Sanjay, the question of identity is impossible to escape. He is the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor Vijay, a name that carries decades of stardom and, now, political significance. But as he is prepared to make his directorial debut with Sigma at 25, Jason said he was constantly thinking about how audiences would perceive him — as Vijay’s son or as an individual filmmaker.

Speaking to Galatta Plus, Jason was asked whether people see him primarily as the son of the Chief Minister, the son of a superstar or simply as Jason Sanjay, a 25-year-old making his directorial debut. “I think about it all the time. I can’t deny that,” Jason said, acknowledging the weight of his family name.

He said his debut comes at an interesting point in his family’s journey, with Vijay’s transition from cinema to politics adding another dimension to the legacy he carries. “Family’s in-built legacy is always going to be there and will continue to prolong. There’s a political scenario taking place and the change taking place off late,” he said.

At the same time, Jason said he has tried to keep Sigma within his own creative space, focusing on making the film he wants to make rather than allowing his family background to define it. “I am doing my own film in my small bubble, making my mark in the industry and delivering my vision,” he said.

For Jason, the real test will come once the film begins playing. He believes that after the initial curiosity surrounding his surname fades, the film itself will determine how audiences perceive him.

“Basically, after five minutes of watching the movie, it’ll only be like, ‘Directed by Jason Sanjay.’ Subconsciously, they’re just going to watch it as a film. Whatever the criticism I get, positive / negative, the work will speak who I am,” he said.

Jason also sees Sigma as the starting point for building an identity that extends beyond his debut. “After the release of Sigma, I can concentrate on building my identity and using the success and exposure of Sigma to prolong my career,” he added.

Jason on what he admires about Vijay

While Jason is keen to establish himself independently, his father’s influence naturally extends to his filmmaking sensibilities. Asked what quality he would have liked Vijay to explore as a director, Jason pointed to his sense of humour and the more relaxed side of the actor he grew up watching at home.

“I like my father’s sense of humour, something that I really enjoy watching him do, letting loose and being himself. I’ve seen the personal side of him at home as well, growing up. There’s an inner-child-like nature he has in him,” he said.

Jason added that he would have loved to see Vijay take on more characters that allow him to explore that side of his personality on screen. “Over the course of his career, he stopped seeing films in such genres where he can full-fledged play that character, a very relatable character that people can relate to. If I or filmmakers get opportunities, I’d like to extract that,” he said.

According to Jason, that instinct has also found its way into Sigma, which he described as a film with plenty of fun moments.

Sigma, starring Sundeep Kishan and Faria Abdullah, marks Jason Sanjay’s debut as a director and is scheduled to release on October 2.