One was (and still is) a celebrity, and the other was an ardent follower, but fate had other plans for both of them. Who would have guessed that a rockstar would marry one of his female admirers and fell in love with her on their first meeting? But this is how Thalapathy Vijay met Sri Lankan Tamilian beauty Sangeetha Sornalingam.
When Sangeetha first met Vijay, he wasn’t a star and was just starting out in the South cinema industry. When he first met Sangeetha, he was reveling in the glory of his then-recently released film Poove Unakkaga. Poove Unakkaga was Vijay’s first critically praised film, and the actor gained enormous recognition following its release. The film was adored not just in India, but by Tamilians all over the world.
Following that, Vijay was filming for his after a movie at Chennai’s Film City, and during some pauses, he came across a lovely young girl who went to visit the performer to thank him for the success of his previous film. The young lady was the daughter of a Tamil industrialist from Sri Lanka who had moved to the United Kingdom. Sangeetha saw Vijay’s Poove Unakkaga and also was amazed by his presentation. She had resolved her pay Vijay a courtesy call to express her admiration for his work.
The two exchanged polite greetings and spoke for a bit. Sangeetha’s lovely gesture struck Vijay’s heart, and he invited her to visit his house and meet his parents for a discussion, to which she consented. Vijay and Sangeetha’s next encounter was with his parents at his place. Sangeetha and her simplicity attracted Vijay’s parents, but they had no clue the girl would one day become their daughter-in-law. Vijay’s mother stated the same in one of her interviews. Sangeetha and Vijay’s parents’ first meeting created an impression on the actor’s parents.
The actor had become fond of Sangeetha, and since she was still in Chennai for a few days, he invited her out again. Vijay invited her to her home again, and this time his parents understood she was the one for Vijay. Vijay’s father asked Sangeetha whether she wanted to marry Vijay at the meeting. Sangeetha readily consented to the plan, and the actor was pleased with the outcome as well.
Vijay and Sangeetha married on August 25, 1999. Because Sangeetha is a Hindu and Vijay is a Christian, the pair opted to marry according to Hindu rites. The wedding was a star-studded celebration attended by the South’s film industry’s who’s who.