Teejay Arunasalam

Teejay Arunasalam is British playback singer and actor who has worked in Indian cinema, particularly Tamil language films. After making his acting debut in the Tamil film Asuran (2019) alongside Dhanush, he has also appeared in significant roles in Thatrom Thookrom (2020), anthology web series Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa (2022) and in Pathu Thala (2023) with Silambarasan.

Teejay Arunasalam
Born
Tejeenthan Arunasalam

(1994-01-06) 6 January 1994
Northolt, London Borough of Ealing, England
Other namesTeejay
Occupation(s)Actor, playback singer
Years active2016–present

Career

Born in the area of Northolt in London to Sri Lankan Tamil immigrants, Teejay became interested in music through Carnatic classes and his pursuit of a GCSE qualification in music technology. He rose to fame in the European Tamil diaspora through his work as a singer on independent Tamil music albums in the early 2010s.[1] He worked on albums with US-based singer Pragathi Guruprasad, and other UK-based singers such as Inno Genga and Arjun.[2][3] He went on to pursue a degree in airport and airline management at university, before switching to study music.[4]

Teejay announced that he would make his acting debut in the Tamil film industry through Amsana, a low-budget romantic drama, made by a cast and crew of debutants during August 2016. The film was later stalled but Teejay stayed in Chennai to try and pursue his career as a playback singer.[5] He was then cast in the lead role of Thatrom Thookrom (2020) during December 2017 by debutant director Arul. The film's production was delayed and it subsequently had a limited release in late 2020, as Teejay's second release.[6]

Teejay won critical acclaim for his role as Velmurugan in Vetrimaaran's Asuran (2019), appearing as the son of the characters portrayed by Dhanush and Manju Warrier.[7] He was cast in the film after being referred to Vetrimaaran by his friend, actress Andrea Jeremiah. Teejay won positive reviews for his depiction.[8][9] He later appeared in Balaji Mohan's short film in the anthology series Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa by Amazon Prime.[10]

As of 2022, Teejay is working on Pathu Thala (2022), where he appears in a supporting role in an ensemble cast headed by Silambarasan, Gautham Karthik and Kalaiyarasan.[11] He will also appear in a leading role in an untitled film co-produced by director A. L. Vijay, where he features alongside actresses Vani Bhojan and Amritha Aiyer.[12]

Teejay has often reported his inclusion as an actor in larger film projects to the media, though he later did not feature. This included projects such as Ajay Gnanamuthu's Cobra (2022), Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023), the biopic of Muttiah Muralitharan titled 800, and an untitled film by Gautham Vasudev Menon.[13][14]

Filmography
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released
As actor
YearFilmRoleNotes
2019AsuranVelmurugan Sivasaami
2020Thatrom ThookromKaaka
2022Putham Pudhu Kaalai VidiyaadhaaMuruganWeb-series; Segment: Mugakavasa Mutham
2023Pathu ThalaSelvin
2023Vilayath Buddha †TBAMalayalam film; Filming
As playback singer
YearSong titleFilm/AlbumMusic Director
2013"Aasai"Vaanavil The QuestVernon G Segaram
2016"Paani Poori"SawaariVishal Chandrasekhar
2016"Thean Kudika"Maze In IdhayamSteve Cliff
2018"Maanam Pochu"
"IAMK Party Song"		Iruttu Araiyil Murattu KuththuBalamurali Balu
2018"Poraali"Traffic RamasamyBalamurali Balu
2018"Vedigundu Pasangge Theme Song"Vedigundu PasanggeVivek–Mervin
2018"Wake Me Up Everyday"Pyaar Prema KaadhalYuvan Shankar Raja
2018"Kadhal Oru Aagayam"Imaikkaa NodigalHiphop Tamizha
2018"Polladha Bhoomi"
"Ey Minukki"		AsuranG. V. Prakash Kumar
2020"Porenu Nee Pona"Anbulla GhilliArrol Corelli
2022"Muttu Mu2"—TeeJay Arunasalam

References
  1. "TeeJay". Thamarai.
  2. "BBC Asian Network - Ashanti Omkar, The Best of British". BBC.
  3. "BBC Asian Network - Ashanti Omkar, TeeJay and Shriya Saran". BBC.
  4. "Ashanti Omkar - British Tamil Singer - TeeJay - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. "TeeJay´s Debüt in Kollywood".
  6. "Teejay's film as lead is based on demonetisation - Times of India". The Times of India. 11 February 2020.
  7. "Teejay: If I was able to act naturally in Asuran, it was because of Vetri Maaran sir - Times of India". The Times of India. 3 October 2020.
  8. Subramanian, Anupama (October 6, 2019). "Asuran review: A violent enthralling film from Vetri—Dhanush magic combo". Deccan Chronicle.
  9. "Asuran movie review: Dhanush is terrific in this well-made revenge drama". October 4, 2019.
  10. "Balaji Mohan: Teejay and Gouri were apt for my characters in Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa". OTTPlay.
  11. "Silambarasan resumes shooting for Pathu Thala". Cinema Express.
  12. "Asuran star Teejay starts shooting for his new film - Latest Update - Tamil News". IndiaGlitz.com. March 3, 2022.
  13. "Asuran-fame Teejay in AR Rahman's next". Cinema Express.
  14. "I will never forget the chat I had with Mani Ratnam sir: Teejay - Times of India". The Times of India. 20 November 2021.
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