Actor, director, lyricist, singer, music director - What else is left for this man to get into? Silambarasan TR is everywhere. He is one of the most energetic actors of our generation. His father T.Rajendar must be the inspiration for him to multitask with ease. Following his footsteps, STR has emerged successful but his individuality has always been visible in his journey. That is why Simbu is so special and thousands of fans still follow him despite the regular delays of his movie releases and constant criticisms about his personal conduct.

What would a 1-year kid do? Nothing but wandering all over the house and playing with every toy available, right? But Simbu was acting busily on the sets of 'Uravai Kaatha Kili'. T.Rajendar was directing successful films back to back in the 80s and almost all of them had his son Simbu playing a role. In a society where a kid considers studying on a daily basis an issue, Simbu had to manage both studies and shooting. "I would be taught my school subjects on the shooting spot itself and I have to memorize the dialogues and subjects at the same time," says the actor. It was certainly a difficult task to spend most of your childhood in something that you don't know yet. Simbu entered cinema right after entering the earth.

Though Simbu has acted in numerous films as a child artist, his debut as the lead actor was in 2002 with 'Kadhal Azhivadhillai' and with his next film 'Dum' he became an immediate sensation among youngsters. At that time, STR represented the unemployed youth in his films that connected well with the audience. After working in a few action films, he acted in Hari's 'Kovil' which didn't have the usual noise and showed Simbu in a refreshingly underplayed character. 

Then came the biggie called 'Manmadhan' which was written by Simbu himself. The film was a huge success and it gave him much-needed recognition in the industry. 'Thotti Jaya' which released immediately after Manmadhan earned huge praise for his acting and turned out to be one of the most critically acclaimed films in his career.

STR made his directorial debut with 'Vallavan' in 2006. The movie was much expected and eventually, it became an average fare though Simbu was appreciated for taking up the role of a director very early in his career. 'Silambattam' was a commercially successful film but it was Gautam Vasudev Menon's 'Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa' in 2010 that has entirely changed Simbu's way of looking at cinema. 

In all his previous films, we could see more of Simbu than the character but in VTV, he was Karthik in every frame. The film brought him a lot of new fans and changed his image completely. Sadly, Simbu didn't capitalize on the momentum given by VTV in the next decade, except for his feel-good performances in 'Vaanam' and 'Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada'.

Simbu has been heavily criticized for various reasons. His love life has always been a talking point for the media but no one has the right to comment on his personal life just because he is an actor. One valid criticism of Simbu is regarding his consistency in being inconsistent towards his profession. 

He was being late to shoots in recent years and was also blamed for not being responsible to the producer. Simbu would have been in a completely different height now had he not given space to such mistakes. He seems to have understood that and there is a huge change in his approach now that includes a heavy workout during the lockdown period which has brought him back his vintage look with complete fitness. He is sure to come back with a bang in the coming years.

Happy Birthday STR, the man of many talents.