How Vishnu Vishal went from cricketer to Tamil cinema's 'accidental actor'

Who needs a godfather in the film industry when you can become one? Tamil actor-producer Vishnu Vishal is done waiting for a seat at the table — he’s building the table himself.

His latest baby, Oho Enthan Baby (releasing July 11), isn’t just another rom-com — it’s a full-blown family affair. The film marks the acting debut of his cousin Rudra, paired with Little Things star Mithila Palkar, and Vishnu makes a cheeky cameo playing… himself.

“For him, working within the family was the best thing that can happen,” Vishnu says with the protectiveness of someone who knows just how brutal this industry can be. “I had nobody to guide me. I didn’t want him to face what I did.”

Before he became the man with the plan, Vishnu’s journey was all stumbles and survival. “I’m an accidental actor,” he says. “I never wanted to become one. I was a cricketer. Played for India under-16, under-19. Then an injury sidelined me.”

Enter fate — and a film-obsessed uncle. “Rudra’s father pushed me into the industry. I didn’t even get my first break easily. It took six years,” he recalls. But when it finally happened, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu became a sleeper hit. He thought he’d arrived — until reality hit harder. “My second and third films? The biggest flops of my career,” he says bluntly.

He teetered on the edge of irrelevance. “If I’d given one more flop, I’d have been out. Done. Thrown out,” he says. Then came Ratsasan, the cult psychological thriller that made audiences — especially in Kerala — sit up and take notice. “Malayalam audiences made Ratsasan what it was. They celebrated it like their own.”

Today, with 21 films, 16 years in the game, and nine productions under his belt, Vishnu is no longer winging it. He’s calling the shots — but not for fame. “I just want to be here till my last. That’s it. I’m not chasing anything anymore,” he says. “Success is never permanent. It’s like waves — some days you ride them, some days they crash on your face.”

If his career were a movie, it would start with a guy thrown into the deep end without knowing how to swim. “I thought I was going to drown,” he says. “But then you figure it out. You learn not to panic. And then — you float.”

Now, he’s all about pushing the envelope. “I’ve done a time travel movie, a professional cricket film before Jersey, one on kabaddi, thrillers, terrorism... Gatta Kusthi had the heroine as the hero!” he says. “I've always taken the different route — and that takes time for people to get used to.”

His upcoming film Irudhi Vanavasam — his third outing with the Ratsasan team — is still under wraps, but expect another curveball. “Can’t talk about it yet. It’s got a surprise element,” he teases.

And as for Oho Enthan Baby, Vishnu knows exactly why he made it. “People are overdosing on action, blood, and brooding heroes. So give them something sweet, something fun. A little chaos, a little love, a lot of heart.”

In an industry obsessed with the next big blockbuster, Vishnu Vishal is playing the long game. He’s the self-made outsider-turned-insider who’s using his seat to open doors for others — and maybe crack a few ceilings while he's at it.